locklear

iTrader: (1)

I had this problem late last summer, and took advice from here. I've been adding the Techron fuel injection cleaner with every oil change (4000 miles), since late last summer, and it seems to have taken care of the pinging, but a few days ago it was like 97 degrees, and for the first time since October I heard it! I can't figure it out......it doesn't do it when it's cool out, just when it's Africa hot out. Vere frustrating!!! It also only does it under hard acceleration.
I'm wondering if changing to a thicker oil might help?? I have always used Mobil Full Syn. 10w-30 since it was new, but i'm wondering if changing to 20w-50 would help fight the pinging on hot days?? Any ideas?
Any ideas what might be causing the pinging to begin with?
Any help would be great!!

slizan99

iTrader: (1)

how many miles do you have?
I would try a fuel induction cleaning if you haven't done that yet.

locklear

iTrader: (1)

133,000 miles............what is fuel induction cleaning? If this is what the Nissan dealer does....i've already done it.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Have your intake deep cleaned and you might also think about replacing your O2 sensor. The O2 sensor, if it's old might be sending a signal thats slightly off back to your ECU causing your engine to run lean or rich and causing the ping at high temperatures.

You can have Nissan clean your intake a and fuel system or you can try an over the counter system such as Seafoam.

You are using 91+ ocatane fuel right? Try Sunoco Ultra 94 on really hot days. The higher the octane, the more the fuel resists ignition and the less chance for precombustion which causes ping.

Frank Fontaine

Do you think Nissan should do that? I'm wondering if a little pinging is normal, because to tell you the truth with 93 octane, my car will ping a little under heavy acceleration uphill. With regular it will do it pretty much from a stoplight.

I know that with many american cars, their owners' manuals will state to use 87 octane, anything higher is not necessary, and also that some pinging is normal. Grab some Chevrolet owners' manuals' for those of you who are skeptical about what I say.

I hate to pay Nissan for unnecessary service, that's all. One example: I pass every time on that engine flush--it may or may not be beneficial, just not necessary imho. And I don't like the idea of some chemicals being put into my crankcase. The cars gonna go 150k easy as it is, what's it gonna do with a flush, 200-300??

The question is, how many of us are starting to shop for cars with 300 HP or more, raise your hand! Ain't it kewl?

Tort

I believe you should be using 5w-30. I think 10w-30 is too thick, especially in summer

Subzero

iTrader: (5)

5-30 is for winter because it is thin to start you don't want to run that in the summer when it is hot. You run 10-30 in the summer because it is thicker and when it gets to 90-100 degrees it works better because of the thermal breakdown. (thin oil in summer=bad idea)

Tort

not 100% sure on this but in the owners manual there are oil recommendations and I believe 5w-30 is recommended up until 100 degrees fahrenheit.

locklear

iTrader: (1)

I use 91 octane, which is the highest i've found in CA. When I lived in FL, they had 94, but I still got the pre ignition on hot days using it.
It's only been doing this on 90+ days for about 3 summers. I bought the car new back in '95 and I never have heard any knocking at all up until this problem.
I know it's normal in a lot of american cars such as my wife's new F150 with the 4.6L. It was clattering the day she bought it with 30 miles on it, and it does even say it's "normal" in the owners manual.......but i've yet to read this in the Maxima's manual, which also says to use atleast 91%.
The front 2 O2 sensors were replaced about 2 years ago......the one in the cat is original......haven't replaced it yet because haven't got a code yet. Maybe I need to since the car has 135,000 miles on it. Could this be causing the pre ignition?
The system was cleaned by Nissan about a year ago, but still got the pre ignition afterwards.
I've heard good and bad things about seafoam.....so i think i'll stay away from it. Since i change the oil every 3000 miles and have used synthetic only since the first oil change after break-in...I wouldn't think it would need a crankcase detergent.
The manual does mention using 20w-50 when ambiant temps are from -10 to 100+ degrees. I've always used 10w-30 though.
What else could cause the pre-ignition only on hot days?
Fuel filter is about a year old, along with the Denso iridium plugs, and air filter was just cleaned, and re-oiled.

drewm

I've also heard my engine ping, but only under one case. I was towing 2000 lbs, going up the grapevine on a 90 deg day running 91. I'm pretty sure it's just a factor of not being able to get gasoline over 91 octate in california, but I am very suprised that your knock sensor isn't picking things up and retarding your timing, which should reduce the pinging. Possibly the knock sensor isn't picking up the pings? There's a lot of members on this forum that have had to replace their knock sensors.

locklear

iTrader: (1)

It is setting off the knock sensor code.....I usually re-set it about once a week when it's hot out.
Also....I actually bought the car new in CA back in '95. So I was using 91 octane back then with no knocking for 4 years.....Moved to Florida in '99, and ran 94 octane.......the knocking started in '01, after being in FL for almost 2 years and using 94 octane!! Moved back out to CA in '03, and the knock still comes and goes with hot weather. If it was an octane issue, wouldn't I hear knocking all the time....not just when it's hot out?
I can hear the knocking @ moderate to heavy loads on hot days. Just cruising around without getting on it...it doesn't knock.
It's pretty frustrating.....I even took it to the dealer to get checked out about a year ago, and they couldn't get it to do it since it was only about 80 degrees outside that day....go figure. That was money well wasted.

drewm

If you are getting a knock sensor code, I'd recommend looking into getting the knock sensor replaced. It definately shouldn't be doing that. At least with a working knock sensor it should retard the timing to eliminate the knocks.

Shift_my vq

Yeah dude fix your knock sensor and it will stop right away. It's not the ping that gives you the knock sensor code it's knock sensor that gives you the ping

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Bad coils could be causing it as well.

Oil viscosity shouldn't be a factor. Ping happens in the combustion chamber because fuel ignites before it's supposed to. The reason the fuel ignites to soon is because temps are to high or you have a hot spot in the compustion chamber which is usually associated by excessive carbon deposits. Another cause of ping is engine timing, but our cars really shouldn't be prone to problems with timing.

I'd look into the seafoam thing, your coils and possibly the EGR system as well. Carbon deposits might be your problem being you have over 100K miles on it.