Pinging Engine

[MissR34]

hi everyone

my r34 non turbo has started to ping. i can hear it when i am driving at first i thought it was a car behind me but then when there was no other cars near me i heard the noise again.

a few questions:

what causes pinging?

how do i make it stop??

does this mean my engine is ruined?

thanks all

Edited September 7, 2007 by MissR34

[abu]

Do you put good fuel in it?

Have you changed the plugs recently?

Have you checked the oil recently?

Have you changed the oil recently?

Has the fuel filter every been changed?

Check a few of these things first, before we get into the more serious stuff.

Ping is also known as detonation or pre-ignition. Usually caused from over boost, mis-fueling, mis-tuning and inadequate cooling.

Boost one doesn't apply to you as your NA.

Here are some quick definitions to help you understand;

Detonation

Detonation is the spontaneous combustion of the end-gas (remaining fuel/air mixture) in the chamber. It always occurs after normal combustion is initiated by the spark plug. The initial combustion at the spark plug is followed by a normal combustion burn. For some reason, likely heat and pressure, the end gas in the chamber spontaneously combusts. The key point here is that detonation occurs after you have initiated the normal combustion with the spark plug.

Pre-ignition

Pre-ignition is defined as the ignition of the mixture prior to the spark plug firing. Anytime something causes the mixture in the chamber to ignite prior to the spark plug event it is classified as pre-ignition. The two are completely different and abnormal phenomenon.

Detonation

Unburned end gas, under increasing pressure and heat (from the normal progressive burning process and hot combustion chamber metals) spontaneously combusts, ignited solely by the intense heat and pressure. The remaining fuel in the end gas simply lacks sufficient octane rating to withstand this combination of heat and pressure.

[abu]

Engine is not ruined, but if you continue to push it and the car continues to ping you can do some serious damage, in terms of melting a piston, blowing a hole in the piston, dropping a piston ring and so forth.

Get it checked and sorted ASAP if you don't know what your doing, take it to someone else who does.

[abu]

Sometimes a dying fuel pump not supplying enough fuel pressure can causing ping/detonation due to the engine leaning out (more air than fuel).

[MissR34]

Do you put good fuel in it? bp ultimate, no other!

Have you changed the plugs recently? i put the ngk platnium ones in a year ago.

Have you checked the oil recently? yes the other day level was fine

Have you changed the oil recently? yes with jb bros engine conditioner, was a bout a mth ago

Has the fuel filter every been changed? yes a service or two ago

Check a few of these things first, before we get into the more serious stuff.

Ping is also known as detonation or pre-ignition. Usually caused from over boost, mis-fueling, mis-tuning and inadequate cooling.

Boost one doesn't apply to you as your NA.

[adam-__-]

Maybe try reseting your ecu. Unplug your battery and leave it over night or unplug it and push the brake peddle a few times. It could help.

Are you sure it's pinging?

[MissR34]

yes im sure it was pinging. i took it down to my dyno guy a little while ago and he put the timing ack a bit, he said cause the weather is getting warmer it can cause the pinging

[QWK32]

best way to describe pinging is like a hand full of gravel being thrown at your engine. i'd say check the base timing, advance or retard it to far in either direction will cause pinging. another thing would be to check you knock sensor signals, see what your O2 sensor signal is like (even though the ecu goes closed loop under hard acceleration), and check your fuel pressure reg.

[engo]

i only relised last night that my car is pinging at high revs.!!!... NOOOO!!!.. i dirve an r33 gts-t.. its only doing 5 pound of boost and running very very low power... it sounds like its comin from the turbo but not 100%.. all the oil levels and oils are fine and all that..!!.. its just annoying as!!... this is the 2nd engine my car has had and yet it is causing shit again... n e one got recommendations of things that have to happen??..

[adam-__-]

i only relised last night that my car is pinging at high revs.!!!... NOOOO!!!.. i dirve an r33 gts-t.. its only doing 5 pound of boost and running very very low power... it sounds like its comin from the turbo but not 100%.. all the oil levels and oils are fine and all that..!!.. its just annoying as!!... this is the 2nd engine my car has had and yet it is causing shit again... n e one got recommendations of things that have to happen??..

Get your car to your tuner and let him retune your ecu.

Edit: I didn't realise you've got a 33. Not sure what you can do.

Edited September 22, 2007 by adam-__-

[polishboi]

certainly a fuel related issue mate i would surgest running a higher octane rating fuel and if problems continue start searching into the problem

[GeeTR]

Detonation

Detonation is the spontaneous combustion of the end-gas...The initial combustion at the spark plug is followed by a normal combustion burn...

Pre-ignition

Anytime something causes the mixture in the chamber to ignite prior to the spark plug event it is classified as pre-ignition...

Detonation

Unburned end gas, under increasing pressure and heat (from the normal progressive burning process and hot combustion chamber metals) spontaneously combusts, ignited solely by the intense heat and pressure. The remaining fuel in the end gas simply lacks sufficient octane rating to withstand this combination of heat and pressure.

Going out on a limb here, is it normal for the description of combustion chamber based, flame front effects to get me really excited? No? (even if det heading was used to describe pinking)

No one?

...

Ok, back in my booth

If your R34 is making noises caused be chamber pressure spikes, i would be worried. Check the usuals, ECU error codes, ignition advance. (Not sure, shouldn't a stock R34 ECU, throw a code if it'd experienced real det, and did a R&R dance?) Maybe you picked up some bad fuel.

Serious stuff, good luck

Edited September 22, 2007 by GeeTR

[GeeTR]

Ping is also known as detonation or pre-ignition. Usually caused from over boost, mis-fueling, mis-tuning and inadequate cooling.

I like to think an "unregulated flame front" or resulting "chamber overpressure" is due to heat(pressure) and its effect on a gaseous volatile mix of petrochems and an oxidizer. All other real world causes spawn from that. Not trying to be a f_kwit, its just it can help to think about the actual cause before being blinded by theory… like the octane one below; something simple could just coincide with the occurrence.

i only relised last night that my car is pinging at high revs.!!!... NOOOO!!!.. i dirve an r33 gts-t.. its only doing 5 pound of boost and running very very low power...

“Theres a virus sweeping the country that makes you tired in the morning? Dear son of rajab baby Jesus, i must have it!!! jk

Sure its det? Does the sound come on quickly?... as it usually starts fairly sporadically, and if you keep the foot in, will develop into a constant "tinky" noise. As mentioned, get it checked now, its not bad luck, there’s prolly a simple fundamental issue.

certainly a fuel related issue mate i would surgest running a higher octane rating fuel and if problems continue start searching into the problem

Or maybe find out why his 120rwkw modern Skyline is det'ing sooner then later.