2021 5.7L iForce engine has slight pinging sound during modest acceleration

This happens to me when I reverse, sometimes it's loud! Lol but I know what's happening so I don't sweat it.

 

I have the same problem on my 16 TRD Pro that has only ever been serviced at Toyota. You described the sound perfectly. My noise occurs around 1200 RPM during slow/gas efficient acceleration. For me, the only thing that completely removes the pinging is using 89+ octane gas. Its 100% removes it. I am confident in saying this because as soon as I went back to 87 it immediately came back.

Let me explain why I even went back to 87 temporarily in the first place. I moved from Boston, MA to Central FL recently and it wasn’t until I moved to FL where I noticed the pinging noise. With all the Boston city driving, I mostly drove for short intervals, faster accelerations, street light to street light. Never heard the pinging noise the few years I lived in Boston and I always used 87 gas. Moved to central FL where there are mostly highways, you get a chance to accelerate slower and also get up in higher gears as well. That is when I began noticing the noise. I figured the higher temperatures in FL was causing some premature detonation and thought that buying the expensive TRD intake with high flow filter would help. It did Not. Then I had a oil change and Toyota and also had the do a fuel injector system clean. That did not work either. I say all of that because through out these changes, I would go back to 87 to see if any of them made a difference. It didnt matter whether I bought the 87 gas directly from a Shell, BP, or Chevron gas station, the engine pinging continued at that slow acceleration 1200RPM mark. The fix for me which remains true for over 12 months now, if using 89+ octane gas. No more pinging. I dont care what any tech or manual says, in the long run (i plan to keep my tundra till it dies) this engine pinging cant be good. Hope this saves someone the money they’d spend on service visits, a TRD intake, or Toyota fuel injector cleaning service.

 

2019 SR5 4x4 5.7 w/ 59K Miles
Yeah this is exactly the same noise I started hearing, sounds like sand or something rattling around in the engine at Low RPM's.
Today I reset my ECM by disconnecting ONLY the Negative (-) battery bank for 10Mins, you'll know it worked if you when restart your engine it shuts off immediately after on it's own, just start up it again.
I've only done one test drive since, but it "seems to have improved," time will tell. One thing I noticed right away is a healthier idle, at least it sounded a bit healthier idling at a slightly higher RPM idle.
If I continue to hear the knocking at low RPM's, next I'll try a half tank of 91 Octane mixed with a Fuel System cleaner. I suspect this will likely do the trick. If I need to run 89-91 Octane from here on, so be it. I love this truck too much to get rid of it ha.

 

I solved my Lexus Pinging just a couple weeks ago. After checking fuel pressure, replacing knock sensors I all but gave up. I had an issue and had to replace the accelerator pedal position sensor. During that time the car developed a bad hesitation. Long story short the air box resonator had developed a hole. In the end air was bypassing the MAF sensor allowing the car to run lean. Since hole was after MAF the MAF was telling the PCM your getting this much air so supply this much fuel. Well I was supplying a lot more air through an intake leak after the MAF. Still running 87 octane (supposed to be 91 lol) and zero pinging. In end it pinged for years with no damage....

 

I had this sound. Since my truck will sit weeks at a time. I found that if I turn the AC off prior to starting the truck and drive it about 1/2 mile or until idle is normal when I turn on AC it doesn't make a sound. I always thought it was the belt slipping with the increase load. That and Toyota racing the engine when first started for whatever reason.

