Excessive pinging

[EDCivic]

I have noticed of late that once the engine has warmed up in our 91 twin carb ED civic, and when it's under load the engine rattles (pings) quite a bit. I have checked the timing and all seems ok. The odd thing is that when the engine is cold and under load the engine also runs ok ??? Is there some other advance/retard mechanism apart from the vacuum advance that I'm not aware of or should be checking or is it the way I am checking the timing (the vacuum lines do run into a box that is mounted on the firewall and it has a wiring loom attached). Any advice would be appreciated :wave:.
Cheers
Ron

[jks24]

What fuel do you run in your car?

[EDCivic]

Just plain old ULP. I wouldn't have thought the old girl would need premium ?

[jks24]

Just plain old ULP. I wouldn't have thought the old girl would need premium ?

Yeh sometimes though running some top quality fuel in your engine can do it the world of good and will help give it a good clean. Few years ago when my dad had a barina it started pinging all of a sudden usually at high speed or goin up a hill. He started running 98ron fuel in it and the pinging stopped. I'm not saying this will fix yours but it's worth a try.

[EDCivic]

OK I'll try the easier plan first and wait till the tank is close to empty and give it a try. I was thinking more along the lines of something is unwell inside the black box that sits against the firewall as it has quite a few vacuum hoses especially from the dizzy going to it as well as a few electrical goodies inside ?

[~Sp33~]

Have you checked the ignition timing with a timing light?

[EDCivic]

Yes I did (sought of). I'm one of the "older" gen where the dizzy had one vacuum line going to it and to check the timing you would disconnect it. The ED Civic has 2 so it confuses the old brain as to what one should do to correctly adjust it ????

[~Sp33~]

I was just reading, that "86 and 87 models need the hoses from the distributor vacuum advance unit to be removed and the hoses plugged"

Alternatively you can retard the distributor slightly until the engine stops pinging. Retard it too far and you'll lose throttle response.

[androo]

I had an 92' EG GL that started pinging. Then I started using 98 RON fuel and it stopped. Just thought I'd add!

[EDCivic]

Yes all a bit odd to me as to why in the last few years it is pinging, but I guess it's a bit like old age for a bloke i.e. 98 RON would be like viagra to the ED :thumbsup: !

[patto14]

my 95 was pinging for ages tryed everything to fix it and nothing worked we have just had some reali cold and wet weather and its stoped pinging all to gether strange

[EDCivic]

Well that's the thing, it tends to ping more so after its warmed up and especially when its hot outside ?????. I guess its the cars quirkyness as its is getting older. I'l try the premium theory as well as re-check the timing.

[Nuci]

Have you checked your solenoids? Could be dirty. Have had a few mates who said their car 'pings' and once they cleaned/replaced their solenoids the problem went away

[EDCivic]

Solenoids ???? and they are located ????? This is a 91 Ed Civic, twin carb. The only manual I have is the infamous Haynes USA book which is fairly generic when it comes describing diagnosing and fixing of problems.

Cheers
Ron

[Nuci]

There are a few solenoids in the car, but i would assume that the pinging is being caused by a problem with the fuel solenoid. it should be located to the left of the block. has a plug on one end. Type 'fuel solenoid honda' into google images to see a pic of one

[~Sp33~]

There are a few solenoids in the car, but i would assume that the pinging is being caused by a problem with the fuel solenoid. it should be located to the left of the block. has a plug on one end. Type 'fuel solenoid honda' into google images to see a pic of one

Could you perhaps link to one of the pictures? I just searched it and couldn't find anything.

[Nuci]

http://image.hondatuningmagazine.com/f/8868864/0408ht_08z+2001_Honda_S2000+Air_Control_Solenoid_V alve.jpg

[~Sp33~]

And what exactly does that control? That appears to be (according to the link) to an S2000.

The twin carb models have a "Primary slow mixture cut off solenoid" and a "Idle boost solenoid valve". According the maintenance manual. The former runs off of the distributor (the vac line closer to the fire wall).

[Nuci]

A fuel shut off solenoid device of a carburetor has a solenoid chamber which typically fills with fuel. When the solenoid device is energized, fuel flows from a fuel chamber into a mixing passage of the carburetor to mix with air. During the energized state, heat from the solenoid tends to vaporize the fuel within the solenoid chamber. Also when energized, the solenoid device is held in a retracted position whereby a head at a distal end of the shaft mates with or seals to a washer which in turn seals to an upward face of the encasement of the fuel shut off solenoid device. Thus the potential migration of large vapor bubbles from the solenoid chamber to the mixing passage of the carburetor is eliminated, providing a smoother idling or running engine at light loads.