Pinging? Sucking Air? What the H*LL is this noise?

[livefree63]

I think a few of us are experiencing this weird noise, but I cant figure out whats going on, maybe someone else has had some luck. This is an 06 S3. This sound happens only when I open the throttle under load. I can make this happen at will whether the engine is hot or cold and at just about any speed. It has all the signs of pinging.

Is it pinging?

1) Im running 91+ octane
2)Im told that the ignition timing is not adjustable.

Seems like there really isnt any reason it should be pinging

I have to admit, that it could be the sound of air being sucked in. I know that doesnt really seem like it should sound like pinging, but this sound is really hard to describe and I cant get my ear near the engine when its happening. It also might be some sound from the fuel system (noisy injector, struggling fuel pump).

Someone mentioned it might be some misc. engine/transmission sound that goes away with oil changes. I had my oil changed at 600 miles and I'm still hearing the noise at 1300 miles.


Its really driving me nuts. Its been to the dealer twice and no solution (not really an acknowledgement that they can even hear anything.) Anyone had any luck cracking this mystery?

[kuhlka]

Is this your first Triumph? The motor makes odd noises that sound like clicking, ticking, and occasionally I guess you could call them pinging noises, but I've never heard a LOUD ping which would be a sign of timing being off.

[FelixLeiter]

If I don't wear earplugs I hear a weird sucking armpit farting noise mixed with a mechanical clatter through the intake upon opening the throttle. Earplugs block out all but the intake whoosh, the odd 3cylinder vroooooom (must be the 240deg firing interval) and the exhaust.

[Sparti]

We are told her in OZ to fill the speedy up with premium unleaded only (95 octane). Maybe its the 91 octane you are running that's giving you the loud pinging noise.

[odium]

US manual suggests 89+

[Legman]

you can't compare the Octane rating between different countries as some use different rating scales. 89 in the US is equivalent to 95 in Australia.

[ This message was edited by: Legman on 2006-08-02 21:16 ]

[livefree63]

Yeah, this is my first Triumph, and I do notice that this engine is noisier than most ( I actually sort of like the industrial sounds that come out of this thing). The sound Im talking about is a faint tinkling sound that you can hear when you are cruising at steady speed and start to crack open the throttle to accelerate under load. Im not sure if its pinging, but its definitely noticeable. It was pointed out to me by some riding buddies.

Im pretty sure it cant be pinging, because only a couple of things cause predetonation: too much timing advance or octane too low, lean mixture buring too fast. Im not buying into the argument that the octane is too high and causing carbon buildup which is then causing predetonation which I saw somewhere. Thats a bit of a stretch. So Im thinking this really has nothing to do with the quality of the gas Im dumping in this thing.

Anyone else heard this?

[R100Pilot]

Never had a knocking problem and running 93 (U.S.) octane here (it's still cheaper than feeding the Band Van).

As for sound - you wanna hear weird noises, try riding an airhead BMW.

The Speed Triple does have a lot of intake noise. Sounds like a da*n Hoover. This is why I need TORS. Yeah - that's what I keep telling myself.

I suppose you could try some race gas or octane boost and see if it helps.

Also, a VERY long shot, but take a look at your plugs. They'll tell you if your engine is happy.

[bikeman]

I think you're hearing the normal noises of this engine. If the bike runs fine then don't worry about it. It's under warranty so I wouldn't sweat it.

Mike

[odium]

If it is at the initial snap of the throttle, it could very well be your chain.