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2000 GT pinging/driving style

Picking the brains of others...

My 2000 GT (5-speed) has had a slapping/knocking/pinging noise since it had something like 20,000 miles on it, maybe before that. It happens around 1,500 rpm - 2,000 rpm. I hear it under moderate acceleration, such as highway merging. I don't drive the car hard, so it's definitely not WOT.

I've never experienced detonation in another car, so I don't know if that's the noise I'm hearing or not. It sounds mechanical to me, almost as if something is hitting something else. It's happened in the dead of winter on 91 octane.

After 2 dealerships not hearing or helping, I asked for a tech to ride with me. He said that it's normal, due to acceleration low in the powerband. But it didn't use to do it, and it happens going up hills in

5th at 2,000 rpm. Correction, not hills (I live in Kansas), but rather freeway overpasses.

He says that I drive incorrectly, but a car with 260hp, 302ft/lb shouldn't need to be downshifted going up an overpass, should it?

I cleaned the MAF, and that quieted it some. Next is the EGR, but I need to know if I really need a new gasket or not.

So, do I really not know how to drive, or is there something wrong like I fear? I think that my engine suffers from piston slap. (I used to read this group 2-3 yrs ago.) Of course, the dealership didn't hear that then, either.

Do I need a new gasket for the EGR when I clean it?

(The car is stock, save for a K&N filter, and a snorkel on the airbox left over from a ram-air kit.) Thanks,

-Travis

Reply to
Travis
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Reply to
KellyJ

Pinging or knocking at any rpm is not normal and should be remedied. MAF cleaning is a good start. How long has it been since you've changed the fuel filter out? Cleaned the EGR valve? (Yes, spend $1.89 to change the gasket.) Cleaned the ACT lately? Run El Cheapo gas in that thing? Using a non-OEM fuel cap?

Lastly, have you scanned the computer for error codes? You may very well have an input sensor malfunction that needs to be corrected.

I should explain the 'El Cheapo Gas' thing. Some fuels sold today have excessive detergent levels and can cause many fuel system problems as a result including catalytic converter clogging, pinging and excessive combustion chamber deposits. All contribute to preignition problems. Arco is the worst offender. Others are a close second.

-JD

Reply to
JD Adams

Use premium, if you aren't currently. If that makes no difference, it's probably not pinging.

John

Reply to
John Shepardson

An oil change fixed your pinging issue ? I seriously doubt that.

Oil has nothing to due with the combustion process. It's there to lubricate and cool.

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Reply to
Rein

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Reply to
Rein

I can't help but wonder if hydraulic valve 'clatter' might be interpreted as pinging.

Dana

Reply to
Dana H. Myers

Ah Yes, winter is coming ! Travis if you continue to run with regular gas you may need to go to the dealer and ask them to re-flash your ECM. ECM software tends to degrade over time and also Ford continuously upgrades the ECM software to enhance performance especially if you complain about engine ping. Your other "Quick Fix" is to run higher octane fuel. But this is expensive and the newer Fords are designed to run on regular gas. As far as cylinder slap, unless you are using a cheap lo grade oil use a synthetic 10-20 wt oil that Ford uses in all cars.

Reply to
Mr. Ford

Software degrades over time ?? LMAO. There is no such thing as degrading software. The engine might degrade over time is probably what you mean. Things like carbon build up will increase compression which could cause detonation. The software in the ECM might not be prepared for this and a re-flash could have software that's not as aggressive on the ignition timing. It's just a guess, there could be many other things affecting detonation.

It's just hiding a problem. don't use higher octane.

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Reply to
Rein

"Rein" wrote

I think he was trying to say that the software becomes obsolete with the upgrades. At least that's what I hope he meant. Otherwise that'd be a pretty retarded statement.

Reply to
66 6F HCS

I don't believe software 'degrades over time'. I'd love to see any proof you have of this. Often, complaints about preignition will yield a change in PCM programming by lazy techs, who usually back the timing off a couple of degrees. This only masks symptoms, and doesn't solve the problem.

Same goes for higher octane fuel. Running a non spec grade of oil has no effect on preignition either.

The solution is to find the source of the problem and remedy it. Many things can cause this problem, and paying a top-notch tech who specializes in derivability issues to find it is money well spent.

-JD

Reply to
JD Adams

JD,

You are right as rain! Software does not fail. Once the software is right and proven, it works everytime. Just as it's designed to do. However, hardware does fail!!!!! If someone says they know of a softweare failure, I'll bet it wasn't tested, and re-tested, and proven to be effective no matter what is thrown at it. It'll all come down to human error!

Reply to
John

And humans design the computers and software that fail... so of course it's all our (humanity's) fault.

Software can be (and has been) wrong - there are countless stories of Ford reflashing Cobras and GTs to resolve pinging problems, no-start or hard-start problems, etc. Even thorough testing sometimes isn't quite the same as an actual use. Imagine what a software designer that makes end-user products goes through - at least in a car, you can't push the wrong button or input the wrong value...you just have sensors that give false readings or solenoids that stick open/closed...

JS

Reply to
JS

It'd be rare for software to fail. So rare, that it's established practice in the safety and risk analysis business to assume it won't. That would put the odds of it happening at ~ 1/100,000 or less. Rigorous investigations usually determine the root cause of a software failure to be programming deficiency or hardware. I have a friend that is a natural born software tester, every program she touches crashes. I can't explain it, but it seems she is gifted!

Reply to
John

I know all about it but.. It's not the software's fault. Some other parameter changed over time (something like carbon build-up) that wasn't forseen in the software. The solution is different software. Back off the timing a little usually. The software can't detect how much carbon is build up and if it is causing detonation. The GT's do not have knock-sensors. Some markets use crappy gas and cause more carbon buildup than others. The software was not at fault.

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Reply to
Rein

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