2001 Super 4x4, 86,000 mi, and here lately, it's been pingin' under acceleration, only when it's warmed up, and it idles at about 11 to 1200 RPM at all temperatures. It's torqyer when it's cold, too. I'm not willing to throw parts money at it for nothin', and apparently, there are enough possible causes for it, that I think I could replace the truck part by part, and still have the pinging. I have cleaned the MAF and checked it's signal output voltage across RPM, and it's fine. I put the VOM to the IAC, signal output, fine across RPM range, even while tapping the IAC housing with a 1/4" extension. Put the VOM to the DPFE, signal good over RPM. The PCV valve rattles like it should. and the EGR vacuum solenoid is changing the amount of vacuum applied to the EGR valve. With the engine idling, I put a vacuum tube on the EGR, pulled about 5" of vacuum and held it. At first, the idle dropped, then it started to recover. Then I released the vacuum and the idle jumped up, then stabilized again around 1100. I have not had the codes scanned because I don't know how to interpret them. I have seen that coolant temp sensors can do this stuff to ya, O2 sensors can do it, and intake air temp sensor can do it. I have also seen the same symptom pattern described by muliple 3.0 guys, but I've never seen a solution to the problem. How would I know if my ECM need to be flashed with a firmware update?

 

have you seafoamed it?

 

Is the truck Flex fuel? If it is, run several tanks of E-85 through it. Best injector cleaner on the planet, also does wonders for pinging issues. It cured the pinging issues with my truck, I can run 87 octane year round without an issue.

 

I haven't seafoamed it, but I probably will this weekend. It is a flex fuel. E85 is apparently not sold in my state, or I would have run some thru it. I dumped a couple of small bottles of 91% rubbing alcohol in a half a tank of gas, but I guess I'd need more than that to make a difference. Wonder where a cheap source of alcohol might be found?

 

corn, yeast, copper line(a still)

 

seafoam ftw

 

I have a 03 Flex 3.0L and used to get Pinging. Try seafoam or a IV type fuel system flush. They work. I did a flush on mine last year and was running alot smoother and didnt have the pinging. Try Mid Grade or Premium fuel? Mine runs the best on at least mid grade. E85 was impressive on the power pick up, but it is absolutely worthless otherwise. E85 is worse than Dino Fuel any day. I will not run it even after it is available. Knock sensor could be acting up, have you tested the Throttle Position sensor? That can cause alot of issues. IAC valve is another. Have you done a tune up? Crappy gas is usually to blame for pinging, but the flex fuel is a different beast otherwise.

 

IAC and TPS check out fine. I'll try some 'cure all out the can' and we'll see what happens next.

 

Had to go to the auto parts store for an axle bearing puller anyway, so I thought I'd get some plugs, too, as the durned thang had the original plugs, ( agsf22pg), in it. My sticker says the plug gap ought to be .042" to .049", but the original plugs were at .074", and I don't think it's cenetr electrode burning down over time. I thought that might have been a contributor to the ping thang. The Advance Auto counter chick looked my truck up, and came up with a fine wire agsf32fm. It had a huge gap, too. I guess the new Ford number is SP-432. I had a bit of a hissy about the huge gap, so I re-gapped all of'em to about .045". Took a test ride, ran it till it was fully warmed up, no change in the valve clatter. Next stop, Port O' Seafoam. (My weekend is Sunday/Monday, being a retal sales schlock.)

 

Warmed up the truck, ran a 3rd can of Seafoam into into it today - 1/2 into the booster line, half into some line at the front of the manifold - let it sit for 20 minutes, then lit it up, and ran it around on the highway. The ping got noticeably worse, and stayed crappy after the smoke all cleared. Not impressed with the whole seafoam thing.

 

I didn't have any luck with Seafoam in my Ranger either. Too bad you can't get E85 in your area.

 

I'm thinkin' I'll go down a heat range on the plugs. Anybody know where there's an explanation of the current motorcraft plug numbering system?

 

hi guys i also have a ranger that pings .wonder if any one installed the factory ford plugs mine were .65 or so when i bought them factory gap on the truck was .45 so i gap them down.wondering what if i left them alone would it make a difference ? and has anyone tried flash a update to the computer to change timing curve ? or a thermostat at 180 instead of 195 wondering if it would make a difference?

