50K Service and Pinging

[Jordan Tremblay]

I am bringing my car to my regular mechanic today for a 50K mile Maint checkup and service. I do most of my own general maint but I have been swamped at work and with it getting so dark early I don't have any time to do it myself and still have a girlfriend and a life. So anyway, long story short, I am bringing it in today. I am getting a fuel filter change, rotation and balance, alignment, oil, filter. I just changed the air filter myself and got new shocks. Any recommendations on other things I should ask him to check/change?



Also, recently I have heard my truck pinging when going up hills and accelerating. Sometime it even does it while just driving on a flat road at a steady rate of speed. The pinging has progressively gotten worse. I have tried cleaning my MAF Sensor and it did not help. I have also tried higher octane gas and it only helps a very small amount, if any. Anybody have any other ideas on how to fix this? It is getting really annoying and it gets pretty loud when going up bridges and towing my boat. It doesn't feel like I have experienced a loss of power of torque but I know that it is ussually comes soon after the pinging and I would like to avoid it.



By the way, just for reference, I have a 2004 ST 2WD.



Thanks in advance for any answers/advice.

 

[Johnny O]

For the ping....

Number one, it's possible they've changed the blend of gas where you live for this time of year. Where I live we get the crappy oxygenated gas in the summer and the 3.0 Ranger I used to have would ping like crazy despite dealer adjustments. The 4.0 Trac doesn't seem to be bothered by it but in the summer I do get better mpg on 89. Different parts of the country get different blends of gas at different times of the year.

Number two, disconnect the battery for a few minutes to reset the engine computer. This may help.

Number three, have the dealer tinker with the computer.

 

[Jordan Tremblay]

Thanks for the advice.



Yeah, I have found that the winter blend gas does make a difference but it started at the end of the summer before they changed the gas around here (I think). I also think it is not the gas because my roomate has a 3.0 Ranger and his didnt start pinging until recently with the gas change and mine started a few months before his. Plus his ussual remedies to lessen the ping and control it have been unsuccessful with my ST. Anyway, I will try and disconnect the computer and let it reset and see if it helps. Thanks again.



I might try and get the dealership to tinker with the computer because I am going to be bringing it there anyway to get a Transmission service since I have heard it is smart to get it there to make sure they use the right fluid and they do the right things.