Pinging in these engines is another example of Mazda's bad engine management.
I had pinging in my engine for random periods of time between 150k-200k miles. Anything but the lightest of throttle would cause pinging. It would last for a couple thousand miles, and then go away.
I never had a 100% conclusive reason for the pinging, but some things I did:
1. Check your intake tube for cracks. They aren't always easy to see and usually occur in the "accordion" area. When you accelerate, the engine moves and stretches the intake tube causing the cracks to open.
2. Do you have any exhaust leaks before the upstream O2?
3. Disconnect the battery to reset the computer. In my case, this is what would bring the issue back. In your case it may solve it. Remember that thing I said about bad Mazda engine management?
4. Seafoam. This stuff is largely over rated placebo effect snake oil so I don't recommend it often, but it is genuinely made of cleaning agents/detergents. Put it on old engine parts and it'll clean them; just like a million other products. But it did ONE TIME temporarily relieve one of the many pinging episodes I've had on my car. Pour a little in each cylinder through the spark plugs holes and let it sit for an hour. With the plugs still out, turn the engine over for 2 seconds to blow out some of the seafoam (You don't want to hydrolock your engine). Then reinstall the plugs and start the engine.
Run the rest of the Seafoam through the brake booster vacuum line (shut engine off and let it sit for the recommended time as soon as it is sucked up which happens very fast).
Pouring it in your gas tank doesn't do squat in my opinion, and I would never put anything but lubricant in my crank case.
No matter what you do, you can expect the computer to take 500-1000 miles to "relearn" the changes. That's why it can be really difficult to conclusively diagnose the pinging and idle issues with this engine.
I had pinging in my engine for random periods of time between 150k-200k miles. Anything but the lightest of throttle would cause pinging. It would last for a couple thousand miles, and then go away.
I never had a 100% conclusive reason for the pinging, but some things I did:
1. Check your intake tube for cracks. They aren't always easy to see and usually occur in the "accordion" area. When you accelerate, the engine moves and stretches the intake tube causing the cracks to open.
2. Do you have any exhaust leaks before the upstream O2?
3. Disconnect the battery to reset the computer. In my case, this is what would bring the issue back. In your case it may solve it. Remember that thing I said about bad Mazda engine management?
4. Seafoam. This stuff is largely over rated placebo effect snake oil so I don't recommend it often, but it is genuinely made of cleaning agents/detergents. Put it on old engine parts and it'll clean them; just like a million other products. But it did ONE TIME temporarily relieve one of the many pinging episodes I've had on my car. Pour a little in each cylinder through the spark plugs holes and let it sit for an hour. With the plugs still out, turn the engine over for 2 seconds to blow out some of the seafoam (You don't want to hydrolock your engine). Then reinstall the plugs and start the engine.
Run the rest of the Seafoam through the brake booster vacuum line (shut engine off and let it sit for the recommended time as soon as it is sucked up which happens very fast).
Pouring it in your gas tank doesn't do squat in my opinion, and I would never put anything but lubricant in my crank case.
No matter what you do, you can expect the computer to take 500-1000 miles to "relearn" the changes. That's why it can be really difficult to conclusively diagnose the pinging and idle issues with this engine.
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