Hi.
I have an 02 Windstar 3.8. It pings when hot, cold it is quiet.
I heard there is an "octane shorting bar" or "shunt/plug", or it might be called an "octane adjustment bar" that when removed, it retards the timing by 4 degrees. The only info I found, is that it is in or near a wiring harness on the passenger side under the hood.
Can anyone tell me what it looks like, and where exactly it's located? A photo would be especially helpful.
Thanks in advance.
Regared,
bill48nj1

I am not sure of where this would be on your 2002 windstar, as mine is a '96.
One thing that I would check into is the IMRC clips.
They can become broken, disconnected, or lost.
FORD issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) stating that this can be a cause for pinging.....and that the technicians should check for this when a customer brings a windstar in for a pinging concern.

This is on the passenger side of the lower intake manifold.....2 shafts pass through the lower intake manifold......on these shafts is a flap (or butterfly) for each of the 3 cylinders in each bank.
These should be in the CLOSED position below a given RPM (2900rpm on the 1996) and they should OPEN when the engine is running above that RPM....giving more power.
If they are open when they should not be.......or 1 bank open and the other bank closed, then pinging, even stalling can happen.

I am not sure of where this would be on your 2002 windstar, as mine is a '96.
One thing that I would check into is the IMRC clips.
They can become broken, disconnected, or lost.
FORD issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) stating that this can be a cause for pinging.....and that the technicians should check for this when a customer brings a windstar in for a pinging concern.

This is on the passenger side of the lower intake manifold.....2 shafts pass through the lower intake manifold......on these shafts is a flap (or butterfly) for each of the 3 cylinders in each bank.
These should be in the CLOSED position below a given RPM (2900rpm on the 1996) and they should OPEN when the engine is running above that RPM....giving more power.
If they are open when they should not be.......or 1 bank open and the other bank closed, then pinging, even stalling can happen.

Hi.
I did have broken IMRC clips a couple of months ago. It broke up at a high rev. That fouled the plugs, I replaced the clips and plugs as well as the fuel filter etc. It ran good after that. I figured that removing the octane plug would be a fairly easy try for the pinging.
Thanks,
bill48nj1