Pinging Problems!

[jaslo]

I have the 4.8 v-8 and have a slight pinging problem. Its a light ping under part throttle acceleration, i dont hear it under full throttle. Does this pinging hurt the engine any? Its not a real lound pinging and doesnt do it all the time. just dont want to ruin my engine.

[AZ1500]

Have you made any recent mods? If not, it could be as simple as low quality gas. Try a fresh tank of name brand fuel. Light "pinging" under load can be normal. What will damage your engine is constant "knock". Your pcm will retard your engine timing through it's knock retard program to protect the motor. You'll lose a little performance though. Hot weather can cause the pinging as well. If your engine is performing to specs, higher octane fuel will help aleviate the ping, but it is only masking a real problem if one exists.

[jaslo]

I always use name brand fuels, either conoco or phillips66. I yeah, I do have the westers pcm, I dont know if that is causing the problem or not.

[jhm]

I have the same engine, same problem. Believe me when I yell you, you will never get rid of this noise. See my thread "greased lightning". I have been to the dealer who sold me the truck 3 times for this issue and they told me it was piston slap, timing and everything else is perfect. I know it sounds like the ping you get from low quality fuel. I did not buy the "this is normal" bs and got a free 6 yr 100k extended warranty on the entire engine. If you are still in warraanty, go to the dealer and demand that they fix the problem, when they tell you they can't, call gm and demand the extended warranty! Good luck!

[jaslo]

I never had the pinging, only had it after i put the wester's in. So i dont know what to think.

[awdvkd]

Should have said that first, the timing advance curve has been set to advanced. Call Lyndon and he will send you one with the timing reduced a bit. Or at least just call him and talk with him.

[AZ-Z71]

Sorry to say but go over to Pickup Trucks .com because a few of them over there are send the units back and staying with the old ones. Pinging seems to be the biggest problem of the Westers. For some people it seems to work, for others it is a problem.

[Butch 02 Denali]

I never had the pinging, only had it after i put the wester's in. So i dont know what to think.

Of course the custom programs like the Wester's run more timing than stock, and can bring the engine right to the edge of pinging or beyond. have you cleaned the MAFS? That is the #1 cause of pinging with or without a custom program. Call Lyndon also, if needed he will back it down a little. But try the cleaning first. How was your performance increase with the Wester's?

 

Butch 02 Sierra Denali

[Highbeam]

The westers caused the pinging. I have the same problem with my westers. I am trying some of the suggestions offered by Lyndon like running a low temp (180) thermostat.

 

Pinging will damage your engine. No doubt about it. Do a search for detonation and you will see bad things that have happened to engines. Total destruction if it gets bad enough. Is it worth it to you? Not to me. I will not be happy until the ping is gone. If this means the westers goes back, then so be it.

[jaslo]

The performance with my truck was a little bit more noticable, really the shifting is what was the main difference. But in return I think it sucks more gas now than it did before i put it on.

[woyster_00z71]

I had pinging on my 2000 Silverado with 5.3L V-8. I tried everything from running Premium fuel, fuel injector cleaners, etc. What got rid of the problem was running a bottle of Techron through the system then changing the oil and switching to Chevron gas. Within a few tanks of switching to Chevron gas, the pinging disappeared. It hasn't pinged in over a year now. When I bought my 2001 Tahoe, I had some slight pinging from the previous owner. I followed the same procedure above and switched to Chevron gas and the pinging has disappeared from it as well.

 

As mentioned above, I would say it is probably due to inferior gas.

 

B.J.