In cars, what is pinging?please help?

(2010-10-06 14:10:11)

1. Roflcopter Says: what is pinging?

2. idac123 Says: it is not pinging it is pinking caused when the timing is out it happens when you accelerate only on petrol engines

3. Country Boy Says: This will be somewhat difficult to picture. Pre-ignition or "pinging" happens when a secondary flame front in the combustion chamber ignites the fuel-air mixture a millisecond before the spark jumps the spark plug gap. A secondary flame front is similar to an unwanted wave of fuel that has ignited before the preferred ignition of the spark plug. It makes a pinging sound or a rattle noise similar to small glass bottles banging together.

You can make any older gasoline engine ping by setting the spark advance too far forward or by using low-octane fuel in a high compression engine.

I wish you would have included the exact year make and model of car you're having trouble with. For the past 20 years gasoline truck and car engines have had a devise called an *anti-knock sensor which retards ignition timing when it detects engine "ping" or pre-ignition.