Re: Pinging Solved... at least for my truck. Long now...

From: Bernd D. Ratsch (bernd@texas.net)
Date: Tue Jan 18 2000 - 15:26:07 EST


The Dakota's are based on a Speed Density System...not Mass Air. (Hence,
No MAS on the engine.) they use MAP (Manifold Absolute pressure) sensors
instead.

- Bernd

At 02:25 PM 01/18/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Either they have an air mass sensor... which I think they do, or my
>explanation works all the better. You have to have some type of
>calibration for how much fuel to inject at any given point in time This
>maintains the 14 to 1 or whatever ratio for proper combustion. Most
>companies use an air mass flow sensor or air venturi mounted in the intake
>path. The signal from which is sent to the computer, which takes into
>account for temperature, elevation, etc, to tell the injectors when and
>how much fuel to dispense.
>
>If we don't have an air mass sensor, then the computer runs "blindly"
>according to a set volume of air that *should* be getting into each
>cylinder. This would leave all the more room to screw up and run lean or
>rich as the case may be.
>
>Anyway, I believe the directly ported FI Dakotas, and probably the
>throttle body FI ones too, have an air mass sensor mounted at the very
>base of the throttle body, just above the intake manifold. It is a white
>plug (at least on my 98) mounted to a squarish box thingy, if I remember
>correctly.
>Probably the reason that DC can't seem to fix the problem is because they
>can't go around telling everyone to ditch the stock air intake and slap on
>a 35 dollar K&N. Instead, they just make comments like "Its supposed to
>happen" Yeah, right.
>
>I may be wrong, but honestly, it worked for me, and it is cheap to
>try. At the very least, I guarantee better air flow.
>
>Dave
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: "Bernd D. Ratsch" <bernd@texas.net>
>Reply-To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
>To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
>Subject: Re: DML: Pinging Solved... at least for my truck.
>Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 12:04:23 -0600
>
>
>Sounds good. Uhhh...our trucks don't have a mass airflow sensor.
>
>- Bernd
>
>
>At 12:52 PM 01/18/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>>My truck used to ping. 1998 Extended Cab, 3.9l V6, 5 speed (Let me know
>>if anyone wants more info). I noticed that the problem got worse when I
>>put a 3" lift kit on my truck. It actually got to the point that I could
>>feel the engine "jerk" when I drove up a hill on interstate 71 in fifth,
>>while lugging the engine. I started running 89 octane, which made the
>>pinging go away somewhat. I then dedided to replace the spark
>>plugs. When I pulled the old ones out, I noticed that they had very long
>>electrodes. Something like a half an inch. I felt that they were way too
>>hot, so I replaced them with colder plugs. The pinging got a little bit
>>better, but it was still there. So, I decided start playing with the air
>>intake. The flexible tube had gotten a little kinked as a result of the
>>lift, so I looked into getting a K&N intake setup. Since they don't (or
>>didn't) make one for a 98 V6, and since the air mass sensor is located in
>>the throttle body, I decided to just rip off the whole air system from the
>>flexible tube back. I bought a K&N canister filter (PN RU2820) with a 3.5
>>inch diameter whole, 6 inches long, and about 5 inches in diameter. I
>>clamped it directly to the intake housing. The pinging is gone. I can
>>take the same hill that I used to ping like crazy on, and floor it in
>>fifth gear and get *no* pinging. Looking back, I feel that what was
>>happening was too little air was being taken into the cylinder, therefore,
>>too little gas was injected. This leads to a lean charge in the cylinder,
>>which in turn is easier to ignite (via too hot a spark plug). I may be
>>crazy, but it worked for me... total cost... 6 1.29 dollar spark plugs
>>(Bosch, forget the Chumpion crappy ones) and a 35 dollar K&N cannister
>>filter. Not too shabby.
>>
>>Dave
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>
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