 

I'm running a 180 t-stat, it made a difference. It used to ping on 92 octane, with the 180 t-stat I was able to run 89 ping free. After several tanks of E-85 I was able to-and still am able to run 87 year round issue free. Not a hint of pinging ever.

 

It seems to me that a 180 T-stat would keep the motor cool enough to snooker the computer into thinkin' it was still warming up, shoot fat fuel to it, and scrag the mileage, so i haven't done that. I stepped down to awsf22fm plugs, (current #SP-500), and threw $25 of 89 octane on top of the $5 of 87 left in the tank, still a ping factory. I'm thinkin' about goin' down to awsf12pp, (current # SP-495). next. When that produces no effect on the ping, I will change the filter, then run some techron injector cleaner. Cure all out the can is my way of throwing my hands in the air, as I got no idea what to do, and neither does anybody else. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

 

180 t-stat isn't cool enough to cause issues with the computer. A 160 would.

 

Tried to trade in my SP-500 plugs for some SP-495, but they don't make the 495, so I tried for an autolite APP103. They didn't have but two APP 103s, so they let me trade even for some irridium 103s. Still clatters after warm up. Replaced the fuel filter, still clatters. Picked up a 180 t-stat and some green coolant. We'll see.

 

Installed the 180 t-stat, and the valve clatter is reduced, but it's still there, buggin' me stupid.

 

On my test run with the new 180 t-stat, the needle came uo to the expected lower place on the gauge and stabilized, but when I ran it up to tach at 4K, the needle fell off to the cold range, then came back up. It did this a couple of times. I had nightmare visions of the temp sensor being in contact with air instead of water, as the head true temp skyrocketed. I'm assuming The overflow will eventually get all the air, and life will be good?

 

You should be ok. I have changed 100's of thermosats with ZERO issues afterwards except the occasional seal leak from cheap seals.

Could be a fuel injector issue. Coolant temp sensor is cheap and could be causing it. MAF could be causing it go buy MAF specific cleaner. I just dumped 1200.00 into my ranger only to find plugged up cats. Worth checking them out as you were saying it ran worse after the seafoam. Mine got way worse after the fuel system flush I did. Fuel injectors have to be reverse flowed to get any build up out of them, thats why I dont use fuel injector cleaners.

I bought a whole other NEW set and sent them in and had them flow tested and balanced. Best money spent so far. So I have a set of factory injectors and a set of balanced flow tested factory injectors. Big difference between the 2 sets power wise.

FLEX FUEL ISNT FUN TO DIAGNOSE! try all the cheap things first. You havent said anything about the coil. or the wires, fuel pressure, could be a intake gasket leak, cracked intake even, When they are cold they are more solid, some heat and they expand. Could be your Cam Position sensor acting up when warm.

 

I took the coil off and cleaned it so I could be sure it's number didn't fall into the range in that fomoco tsb for 2000 rangers. If I had the jack, I'd do the wires and crank position sensor, but I don't. I pulled the radiator cap and ran the truck with the heater runnin, and after the t-stat opened, the collant level dropped, so I topped it off. Every time I ran the R's up to 3500, it would do it again. It finally quit, so I buttoned it up and took another ride. Now if I get over 3500 Rs, the temp gauge drops till the Rs come down, then it comes back up. I guess I still have air in the system.

 

My 180 T-stat will make my temp. gage move around like that until it is plenty warm, or is really hot outside. Been doing that forever.

 

update after checking all my options and replacing a bad coil pack wires plugs and cam sensor and checking everything i could i ran across a TSB for the pinging had the ford dealer flash my ecu and my trunk runs great no pinging, so flash it it! only costs 78.00

 

I decided to look for vacuum leaks the other day, and with the engine warmed up, I started squirting water at intake side seal areas. I thought I'd start with the easiest to get at, so I hit the air box snorkel tube thingamajuter, first at the throttle valve end, then at the air box end. When I squirted the air box end, the idle dropped about 200 rpm. I wandered around to get a look at the tach, and sure enough, it's now idling at about 800 r's. It's never done that. Then I jumped in and blipped the throttle, and the RPM dropped back to idle faster than it has since I've had it. It's always bugged me that it idled at about 1100 rpm, too. I then ran it down the street, and dropped the hammer on it a couple of times, and while there was still some clatter present, it is greatly reduced. I do not see how that leak happens where it was.

 

flash it!