About a week ago, i started to notice a faint knocking noise (sounded like it was coming from the head area when i put my ear to the engine, but i could have been off) when I was sitting at idle, usually after first starting the engine up in the morning. I didnt really worry too much about it at first, as it happened intermittently. However, for the past couple of days, the truck almost sounds as if it has a diesel engne in the morning, and i noticed it again when i was driving at about 2000RPM. The truck is stock, and i have made sure that the oil is filled to the right level (changed it yesterday, in fact).. I know that this is going to sound like an idiot's question, but could my engine be detonating on me? The noise is pretty pronounced, and since ive heard more than one truck sound like this I dont know if its just the way that they sound, or what (I saw the post about "piston slap", and was wondering if that was the culprit)... I'd love to whisk the vehicle off to the shop for inspection, but I dont have the $$ to spend just to be told that the engine just sounds that way.

Its and '02, with 20K miles, if that helps anything...

Thanks for your help!

 

Just a side note - I used my Predator to look for any codes being thrown, but it came up clean on all occasions.

 

Check your plugs.... one could be loose.

Check the fuel filter if it hasn't been changed.

Make sure you have good gas...

Don't get on it hard until you figure it out.

 

check the tighteness of all your plugs BEFORE you drive it anymore.