noisy 1.5 is this normal?

[thomasm23]

Long story but same result. 1.5 on my Big Bend, 2023, no oil or gas additives and at about 12,000 miles now. I have been running 91 or 93 for about the last 1,000 miles. I was hearing what sounded like a rattle, possibly a ping but I think not a knock, only at going about 15 mph, under 1500 rpm while cold. Same spot on the road every day. There was a slight incline. Tried it in sport mode which raised the rpm....noise gone. Tried driving it so it would stay in lower gear and no noise. Not sure what to make of it...poor gas...maybe some kind of ignition preignition or something worse? After 2 tanks of BP 91 or 93...noise is gone no matter how I try to repeat it. This wasn't the same crap brand I was using before so now I believe all the things we hear about Top Tier fuel and running a turbo engine on better fuel grades.

I use 87 octane from Arco and have never had an issue. 21 OB 1.5L

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[Mighty3]

These are all good points. I find the fuel differences are pretty interesting now. I never was really concerned. Arco shows up as a Top Tier fuel. I was using a local chain called Bolla for about 2 years in the Sport. It worked fine in my older cars. Maybe deposits were forming which created hot spots. The hot spots may have contributed to the ping/rattle. I looked them (Bolla) up and like BP they weren't on the Top Tier website. BP, however, pushes something called 'Invigorate' which is a chemical additive that they claim is a combustion chamber cleaner. The cleaning feature appears to be an objective of Top Tier fuels. I don't see Arco here. Arco is a pretty recognized brand. We have some oddball stations. I don't hear the ping anymore. Since I don't put the mileage on the Sport and its easy on gas, I think I'll continue using the 91 or 93 for awhile primarily for the cleaning benefits as opposed to the higher octane numbers. I am not sure about adding a fuel system cleaner yet in the Sport.

 

[Uncle Brad]

thanks !

You 1.5L will enjoy higher octane gas, and the valves ARE designed to handle it. I've had turbo cars for over 20 years: these are high-strung, high compression wonders that have to endure insanely high compression ratios. They need to breathe freely. They can last a long time with top-notch synthetic oils (changed around 5K). But as another forum member said: pre-ignition is a killer. It can cause awful damage. It's should never, ever sound like a diesel when giving it gas.

I always run 91 or better octane, top tier gas (Sunoco, Marathon, etc) in my Broncos. I have never put in 87 octane, or gas from Circle K, Joe's Junction, etc. You will indeed get better gas mileage and performance to boot.

The injectors in these engines rattle like the lifters on an old Pontiac with thick old oil on a cold winter morning. As the engine warms up, that high-frequency rattling should quiet down considerably.

If it's still making noise after running through a tank of really good gas, you might have a clogged catalytic converter or some other obstruction in your exhaust system.

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