Pinging 1998 360 engine

From : redneck tookover hellgreg truesdell

Q: doesnt have a thing to do with todays vehicles c-u-m-m-i-n-s has been around for a long time long before dodge started using them in 1989 pardon me... cummins. i drive a 79 trans am with a olds 403. i am not up to date with todays vehicles. still living in the past. chaos confusion and trouble!!!! my work here is almost done .

Replies:

From : miles

greg truesdell wrote my 98 dodge pings like crazy when i accelerate or when i am just cruising along. i have changed the plugs and plugwires the air cleaner kinds and octanes of gas. no change. any suggestions it has 85000 miles on it and even the dealer is at a loss. the dealer isnt at a loss at all. he just knows that this is a major problem with rams and chrysler hasnt given him a workable remedy. i assume he has already checked the plug wire routing and plenum gasket which have been known causes for the pinging. i had a 1999 with 5.2l that pinged horribly even on 92octane. dealer could do nothing at all. because of other problems i got rid of it. i have a 2001 with 5.9l now and it does not ping at all. no problems at all except today the check engine light came on at 44700 miles. dont notice anything wrong but taking it to the dealer to see what it is. hopefully its something under warranty as otherwise i get hit with a $90 evaluation fee. .

From : jwlbal

i have a 97 ram 2500 with the 360. i rarely ever hear any pinging and generally run 87 octane. despite what some experts say when i tow my 25 travel trailer i tend to use 89 or 93 octane because it feels like i get a little better performance and fuel economy. this would make sense since todays engine management systems would then provide more advance if it can be done without knock. this summer over a 2-1/2 week period i used my truck for towing more than not and therefore i was continually using at least 89 octane. i stopped for gas along i-84 in ny and got sticker shock at the pump. i filled my near empty tank with 87 octane pulled back onto i-84 with trailer in tow and immediately wondered if i would make it up the next mountain and if i would burn a piston in the process. since the pinging usually is minimized in my truck by turning more rpm i dropped into 2nd gear for a long climb. after that high rpm climb i never heard another knock the rest of the trip! this leads me to believe that the engine management system is in fact capable of adusting the engine for fuel altitiude etc. and mine is doing the dob. i have 85000 miles on mine as well and it has never needed anything but normal maintenace. i do run a complete fuel system additive several times a year. my 98 dodge pings like crazy when i accelerate or when i am just cruising along. i have changed the plugs and plugwires the air cleaner kinds and octanes of gas. no change. any suggestions it has 85000 miles on it and even the dealer is at a loss. -- greg truesdell po box 9907 canoga park ca. 91309 .