Pinging at WOT...

[SilverSport]

when on the highway driving at say 50 MPH then giving the 2005 Yukon Denali WOT I get a sound that sounds to me like pinging for a bit before stopping...

I am the relatively new owner of this 2005 Yukon Denali 6.0...I am on my 3rd tankful in my ownership and the first tankful I used Mobil 87 octane and two bottles of Chevron Techron...since then I have used Costco 87 octane gasoline...both Top Tier gasolines which I have never had an issue with prior to this vehicle...ChicagoLand area of Illinois

there are no known modifications on my truck and I have cleaned the MAF, the throttle body and the air filter is a new AC Delco...I have not changed the plugs, plug wires or gas filter and have an original 72K miles on this Denali...I've hesitated to replace plugs, wires as the truck starts first time every time and doesn't seem to have any issues otherwise

some of what I've read here is to switch to super unleaded fuel or at least mid grade...it has never been my experience that going to a higher octane in a vehicle designed to run on 87 helps...

I defer to your greater experience with this but I have owned a 2000 Escalade 5.7 and a 2002 Avalanche 5.3 in the past...I do recall the 2002 Avalanche 5.3 doing this once in awhile but I chalked that up to the air intake and oiled air filter I had on that...

any help or advice you scare to share would be appreciated

Bill

 

[wjburken]

when on the highway driving at say 50 MPH then giving the 2005 Yukon Denali WOT I get a sound that sounds to me like pinging for a bit before stopping...

I am the relatively new owner of this 2005 Yukon Denali 6.0...I am on my 3rd tankful in my ownership and the first tankful I used Mobil 87 octane and two bottles of Chevron Techron...since then I have used Costco 87 octane gasoline...both Top Tier gasolines which I have never had an issue with prior to this vehicle...

there are no known modifications on my truck and I have cleaned the MAF, the throttle body and the air filter is a new AC Delco...I have not changed the plugs, plug wires or gas filter and have an original 72K miles on this Denali...I've hesitated to replace plugs, wires as the truck starts first time every time and doesn't seem to have any issues otherwise

some of what I've read here is to switch to super unleaded fuel or at least mid grade...it has never been my experience that going to a higher octane in a vehicle designed to run on 87 helps...

I defer to your greater experience with this but I have owned a 2000 Escalade 5.7 and a 2002 Avalanche 5.3 in the past...I do recall the 2002 Avalanche 5.3 doing this once in awhile but I chalked that up to the air intake and oiled air filter I had on that...

any help or advice you scare to share would be appreciated

Bill

From the owners manual for a 2005 Yukon Denali

Guess GM expects it to do what you’re experiencing.

Might try a higher octane rating and see what happens.

 

[SilverSport]

...and somehow I missed that...thanks SO much for the help...I may try 93 octane at next fill up but honestly I've only heard the pinging 3 times in my ownership 1 month/650 miles and only when mashing the gas pedal from about 45/50 MPH getting on the expressway/highway...

Thanks again!

Bill

 

[wjburken]

...and somehow I missed that...thanks SO much for the help...I may try 93 octane at next fill up but honestly I've only heard the pinging 3 times in my ownership 1 month/650 miles and only when mashing the gas pedal from about 45/50 MPH getting on the expressway/highway...

Thanks again!

Bill

No problem.

Looks like another case of RTFM to me.

 

[swathdiver]

...and somehow I missed that...thanks SO much for the help...I may try 93 octane at next fill up but honestly I've only heard the pinging 3 times in my ownership 1 month/650 miles and only when mashing the gas pedal from about 45/50 MPH getting on the expressway/highway...

Thanks again!

Bill

Our cabs are so well insulated it's near impossible to hear most of it. You can see it with a scan tool though. We only burn 93 and rarely see any knocking or pinging.

 

[SilverSport]

No problem.

Looks like another case of RTFM to me.

ouch...thanks for that too...

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I only use 93 octane in my 6.2. You could try 91 octane first, and if the pings go away, you will save a bit on fuel costs versus 93 octane.

 

[iamdub]

when on the highway driving at say 50 MPH then giving the 2005 Yukon Denali WOT I get a sound that sounds to me like pinging for a bit before stopping...

