How "should" the 6L behave on start up?

[CLUBRED]

I've just completed an over night test drive of an '06 SS 6L, as usual the dealer left no fuel in it. When I first started it, she bucked around a little bit and at idle with occaisionally might give a barely audible pop and slight shudder. I put it down to low fuel (like below E). Anyways, put a quarter of a tank in but it didn't improve, first start again this morning (not cold temp, but engine was cold) it did it again, not as much as the first time though, the car has not got a cam, car is stock with less 10,000kms on it (has had its 30,000 service).

And, is the power steering usually quite loud?

Thanks in advance.

[edit] sorry, Vz.

[his gts]

Would have picked up crap into the injectors running it that low on fuel surely. Dealer should know better. Give them the car back and ask for another one to play around with.
Cheers

[Dacious]

Sometimes this can happen when the MAF wire gets a tiny bit of dust or oil on it, especially if there's moisture around. All the dealers do is wipe the element down carefully with a non-oily, no-residue cleaner like brake cleaner. Could be crap in the fuel, same effect. I've been told not to allow the fuel tank to stay too low, or you can burn the fuel pump out. It relies on fuel around it to keep it coolish.

It is most apparent when the motor is cold, sometimes the engine will idle badly until it warms up, like the fast idle is disabled.

[PBoB]

When I first started it, she bucked around a little bit and at idle with occaisionally might give a barely audible pop and slight shudder.

And, is the power steering usually quite loud?

I'm not sure what you mean by a 'pop', can you elaborate? Mine doesn't behave like that at all (07 VZ SS 6.0L 11000km) with no fuel in it.

Yes the power steering tends to shudder at low speed, like in a carpark for example. A mate of mine who works at a holden dealer said to me that it was a problem among the v6's, but that he hasn't seen it in any v8's yet. Mine's booked in for an inspection of the steering system though.

[loudvtss]

I'm not sure what you mean by a 'pop', can you elaborate? Mine doesn't behave like that at all (07 VZ SS 6.0L 11000km) with no fuel in it.

Yes the power steering tends to shudder at low speed, like in a carpark for example. A mate of mine who works at a holden dealer said to me that it was a problem among the v6's, but that he hasn't seen it in any v8's yet. Mine's booked in for an inspection of the steering system though.

Can you let me know how you go with your power steering. Mine is noisy also. It's had a hose replaced but still shudders..

[Curtis-R]

Should be pretty smooth on startup in stock form.. Mine carries on a bit for a few seconds then settles down, but thats with exhaust, CAI and tune etc. I can live with it.

The noise you are probably hearing on start up is the alternator. (if it is like a whistling sorta noise)

[swingtan]

The 6Lt, as with all LSx motors will idles rough if running lean. Lean conditions are not normally found in a well kept stock car as the idle mixture is controlled by the O2 sensors. If the sensors are faulty, that's another story. On initial start however, there is a time frame where the O2 sensors are disabled, until the right conditions are met to start using them. During this time the PCM relies on fixed tables to fuel the car. If these tables are out, or something is causing an unknown change, then the PCM can't react to fix the problem.

the "start up" time on the 6lt is about 8 seconds ( though this does change depending on when the motor was "last running "). If the motor idles rough for the first 8 seconds or so, then it's in this start-up area. If it idles rough all the time then it's a wider problem. Here's how I'd address it.....


Take a mental note of how the car behaves on a cold start as well as general idling.
Get some known, good fuel in it, as the very least 1/4 tank but as the stuff in there is probably old, 1/2 a tank is better.
Check the usual stuff like oil and water, just to be sure.
Perform a PCM reset to make it forget that the only time it's run in the pas month has been to drive around the lot and do burnouts out the back..... :D
Get out on the freeway / open road and do an "amount" of 'Italian tune up' work on the car. this will help flush the new fuel through the car.
Take note of how the car now fells to see if it's any different.


Simon.

[DJC-346]

Would have picked up crap into the injectors running it that low on fuel surely. Dealer should know better. Give them the car back and ask for another one to play around with.
Cheers

its a new car, doubt it would have impuritys in the tank bad enuff to cause dramas at this point in its life

[loudvtss]

Hey Sixleeta, did they find the cause during the power steering system inspection?

[PBoB]

Not yet mate, I have to wait until the new diff comes in so they can check it all at once, keep an eye on the thread on it in the MY RIDE section, I won't start a new thread everytime I wanna talk about my car. BTW anyone know how long it should take for Holden to get a diff in?

[Shane QLD]

I'm not sure what you mean by a 'pop', can you elaborate? Mine doesn't behave like that at all (07 VZ SS 6.0L 11000km) with no fuel in it.

Yes the power steering tends to shudder at low speed, like in a carpark for example. A mate of mine who works at a holden dealer said to me that it was a problem among the v6's, but that he hasn't seen it in any v8's yet. Mine's booked in for an inspection of the steering system though.

That's strange ! I have a 8/2007 SS & have not had any dramas with the P/Steer in carparks etc or any idle probs, touch wood!