Ls 1 Pinging = Bad

[nick1980]

okay im pritty new to the ls 1 but as the story goes i test drove an imacc series 1 vx r8 clubby (manual) yesterday loved the car full service history 1 owner 80 thou on the clock was a warmish arvo with ac on i got her out on to an open stretch did not show a great deal of life until around 4000rpm go to around 4900 and pinged its ring out to redline and was very loud this cant be a good thing and why would it be doing it ?? i drove a vt II r8 a few days before around same temp and had more life and no pinging at all??

[Dane VN V8]

okay im pritty new to the ls 1 but as the story goes i test drove an imacc series 1 vx r8 clubby (manual) yesterday loved the car full service history 1 owner 80 thou on the clock was a warmish arvo with ac on i got her out on to an open stretch did not show a great deal of life until around 4000rpm go to around 4900 and pinged its ring out to redline and was very loud this cant be a good thing and why would it be doing it ?? i drove a vt II r8 a few days before around same temp and had more life and no pinging at all??

Maybe it's been thrashed?

[RED R8]

It is something that possibly could be rectified with a new tune.Has the car had a tune previously ?

[Oversteer]

Yeah mate it could possibly be a tune problem but then again pinging is never good for an engine...why make someone elses problem your problem, id be steerin well clear mate

[eldan89]

If a car is already making bad noises I'd stay away from it, no matter the service history. It may be a bad tune or the PCM may have something horribly wrong with it. Hell it could even be a much bigger problem which = $$$$

Is the car at a Holden/HSV dealer, Independent, or private? Often the independents get the crap cars that Holden/HSV don't want to associate themselves with.

[LSX-438]

Could be a number of things. Shyte fuel? Been tuned before? Question is how long has it been pinging that bad.

[Vulture]

Was it at a dealer? I can't see them putting premium fuel in cars on the lot.

[chilly]

Maybe it's been thrashed?

how do ya do that......

[nick1980]

okay the car is from a hsv dealer he actually buys cars for cash he even chucked the car up on the hoist for me too look underneath and insisted i get a private mechanic to check out the car for my peace of mind and its stock as a rock nothing on the car has been touched i actually asked the dealer what fuel he put in the car but he told me the car had a full tank when it came in so he wouldnt know ??? also the car came from a mature 1 owner.......... anyway i will stay away from it thanks guys

[EfiJy]

okay the car is from a hsv dealer he actually buys cars for cash he even chucked the car up on the hoist for me too look underneath and insisted i get a private mechanic to check out the car for my peace of mind and its stock as a rock nothing on the car has been touched i actually asked the dealer what fuel he put in the car but he told me the car had a full tank when it came in so he wouldnt know ??? also the car came from a mature 1 owner..........

betta cars out there. stay away from it

[KPWISHN]

Are you sure it was actually pinging? Not trying to be rude but it would have to be $$$$ing bad to actually hear it. Probably some other nasty valve train problem. Anyway, sounds like one to pass on. Many other fish in the sea.

[nick1980]

Are you sure it was actually pinging? Not trying to be rude but it would have to be $$$$ing bad to actually hear it. Probably some other nasty valve train problem. Anyway, sounds like one to pass on. Many other fish in the sea.

i could be wrong but whatever it was it was fairly loud and nasty sounding anyway probably why the guy sold the car in the first place oh well i will keep looking thank you very much any idea what a vtII R8 clubby manual Black in good condition with leather interior 118 on the clock is worth nowdays ???

[macca33]

Well, my car, which I know the entire history of, used to ping its ring off on 98 RON fuel in warm/hot weather under load, when it was stock. The VX HSV tune can be improved upon markedly, from that which HSV put out.

Cheers,

Macca

[seedyrom]

My Car is a third owner.

First owner was a director of the Deaf and Blind Society. So I thought cool, wouldn't have been thrashed.

Second owner was a house wife whose husband was a Ford man, but also an immaculate '69 Mustang owner. So I thought cool, wouldn't have been thrashed.

Now its me. And I don't thrash it. But i'm now up to my third engine :)
The cause for the current rebuild is well documented, but the first one was basically due to the thing not having regular services during its life.

The car was a beauty from the outside, and sounded nice at idle, but once a few power adders were thrown in (cam, exhaust, tune, turbo etc etc) a lifetime of neglect prior to me, took its toll. Oil hadn't been changed regularly (if ever). There was sludge inside.

So now I don't necessarily buy into the whole "one-owner, always babied" schpeel


EDIT: And no, none of these engines have been warranty jobs :( :bawl:

[Covers]

My vx clubbie was ping in HSV tune so it can tuned out of it.

[Vulture]

If the car is otherwise immaculate, I don't think I'd be walking away just because I heard a bit of pinging in hot weather on who-knows-what fuel. Get it inspected by a forum sponsor someone else who knows LS1s really well. Shame to walk away from it if it is in such good condition just 'cause you heard it ping.

[KeenGolfer]

If the car is otherwise immaculate, I don't think I'd be walking away just because I heard a bit of pinging in hot weather on who-knows-what fuel. Get it inspected by a forum sponsor someone else who knows LS1s really well. Shame to walk away from it if it is in such good condition just 'cause you heard it ping.

