I think i am pinging? I hear a "rattle" sound under accelleration. It happens mostly at partial throttle. It is not very loud in the car but you can here it. I run 91+ octane gas all the time. I have 9000 miles on my 04' wrx. I have a stromung tbe and that is it. I am waiting on an accessport but i don't know if i should put it on or not. I may be worried for nothing but i don't know. I know that it's not wastegate flutter. It comes on when i m moving and when i first get on the gas. If i go wot it goes away as far as i can tell. I can't hear it any more. Let me know what you guys think. Should i run it by the dealer? Should i not be such a worry wort. I just don't want to blow up my motor. Thanks.


Here's some more info IF i go wot it does not make any " rattle" noise. I would also say that it only happens under 4000 rpm, in all gears. I may just be hearing the exhaust flow through the tbe. I noticed it more after i installed my tbe, along with turbo spool and wastegate flutter. It only does it for maybe a second or two once i get past that initial partial throttle. Also i have no loss of power at all. And no surging.

 

"pinging" or detination has a very distincitve sound. Imagine bbs banging around in a coffee can. I'd be suprised if you are getting detination at 4k but not at higher RPMs. I'm not saying it isn't possible, just unlikely.

 

There is also valve rattle where the valve is a lil sticky and sorta snaps back into place.

I suppose if you wanted to test your pinging issue you should just go pickup an octane booster and see if the noise cuts out. If it does not you could have more serious problems (pinging noises only).

Valve rattle (This is SOO unlikely its not even funny) which is a lil too prevelent in my car is perfectly normal, i drive a '02 protege. I find a lil better gas helps me but its just the way the engine is and is considered "normal" *shrugs*. I actually had the same noise in my toyota pickup and the owners manual said it was normal too lol.

Of course there is always one other possibility. Something else is rattling :P like a loose bolt, pipe, door panel, whatever.

Just my .02

 

If it only happens when cold, or for the first <10min. of driving, it may also be piston slap, though that is more of a tick/knock than a pinging. This also should go away when the engine is fully up to temp.

-Chris

 

I put some ocatne booster in a tank full of 94 ocatne. So far i've gone through 1/4 of a tank. It is still doing it. I think i am paranoid.I am going to go through the rest of the tank and see what happens. I checked all of my exhaust connections and scoured the car for exterior rattles. I found nothing. To answer an above post it happens when it's warm or cold. If i just rev the motor it does not do it. I think that the tbe is amplifing the exhaust noise throught the exhaust. I might try to heat wrap the tbe and see it the trouble gets better. I don't think i have anything to worry about though. I will let the dealer hear it when i take it in for the 11500 mile oil change. Thanks for all of your help. I also had another question about "pinging""detonation" is it accompanied by power fluctuation? I have no power loss at all.

 

Yes pinging and especially detonation feels choppy on throttle. More than likely your engine is just fine and dandy. If you got a few auto mechanical or mechanically inclined friends have them sit with you in the car during a light run and see what they think

Honestly if its not loud its usually fine.

 

exhaust hanger? something metal just moving around?