my engine is pinging not all the time but only at a certain rpm (if I had to guess it would be low 2000's) I'm guessing it has something to do with the electroically controlled gnition but i did check the timing and if i remember right it was at about 11 degrees advanced and they suggested 15 degrees advanced so advancing it anymore would not make it any better, could cleaning the distributor cap or getting a new cap help anything to do with this?
3.8 V6 Pinging
- Thread starter Peter
- Start date
- Status
i do tend to mix these up but i believe pinging is too late an ignition and knock is too early. is so, advancing the base timing (with the EST plug disconnected) to 15* may help.
buick 3.8's are sensitive to egr flow. if there isn't enough-they ping.
the egr passages could be clogged/restricted or the egr valve itself has gone bad.
bill
the egr passages could be clogged/restricted or the egr valve itself has gone bad.
bill
It could also be excessive carbon buildup in the chambers or on the piston tops. Try a fuel additive designed to clean the chamber, or see if they still sell GM's "Top Engine Cleaner" at the dealership. I used it in my 3.8 years ago ( 1995) with no ill effects.
A faulty vacuum advance mechanism on the distibutor will make it ping. Verify the vacuum hose hasn't come off.
Don't have a fix for it, well I kinda did.
Years ago my 78 Grand Lemans had a Buick V6 in it and I tried everything to get rid of the ping. Eventually I added Premium fuel to it and it went away. That was fine at the time (fuel was cheaper) but then one day I filled up at a Shell (boo) and headed for the highway. Once on the highway it started to ping. Well I continued on my trip but on the way home it turned up I blue a hole in 2 pistons. My Fix....Get Shell gas LOL Blow engine....install V8 hahaha
The 81 Lemans I just bought hads a Chevy V6 in it, HOPEFULLY it won't learn how to ping and sofar it hasn't.
Not really any advice given but just wanted to tell my story of the worse thing that can happen...
Matt
Years ago my 78 Grand Lemans had a Buick V6 in it and I tried everything to get rid of the ping. Eventually I added Premium fuel to it and it went away. That was fine at the time (fuel was cheaper) but then one day I filled up at a Shell (boo) and headed for the highway. Once on the highway it started to ping. Well I continued on my trip but on the way home it turned up I blue a hole in 2 pistons. My Fix....Get Shell gas LOL Blow engine....install V8 hahaha
The 81 Lemans I just bought hads a Chevy V6 in it, HOPEFULLY it won't learn how to ping and sofar it hasn't.
Not really any advice given but just wanted to tell my story of the worse thing that can happen...
Matt
i got the top engine cleaner and just put it into my carb, it smoked up my whole driveway white and we'll see what happens when i go to start it in 15-30 minutes or so
my engine didn't want to quit either you have to wait till you get down to about 1/4 of the bottle then pout enough in to stall it so i drenched it and it never stalled so i had to shut it off thru the ignition, im hoping that didn't screw up this and make it not work at all
my engine didn't want to quit either you have to wait till you get down to about 1/4 of the bottle then pout enough in to stall it so i drenched it and it never stalled so i had to shut it off thru the ignition, im hoping that didn't screw up this and make it not work at all
i'd recommend anybody doing this, it didn't really fix my pinging issue (it did cut it down a little) but the performance gain i got was i'd guess in the range of 20-30 horses, it is a dramatic difference. it just gave my v-6 a kick in the *ss and it now can kick it up a notch when i want it too, its pretty nice
although on a side note my car starting vibrating quite a bit today, i dont know if i blew a shock or a wheel bearing or something but im guessing it has something to do with my cars new found speed so i had to take it through my state forest and im guessing something happened on one of the millions of bumps on the roads in there, ill be checking it out tommorow.
On a side note i was checking my shocks (the bounce test) to see if my car hopped, it didn't but i did hear what sounded like air being sucked in on my drivers side when the shock came back up, i dont know whether this could be the cause of my vibrating when im driving because when i drive its hardly there but every once in a while i was feeling it...
although on a side note my car starting vibrating quite a bit today, i dont know if i blew a shock or a wheel bearing or something but im guessing it has something to do with my cars new found speed so i had to take it through my state forest and im guessing something happened on one of the millions of bumps on the roads in there, ill be checking it out tommorow.
On a side note i was checking my shocks (the bounce test) to see if my car hopped, it didn't but i did hear what sounded like air being sucked in on my drivers side when the shock came back up, i dont know whether this could be the cause of my vibrating when im driving because when i drive its hardly there but every once in a while i was feeling it...
- Status
