2015 V6 Spark Knock/Pinging

Can anyone else hear the knocking in the You Tube I put up? Sorry bout the audio, it's just an Ipad.

Not normal at all. It can't adjust enough. Consult the master tech manual for why spark knock is bad. Ok, sorry, that was rude.

It's doesn't seem like it would be that hard if you are a ECU software engineer already to prevent this. The lower limit of retardation could be lower right? Do you mean to tell me that there is no margin in the software for carbon buildup resulting in slightly higher compression? Mine still knocks on 93 too just not as bad as 87 or 89. I'm not 100% sure but I would think that the spark plugs would look a lot worse if there was a significant amount of buildup?

Just telling my thoughts.

Thank You for your input sir.

 

Try adding a surfactant to the coolant to reduce the surface tension of the coolant/water mixture. I have heard that localized hot spots can accumulate in the heads due to waters surface tension and the way the water jackets are cast. Once you add the surfactant I have heard that it can cool these hot spots dramatically reducing and eliminating ping. There are a number on the market which have been advertised. I know you shouldn't have to go to these extremes but worth trying if Toyota isn't owning up to fixing it. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the heads up on that.

How about the knock sensors are "listening" for the wrong frequency? Never hear it, never throw a code and never adjust the timing?

 

No need to be rude to me. I understand why spark knock can be bad. You should consult the manual to learn that the carbon deposits don't result in any sort significant increase in compression. It's the rough edges of the deposits that heat up under pressure and ignite the fuel/air mix before the plug. Hence the word detonation. Not carbon compression increase or something. The ease of ignition goes down when octane goes up. Higher octane gas ignites at a hotter temperature.

The plugs don't get much carbon on them because it's the hottest part of the combustion chamber. When you blow a lighter with hairspray at a piece of sheet metal, does the lighter turn black with soot or the sheet metal?

 

A co-worker who is now a retired Ford engineer who designed engine blocks for Ford told me engine knock is an abnormal condition. I had an 85 accord (owned in college in 2000) that had engine knocking. It also had oil leak and oil in the plugs. My Tacoma has no leaks and plugs looked good and smelled good. I have no codes and I still have engine knocking. Long term this engine knock can't be good.

Toyota says not enough people complaining about knock in the 2011's to do anything.

So unless I buy another truck, I will have to deal with it l.

 

I couldn't hear much of knock in your audio, OP. I think you might be making a mountain out of a molehill . The injectors clatter and make lots of noice, hard to hear anything else. I wouldn't be running a colder thermo and colder plugs if I was you. If you carbon up your block it will die much sooner than a little bit of spark knock would do....

 

I realize it's not the tech's fault but when the tech's are reporting that there is a problem Toyota should produce a flash for it. They knew the older v6 tacoma's had a prob, what makes them think that just because it's 15 that it would magically go away ?

 

The 2012-2014 had a software update to correct this issue in a TSB. They updated it to the 2015 software. The 2015 ECU software is the fix for the 2012-2014.

 

What is it going to take for them to produce a flash for the 2015 ?

 

Enough complaints I guess. Call the customer experience center and express your concerns.

 

Meanwhile, all of us that spent thousand's on the 2015 are just screwed until enough people complain. I guess what I'm saying is, did Toyota apply this fix to the 15's before they sold them ? Obviously not because we are having the same pinging that the 2012-2014 were having.

 

Again, not your fault but other than putting your name on a list , the customer experience center is a joke !

 

I've never heard of any recent model Toyota ever have any long term damage from light spark knock. I wouldn't be too worried about it. If you have complained about this a lot and something catastrophic happens, it's warrantied still. Toyota has spent over 1 BILLION dollars on just the frame rust issue alone. They take care of their customers for the most part. I've seen batteries on prius with almost 200,000 miles get replaced for next to nothing for customers with good relationships with the dealer.

 

My pinging is very light and it drives me crazy but I love the truck. I was just worried about the warranty running out and then I'd be stuck with a problem. All this being said, I still don't like the idea of making payments on a brand new truck and having to listen to the valves rattle.

 

I was told my local master tech that the ECU on the 2012-14 was different and has different software. In regards to my 2011. He did say that '15 ECU software was updated but still differed from 2012-14 TSB sotfware.

 

Mastertech told me valve chatter was only resonance through the aluminum block. He said the aluminum block only just amplifies it and the engine could go over 300K miles with the sound. He said the timing chain tensioner would fail or need to be replaced long before the death of the engine.

I just kept getting documentation:

 

The software ID numbers and ECM part numbers may change because of some slight differences but the change that was made to the 12-14 has been applied to the 15s. From what I've been told anyway. No actual way to verify.

 

That's funny, service dept. told me it was pre detonation in the cylinder. He said the cylinder was getting so hot that it was causing some kind of pre detonation prior to the spark plug firing. So, it pre detonates then the plug fires and these two explosions are working against each other. I'm not a mechanic but this doesn't sound too good.

 

They told me it will happen when it is hot oustide. I said well maybe they shouldn't sell Tacomas anywhere ambient temp goes above 90F. So I went back in winter and still had pinging.

 

It's frustrating but hey, they got their money.