I am the relatively new owner of this 2005 Yukon Denali 6.0...I am on my 3rd tankful in my ownership and the first tankful I used Mobil 87 octane and two bottles of Chevron Techron...since then I have used Costco 87 octane gasoline...both Top Tier gasolines which I have never had an issue with prior to this vehicle...ChicagoLand area of Illinois

there are no known modifications on my truck and I have cleaned the MAF, the throttle body and the air filter is a new AC Delco...I have not changed the plugs, plug wires or gas filter and have an original 72K miles on this Denali...I've hesitated to replace plugs, wires as the truck starts first time every time and doesn't seem to have any issues otherwise

some of what I've read here is to switch to super unleaded fuel or at least mid grade...it has never been my experience that going to a higher octane in a vehicle designed to run on 87 helps...

I defer to your greater experience with this but I have owned a 2000 Escalade 5.7 and a 2002 Avalanche 5.3 in the past...I do recall the 2002 Avalanche 5.3 doing this once in awhile but I chalked that up to the air intake and oiled air filter I had on that...

any help or advice you scare to share would be appreciated

Bill

...and somehow I missed that...thanks SO much for the help...I may try 93 octane at next fill up but honestly I've only heard the pinging 3 times in my ownership 1 month/650 miles and only when mashing the gas pedal from about 45/50 MPH getting on the expressway/highway...

Thanks again!

Bill

Personally, I don't like ANY pinging under load. Pinging is still spark knock/pre-detonation, just in mild form. But, still harmful, IMO. I believe there are some things that GM considers "normal" that should be questioned. Their allowance for oil consumption is ridiculous.

I'd run 89 or higher of Top Tier fuels. My bet is 89 would reduce the severity and 91-93 would eliminate it. I suspect that it's only a recent occurrence due to the warmer weather. Maybe the ambient temps weren't so high a month ago? Your 2000 Escalade had a Gen 2- a totally different engine with lower compression and a milder tune to avoid spark knock (pinging) altogether. The '02 Avalanche had a Gen 3 LS engine very similar to your current Denali engine which is a much stronger design over the Gen 2. Instead of being tuned to always stay safely below the pinging threshold, it's tuned to "ride the line" and dial it back a little when it detects pinging. Running higher octane fuel allows it to stay riding that line and giving you its best.

If your Denali is a FlexFuel vehicle and you're okay with buying high octane gas, you can run E85 and come out ahead financially and performance-wise.

 

[rockola1971]

First I would do what is free and that is spray some water mist into intake and it will remove any carbon buildup off the piston crowns. This carbon buildup actually raises your compression ratio which is unwanted and not programmed into your PCM. The cold mist strikes the hot carbon on the piston crowns and the carbon instantly flakes off and is expelled out the exhaust. No harm, no foul.
Also, during your experience of pinging is your CEL light on or flashing? Read any codes?

 

[SilverSport]

no CEL on or flashing...no codes viewed from several scans with my BlueDriver scanner...thanks guys...the only time I have heard the pinging is 3 times in 700 miles now and only when I did the WOT/flattened the gas pedal on the highway...and it doesn't do this continually

thanks for the help

Bill

 

[91RS]

Time to run premium. Pretty sure the 6.0L recommended at least mid-grade but I’d just run premium. Spark knock is bad for the pistons and a little extra for higher octane is cheaper than a new engine.

 

[tom3]

With these newer designed engines running the high compression ratios I use minimum of mid grade gas. When I fill up at Sam's Club I get premium as it's the same price as mid grade at other stations. I guess I'm just "old school" but 11 : 1 CR is Hi Perf. stuff.

 

[iamdub]

no CEL on or flashing...no codes viewed from several scans with my BlueDriver scanner...thanks guys...the only time I have heard the pinging is 3 times in 700 miles now and only when I did the WOT/flattened the gas pedal on the highway...and it doesn't do this continually

thanks for the help

Bill

Sounds like it's the "normal" pinging. A few ticks when you first floor it then it quickly retards the timing to stop it. You'd be hard-pressed to feel the reduction in power so, to you, it's just the noise that occurs for a half a second or so. If you're trying to pinch pennies, you could continue to run 87 or run 89 and just drive easy during warmer weather. Thing is, there will be times when you'll need to mash that pedal.

