3S-GE (Gen1) ping...

[Andrew162]

Ok before anyone tells me to search, I already did but found no real definitive answers for this kind of problem on my engine. Mine only pings when it's warm and not necessarily when it's under load either. For example today, I took off a few times under 'normal' load (read: low to moderate pedal), and it even pinged in 1st and 2nd gears as I was taking my foot off the clutch and pressing the accelerator.

This has been going on for a few weeks now. Only things I've done to it really are changing over vacuum lines (all secure, none have come off) and changed over oil for GTX3 (15W/40). So as I said earlier it does this at various times and places, but only when warm. I thought I've actually heard it under compression as well, but I could be imagining it.

I don't know the service history of this car. I checked the Service Manual in the car and it only goes up to 100,000km service. Mine has just over 248,000km on it.

I've been replacing little bits and pieces since I bought it (plugs, leads, dizzy cap, rotor button, K&N panel filter, up-rated earthing leads to 4-ga, etc.) and only a few days ago I decided to reset the standard timing (in diag mode, bridging T & E1) from the stock 10* to just under 8*. I heard nothing the next day, but the day after it was back again. And for those interested in ECU error codes, none were present when putting the car into diag mode.

Any bright ideas people?

[Andrew162]

I see.. no help here people?

[Jorrs]

mmmmmmm well yeh i thought was timing mate..
otherwise u have sort of done everything else i would suggest.. sorry
not the fuel... ?

[4agte]

did you remove the dizzy at all possibly one tooth advanced if you did???

[mongrel]

no teeth on a 3s-ge, key engaged on the end of the intake cam, can't stuff that up.
3s-ge with 248,000 km, combustion chamber will probably be full of carbon, try getting some form of decarboning treatment(subaru dealers sell a real good one as the boxters are good for carboning up too).

other than that, oil ingestion maybe?PCV? or fuel?

[Jorrs]

um yeh what oil did u use on the last change mate ?

[Andrew162]

Jorrs, I filled up a second time from another station, still pinging.

4agte, haven't touched the dizzy at all, except for replacing the old dizzy rotor button.

mongrel, I had thought of that, but it hadn't started to ping like this until ony about two weeks ago. #2 cylinder was a bit oily when I bought the car, but I changed over the plugs not long after I bought it, and still #2 cyl is the darkest out of the 4. PCV is a good idea, I'll check that out tomorrow.

[Andrew162]

Jorrs, GTX3 (15W/40) as described in first post. Do the Gen1 3S-GE's have a PCV? Don't know if I've seen it.

[urantia]

change your fuel filter? may as well if u haven't.

maybe 1 injector is below par and running lean, not enuf to set of a code as the o2 sensor gets an average reading of all cylinders.

Best to start with the simple things tho before getting into possible therioes as i've been learning latetly.

[urantia]

gen1's don't have a PCV valve, they just have a fixed orifice setup.

How is your idle?

[Jorrs]

hes already done the fuel filter and everything else we thought of

[kingmick]

I would say she is tired

[urantia]

good, and you've checked your timing belt is spot on for the base 10 BTDC to be correct?

[Jorrs]

i believe he already did that ( had the timing light out ! )
shes prob tired but my old motor same one was tired and didnt do it ! had same Kms as andews,
worse life then his id say... from what i guessed from when i 1st got it and saw what previous owners...
whats other suggestions ?

[AndyTTR]

I remember a few of the cars i drove before buying mine made a sound (like a sharp metallic tapping?) that was very similar to pinging. I also noticed that the 3SFE in the rav makes a simlar noise under the circumstaces you described (and its been doing it since new) - i just put it down to a characteristic that some 3S engines have... soz for not being of much assistance, just food for thought.