Engine ping sound in 97 Accord

I have a engine ping or knocking sound (kind of like a gurgling
metalic) sound from my engine
that seems to occur at specific rpm ranges. It has happened on and off,
mostly in the summer. The car has 180K, I take it to a trusted mechanic
and do all of the 15,000 mile maintenance work recommended by honda,
including oil changes every 6k.
Before taking it to the mechanic, is there anything cheap I can try?
Thanks

 

This sounds like pinging or as the English like to call it, "pinking". It
would depend more on load than rpm. Possible culprits could include too low
octane fuel, maladusted timing and carbon deposits in the combustion
chambers. If it happens while accelerating, engine speed 2,000-3000 rpm,
then that is probably it. The way to tell for sure is to buy a tank of
premium, and see if that makes it go away.

The first thing to look at, is whether the octane fuel you are using is up
to your car's minimum requirements. My 1999 Civic requires 86 octane, but
around here one can buy 85 as "regular". The second thing is to clean the
combustion chamber deposits out of your engine. One way is a fine water
spray into the intake, while the engine is running, but maybe that is best
left to your mechanic.

Earle

 

This is 100% typical of totally benign resonant rattles and buzzes in
the various heat shields that surround the exhaust system components.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

 

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Easiest thing to check is the coolant. If the reservoir looks empty,
fill the reservoir to MAX (with engine cold) and see if it is lower the
next time the engine is cold. As the cooling system expels air it uses
coolant from the reservoir to replace the air. If you fill to max three
days in a row it should stop 'using' and you may see your ping goes
away. The computer can't set timing and mixture properly when the
coolant sensors are surrounded by air. That can cause ping. No tap water
BTW.

'Curly'

 

The manual recommends Honda Genuine Coolant, which came pre-mixed the last
time I bought some. If you do your research you should be able to come up
with an aftermarket product that is compatible, but I haven't bothered.
There are products and mixes that can damage aluminum blocks and heads. If
you do find a suitable product that mixes with water, please use distilled
or purified water only.

By the way, my Civic came new, in 1999, with green coolant in it. The
replacement stuff from the Honda dealer is blue. Comments?

Earle