Hey guys... I have been experianceing some pre det when driving at normal speeds. usually hear it when shifting gears at low rpms. I took my car the the dealership and was told that "some" pre det is normal. This doesn't seem right to me, and it's driving me nuts. I have changed my intake to the "Z" tube and have installed a Wolf's Pop charger; however, the pinging was happening before this...any suggestions/comments...thanks

 

what octane gas are you running?...

 

running 91, which is the highest I can find here in N. calif. I have tried an additive, and have noticed that the pinging is less...also is most noticible on hot days when I run the ac...which would be the most likely...still just surprised by Infiniti's response...

 

try that stuff thats called :ENGINE RESTORER: its in the importtuner alot and it has a good review

 

thnks...I'll give it a try...

 

then do a review on the review board and tell us if yay or nay

 

Have you always had the ping? Since you live in NorCal try Chevron 91, that's what I use and have never experienced
the ping you're referring to. It really sounds like poor quality gas or at the
very least a timing issue. If you still have the ping thing tell the stealership
it isn't a normal thing for our cars, dumb service writers don't know squat!
Gary

 

thanks for all the advice...service writer tried to tell me it's in the owners manuel that some pinging is normal...Yes, it has always done this...I have tried Cheveron 91, and no the Engine Restore did not work...I have also tried Lucus products gas stabilzer with some improvement, but the pinging is still noticeable under light acceleration while it's hot out, esp if I'm running the a/c...Temp gage reads normal... I'm going to try reducing my anti freeze mix from 50/50 to 70/30 and see if I can get some of the heat out of the engine with a "wetter" coolant. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated...

 

Ohhh...and the dealership told me my timing was fine...I tend to think this is prob right as it does not ping when it's cold out...only when the engine is getting hot...

 

Always good to understand the problem to measure the air temperature inside plenum or at least infront of TB. Many aftermarket intake make the temperature problem worse compared to oem system. All it takes is a temp above 100F to cause havoc.

Fresh spark plugs often help for a time as does BG44k or Redline cleaners which help clean the intake valves.

In the end the problem usually comes down to pump gasoline not meeting the original design specs. Not just octane but the dozens of specs not listed.
Manufacturers use indolene clear reference fuel to test engines, but refiners sell what they can get away with with only 10% compliants.

If the problem goes away with 20% 100 octane nonleaded racing gasoline you have your proof that the gasoline is at fault.

 

Thanks...good advise, but it the prob is gas...which I too suspect, then I'm confronted with a real world problem....leaving me to find alternative fuel...at todays gas prices it becomes prohibitive....sighhh thanks for all the input guys, I let u know what I find out and do to resolve the prob.

 

I had the same issue with my wife's sedan. I finally found a better service writer and he was willing to look into the matter further. It ended up being my Throttle body and the sensor there... it was causing the timing to be too advanced. I still get an occasional light throttle ping once in a blue moon on a steep grade before the downshift... but I think that's what our manuals are referring to--The occasional light tap. Be firm about having the dealer take a look at it before some serious damage occurs.

Good Luck!

It seems many service writers don't even believe us when we say we only use premium 91 octane or higher

 

"don't even believe us when we say we only use premium 91 octane or higher"

Because the Nationwide sales of Premium have fallen seriously!
" In 1997, high-octane garnered 16 percent of the nationwide fuel market share, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Last month, premium had only 7 percent of the market"

"Premium gas is making up only 3.3 percent of E-Z Mart's gas sales this year"

"number of new models that manufacturers say should use high octane - mostly luxury sedans and high-performance sports cars - has risen from 166 in 2002 to 282 this year, according to the Kelley Blue Book"

 

Thanks FiveSeven SS190, sounds like my problem...why I get such resistence from the dealership amazes me...anyway...I'm making another appointment for next week and see what I can do.