1. Home
  2. Subaru Cars Forum
  3. Re: Engine pinging - New Forester

Re: Engine pinging - New Forester

I'd like to hear what RPM your pinging occurs at.

Have you tried higher octane fuel ? You don't say which model you have but if it's non-turbo the compression ration is 10:1, something that requires higher octane in my mind. Last year pulling a trailer uphill (maybe

800 lbs total, the rest of the car empty but me) in a 2004 Impreza caused the engine to ping like crazy on 87 octane fuel. I thought I was going to destroy the engine. I would have thought the computer would have tried to reduce things, but no.

Ever since then I put 91 octane only in the tank and have had no problems.

Reply to
Paul
Loading thread data ...

Sorry I left out some info. I have the X model with standard transmission. The RPM doesn't seem to matter. Example: Yesterday at 70 mph in 5th gear on cruise control going up a slight incline the is gentle pinging (rpm about 3000). Also yesterday in 4th gear going up a slightly steeper incline at 45 mph, rpm about 2800.

As soon as the car is given a little gas the pinging stops. But then the speed increases and when letting off the gas pedal a little the pinging comes back.

Have not tried any higher octane gas than 87. May try a mid grade the next tank.

The last tank of Chevron wasn't any better. My wife reported pinging in

1st gear now.
Reply to
JM

JM wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Shortly after getting my '03 Forester X I noticed that under acceleration from a stop on an uphill grade the engine would ping for a second before the knock sensor and computer kicked in to retard the timing. I figured that with the relatively high compression of the NA engine that 87 (R+M/2) octane gas wasn't up to the job. I started putting 89 into the tank and all the pinging went away. I don't think the engine was pinging badly enough to cause any damage, but running the ignition retarded enough to for 87 couldn't have been helping performance any. I've been using 89 octane gas ever since. YMMV. :-)

- Snuffy -

Reply to
Mike Bender

Reply to
felixc

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.