Noise- Pinging In 03 Suburban 4x4 5.3 Liter

bry21317 · May 24, 2007

I had a pinging noise last summer, then I did a ton of stuff and though that it went away. Well it is back now that the temperatures have gotten warmer.

Here is what all I have tried to fix this.

New Spark Plugs- Denso iridium - Last Sept

I ran Techron through the gas tank, and Sea Foam. I have done this again the last few weeks.

Cleaned out the Air Filter- K+N, it was not dirty.

Cleaned off the MAF with CRC Electical Cleaner.

Cleaned the Throttle Body out again, with a Toth brush.

Replace the Fuel Filter

I get the pinging sound at 1500 to 2500 rpms. This also only occurs when it is warm outside, as it must be high 70s to 80s for it to happen. I know this makes no sense to me, but during the Winter it was fine.

I can really hear it on the Drivers side, when My window is up or down. I also almost wonder if maybe I have a gasket leak or something on the exhaust, but I am not sure what this would sound like. The truck runs great, but just has this bad pinging sound under load. It will only do it when under load, if I rev the engine it won't happen. It also does it when I am pulling my boat alot worse and more.

Also could it be a valve tapping that I am hearing. It really sounds like Spark ping to me, but you never know.

Thanks,

Bryan

pwall · May 24, 2007

Just for curiousity, what octance of gas are you using and what octane tune do you have with your wait4me?

My wait4me tune is for 89, if I use 87, the engine will ping under load.

C & A s Dad · May 24, 2007

Bryan, if this really is "pinging" it would appear that you have covered your bases for home remidies. I would have to point toward the tune as Pwall has mentioned and see what octane tune you have. If it were an exhaust leak it would be hard to mistake. Detonation has a hollow "tinny" sound and would be uneven. An exh leak would sound more like a ticking and would be consistent with every exh stroke on the bank where the leak was.

If it is detonation, I would lean towrds the idea that you have a anti-knock sensor issue. You could also have a Prof Tech do an upper cyl decarbon with a Motor Vac or similar machine, but I cannot believe the Techron and Seafoam would not have at least reduced the pinging considerably.

Let us know about the tune.

bry21317 · May 24, 2007

Just for curiousity, what octance of gas are you using and what octane tune do you have with your wait4me?

My wait4me tune is for 89, if I use 87, the engine will ping under load.

Oh yea, I forgot to put that. I have been running 87 octane and I have the Wait4metune. I had him tune it mild, for better gas mileage. I told him I always ran 87, so he was supposed to tune it for that. I do have tons of Power from it.

I did just fill the tank full of 93 to see if it will go away, but it has not yet. I would think that it would be pretty immediate as I have burned through about 7 gallons of 93, and it still pings.

Any other Ideas? And this is only when it is warm outside, thats the odd thing. It is not near as bad in the mornings, when its mid 60s to low 70s, but then when I got to lunch usually around 1-2pm it pings bad.

Thanks,

Bryan

bry21317 · May 24, 2007

I usually run a can of Sea Foam through the tank about every other month. I also run Lucas Fuel Treatment through it on a regular basis, of a little per tank, just to keep it clean.

I also had this same type of pinging way back when with the Stock computer no tune. It got really bad when I put on a K+N Cold Intake. So I had to send the intake back as it was pinging so bad. Then it was ok, but it seems to be getting worse again.

Now do I need to reset something to get it to relearn stuff? I have seem somewhere on here about removing the battery wires for some time to reset something, not sure what this is for though.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Bryan

C & A s Dad · May 24, 2007

If you are getting pinging with 93 octane my bet is that it is not carbon build up. Typically if an engine is building carbon in the comb chamber it will begin to ping. The driver begins using 89 and the pinging goes away for some time and the carbon builds even more requiring even higher octane fuel. The 93 is used and it will typically go away again.

My bet is you have an anti knock sensor issue. I do not think you would have damaged your MAF with he Electronic cleaner but this is not recommended. CRC makes a specific cleaner for MAFs and they say it is different from Elect cleaner. I cannot swear to this but a CRC rep did tell me this.

Please remember, I am not a Tech and you may be at the point of seeking some real professional advise from someone who makes their living repairing cars.

Norseman · May 24, 2007

Do you ever spray your engine down with water?

bry21317 · May 24, 2007

Actually I did use the MAF cleaner from CRC. Sorry, it was not the electronics cleaner, but it was the actual MAF cleaner.

I have never sprayed water on the Engine in the year that I have owned it. Not say that it had not been done before, I remember seeing some TSB on the Knock sensor on that issue.

I had called the Dealer and they told me that if it was that Knock Sensor in that TSB, I would also be getting a check engine light coming on, I have no lights or any codes. The car runs perfect and drives perfect, actually runs like a bat out of hell when i get on it, but it just has this noise that is scaring me.

I am stumped.

Bryan

Norseman · May 24, 2007

I had called the Dealer and they told me that if it was that Knock Sensor in that TSB, I would also be getting a check engine light coming on, I have no lights or any codes. The car runs perfect and drives perfect, actually runs like a bat out of hell when i get on it, but it just has this noise that is scaring me.

Actually, that is not entirely correct. The TSB actually states the MIL may be present or not.