I agree, good advice. It could just have crap 91 fuel from the yard that's causing it. Get it checked out out first as it may be a simple fix.

[nick1980]

okay anyone have an idea who could look at this car for me that does have a good knowledge of them ?

[OLS108]

okay anyone have an idea who could look at this car for me that does have a good knowledge of them ?

Check the forum sponsors page.

[macca33]

I agree with the others also, 80ks and immaculate as you described, will most likely mean it has been very well looked after and would be a good buy.

It most likely is fuel, or the HSV tune - both of which can be rectified very easily. Take it to a reputable place - any sponsors near you??? - and let them have a look.

Cheers,

Macca

[Crusty]

Even with Ultimate mine pinged it's nut off on a warm day with stock HSV tune, they are notoriously bad for a std tune.

[UCNUNV]

if its 80thous kms and at a HSV Dealer, it should have certified used warrenty... So thats one hell of a safety net if the engine is pinging and damaged!

[nick1980]

yeah well the standard warranty is 3 months or 5 thou k's hopfully its only a fuel it was a tad rattley when i was giving it a few short rev when it was cold but that cleard out very quickly then it was quiet oh and one thing it had a very flat battery due to sitting in the car yard from the sattelite trakka alarm installed in it so flat it wouldnt start on its own woule that contribute to the computer chucking a fit and causing pinging as well ??

thats even if its pinging it was a quite loud rattle around 4900 to redline it didnt seem to make it in a high gear under wot at low revs

[Vulture]

...it had a very flat battery due to sitting in the car yard from the sattelite trakka alarm installed in it so flat it wouldnt start on its own would that contribute to the computer chucking a fit and causing pinging as well ??

Don't know about that but it might give you an idea of how old the fuel might be ;)

[nick1980]

yeah the car has been siting for 2 months with the same fuel

[OLS108]

Don't know about that but it might give you an idea of how old the fuel might be ;)

Spot on............

[UCNUNV]

If its a HSV dealer and doesnt have a 3yr certified warrenty stay away from it. That means it failed the safety check, history check or service check...

May of been in an accident as HSV/Holden dont certifiy crashed vehicles...

[vxssgurl]

yeah well the standard warranty is 3 months or 5 thou k's

So this is now obviously not a HSV-genuine dealer, or you'd be talking about a certified vehicle... like those before me have said, this car sounds for all intents and purposes of being a wolf in sheeps clothing... if this car is truly immaculate as you say, with only 80K on the clock, Holden would have been tripping over themselves to take it back through their certified car system. Should be waving an MCG-sized red flag at you just on that point alone.

That the "dealer" is telling you that the previous owner was "mature" is another sticking point. Perhaps he is confused and wants you to associate "mature" with "responsible V8 owner". Most definitely NOT the same thing.

My Dad was "Mature" and whilst he was also a "responsible V8 owner" he was also an old-school hoon who liked to demonstrate to his kids how to drive those 8 cylinders like you stole 'em. On a regular basis.

Cars owned by "mature" drivers I would steer well clear of!

Re the fule - I believe (someone more techno-savvy than me; feel free to correct me) modern unleaded fules have a VERY limited octant life-span, and die after around the 4-6 month mark, so you don't want to be test driving any car that has been sitting for a while - it will drive like a beached whale, and pinging would pretty much be guaranteed.

Which brings me to the final, and perhaps most valid, point.

If this beastie is so immaculate, and has only 80K on the clock - why in hells bells hasn't someone else snatched it up sooner? But no, this "bargain of the century" is left to yawl in a caryard for at least 2 (but most likely a lot longer) months - long enough for SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE to take huge disinterest that it's battery goes flat??????

Umm, run away - far, far away, from both this car, and this dealer!

[Crusty]

If this beastie is so immaculate, and has only 80K on the clock - why in hells bells hasn't someone else snatched it up sooner? But no, this "bargain of the century" is left to yawl in a caryard for at least 2 (but most likely a lot longer) months - long enough for SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE to take huge disinterest that it's battery goes flat??????

Umm, run away - far, far away, from both this car, and this dealer!

Just because a car hasn't sold doesn't mean it isn't a good one, 2nd hand V8's in todays climate seem to be becoming harder to shift, many car dealers are having a considerably hard time moving them, maybe someone on here who has more knowledge of the market could educate us. Petrol prices and environmental nutjobs are steering some people away from a nice big V8 to a tiny little 4 cyl POS.

[Vulture]

if this car is truly immaculate as you say, with only 80K on the clock, Holden would have been tripping over themselves to take it back through their certified car system.

Tripping over themselves to get yet another second hand V8 sedan to sell? I don't think so. You are implying that only the good second hand HSVs are sold through the dealers. Obviously not true.



Re the fule - I believe (someone more techno-savvy than me; feel free to correct me) modern unleaded fules have a VERY limited octant life-span, and die after around the 4-6 month mark

I think it is closer to 4-6 weeks rather than months!