2003 FX45 Pings

[AVFX45]

(sorry for the multiple postings....)

Hi Forum :-)

I have a 2003 FX45. It was bought (leased) in New york, and then shipped out to California when I moved here.

The engine pings.

The dealer service advisor brought this to my attention about 1 month ago. He told me it pinged "real bad". When I asked him what I could do about it, he told me to use "proper quality gas". I told him that I hever never ever used anything but 91 octane gas in this car. His response was "Well, try anyways". -And I was to use only Chevron fuels.

So, after 2.5 tanks of Chevron 91 octane with no change in the pinging, I went back to the dealer. This time they added a fuel treatment to the gas and revved the engine to 4000 rpm 5 times. Told me to do the same if the pinging continued. As I was driving off the dealer parking lot, the pinging was right there again. -But I thought I'd go through the remaining amount of "treated" gas I had in the tank.

1 week later, that was done. And the car still pinged. Back to the dealer I went. This time they removed part of the intake system, manually cleaned carbon deposits out and manually flushed the system (whatever that means) and relearned the engine computer.

The engine still pings.

Prior to these issues, I have had numerous other problems:

Loose drivers seat (4 repairs)

Warped brake rotors ("That's normal on FX's")

Tick noise from the front suspension (That's normal suspension movement")

Lots of rattles from various locations in the car

Intermittent whine frm the transmission.

I am getting so incredibly frustrated with the car. I am hoping someone in this forum can suggest what to do to remedy the engine pinging.

I am unfortunately past the first 12 months / 18000 miles where the lemon laws provide an option for a lawsuit and terminating a lease.

[DAEDALUS]

But the vehicle is still under warranty, correct? I mean, the service advisor is the one who pointed it out? They ought to fix it--and everything else. Corporate HQ is in Gardena.18501 South Figueroa St., Gardena, CA 90248

I'm wondering if the pinging is really pinging as in predetonation? It is NOT a common problem on a brand new car (I've never heard of it). The knock sensors ensure that and, regardless, a brand new car should never have a problem with pinging on 91. No carbon build up yet. How's the power on it?

[AVFX45]

The power seems fine... Although sometimes when the weather is really warm and the car is really warm it does seem (very subjectively) to be sluggish at low rpms. -But that can probably be due to other factors.

Aside from that, the power seems a bit better on the days when the car doesn't ping as much.

I was thinking that maybe there is a difference between the gas sold in northeastern US and the gas sold here in California? -Could the engine computer be programmed to Northeast US gas or something like that?

[DAEDALUS]

Yeah, the gas is different. Didn't think they still made 49-state models though--the service advisor should have known if that could be the reason. Regardless, the car should be able to handle CA 91 without pinging. Does the engine seem to run hot? Overheating can cause knocking. Ever seen a piston from a pinging engine? If you did, you would probably start writing a letter to Infiniti today, right after scheduling an appointment with the dealership. It can punch holes in the piston and burn the valves, piston and spark plug.

[maxnix]

I believe cars sold in NY have had to conform to CA emission standards for the last few years.

Find a good dealer. If you are near San Diego, a trip (or at least a call) to Jerry Tucker may be in order.

[Q45tech]

Find some 100 octane unleaded gasoline [racing gas sold at specialty stations, drag strips etc.] mix in 25%, that test should tell you if its the low quality US fuels.

Current California reformulated may not be sufficient? In the ratio of Motor test octane to Research test octane..........common refinery cheat trick to use the cheaper research blend components to make the average come out to 90.50000000001 call it 91.......yet engines still ping.

Doesn't the manual say AT LEAST 91 octane not Nissan fault that they lie to you on the pump.

[AVFX45]

Well...The ping is back.

Right around 2200 rpm at light / moderate load, typically uphill. The sound is like a hum or buzz, sounds like "mmwaannngggg".

The dealer was very insitisting that I use Chevron fuel ONLY last time I had these issues. Obviously I'm not ALWAYS about to use Chevron, but for the past 5 tanks of gas, I have been able to use Chevron 3 times. Today I filled up again with Chevron, and added an extra bottle of Techron.

