Pinging when accelerating
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,539
Likes: 63
From: new ulm mn
I did try sea foam and that other stuff that GM sells. Did not help. Today, after 20000 miles it is a little better and does not ping as much. Also, I changed my driving habits. I beat on the car more. I think that probably has more to do with it pinging less. the computer relearned the driving habits. Hope this helps you in diagnosing your pinging.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,025
Likes: 1,656
From: Toronto, Canada
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
First off, I do not have this problem and never have. However, I find this an amazing admission on Tom Hill's part as I have heard of a number of folks with this issue. I find it hard to believe there isn't a TSB at the least that would call for a change to the ECM to correct it, especially since this could easily become a warranty issue.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 4
From: foothills of Northern California
I did try sea foam and that other stuff that GM sells. Did not help. Today, after 20000 miles it is a little better and does not ping as much. Also, I changed my driving habits. I beat on the car more. I think that probably has more to do with it pinging less. the computer relearned the driving habits. Hope this helps you in diagnosing your pinging.
I was also thinking of carbon build up but you said it pinged from day one. grrrrr
M6 or A6?
Last edited by 06 C6 vert; Oct 22, 2009 at 07:57 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
From: South Bend Indiana
I had a 2001 Coupe M6 that would ping on heavy acceleration on straight premium gas. I always added an octane booster with each fill up. Didn't have the ping with the octane booster.
As far as I'm concerned, it had nothing to do with the engine tune. The recommended octane of 93 is the MINIMUM RECOMMENDED OCTANE!! You think you're getting full 93 octane rating at the pump?
Had the car for 8-years, and whenever I "got on it" if I didn't have octane booster it pinged.
Same issue in my new Z06, although harder to hear the ping wiht the bi-mode exhaust howling.
Booster won't hurt your engine, just a few more bucks per fill-up
The BreeZe
As far as I'm concerned, it had nothing to do with the engine tune. The recommended octane of 93 is the MINIMUM RECOMMENDED OCTANE!! You think you're getting full 93 octane rating at the pump?
Had the car for 8-years, and whenever I "got on it" if I didn't have octane booster it pinged.
Same issue in my new Z06, although harder to hear the ping wiht the bi-mode exhaust howling.
Booster won't hurt your engine, just a few more bucks per fill-up
The BreeZe
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,492
Likes: 808
From: West coast CA
The pinging clears up past about 4K RPM. The computer is clearly okay with it. I might try changing the knock sensors.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 8,285
Likes: 14
From: Iowa
I had a 2001 Coupe M6 that would ping on heavy acceleration on straight premium gas. I always added an octane booster with each fill up. Didn't have the ping with the octane booster.
As far as I'm concerned, it had nothing to do with the engine tune. The recommended octane of 93 is the MINIMUM RECOMMENDED OCTANE!! You think you're getting full 93 octane rating at the pump?
Had the car for 8-years, and whenever I "got on it" if I didn't have octane booster it pinged.
Same issue in my new Z06, although harder to hear the ping wiht the bi-mode exhaust howling.
Booster won't hurt your engine, just a few more bucks per fill-up
The BreeZe
As far as I'm concerned, it had nothing to do with the engine tune. The recommended octane of 93 is the MINIMUM RECOMMENDED OCTANE!! You think you're getting full 93 octane rating at the pump?
Had the car for 8-years, and whenever I "got on it" if I didn't have octane booster it pinged.
Same issue in my new Z06, although harder to hear the ping wiht the bi-mode exhaust howling.
Booster won't hurt your engine, just a few more bucks per fill-up
The BreeZe
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,487
Likes: 4
From: WA
i had ls1 camaro that just started doing it one day and everything in the car checked out fine (and I checked pretty much anything you can think of), the only thing that fixed it was a tune. some LSx motors apparently just do it.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 4
From: Palm Beach County, Florida
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,025
Likes: 1,656
From: Toronto, Canada
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
Mine too, and since day one. I've tried nearly everything - multiple full tanks of 100 octane unleaded (it's available around here), new plugs, new wires. It hasn't thrown any codes, doesn't consume oil and has otherwise run perfectly for 60K miles.
The pinging clears up past about 4K RPM. The computer is clearly okay with it. I might try changing the knock sensors.
The pinging clears up past about 4K RPM. The computer is clearly okay with it. I might try changing the knock sensors.