You could always try some Sea Foam Deep Creep (it's the Sea Foam in the spray can) spraying through the TB past any sensors with the engine running. It fixed a detonation problem with my neighbors truck.

bry21317 · May 24, 2007

Ok,

I have run the Deep Creep before, but thats been a while. I did just notice when I went to lunch, just now, that its not doing it now. Its only about 84 degrees outside right now. I wonder if the 93 octane that I put in yesterday morning has finally started to work.

I have already burned 7 gallons by the DIC. When you say spray in the TB past any sensors, do you mean disconnect the Air Intake Hose and Spray directly into the TB, where the Butterfly is? I have not done this in a while, but I use the deep creep on all my vehicles, just have not on this one in a while.

Let me know what you think. I also just got some new plugs and wires, from Napa, figured I would try that also to see if that has anything to do with it. I also know that it was doing this with the Stock Computer instead of the one with the Wait4meTune last year.

I do have no problem doing all this again though, and seeing if it won't melt away some of that carbon, because thats what it seems that it might be, since the pinging did go away this time, for now it seems like on the 93 ocatane fuel.

If it was carbon buildup, would this be worse when the outside air temp was warmer? Also, my gas mileage has dropped about 3mpg around town. The pure highway is a little lower, but not to much.

Thanks,

Bryan

C & A s Dad · May 24, 2007

In my opinion, I believe you would be wasting your time with plugs and wires since you just did this not long ago. Also, I cannot ever remember hearing of a case where the plugs would cause detonation.

The air hose needs to be installed while the engine is running or you would likely set code. I am not real sure how well it would run with the MAF not sensing the incoming air.

To use the Deep Creep on a veh with a MAF, I have seen people drill a small hole in the plastic intake just at the TB. You would plug the hole with sheet metal screw, You can insert the straw in the hole making sure you keep a good grip on the straw so it does not get pulled into the intake. You can then inject the Deep Creep into the TB allowing it to flow through the intake and into the comb chambers. I have heard one Tech say that you do not want to allow a great deal of liquid of any kind to get into the drive by wire controls. This would mean you would want to insert the straw as far into the hole and towards the TB as possible so the DC would go past the butterfly. I am sure if you really got a lot of liquid into this area, some may get into the DBW controls but I have only heard of this one time.

lerbud · May 24, 2007

Do you still have your stock ecm? if you do put it in and see if the pinging goes away. I had trouble with his tune pinging on my 04 and 91 octanne would not cure it. I finally put the stocker in and no more pinging. Thats why I found a different tuner for my new ride. No pinging and hauls butt!!

Norseman · May 25, 2007

Ok,
I have run the Deep Creep before, but thats been a while. I did just notice when I went to lunch, just now, that its not doing it now. Its only about 84 degrees outside right now. I wonder if the 93 octane that I put in yesterday morning has finally started to work.

I have already burned 7 gallons by the DIC. When you say spray in the TB past any sensors, do you mean disconnect the Air Intake Hose and Spray directly into the TB, where the Butterfly is? I have not done this in a while, but I use the deep creep on all my vehicles, just have not on this one in a while.

Let me know what you think. I also just got some new plugs and wires, from Napa, figured I would try that also to see if that has anything to do with it. I also know that it was doing this with the Stock Computer instead of the one with the Wait4meTune last year.

I do have no problem doing all this again though, and seeing if it won't melt away some of that carbon, because thats what it seems that it might be, since the pinging did go away this time, for now it seems like on the 93 ocatane fuel.

If it was carbon buildup, would this be worse when the outside air temp was warmer? Also, my gas mileage has dropped about 3mpg around town. The pure highway is a little lower, but not to much.

Thanks,

Bryan

Trey is right hold off on the plugs. Yes, when I say spray the Deep Creep into the TB past the sensors, I mean disconnect the air intake tube and spray it right into the TB. The engine will run a tad rough and you might set off the MIL, no big deal just go to a auto parts store and have it reset. I spray about 75% of the can in and then shut the truck off. After hooking everything back up and letting it set for about 15 minuets I crank it back up and watch the smoke show. That has worked for me every time.

On another note you could also be pinging due to a leaky intake manifold gasket. If that is the case no big deal it's an easy task, only takes about 2 hours to do. Or an O2 sensor could be getting lazy (that could also account for the drop in MPG).

Let me know if I can help any further help.

Good luck

bry21317 · May 25, 2007

Thanks guys. I will try to run the Deep Creep through it again this weekend or tonight. I will also check the Plugs to make sure they are still ok, as I have run quite a few cans of Deep Creep in the gas tank and Techron, since last checking them.

It did start pinging again with the 93 octane in it when I left work last night, it was not near as bad as before, but it was still doing some.

The wierdest thing is that it only does it when the outside temperature is higher, such as in the 80s mainly so far. It will be in the Upper 80s this weekend and low 90s, so it should really be in the range of where it will do it for sure. I will let you know what I find.

I saw something somewhere that said the EGR valve could also cause this, any way to check this? Also I saw another place, if you had a bad spark plug wire, it might do this. My only thing is that this car idles perfect, it does not miss a beat at all.

Thanks,

Bryan

pm26 · May 25, 2007

If this vehicle has an EGR valve, this could easily be your problem. When an EGR vavle fails closed, the engine may start pinging until the vavle is replaced with a new one. In the meantime, running the vehicle on higher octane will eliminate pinging.

You could also have a defective knock sensor. If may not be retarding ignition timing far enough.