I'm the owner of a 1993 EB Fairmont Series 2 V8. The car has done 215,000km. Under moderate to hard acceleration it seems to develop pinging or a rattle from the engine. My mechanic says it is pinging from carbon build-up and recommends I adjust the timing and use a higher-octane fuel such as Optimax. But the noise is still there. Is this a major problem and can it be rectified?

02 January 2004

Being the proud owner of a 2002 VY SS V8 I would like to share the following and get your comments on a couple of issues. In heavy traffic I get about 14 litres/100km, while on a recent interstate trip the SS averaged a more than respectable 10.2 litres/100km. This has by far exceeded my previous car, a VT Series II V6 auto, and it was an absolute pleasure to drive on a long trip. I only use Shell Optimax and a colleague says that, because the car's engine management system is calibrated for standard ULP, running it on PULP will make only a marginal difference, if any. Can you please comment? Also, after just having the 10,000km service I checked the oil and noticed that the level was about 10-12mm above the maximum mark on the dipstick. I contacted the local Holden dealer and was told this was standard practice and would not do any damage to the engine, and it is standard practice on all GEN IIIs.

02 January 2004

I have read that Lead Replacement Petrol is PULP (which I assume is Premium Unleaded Petrol) with an additive such as Valvemaster. In that case, why is LRP always a few cents cheaper than PULP? Can I use LRP in a car designed to take PULP (1992 Honda Prelude)?

02 January 2004

I read Virginia de Crespigny's request for information on any Commodore clubs that might exist. She might be interested in the following website: http://www.commodoreclub.net/. It is full of interesting facts and events that any Commodore owner might like to read.

26 December 2003

Are there any obvious symptoms of a clogged fuel injector? At the previous service of my 2002 VX II Commodore, I was told there was a blockage of a single injector which needed attention. The car has travelled 30,000km and runs and idles smoothly. I disputed the need and was told to check my fuel consumption and return after 3000-4000km for another test. I recently travelled 600km and my fuel consumption was 7.6 litres/100km, which I consider excellent. Normal day-to-day travel uses about 10-11 litres/100km. My underlying concern: is this a legitimate maintenance possibility?

26 December 2003

I took an AU Series 2 Falcon for a test drive recently and I noticed there was a high-pitched sound which seemed to come from the automatic transmission. Any idea what this might be and if it's a problem? I also noticed that the car lacked some power, but that could be because the transmission felt slow to change gears and that my foot was pressed on the accelerator way before the kick-down happened. Also, would you say that the AU Falcon is mechanically superior to the Commodore equivalent of the day, regarding quality, performance and fuel economy?

26 December 2003

Regarding the letter in Carsguide (Dec 12), ``Fuel for That Big Trip'', it is worth noting that in some remote areas the fuel quality may be substantially lower than in cities, resulting in poorer fuel consumption and reduced travel range. I recently crossed the Nullarbor in a near-new Nissan and experienced significant fuel consumption discrepancies which could only be explained by lower-spec petrol. On the way out, fuel I picked up in Port Pirie and Norseman resulted in a 15 per cent drop in fuel consumption. Coming back, I had an overall drop of 12.3 per cent from Norseman to Ceduna. Travellers should be aware of the likelihood of reduced touring ranges in the Outback and plan accordingly.

26 December 2003

I would like to know how a 186 Holden motor will run on PULP. I have a 1976 Toyota Coaster Campervan with a 186 in it, or can I change over to a Commodore motor?

26 December 2003

My dad is the owner of a '72 Holden Monaro. It is a one-owner vehicle with the original factory-fitted Chev 350 and about 130,000km on the clock. The only modifications are Corvette exhaust headers and the wheels. I would like to investigate selling it, but Shannons told me about six months ago that it would fetch about $12,000-$15,000 at auction. This seemed too low since Dad knocked back $17,000 about 10 years ago. What are your thoughts on its value?

26 December 2003

I own a 1964 VW Beetle and am wondering what petrol I will need to use when the lead replacement fuel expires in the near future.

19 December 2003