No change in the pinging.

I'm beginning to think that's the sound I'm hearing isn't pinging after all.... I mean: With all the dealer has done (decarbonization, relearned engine computer) and with how I almost always use Chevron as I have been instructed to do....

Any ideas or suggestions?

[maxnix]

Try shifting out of OD into a gear that does not permit lock-up. Sounds like you are lugging it with regard to the poor octane. Stick with Chevron, Exxon, Texaco or Shell. The additives do make a difference.

How often do you redline the engine?

[Q45tech]

Again doubtful that the current Caifornia fuel meet Motor Octane Test spec! Too expensive to manufacture without MTBE. Ethanol splash blending makes it horrible.

At least 91 blended octane means greater than 91 not 90.5.

[AVFX45]

I typically hear this sound in 3rd or 4th gear... Are those gears that do not permit lock up? (I am guessing you mean lock the torque converter?)

It's funny you mention those brands of gas, the only other brand I have used apart from Chevron since my last visit to the dealer is Shell. I would have thought Shell's gas would be decent quality.....?

The more I think of it the less I think this really is pinging..... I mean: Is the engine really THAT sensitive to various brands of gas?

As for redlining the engine: That happens only very very rarely. (Don't know if it's good or bad that I hardly ever redline it?)

[AVFX45]

I see your point, but:

I am using the best gas that I can get at regular (Chevron) gas stations. Surely the FX45 is intended to be able to run fine on the 91 octane that's available in California? Are you saying that it's an issue across the board that no gas stations out here sell "real" 91 octane? If so most FX45's that are driving around out here should be experiencing problems?

I find it hard to believe that modern cars can't run on the gas that's available in a huge market like California....

[Jesda]

Have you had it examined by another dealer?While the quality of California gasoline is questionable, I find this to be unacceptable.

Did you call corporate?800.662.62009:00am - 6:00pm Eastern / Central Time8:00am - 5:00pm Pacific Time

[maxnix]

I find it hard to believe that modern cars can't run on the gas that's available in a huge market like California....

Some of the worse gasoline in the nation (thanks to CARB regulations), other than AZ where the really bad CA gasoline is marketed. It is difficult to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. For $3.00/gallon now, you could probably get something good. Do they have Union 76? Some dealers have higher octane gas. Check for some octane additives. Most will have toluene as the active ingreient.

Get another opinion for another dealer, hopefully with a great senior technician.

[DominickJ30]

Try what Q45tech suggested with the 100 or greater octance racing fuel and see if that helps.

[Q45tech]

Nissan engines are designed to work with REAL 91 octane that is not tricked up to pass the simple California CARB octane test proceedure to catch stations trying to sell regular or 89 as premium -----not to dissect the molecules of the 200 or so chemicals in gasoline.

That's exactly what I'm saying the Motor octane components are not high enough to not ping........Aromatics have been reduced in blend. Toluene 103 and m-Xylene are aromatics. Many confuse n-octane with iso-octane.http://faculty.uwstout.edu/ond...4.pdf

"Today, refineries turn more than half of every 42-gallon barrel of crude oil into gasoline. This is a remarkable advance from 70 years ago when each barrel of crude yielded only 11 gallons of gasoline."

Some refineries are able to make 30 gallons from a barrel of crude plus splash blend in another 3-4.5 gallons of ethanol and water to make 35 gallons of what they call gasoline..........Stretching the supply is ok with government.

Watch out for Manganese octane boost additives they make the problem better initially [first few hours] then worse much worse and destroy the spark plugs after a few applications.......metallic residue like the lead they replaced.

Nissan made a mistake assuming US refiners would be 100% honest......they probably are when the product leaves the refinery just degrades after a few days on it's way to gas station.They have veru expensive continuous monitoring to run near the ragged edge to save a penny a gallon........when they sold it to the pipeline it was ok.............no one tests [accurately] at the tank farm much less the filling station.