2002/2003 VQ35DE Owners - Please Read
08-15-2012, 09:50 AM
#42
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 176
Here's my recent experience in fixing the "pinging"
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...5-verdict.html
As the thread title says, I had a "pinging" type sound for quite a while on my I35. I just couldn't figure it out. At just 80,000 miles (owned car since 45,000 miles and sound started at about 73-75k) we've always used 91 octane (highest you can get in SoCal) always changed the oil on time with 5-30 synthetic, kept up with maintenance. After searching on here, I tried changing out the coolant even though it had been done at 60k (that made it a little quieter actually...for a little), and was ready to break down and change out the spark plugs.
But instead, I decided to take it in to the local Infiniti dealer to have it diagnosed. I have a warranty that I purchased with the car that is good until 95k or so. I was worried about this because:
1) I was afraid they'd give me a big, bad engine malfunction diagnosis but wouldn't honor the warranty because I didn't go to them for the work (I know about Magnusson Moss but still...)
2) I was worried they'd say I needed like spark plugs or something simple that I could do but would be pushy about doing it themselves since they had the car.
Turns out that their diagnosis was worn out crank shaft bearings. They would have to be replaced. I also had a "hard start when warm" issue that would cause the car to die upon warm startup unless you gently had your foot on the gas pedal. That was diagnosed as bad injectors on one of the banks.
My warranty had me on the hook for $100....they did all of the crank shaft bearings, replaced the valve cover gaskets, replaced 3 fuel injectors, and replaced the idler pulley (that they found was just starting to make noise)...$2500 worth of work (most of it labor)...cost me $100. They honored their warranty but also treated me like a customer wants to be treated. Great experience! The Acura dealership a little down the road has NEVER treated me like this...hence why I only go there when I am desperate and need a part right away. Big props to Infiniti. They even put me in a loaner G25 for the 7-8 days it took them to do the work (I like my I35 better to be honest).
Point of all this being that I wanted to have it archived that my pinging turned out to be an internal issue, the fuel injector issue, but also that there are truly some good dealers out there. Of course for the price, seems that they should be treating their customers as such (take note Acura!).
But instead, I decided to take it in to the local Infiniti dealer to have it diagnosed. I have a warranty that I purchased with the car that is good until 95k or so. I was worried about this because:
1) I was afraid they'd give me a big, bad engine malfunction diagnosis but wouldn't honor the warranty because I didn't go to them for the work (I know about Magnusson Moss but still...)
2) I was worried they'd say I needed like spark plugs or something simple that I could do but would be pushy about doing it themselves since they had the car.
Turns out that their diagnosis was worn out crank shaft bearings. They would have to be replaced. I also had a "hard start when warm" issue that would cause the car to die upon warm startup unless you gently had your foot on the gas pedal. That was diagnosed as bad injectors on one of the banks.
My warranty had me on the hook for $100....they did all of the crank shaft bearings, replaced the valve cover gaskets, replaced 3 fuel injectors, and replaced the idler pulley (that they found was just starting to make noise)...$2500 worth of work (most of it labor)...cost me $100. They honored their warranty but also treated me like a customer wants to be treated. Great experience! The Acura dealership a little down the road has NEVER treated me like this...hence why I only go there when I am desperate and need a part right away. Big props to Infiniti. They even put me in a loaner G25 for the 7-8 days it took them to do the work (I like my I35 better to be honest).
Point of all this being that I wanted to have it archived that my pinging turned out to be an internal issue, the fuel injector issue, but also that there are truly some good dealers out there. Of course for the price, seems that they should be treating their customers as such (take note Acura!).
08-16-2012, 10:51 PM
#43
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 55
So are you saying that your "pinging" in the range of 1700-2000 rpm under light load is completely gone now?
I'm thinking that in your case, the fuel injectors had something to do with fixing the problem but for worn main bearings to cause that kind of "pinging" seems a bit far fetched to me.
I'm thinking that in your case, the fuel injectors had something to do with fixing the problem but for worn main bearings to cause that kind of "pinging" seems a bit far fetched to me.
08-24-2012, 04:17 PM
#44
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,787
09-17-2012, 07:16 PM
#45
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 55
Update:
Car is still pinging along. One thing that I noticed is that the car is very smooth and peppy, until the car is parked and then restarted. I believe heat soak is a huge contributor to the pinging problem.