As @91RS said, a few bucks extra in fuel costs will always be cheaper than a new engine. Just remember the E85 thing, if yours is capable.

 

[SilverSport]

Time to run premium. Pretty sure the 6.0L recommended at least mid-grade but I’d just run premium. Spark knock is bad for the pistons and a little extra for higher octane is cheaper than a new engine.

the page quoted from the Owners Manual by wjburken shows that GM recommends 87 octane for the 6.0 LQ4...

I have no problem using higher octane or paying more for it but the Owners Manual states this small issue is normal...this is the reason I asked here as I am new to this particular GMT800 but not to GM (or other) V8 engines...

thanks for your feedback and information,

Bill

 

[91RS]

I don’t know where that came from but it is definitely not “normal.” I thought I remember there being a sticker on the fuel cap door that says mid-grade recommended but I haven’t worked in one in a while. regardless, the owners manual in SI for a 2006 Yukon Denali says:

“Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 87 or higher. If the octane rating is less than 87, an audible knocking noise, commonly referred to as spark knock, might be heard when driving. If this occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as possible. If heavy knocking is heard when using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, the engine needs service.”

 

[Mudsport96]

I get this occasionally in my 06 when it is above 95 outside and the AC is blasting.

 

[SilverSport]

where it came from is right from the owners manual...

From the owners manual for a 2005 Yukon Denali
View attachment 404538
Guess GM expects it to do what you’re experiencing.

Might try a higher octane rating and see what happens.

I do appreciate your response but I don't get anything more than what is written above...I may try the higher octane next fill up but I have read some people have tried the higher octane only to get no relief from what I am experiencing...

the LQ9 engine requires higher octane but not the LQ4 which I have...there is no sticker nor mention of using anything higher than 87 octane in my owners manual unless there is heavy knocking which I am not getting

thanks again,

Bill

 

[91RS]

I guess this is no different than the oil debate. It calls for 5W-30 but someone makes a thread about wanting to run 15W-40 diesel oil because of whatever reason and nothing anyone will say will convince them to run the right thing.

What I posted is straight from the owners manual on GM’s Service Information which I pulled up yesterday. So, unless GM changed what the manual says (which is possible), what was posted above isn’t from the service manual, or at least isn’t the latest version, but should be disregarded either way as far as I’m concerned. I’m not trying to be a keyboard cowboy and be right, you hurting your vehicle doesn’t affect my life at all. I just posted what is straight from GM.

Spark knock isn’t normal and is bad for the pistons. Will you actually damage one? Who knows but why take the risk over a few extra dollars per fill up? Engines are expensive. If you have spark knock you should increase the octane. Simple as that. I’ll sign off this thread and you can do what you want.

 

[SilverSport]

first off I appreciate what you wrote...you asked where I got my information from and it is written right in the owners manual...

your latest response you mention your response was based on GM's Service Information...that's the first I had read this...I believe GM's service information would be more current than an 18 year old owners manual...

I asked here because I don't know if this is "normal" or not and I believed it not to be normal and that prompted my asking on this Forum...

...I read here on this Forum, advice that I should go with higher octane...that higher octane won't make a difference...that what I am experiencing is normal...that it is not normal...at what point do I decide whom to believe???...prior to your last response the only thing from GM I had was from the owners manual...now you've added the GM Service Information...I did not have that information prior

I appreciate everyone's responses and I have to gauge what I do by those responses gathered here and elsewhere...when someone has more information I assume gleaned from years of working on or experience I weigh that more heavily than I do some anecdotal responses...

thank you for your responses...

Bill

 

[Marky Dissod]

If higher octane fuel does NOT make ANY difference at all whatsoever, then you have an unusual problem.
Since your engine does not have forged pistons, every tiny ping represents another wee lil bit of infinitesimal yet cumulative piston damage.

I'd guess either:
some very mild restriction in the fuel system, overcome once just above idle
your coils are collectively nearing the end of their service life and will soon need replacing
both