I didnt want to hijack the V6 thread right now about engine pinging.

I rebuilt the motor last year, it has about 12K miles on it. Over the fall is when i started to go higher interstate speeds. The cooler weather it ran just fine, now that it is getting warmer, the pinging is getting worse.
After reading alot of threads about the pinging. I am trying to do this without changing my gas. So as of now I went from 5 degrees of timing to 3.5, and it didnt work, i just today went to 2.5 degrees before i filled up with 87 octane fuel. The engine runs fine. Only thing i may have to do is readjust the valves.

But a big question i have is checking the knock sensor. Is there a way to do that? It always seemed to me that Toyotas like to ping, my 89 with v6 pigned like heck, and liked to mid grade gas to quiet it down. Are the sensors supposed to eliminate the ping alltogether? or are they supposed to curb it a little.

I know we have fuel around here that is mixed with Ethanol, would thing be a possible culprit? Just throwing that out there, but I have been using the same fuel in the winter and had no pinging.

Thanks!!

 

when i worked for nissan we had alot of customer complaints of pinging on new cars. vehicles run so lean now that it doesnt take much for them to ping. about the only thing we could do to eliminate the pinging was to run 91 octane from chevron. the cheaper gas stations would still cause pinging even with 91

 

Gas has a lot to do with it. I know that in the US they sell 85 octane which is very low and Toyota calls for 87 or higher. Our min here in Canada is 87. I have never had the 3slow but my 22re's ping a bit a different times but not enough to care about it. If you have a lot of ping all the time it usually means low octane, plugs are to hot, timing is to far advanced or your head gasket is leaking. Ping here and there is normal IMHO.

All FI engines will ping at different times because, like was mentioned, they run very lean. That is why there is a knock sensor. It will only curb excessive ping, like a high load ping (like when you hold your foot into it going up a hill). The sensor mostly just retards the timing to try and stop it. New cars I imagine do more then that (change the fuel map ect).

 

You say that in the cool weather, it ran better. What thermostat are you running? The stock 22re thermostat is 190 degrees, but the 22rte had a 180 degree thermostat that might work better for you. Toyota part# 90916-03083

Check also that the EGR system is working.

If you think you may have carbon deposits on the valves or piston heads, you might run a seafoam or water treatment. Running Red Line SI-1 Complete Fuel System Cleaner through wouldn't hurt, either.

Ethanol should lessen pinging, not increase it. It's still garbage, though.

You should be able to get it to run at stock timing with 87 octane without pinging.

 

I know when i rebuilt the motor i really didnt touch the EGR. Can it be cleaned? I havnt run a treatment on it, i was trying to do it with every oil change but i didnt get to doing it.

There is one other issue that maybe associated with it. I do have air in my coolnig system. I havnt messed with it to get it out since i have to replace the water pump but i can hear the air when i bring the switch over to HOT on the heater control, you can hear the water rush into the heater core everytime. I do have a bit higher idle when it is cold on cold days. so i am not sure if the air in the cooling lines will fool any sensors to possibly cause some pinging.

 

Sounds like a head gasket going and pumping up the cooling system. Try running it with the rad cap off and see if you get lots of bubbles coming out.

 

my 22re pings like hell, especially after i had the head resurfaced. but i just dont care if she pings