# Rattling Sound Upon Acceleration



## sweaty (Jul 18, 2008)

I have a 2000 Ford Taurus Wagon with the ohv engine. It makes a rattling sound upon acceleration. Is this detonation? What should I do about it?


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## Dr Dave (Jan 1, 2009)

are you using LPG or Unleaded?


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## sweaty (Jul 18, 2008)

Regular unleaded. Should I try premium to see if it goes away?


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## gotboost (Sep 5, 2008)

Not having good luck with your vec's are you...
Does the sound only happen under load? or can you hear it by just reving up the engine while in park?
really need alot more info,like mileage,how long have you had the car,was the oil changed and maint.done right,take the oil cap off and look in the rocker cover is it clean or nasty looking,whats the dip stick look like clean or a burnt dark reddish look to it,
A 2000 vec is a OBDll engine,which is a code happy system,is the check engine light on?that system should hear the detonation and retard the timing to take away the spark knock,but it won't always hear a mech. problem like a lower end knock and then no light,my guess it's a internal engine problem...or a loose cat. converter


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## Dr Dave (Jan 1, 2009)

i don't think changing from reg unleaded to premium is going to do anything.. you really need to take it to a FORD service center. see what they can offer you. you can try and nut it out with testing and oil changes .. ruling out problems but normally this sort of thing is best left to a professional.. i know that Taurus has had a lot of recalls in the past, suspension probs etc. but i have not heard of this before. if its cheaper to buy another car.. do so , just make sure its NOT a FORD


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## polarzak (Dec 1, 2008)

BEFORE you take it to the dealer and they try to extract your wallet through you nose, for the price of a tank of Premium fuel, try it first. While I don't believe that engine calls for Premium, you may have carbon built up, and causing detonation. If the new fuel helps, then take it out on the highway and burn the crap out of the engine. If none of this works, then the dealer os probably the only option. Good luck.


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## Determined (Jan 9, 2009)

I have a 2000 Mercurey Sable S/W and so far all the trouble I have had is the cleaning the egr. system out and replacing two parts.
In previous years the only thing in most any car which makes a rattle when you accelerate is in the timing. I hope this is not your provlem.
I see you live in Va. perhaps you might try using a bottle of dry gas when you fill up your tank. You might be getting some condensation because of the area you live in because of the change of temperature a lot. Some areas can be cold today and tomorrow it will be warm and then back to cold or rain which may cause condensation in your gas tank. 
If dry gas does not work then you will probably have to have your car place on the diagnostic macnine which tells you you spark, cam dwell, timing, etc. 
I found that changing to a premium gas does not do anything but cost more and does not run any better. If you can, stay away from dealerships.


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## Chemist1961 (Dec 13, 2008)

Sweaty, your problem sounds like pre ignition. Sometimes a higher octane gas can cure this or an ocatne booster. Years ago we would adjust the distributor to control this and it would go away. Todays engines are built
different as far as adjusting the timing. You might also get away with a bottle of good injector cleaner or valve cleaner etc... worth a start. This is an engine related problem not specific to the car, so if it doesn't go away with improved octane, you could also search the engine model number on the internet or on a Ford site and querry pre ignition for a start.
I disagree about the dealership. I would phone a dealership and ask if this is common to the engine, based on your mileage, and driving habits and if so ask what the typical service involves. A good service advisor will talk to you about this. If not find a mechanic you trust at a dealership and talk to him off the shop floor for a minute. Don't tie him up, his floor time is paid time or find small service shop or a place like PEP boys where the guy at the counter deals with these questions each day. There is no reason to fear the dealership. As with anything go armed with a bit of knowledge and get straight to the point. I find most mechanics are very willing to give you a few pointers, just don't waste their time.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

Make sure you do not have something simple as a loose exhaust heat shiled.


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## AdRock (Dec 4, 2008)

Chances are that there is carbon buildup on the pistons. This causes the compression ratio to go up and can consequently cause detonation.

When dealing with a situation like yours I first run a can of Seafoam through the intake. Then put a can of B12 Chemtool in the gas with about 1/2 tank and run till almost completely empty. It's taken this process 2 or 3 times to get rid of the junk in the engine depending on how many miles the engine had and how it was driven.


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## jsnhardy (Dec 27, 2008)

In my experience it is usually some form of an exhaust shield rattling.


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