Pinging/rattling Sound

cg4bears · October 10, 2011

I have a 2001 GMC Sierra with the 5.3 engine. Once the engine if fully warmed up it will make a pinging/rattling sound only when in gear and when given gas, or when the engine has some torque in it. It will do this sound when driving or I can power brake it to make the sound but cant tell exactly where the sound is coming from. It wont do it when just sitting in park. If anyone has some ideas please let me know.

BlackZ71Silverado · October 10, 2011

Did it start before or after your "power brake" episode?

SsgBulldawg · October 13, 2011

I had the same problem with my 06' i had it narrowed down to the exhaust, called a few muffler shops and they said it was a normal ping. usually around 100k the cats will do that... i bought headers and removed the cats and ran strait pipes..... still hear it a little bit but i havent been able to go back and tighted all the exhaust since i installed it. it fixed it for about a week and then it came back. how many miles do you have on yours and is it a "thin metal ping" or a "thick metal ping"

SsgBulldawg · October 15, 2011

I had the same problem with my 06' i had it narrowed down to the exhaust, called a few muffler shops and they said it was a normal ping. usually around 100k the cats will do that... i bought headers and removed the cats and ran strait pipes..... still hear it a little bit but i havent been able to go back and tighted all the exhaust since i installed it. it fixed it for about a week and then it came back. how many miles do you have on yours and is it a "thin metal ping" or a "thick metal ping"

new update on the pinging..... found out unfortunately, my starter wasnt retracting all the way..... aparently this has been happening for about 5 months and it never dawned on me that it could be the flywheel pinging... maybe not, well hopefully not your same problem.... but thats what mine is

dodge123 · October 17, 2011

On mine there is an exhaust bracket on the passengers side frame rail, I think when the pipes shake and move when given gas they rattle against a bolt or nut on the bracket.

SsgBulldawg · October 18, 2011

update*** picked up my truck from the shop today had the starter replaced and my pinging sound is gone.

tpalibra · October 31, 2012

I think this is the same sound my truck is making but now it is making a louder clackity,pinging sound when I do a hard acceleration if I slowly accelerate it does not do it. I have no idea what it is .