I ran a bottle of Lucas Octane Booster and that reduced some of the pinging, until the car was parked and restarted. While a higher octane "helps" a little bit, lack of octane isn't the root of the problem.
Yesterday, I was wondering if a possible stretched timing chain might be contributing to the pinging issue so I hooked up the old Snap-on timing light to compare the ignition timing values in relation to what the handheld scanner indicated. At idle, I noticed that the actual timing reading was 17 degrees while the handheld indicated 15 degrees. So 2-degrees of timing advance is what the engine is seeing. I don't think a stretched chain is the culprit here... so that's good.
Next move is to hook up the car to my friend's diagnostic computer (Consult equivalent) to retard the timing 2 degrees.
I'll let you guys know if this helps.
Car is still pinging along. One thing that I noticed is that the car is very smooth and peppy, until the car is parked and then restarted. I believe heat soak is a huge contributor to the pinging problem.
I ran a bottle of Lucas Octane Booster and that reduced some of the pinging, until the car was parked and restarted. While a higher octane "helps" a little bit, lack of octane isn't the root of the problem.
Yesterday, I was wondering if a possible stretched timing chain might be contributing to the pinging issue so I hooked up the old Snap-on timing light to compare the ignition timing values in relation to what the handheld scanner indicated. At idle, I noticed that the actual timing reading was 17 degrees while the handheld indicated 15 degrees. So 2-degrees of timing advance is what the engine is seeing. I don't think a stretched chain is the culprit here... so that's good.
Next move is to hook up the car to my friend's diagnostic computer (Consult equivalent) to retard the timing 2 degrees.
I'll let you guys know if this helps.
09-20-2012, 10:23 PM
#46
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 55
Update:
Earlier today I hooked up the diagnostic computer and played around with various timing values. I was able to retard the timing 4 degrees and that totally eliminated the light load (1700-2000rpm) pinging.
Unfortunately, the adjustment made through the diagnostic computer is not retained so once the diagnostic computer is unplugged, the timing immediately reverts to it's default settings... and the pinging under light load returns.
Well, I am convinced that overly advanced timing is the cause of the light load pinging that so many of us have been dealing with.
Next move... find out if the OEM ECU can be reflashed with the "correct" timing settings to eliminate the pinging problem once and for all.
Earlier today I hooked up the diagnostic computer and played around with various timing values. I was able to retard the timing 4 degrees and that totally eliminated the light load (1700-2000rpm) pinging.
Unfortunately, the adjustment made through the diagnostic computer is not retained so once the diagnostic computer is unplugged, the timing immediately reverts to it's default settings... and the pinging under light load returns.
Well, I am convinced that overly advanced timing is the cause of the light load pinging that so many of us have been dealing with.
Next move... find out if the OEM ECU can be reflashed with the "correct" timing settings to eliminate the pinging problem once and for all.
10-02-2012, 10:20 AM
#47
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8
Update:
Earlier today I hooked up the diagnostic computer and played around with various timing values. I was able to retard the timing 4 degrees and that totally eliminated the light load (1700-2000rpm) pinging.
Unfortunately, the adjustment made through the diagnostic computer is not retained so once the diagnostic computer is unplugged, the timing immediately reverts to it's default settings... and the pinging under light load returns.
Well, I am convinced that overly advanced timing is the cause of the light load pinging that so many of us have been dealing with.
Next move... find out if the OEM ECU can be reflashed with the "correct" timing settings to eliminate the pinging problem once and for all.
Earlier today I hooked up the diagnostic computer and played around with various timing values. I was able to retard the timing 4 degrees and that totally eliminated the light load (1700-2000rpm) pinging.
Unfortunately, the adjustment made through the diagnostic computer is not retained so once the diagnostic computer is unplugged, the timing immediately reverts to it's default settings... and the pinging under light load returns.
Well, I am convinced that overly advanced timing is the cause of the light load pinging that so many of us have been dealing with.
Next move... find out if the OEM ECU can be reflashed with the "correct" timing settings to eliminate the pinging problem once and for all.
01-06-2013, 06:40 PM
#48
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 55
Once I unplugged the diagnostic computer, timing instantly reverted to its advanced state and pinging returned with it.
05-28-2013, 03:02 AM
#49
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 55
Update: We are now at 264k miles on this pinging POS. It still runs great, but I decided to zip tie the VIAS shut on the intake manifold and that almost eliminated the pinging problem at light load. Any thoughts?
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