Need help with ping

[pjslowik]

03 Boxster 2.7. When I shift into 2nd, 3rd, 4th, I can hear one ping. It occurs under moderate load, shifting at about 3500 rpm, and engaging the lower gear under equally moderate load. The "shifted to" rpm isn't so low that I'm laboring the engine. It doesn't ping any other time.

Of course you wouldn't normally hear ping because of the knock sensors, but I do hear the one I described and it is definately detonation. I use Shell or Mobil 93 octane and checked the air filter. This (3rd) engine only has 8000 miles on it. The other engines did not do this.

Any ideas? Thanks

[PTEC]

I highly doubt it. These engines run in arizona heat on 91 with no problems. Next time you're on empty try adding 5 gallons of 100 and I bet whatever noise you're hearing will still be there.

[pjslowik]

It's definately knock. Sounds like a ball peen hammer tapped once against a cast iron stove. Very faint. I doubt most people would notice it. I have to have the top down, or be passing a wall or sonething to hear it.

I know it shouldn't be doing that. There's obviously something wrong.

[CJ_Boxster]

I have a similar noise but its not pinging, its a 3000- 3700 Rpm lifter noise that i can especially hear while driving besides walls and tall Road Islands. Sometimes the lifter gets alittle unstuck and i dont hear the noise anymore.... I think before i do my oil change, ill use some motor flush and hope it breaks the lifter free.

[CJ_Boxster]

Do you ever here a really loud "tap tap tap tap tap" when you start your cold engine in the mornings for about the first 2 seconds then nothing after that? If so, then its a lifter just like my boxster.

[pjslowik]

Thanks, but I can hear the lifters from time to time but that is a different noise. The lifter chatter is continuous. This makes only one ping. I could have a mistorqued or bad knock sensor, or something causing a lean mixture.

PTEC - I hope you add a quart of Tequila to that 91 octane, otherwise your DME is retarding your timing and reducing your output. Porsche requires 93 octane. But I might try your suggestion and add some octane booster and see what happens.

[PTEC]

PTEC - I hope you add a quart of Tequila to that 91 octane, otherwise your DME is retarding your timing and reducing your output. Porsche requires 93 octane. But I might try your suggestion and add some octane booster and see what happens.

I know the cars are designed for 93 but 93 isnt even available in a lot of states... AZ and CA to name a few. 91 octane is not a problem.

[pjslowik]

Curious. Wonder why no 93 in those states??

[PTEC]

Yeah Im not sure why either. Still, I would be curious to see if you still hear your noise if you put a few gallons of 100 in there. I wouldnt trust a can of octane booster, that stuff has always seemed like snake oil to me.

[pjslowik]

Other than the nitro-methane I use in my modle airplanes, I wouldn't know where to get 100 octane. I haven't done anything on this yet cause I haven't been driving it much lately.

[Loren]

Other than the nitro-methane I use in my modle airplanes, I wouldn't know where to get 100 octane. I haven't done anything on this yet cause I haven't been driving it much lately.

If you are in the US then some locations of Union 76 carry 100 octane. It is also available at most tracks.

[Topless]

"One ping only during shifting" sounds more like gearbox issues than detonation. Does it ever ping while not shifting??

[pjslowik]

Other than the nitro-methane I use in my modle airplanes, I wouldn't know where to get 100 octane. I haven't done anything on this yet cause I haven't been driving it much lately.

If you are in the US then some locations of Union 76 carry 100 octane. It is also available at most tracks.

Thanks Loren, but 76 only operates west of IN and south of GA. I live in CowHampshire. Think the airlines will allow a carry-on of a gallon next time I visit CA?

[pjslowik]

"One ping only during shifting" sounds more like gearbox issues than detonation. Does it ever ping while not shifting??

I'm 99 percent certain it is ping. I had a new car in the early 80's that had a serious detonation problem that the dealer couldn't fix, so I gained a lot of experience identifying the symptoms. The sound is unique and unmistakable.

I never hear it other during high-torque engagements in the lower RPMs in the 2k to 3k range or so.

It's snowing today so I won't get it out for a while now. Just put on a new set of Michelins too.

[ziiz996]

"One ping only during shifting" sounds more like gearbox issues than detonation. Does it ever ping while not shifting??

I'm 99 percent certain it is ping. I had a new car in the early 80's that had a serious detonation problem that the dealer couldn't fix, so I gained a lot of experience identifying the symptoms. The sound is unique and unmistakable.

I never hear it other during high-torque engagements in the lower RPMs in the 2k to 3k range or so.

It's snowing today so I won't get it out for a while now. Just put on a new set of Michelins too.

Hi there pjslowick!

I think I have the same noise that you had a few years back. I hear 1 ping in my C2 Cab 3.6L engine! Did you ever figure out what happened??