Reasons Why Your Engine May Ping
Posted on: 23 February 2017
You're driving along and you begin to notice a strange noise while accelerating. It sounds like soft marbles are running around in your engine. This could be a sign that your engine is pinging. Pinging is when the fuel detonates before the spark in a typical four-stroke engine. With today's fuel-injected, computer-controlled engines, pinging is probably less likely to happen compared to back when cars had carburetors, but it still happens. Here are some common reasons why your engine may be pinging.
Your compression ratio is too high:
One common reason why engines ping is that the compression inside the cylinders is too high. Higher compression means that the fuel is more easy to detonate as it's compressed. Unless you car's engine was designed for high compression, you will get pinging in this case. One cause of high compression is when excessive carbon or other materials builds up on the pistons. This is common in engines which are burning oil. Boring out your engine block to fit bigger pistons can also wreak havoc on your compression ratio.
Wrong type of fuel:
Some high-end performance cars are specifically designed for higher octane fuel. If you try to use regular fuel, then you're going to have poor performance and pinging. While you think you're saving money, in the long run, you may be risking damage to your engine if you let the pinging continue. Be aware that some gas stations may fudge on the octane levels and not give you what you need. If you own one of these cars and it starts pinging after visiting a cheap gas station, then try another station and see what happens.
Sensor or mechanical issues:
Many modern cars have a "knock" sensor, which senses issues related to pinging and makes corrections to reduce them. It's possible that sensor has stopped working. Pinging can also be caused when the ignition timing is too advanced. However, if you own a modern car, chances are that it doesn't have a distributor, and your timing can't be easily adjusted. You could also have other issues such as a clog in the exhaust pipe, which may cause an issue with back pressure, or overheating which can contribute to pinging.
Pinging is not a normal sound in any engine, whether you have an older vehicle or new one. It's less likely to happen due to advances in computer technology, but it can still happen in some conditions. If you're hearing a strange noise coming from your engine while accelerating under load, have a mechanic at a location like Bob Adams Auto Service Center check it out before any engine damage happens.
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