SD 197

Under very specific circumstances, I hear what could be detonation or pinging. What I hear when I slowly add throttle is a "TICK, TICK, TICK, TICK............TICK, TICK, TICK, TICK........

I can only hear it if I have a "wall" around me, such as the sound reflecting off a guardrail or those cement barriers they put up near road construction, which seems to help echo the sound better.

But also only at very low speed, such as when I'm just adding throttle from stop and go driving. I never hear it when moving at speed or heavy throttle, though that could be because of road, engine, or exhaust noise masking it.

Has anyone heard this before? I recently ran a couple of tanks of 91 octane Shell, it hasn't changed anything.

Nuke

It sounds to me (no pun intended) that what you're hearing is injector noise. There's a TSB on it and a lot of S197 GT owners have complained about it. From your description, I doubt it's pinging but may also be a valve tap. If it's not loud enough to be heard unless within a walled area, it's likely a normal engine noise.

Simon1

Singing sounds like a baby rattle or a can with rocks in it being shaken. It can happen at part throttle, but it's doubtful. Probably injector noise. Mine are 60# injectors and are loud with the hood up but with the hood closed all I hear motor and exhaust.

moosestang

You will hear pinging right through the dash, with windows rolled up. It's a very distinct sound and once you hear it, you won't mistake it for a dash rattle or any other noise.

Diabolical!

Detonation sounds like loose change shaking around in the dash. What you're describing could be anything from normal injector noise to a rock stuck in your tire tread.

yellowneck86

This is what detonation looks and sounds like.

GeigerZ

Oh man!! That video is scary!!

OP: If you are next to a wall and hear the 'tick tick tickticktick' sound, does the frequency get faster as MPH increases? MY .02 but definitely doesn't sound like detonation. As mentioned before - check the tire tread for a nice size rock/pebble. Before I changed my injectors, never heard the stockers.

With my Fox Mustangs, I'd have header gasket issues all the time and would make a ticking sound as well.

mapitts

I have to agree with the every one one the noise as injector noise or even the cam phasers. The 3V 4.6's & 5'4's in the F150's were notorious for sounding almost diesel like. I had a 2005 F150 w/ a 3V 5.4. Sounded awful at idle. Like moosestang said, once you hear pinging, it is a completely different noise. I had a 2010 GT w/ Bama tunes. Ran the 93 octane race tune. Had terrible problems with pinging @ WOT. Changed around with who I was getting gas from 3 or 4 times. Had to have the timing tweaked.

Edit; I know that comparing and F150 is not the same as the Mustang w/ the cam phasers. Just my expeiriance with that sort of sound for what it is worth.

JIM5.0

Lol, Valve tap is scary. Just as destructive as pinging (or more so).

You meant like the lash adjusters making noises and not the piston hitting the valves?

SD 197

Finally got back from the dealers, they stated it's just the injectors, which sound bad when they echo off of something!

Thanks for the replies guys, turns out it was nothing