 

Yep I had that issue took the dealership 3 days to tell me it was the brake lines they ordered a clip put it on and apparently put the wrong clip back in because the stupid thing was still making the rattling noise over ruff roads etc so I took 15mins of my time and found out it was a brake line touching a hard radiator hose lol ‍♂️ I took and zip tied it back into place, no more noise. Also to the OP I have the same issue I wouldn't describe it as a ping but a crackling kinda like what u said water hitting hot grease but a ping will confuse most people, what I believe is happening is it's a fuel to air ratio problem too much gas is flowing in such a low rpm and when u accelerate through that rpm drop the gas does not all get burned and it reaches the exhaust which makes that noise ‍♂️ crazy how it mainly happens from the shift between 45mph and 50 and mostly if u let off and then accelerate through it. This truck is a POS I paid 50k for America garbage tbh they were good when the japs made them but since moving to America, it's planned obsolescence.. now I have another issue when my a/c dampener switchs from outside air to inside air the dang thing sounds like a loud fart! Beautiful truck but I'm about to trade up soon ‍♂️ the dang thing leaked from the sharkfin the first night I brought it home, soaked my entire headliner

 

It's your firewall brake line touching a hard radiator hose go to the hydraulic lines on passenger side under the hood, one of them will be touching a hard radiator hose, I swear to you this is the problem and I fixed it you will need a step stool to be able to see back there trust me, zip tie it to the spiral looking line to keep it from sliding back and fourth in the clip and fixed, I guess I'm smarter than the local Toyotas master tech

 

I had this problem too seems like we all have the same issues and my thoughts are the same about the belt slip because it only happens if u let the truck sit a few days and it only happens if he a/c is on when you crank it I believe it's the crazy rev up tundras have when starting I had to get use to it because none of my other trucks rev that high upon starting, I swear my whole life people told me Toyotas are well made etc but man I'm it's been one issue after another with this thing

 

Thanks for the info!
I'll take a better look at it when I get a chance.

 

I just noticed mine making this noise. Slight rattle/ping under slight acceleration. Didn’t happen when I switched to neutral and revd it while rolling the same speed.

 

Been running regular gas for a couple months and sure enough, it's pinging a lot again this tank. Time for the E85 steam cleaning.

 

Don't lie. You're heading to the dollar store to get a harmonica and do this to that guy at work.

I bet when I said "that guy" you even pictured somebody.

 

So what do I need to zip tie to where? I've got an annoying buzzing type sounds coming from around this area I believe that I generally notice under light throttle.

 

I dont hear buzzing over my dirty sevens and clanking bypasses lol. Def recommend higher grade fuel if you're truly getting pinging

 

I have a 2021 also and I have noticed it not all the time but it is there off and on. I'm not sure why it does it its very faint but it is definitely is a ping and always run shell.

 

I used a tank of cheap Murphy 87 E-10 caused mine to start rattling and pinging at ~1200RPM under light acceleration.

Switched to premium non ethanol Murphy at 1/2 tank, then again at 1/2 tank switched to premium Shell. Problem went away. It didn’t happen at all towing a trailer under a heaver load, or in Tow/haul mode without a trailer.

Seems like just hearing a slight lug on the engine at 1,200RPMs with thin oil and low octane during high heat.

Per another thread the owners manual does say light knocking is ok, lol, which I confirmed in mine.

 

Does it knock on top tier 87?

 

It never really knocked traditionally per the manual authorizing, but does have some valve rattle/pinging around 1,200–1,500 rpm. It is separate from just the 0-20oil rattle symptom everyone cringes though. The GTX Edge mostly stopped that from the Mobil 1.

Better fuel reduced it a lot, but still happens sometimes very short duration and right before is shifts up under light acceleration.

Cats are still missing, just running straight pipes to the muffler, with no rear 02 sensors. Hopping it just seeing that and is jockeying with the settings.

I do have a new respect for catalytic converters the exhaust will choke you out in a hurry.

 

I am have the same issue between 1600-2200rpm with a slight load. To me it sounds like valve taping but I saw a video about valve springs breaking, and the description is similar. I have done the octane cycle and it's defiantly more noticeable with lower octane, but didn't disappear with high octane. My MPG was best with mid-grade octane.

 

The pinging from my tuck was confirmed today to be the exhaust pipe. It’s a double wall pipe and it was rattling right around 1200 RPMs under light acceleration. I guess the inner pipe rattles sometimes, the catalytic converters were stolen and straight pipes welded in place which could have contributed to the rattle, sure thought it was valve train the way it sounded.