Late Model Cars Pinging?

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I walk to Uni each day, part of the walk is along the campus driving area, particularly near where there is a speed reduction or increase, depending on the direction of travel. So lots of cars speeding up and slowing down.

What I notice is a significant number of late-model cars, not just old bangers, accelerating making that tell-tale "Brrrrt-Br-Brrrrrrrrrrt" that is indicative of pinging. My Grandfather's 2005 Camry does this too.

Is there something going into fuel these days causing this, or is everyone just using really [censored] fuel?
 
We live near a crossroads, with a fairly decent hill start.

They've been doing this the last 10 years at least that I've noticed.

Before that it was the clapped out oil burners that had an excuse, now I just think it's more aggressive tuning by the OEMs to scrape the last squeak in economy for that few second of roll on load.
 
I live on a hill and I have noticed that a lot of cars ping horribly going up the hill; just as bad as my old Taurus. And it's nice vehicles - newer Nissans and Toyotas seem to be the worst
 
Newer cars have high compression ratios, run as lean as possible, and stay in low gears as much as possible to conserve fuel. And if Australians are anything like Americans, most of them probably run the cheapest, lowest-octane fuel they think they can get away with.
 
Originally Posted By: BobFout
At certain times a DI petrol engine can sound like a diesel...


These are definitely port injected cars that I see.

It's often Rav 4s and Camrys and pretty much any Nissan V6
 
I'm glad I am not the only one who has noticed this. It will be interesting to see what sort of effect this could have on an engine in the long run.
 
I hear it all the time on cars at a stop sign near my house, even newer cars.

Including a few times in my meticulously cared for 2013 Camry when it had just 25k miles on a hot day at low speed load entering a parking lot. Nasty.
 
Hmmm, haven't heard any pinging on the 2012 Camry with 63k miles. But the 05 Matrix is pretty bad almost sounds like a tear in the intake or something.
 
My mother's car appears to be the latest victim of this irritating issue with newer cars.

Its a 2003 Toyota Corolla with the 1ZZ-FE four cylinder, and just on 100,000km (62k miles for our imperial folk). The last year or so it gets about a 50km (30mi) return commute weekdays; filled with premium fuel and regularly serviced by a good Indy, before that a LOT of short trips (worked out to about 4000km annually, so less than 3k miles), but it never pinged then with regular grade fuel.

At highway speeds, it will ping constantly if you let it.

Its completely unbelievable; and there isn't even a CEL illuminated. Not sure if taking it for a good thrash will help things out or not, but you'd think daily highway running would be good for it.

The mind boggles how a car with such a young drivetrain, with regular servicing and long running could carry on like this. It is really quite disappointing.
 
Might be worth trying the Italian tune-up. Throw a bottle of techron or gum out regane in the tank and drive the nuts off it.

Another thought, maybe a faulty or weak knock sensor?
 
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My sonata has been the first car I have ever owned with a pinging issue.

GDI 2.4L.

The only way it doesn't ping is 93 octane. I feed it the good stuff because pinging drives me insane.
 
One of our van's@ work had a ping. It was a sensor.

My boat pinged one year when it was 110* outside... I cleaned the carb. Issues solved... So i think there's mechanical issues with pinging.
 
Run E85
laugh.gif

Problem Solved
 
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