03blackSE

+1 for Techron. I used to bottles of it back to back in the summer and it cured my pinging for about 3 months. Since then the pinging has slowly come back. I'm planning another run of techron shortly.

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

I'm about 1000 miles into 3 or 4 tanks after using Techron, and the pinging, or the injector noise, or whatever it is... it's back again. So I'm going to try another bottle of Techron at my next oil change, but that's not for another 2000 miles.

I like to think I take good care of my car, so this whole thing really gets under my skin because it's so freaking subtle that I'm the only one who can hear it. And each time I affect it in some objective measure, it comes back to mock me.

Been living with this off and on for over a year now.

KurtGun11

I had a new 2002 Maxima that pinged, except with 93 Octane BP. I sold it in 2006 with 69K. Recently I fell on hard times and had to purchase another car. I found a 2003 Maxima with 124K. It pinged at low end, idled rough and shook the car (Cold and Hot), had no get up and go, and jerked when you were parked at a light and gave it gas. I paid $5000 so I thought I could fix it up. A trans drain and fill didn't help the transmission. I was about to try plugs, but got a fuel filter instead. I have a new car. Now I have to turn off the traction control. It drives just like the one I sold. The filter was packed full of a sticky slurry of rusty particles. I would never have believed it if I hadn't cut it open to check.

I30driver

I have had pinging issues with every car I have owned with >100k miles, and it has always gone away after using 93 octane gas. My I35 started pinging this summer at 110k and I have since switched to 93 octane and the ping is gone. My guess is if I took the cylinder heads off there would be a lot of carbon build up on them. If the pinging starts up again I will try new cold plugs.

rondhol

Install new colder spark plugs plfr6a-11, no change on pinging. Only fresh premium 93 gas suppress the detonation/ping, I think I have carbon build up since my oil consumption is pretty high 1 quarts per 3k miles. The old spark plugs have tan color and the inner ground electrodes are clean, the mixture is right.

Coolant temperature sensor, before pre-cat O2 sensor, new MAF, new colder sparkplugs don't do anything significant. So, the only possible step is ECU reprograming/retard timing 2 degree or change the fuel filter. Both are expensive blind shooting fix.

Rochester

iTrader: (3)

Yep. Totally blind. Pretty frustrating, eh?

However, replacing the fuel strainer is very inexpensive, and reasonable maintenance at least once mid-life on a car.

Kenneth Joseph

I have a 1999 Maxima SE. I recently replaced the engine due to a broken intake valve. Anyways after replacing the engine, installed new clutch, and sparkplugs the new engine began pinging. So, based on the recommendations in this site, I changed the PCV and all pinging went away in two days of normal driving. I never realized the PCV was going to be a routine maintenance part, was so cheap, and could cause so much noise. If I had to guess, I would recommend replacing it every 30k miles.

sontakke

Can somebody post a photo of the PCV location on a 5th generation?

Kenneth Joseph

I changed the PCV on my 1999 SE and all ping is gone, but it did take two days of normal driving for the sound to fully disappear.

Kenneth Joseph

Hard to believe the MIL light does not come on for a bad PCV.

BlackMacks

iTrader: (3)

I pulled a degree of timing a couple of weeks ago, and didn't really notice any reduction in that 1800-2100 rpm clattering, so I pulled another degree about a week ago, to 13 deg, and then could I tell the pinging had been reduced, tho it was still present.

Changed my PCV valve a few nights ago per the thread recommendation above, cheap and easy, why not, mine had 38k on it, but no further reduction in pinging.

While I was playing around with codes (EVAP thread) saturday afternoon, I went ahead and restored my timing to 15 degrees, and holy clattering pinging pre-ignition Batman!!

But I could tell the car was peppier off throttle at 15 deg, while it wasn't a slouch at 13, the ole "butt dyno" noticed. Still, I'll prolly go back to 13 deg, that engine bay noise is just embarrasing, and no self-respecting 4DSC should be seen or heard in that light....

JJ98MAXSE

I have finally resolved the pinging issue at 1800-2000 RPM. At the suggestion of another member I replaced the fuel filter that is built in to the fuel pump. It took 30 minutes and the pinging is totally gone.

I cut the old filter open just to have a look and it looked like it was clogged with dirt. The car runs like new now. And at last no pinging.

boris

Hmm... Did you change the gas station as well?

JJ98MAXSE

The car has 100,000 miles on it now. I bought it with 88,000 miles and had the pinging problem since I purchased it. I've tried every brand of 93 octane in town and nothing made a difference. I don't know what the previous owner put in it. When I took the pump out, the tank looked mostly clean. There were a few small specks of something in the bottom, but nothing major. However, when I cut the filter open it was definitely nasty.

I found an article that pinpointed the filter on the 5th gen max, and that's something I hadn't thought of yet. It mentioned that a partially clogged filter can cause a lean condition at that RPM range. I pulled my plugs and they were white, so I figured that may be my problem.

boris

Interesting... Thanks

BENMAX03

I'm gonna try the filter, too then. My pinging has gone from bad to worse, I recently did plugs, pcv, cleaned maf, etc... After doing some research on this subject, I found that your either actually getting a lean condition from fuel being restricted, or you have carbon build up on the pistons and in the combustion chamber. I'd like to think I don't have THAT much carbon build up in my combustion chamber, so I'll try the fuel filter and report back asap.

E55AMG2

iTrader: (4)

I assume youre using premium fuel...

Shift_Max

iTrader: (18)

Any pics of the dirty fuel filters?

BrooklynRussian

iTrader: (5)

Any updates?
Did the pinging return after the filter change?

rondhol

Change your timing. Consult 2 can adjust the timing up to -2 degrees. You can ask your dealer to retard it when you do your oil change. Hope it is free, if not buy after market scanner that can do it.

Donkeypunch

This is pretty interesting.
I've noticed slight pining on the low end.

Just taking off from lights on quiet nights.
Thought it was just a v-tech rattle or timing chains
(I don't know anything about these cars)

I've put 91 in just in case and see if it gets rid of it.
Interesting common problem though.

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

^^2011

And your not new.

Donkeypunch

not everyone has 99.6% activity.