pinging

[sg11]

So for a while now I've noticed that my engine seems to what I believe to be pinging and since it has gotten hotter out it seems to have become more pronounced as pinging does in warmer weather. I've been reading a lot on here and in general about the subject. From the info I have gathered it seems some light pinging is normal and that it is common with the Yaris and even though the manual suggests an 87 or HIGHER octane fuel the general consensus seems to be that putting in anything more than 87 is a waste of money. From what I have read the Yaris with its 10.5:1 compression ratio engine is considered to be high compression. My question is if a car such as the newer Honda Civic Si which has a ever so slightly higher compression ratio of 11.0:1 requires premium fuel then why does the Yaris only require 87?

[why?]

because the computer system has been adjusted for the 87 octane. But if you experience pinging on a regular basis I think you really need to find a better quality gas. I haven't ever experienced it and i only run 87.

If you want to try a higher octane, that is your choice, but you should keep track of everything while you do to see if you really gain anything for it. A Scanguage would be a great tool to help keep track of everything.

[krolos]

45,000 miles and I have not had any pinging at all, I run 87 chevron or shell

[Blue Y job]

Mine doesn't ping at all, even if sometimes I forget to downshift to first and let out the clutch with hardly any revs. But If you have a gentle throttle foot and buy crappy gas, you may have more deposits inside your combustion chambers than I do. I would stick with regular, but buy big name gas only, and go out there one day and rev the hell out of it. If that don't work you have other problems.

[toast]

sg11, it really should not be pinging. when are you hearing this? is it just at high speed crusing? or when accelerating? or idle?

as mentioned i would get some brand name gas, a good fuel injector cleaner and add it to the tank and drive it hard to try to clean out any dirt/carbon. if that doesn't do it, you should have it looked at. not good to run lean like that for too long.

[WeeYari]

Are you actually experiencing pinging, or is it valve tapping? These cars all exhibit some degree of valve tapping. The engines are never truly silent.

[sg11]

For those of you who are running on 87 with no pinging, is there ethanol blended in?

[The Spectacle]

Virtually all pump gas contains ethanol

[sg11]

Originally Posted by toast

sg11, it really should not be pinging. when are you hearing this? is it just at high speed crusing? or when accelerating? or idle?

as mentioned i would get some brand name gas, a good fuel injector cleaner and add it to the tank and drive it hard to try to clean out any dirt/carbon. if that doesn't do it, you should have it looked at. not good to run lean like that for too long.

I hear it mostly during light throttle conditions when driving around at lower rpms or going up a hill. I always use quality gas (shell, sunoco, exxon).

[sg11]

Originally Posted by WeeYari

Are you actually experiencing pinging, or is it valve tapping? These cars all exhibit some degree of valve tapping. The engines are never truly silent.

What do you mean by valve tapping? I'm not noticing any strange noises at idle.

[Blue Y job]

You have a 2010 hatchback, so you can't have that many miles yet. You buy quality gas. It's a Toyota and it's under warranty. Don't worry about the little sounds, it's a machine. Turn up the stereo and roll down the windows and enjoy yourself!

[sg11]

Originally Posted by why?

because the computer system has been adjusted for the 87 octane. But if you experience pinging on a regular basis I think you really need to find a better quality gas. I haven't ever experienced it and i only run 87.

If you want to try a higher octane, that is your choice, but you should keep track of everything while you do to see if you really gain anything for it. A Scanguage would be a great tool to help keep track of everything.

Hmmm. I wonder why Honda didn't adjust the computer on the Si for 87 octane?

[Nanook]

Originally Posted by The Spectacle

Virtually all pump gas contains ethanol

Different states have different laws regarding the use and labeling of ethanol mix with gas at the pump.

[why?]

Originally Posted by sg11

Hmmm. I wonder why Honda didn't adjust the computer on the Si for 87 octane?

Because they want the Si to have more power. Compression Ratio is only one small puzzle piece to what goes into an engine. With today's modern technology engines can both be monitored much more closely, and controlled much more easily.

A real way to know how reliable these cars is to go into the forced induction section and find out how many of those peep's have lowered their compression ratio.

That was something that used to be an absolutely must do.

[sg11]

Originally Posted by why?

Because they want the Si to have more power. Compression Ratio is only one small puzzle piece to what goes into an engine. With today's modern technology engines can both be monitored much more closely, and controlled much more easily.

A real way to know how reliable these cars is to go into the forced induction section and find out how many of those peep's have lowered their compression ratio.

That was something that used to be an absolutely must do.

Hmmm. I thought it was because it HAD to run on premium due to the higher compression and that the more you compress the air and gas the more likely it is to pre- ignite thus requiring a fuel with a higher ignition point?

And as far as reliability and forced induction, did you mean to say they haven't lowered their compression ratio?

[detroiter]

Maybe your hearing the timing chain? It's pretty noisy on these Toyota engines.

[Bluevitz-rs]

The more timing advance you have in the ignition the higher grade of fuel you need. The 1NZ has a very conservative timing advance compared to the Civic SI and that's mostly why it needs high octane fuel.

If you were to run a stand alone EM and bump the timing up on a stock motor, you'd gain a bunch of power but you'd also require high grade gas.

[sg11]

Originally Posted by detroiter

Maybe your hearing the timing chain? It's pretty noisy on these Toyota engines.

Maybe. Could be. Filled up with Exxon 93 a couple days ago though and havent noticed any pinging or the sound Im thinking is pinging. Im thinking 87 isnt the most ideal fuel octane I should use. Yes it runs good and I get good fuel economy on 87 but the pinging worries me as far as potentially doing long term engine damage. Or maybe I have carbon deposits? But how much carbon buildup can there be after 20k miles and using quality gas?