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2.3L ('83-'97) 96 2.3, Excessive pinging after coil pack change?


Dzastin88

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2024
Messages
4
City
Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
1996
Transmission
Manual
TLDR; I had a P0352 since Tuesday. A new front coil pack (goes to spark plugs on driver side of engine) on Thursday resolved the code, rough and shakey idle, and the sputtering on acceleration. Since I started driving it Thursday night after the coil pack replacement, I can hardly get on more than a quarter of the gas without intense pinging. Perhaps my few short drives and my starting, idling, and stopping of the engine while diagnosing has quickly caused a large build up of carbon causing this? Prior to this and during this, I have always had some ping while running 89, but it only ever pings if I fail to be in the right gear for something or try pushing the truck way more than it can realistically handle. That was very manageable. This evening, I did the ole "Italian tune-up" (cruise on the highway for a good while, get the RPMS up more and maintain it for longer than usual) which actually has worked for me before. This was in hopes that I could loosen up the new carbon I may have built up. Still, only marginal improvement.

This code issue started Tuesday. After doing various diagnostics, none gave clear signs of what was the cause. So I resorted to trying out a new front coil pack after seeing that idle was noticeably worse if running only that coil pack, or only running the spark plug for cylinder two from that coil pack. I figured this suggested that, compared to the better (close to the idle of running everything) idle if only using the rear coil pack/spark plug, this coil pack may be the issue. So I changed it, and the CEL stayed off. Idles normal, no sputtering. However...

After changing the coil pack, my first drive I noticed it was pinging bad. Real bad. So bad that I thought I was going to kill it trying to get up the short hill leaving the house. Even with the run up that I usually get while still doing the speed limit, I typically make it up this hill in the middle of second gear with no issue. Now, I was trying to do a balance of not pinging to death and not lugging to death in first gear. That was Thursday night. Early today, nothing seemed to have changed. Almost right after leaving again today, when there would have been little chance of carbon build up having heated up enough yet to cause pinging, it starts doing the same thing to a SLIGHTLY lesser degree.

Back to the end my TDLR, you'll see where I'm at with this today. I can't rely on my interpretation anymore of if things are better, getting better still, or mostly the same. I'm just driving myself nuts thinking about it so much.

Anyone have any ideas what is going on?
 
Sparkplug wires in correct order?
100%. Before touching anything, they all went from the cylinder they were supposed to be at to the spots on the coil packs where they were supposed to be. On both packs, cylinder 2 and 3 share a connection on a secondary coil winding while 1 and 4 are on the other. Standing at the front of the truck and looking at the closer pack, from top left to top right is 4 and 2, and bottom left to bottom right are 1 and 3. The rear coil pack is the same, but looking at it from the front of the truck it's rotated 180⁰. After all my messing around, they are still like this. But now I'm doubting myself, so even though I was looking at this all again today, I will quadruple check in the morning. I would do it right now at midnight if shutting the hood wasn't so obnoxiously loud lmao.
 

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