And I don't know if this is of any relevance, but both engines burned a little bit of oil (top ups required between oil changes).
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,767
Likes: 2
From: Melbourne, Arkansas
Cruise-In X Veteran
My 2001 C5 LS1 M6 used to ping under had acceleration even with premium gas and octane boost. You could only get 91 octane at the pumps in CA. Now my 08 LS3 with A6 never pings. I use Shell 93 octane here in AR. I wonder if it is the tune in the earlier cars putting to much advance in at too low of RPM? You would still think that the knock sensor would sense the pinging and pull the advance to stop it if it was a timing issue..... Maybe get a tuner if nothing else to put his laptop on it while you drive it and make it ping so he can see if the knock sensor is telling the computer to pull timing.
Mark
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,261
Likes: 1,431
From: Brentwood CA
Mine pinged from day one as well. Only 91 octane available here in California. My tuner said that virtually all of the C6's he had tuned pinged. After the tune, no more pinging. Just another reason why I had my car tuned, not to mention the fun factor.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,015
Likes: 2,709
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
I think that this is a characteristic of LSx engines, my '01 Trans Am got the same problem shortly after buying. I am glad to see that I am not alone with this problem.
And I don't know if this is of any relevance, but both engines burned a little bit of oil (top ups required between oil changes).
And I don't know if this is of any relevance, but both engines burned a little bit of oil (top ups required between oil changes).
The 2001 LS engines had a new "Improved" ring design that caused higher oil consumption and was replaced for 2002. GM had a ring kit available to replace just one ring one each piston, some cars were fixed under warranty and that greatly reduced the problem.
My 2001 A4 usually burned about 1 qt/3k miles, my 2006 A6 was 1 qt/23k miles, 2009 A6 looks like about 1 qt/15k miles but too early to be sure.
No pinging on any of them.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,025
Likes: 1,656
From: Toronto, Canada
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
I feel your pain.
The 2001 LS engines had a new "Improved" ring design that caused higher oil consumption and was replaced for 2002. GM had a ring kit available to replace just one ring one each piston, some cars were fixed under warranty and that greatly reduced the problem.
My 2001 A4 usually burned about 1 qt/3k miles, my 2006 A6 was 1 qt/23k miles, 2009 A6 looks like about 1 qt/15k miles but too early to be sure.
No pinging on any of them.
The 2001 LS engines had a new "Improved" ring design that caused higher oil consumption and was replaced for 2002. GM had a ring kit available to replace just one ring one each piston, some cars were fixed under warranty and that greatly reduced the problem.
My 2001 A4 usually burned about 1 qt/3k miles, my 2006 A6 was 1 qt/23k miles, 2009 A6 looks like about 1 qt/15k miles but too early to be sure.
No pinging on any of them.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 22,521
Likes: 1,689
From: South Carolina
All lsx engines PING some... It is part of how the ecm knows what the engine is doing. Pinging means you are running lean and the timing is advanced for max efficiency. Pinging is not the same as detonation...Tuning will make the engine ping worse because they get the extra power by advancing the timing. imo...
Racer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 465
Likes: 0
Don't just ignore it as I did and then busted a crank on a Pontiac. It's a serious timing problem. I don't understand how the Corvette adjusts it's timing but it's either stick too far advanced or the static time is too far advanced.
A momentary ping is normal but constant pinging or rattle is not.
A momentary ping is normal but constant pinging or rattle is not.
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 28
Likes: 3
From: Ontario
Tinging noise in the back
Hi everyone
I have a 2006 z51 6 speed. When I accelerate heavy, the car pings alot. It sounds like a pin-ball machine. I have had this issue since the beginning and dealer has been useless. The only thing the dealer is not useless is when you perform PAYING service work. Otherwise warranty work, they are useless.
It is very annoying. Anyone with any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thank-you
I have a 2006 z51 6 speed. When I accelerate heavy, the car pings alot. It sounds like a pin-ball machine. I have had this issue since the beginning and dealer has been useless. The only thing the dealer is not useless is when you perform PAYING service work. Otherwise warranty work, they are useless.
It is very annoying. Anyone with any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thank-you
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
I have a 2006 Z51 to and the noise drove me crazy. I found it by accident when changing the interior lighting to LED. It's the rear cargo lights. Pull them out and shake them and see (like I did) if it's the same sound. It's the heat shield - just use aluminum tape and tape the shield to the fixtrue so it can't move.