WTF is wrong with my tuner?

[Kyle]

ok, so its been getting to feel rather chilly outside, so i thought i would bump up the tune from the 93 street to the 93 track mode.......only diff is maybe 2-3 hp and harder shifts, but the harder shifts is why i wanted to change. so i change it on wednesday afternoon and thursday night as i am cruising out to the weekly car meet i blip the throttle, maybe 1/4 throttle and hear a light rattle sound. i immediately think its pinging for some reason. so saturday i played around with it. it gives an every so slight ping only at 1/4 throttle in all three modes (89 economy, 93 street, 93 track) but doesnt when i return it back to stock. you cant even hear it at full throttle or really anything more than a blip of the throttle.


i am thinking it has something to do with the tuner since it doesnt do this on a stock program, i have run nothing but shell and chevron 93 octane in this car. does anyone have any suggestions as to what i can do before i bring it back and get the tuner looked at?


its an x-cal2 tuner btw.............


thanks

[lowflyn]

It's the 3.9, the windstar parts are throwing it off.

[Kyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by lowflyn It's the 3.9, the windstar parts are throwing it off.

impossible.........the 3.9 was built by the hands of God....................dont ever blame the 3.9

[lowflyn]

I'll be honest with ya though, mine does the same thing.

[I_luv_HP&trq]

do you make lots of short trips during the day? maybe your car never warmed up enough to evaporate the water and it's causing you to have crappy watery gas?
If that happened to me i would get a fresh tank of gas and put an additive in it that's suppose to clear out any excess water. i forget what it's called but i'm sure you can get something at any auto parts store. cost maybe 2 or 3 bucks and can't hurt.

[Kiljosh]

That additive is called dry-gas. Usually around 1.75 a bottle where I work, I like to charge 2.75 to dummies and make a buck though.

[justin00stang]

The tunes could have a little too much timing on the low end, nothing harmful, but I would get an adjusted tune.

[Kyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by I_luv_HP&trq do you make lots of short trips during the day? maybe your car never warmed up enough to evaporate the water and it's causing you to have crappy watery gas? If that happened to me i would get a fresh tank of gas and put an additive in it that's suppose to clear out any excess water. i forget what it's called but i'm sure you can get something at any auto parts store. cost maybe 2 or 3 bucks and can't hurt.

yes, i live about 2-3 miles from where i work

Quote: Originally Posted by justin00stang The tunes could have a little too much timing on the low end, nothing harmful, but I would get an adjusted tune.

but it didnt do it until late last week. i got the tuner at the end of june and kept it on the track tune for a few months and had to get it reprogrammed b/c the heat was too much and after a long period of running and shifting in 100*+ heat, 3+ hours, if you jumped on it, the transmission wouldnt tach up, it would go to about 3k and just slow up, feeling like someone just set the parking brake on it. i got it tuned down to the track setting and have not had that problem again. last week is when i tuned it back to the track tune and i dont have that tranny problem, just that tip in ping.

sorry if i am not using the correct terms here, but if i take away some timing on the low end, what does that cause? will it take away the tip in ping? what about power, will it also take away a little power? if so, a noticeable difference?

[justin00stang]

Possibly the change to winter fuels has caused this. You will not notice a degree or two of timing taken out at low RPM, but techincally reducing timing does reduce HP, however pinging is not good for power either.

[Kyle]

but as it sits now, with just a tip in ping, is it harmful in any way?

[justin00stang]

Quote: Originally Posted by 04stang but as it sits now, with just a tip in ping, is it harmful in any way?

Not really, but I wouldn't continue it.

[I_luv_HP&trq]

the pinging isn't good if it happens every time you get on the gas. you most likely haven't caused any dammage but yea it's not a good thing and needs to be fixed. I had to retard my timing with my diablo tuner when i go down to 87 octane.
I would at least try with a fresh tank of gas and get your car warmed up to operating temp and see if that helps. do you have the actual tuner or a chip that gets tuned?

[Kyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by I_luv_HP&trq the pinging isn't good if it happens every time you get on the gas. you most likely haven't caused any dammage but yea it's not a good thing and needs to be fixed. I had to retard my timing with my diablo tuner when i go down to 87 octane. I would at least try with a fresh tank of gas and get your car warmed up to operating temp and see if that helps. do you have the actual tuner or a chip that gets tuned?

i have the x-cal 2 tuner itself...............i called the guy that did the tuning and he told me that the tunes just dont magically change and that its gotta be that i just got some bad gas, he said he has seen a few cars (non mustangs) come in and their problems have been due to bad gas. he also told me that changing the spark plugs and fuel filter might help..........i just got finished with that and it still gives me that slight ping when i tip into the throttle.

i guess i'll get to do the fuel filter this weekend and see if maybe that helps in any way.

any other suggestions? it doesnt do it at 1/2 throttle or even full throttle, just when you dip into it and hold it there, and its a slight rattle, hell you kinda have to lean forward and listen for it

[justin00stang]

Changing the fuel filter won't fix the problem. If you install plugs you'll want to go one or two steps colder than stock, I would say a 22 heat range in motorcraft plugs.

[Kyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by justin00stang Changing the fuel filter won't fix the problem. If you install plugs you'll want to go one or two steps colder than stock, I would say a 22 heat range in motorcraft plugs.

damn, i wish i would have know this about 24hrs ago before is spent $14 on spark plugs

why did they have to change the formula of the gas on me, i want the kind that doesnt fuckin ping when i tip into it

so will colder plugs possibly stop this?

thinking about this, it cant be the tuner b/c the tunes in the programmer have never been messed with since the guy programmed it in late june, it cant be my car b/c i havent done anything to it to cause this, i have just been running shell and chevron 93, its not the fuel filter, its gotta be the gas...........

[justin00stang]

I only recomend motorcraft plugs. 2 step colder plugs could possibly fix the problem.

[I_luv_HP&trq]

Quote: Originally Posted by 04stang its gotta be the gas...........

why doesn't anyone believe me?

[Thomas91169]

pull timing a degree or so in the lower rpm ranges. maybe add a bit of fuel. id see if adding fuel helps before i went to pulling timing. remember, colder air is more dense, and thus fuel must be added to compensate for the added air.

[Tbird232ci]

what gas station do you normally get gas at?

Being a turbo car, i have to keep an eye on what gas i use, BP, Shell, and one other suck in my car. I use Exxon with no problems.