03 Disco V8 engine pinging

[Ned]

G'Day guys and girls! This is my first use of this forum and hopefully I can get some help from someone as the local Land Rover guys here can't seem to help me at all.
I have an 03 Disco V8 HSE with all the bells and whistles. I allways use a petrol with RON98 rating. Once my enging gets to full operating temperature and after about 30 mins of driving I hear a pinging noise from the enging when it is under load going up a hill. You can induce this by squeazing on the throttle and once it drops gear the noise will pretty much go away in 1-2 seconds.
Has anyone experienced this problem? The engine only has 50,ooo km's on it. Sometimes this pinging is very loud and lasts fer a few seconds, sounding like someone is wrapping a tyre lever around in a milk churn.

[Ned]

I've added some more detail if this helps......
I have an 03 Disco V8 HSE with all the bells and whistles. I allways use a petrol with RON98 rating. Once my enging gets to full operating temperature and after about 30 mins of driving I hear a pinging noise from the enging when it is under load going up a hill. You can induce this by squeazing on the throttle and once it drops gear the noise will pretty much go away in 1-2 seconds.
Has anyone experienced this problem? The engine only has 50,ooo km's on it. Sometimes this pinging is very loud and lasts fer a few seconds, sounding like someone is wrapping a tyre lever around in a milk churn. It may not be a "true" engine ping but certainly sounds like it. The dealer has told me all the knock sensors are working fine and no alarms have come up on their diagnostics computer. I have even had the front exhaust changed thinking it may have been a rattling catalytic converter but no luck. I am now wondering if it is a dicky oild pump or the pick-up rattling on the sump but I am getting desperate and clutching at straws now. Has anyone had this issue or have any suggestions on what it may be?

[freelanderPX54]

Has the dealer got a mobile diagnostic unit? It sounds like an ignition problem. If it is sensor related then it may be down to a loose connection that only happens when the vehicle is moving and reached a certain temperature

[Ned]

Thanks for responding. I don't think the dearler has a mobile unit and to be honest I don't think they are all that interested and this is the second dealer I have gone to. They are telling me everything is working fine but I damn sure this ping/rattle is not a feature that has been designed in. I now have LR Australia involved but I am not holding my breath either. I have even cleaned the enging with the injector/engine clean stuff thinking it may have contributed to a pre-ignition scenario but no difference.
I am at a loss.....

[Jon v8]

Really annoys me when dealers say there is nothing wrong when there clearly is.The Bosch Motronic system on your car is quite advanced,and makes good use of its knock sensors,so it should quickly log faults if there is a problem with either of them.I have a sensor simulator which I can create a "knock" signal with,I would suggest this may be a good idea to try if you are convinced it is dieseling under load.It would prove that the Ecu is responding to signals from the sensors.
Despite what many people say Testbook T4 is capable of being used on the road and there are very comprehensive live data displays showing ignition advance on individual cylinders etc.This problem should be easy enough to sort out with testbook,if not an oscilliscope - all you need is someone interested in doing it.I think that will probably be your biggest hurdle.

[Ned]

thanks for your eplies guys. I took it to an independant LR specialist yesterday to have a look at, is is located about an hours drive away, and the enging never pinged the whole way over there or back and has never performed better. Sods law I guess! It is pretty hard for him to fix the problem if it was not seen. The day was cold and wet so I am wondering if this cool damp air may indicate a direction in which to look for the problem?
He had a mobile test computer and we drove all over the place with it, unfortunately, with the newer software he tells me he cant actually see if the retardation is happening or not but as it was knock pinging anyway (just my luck, the first time it has never pinged) it was a bit hard to do anything.

[Michelle]

LR in Oz is a tricky combination I'm finding out...

[Ned]

your right Michelle, they could not take a crap unless the diagnostics compuetr told them how to..........

[Jon v8]

What exact machine was he using,and what software?It seems strange for an upgrade to lose functionality - they usually make them better.

[Ned]

couldn't say. We just used the small laptop sized machine plugged into the car and went for a drive. I have the software code in the car as we wrote it down but he assures me it was the latest software installed. It was installed aboy 4 weeeks ago by the dealer. I am now wondering if it is a lose component in the engine bay that is replicating a pinging sound. From the drivers seat it sounds like it is coming from the left-hand side of the engine.

[Disgoshere]

Interesting thread this,

I'm curious about what you are saying.:sunshine:

My 200Tdi Disco suffered a Metallic sounding noise like a small hammer tapping regularly on a blacksmiths anvil !,It only ever happened on a hill too.So under load.

I have to say there were times I heard absolutely nothing !

It turned out to be the propshaft UV bearings.

The sound did appear to be coming from the engine bay,it left me totally confused.Needless to say I fitted a new set of bearings and the noise disappeared.....:)

Just a thought....but take a look at the Props ,give them a ggod shake and see if you have any movement.

Good Luck....:boots:

[Ned]

I gave the prop shafts a good shake and they seem solid. I did however notice that the grase nipples look like they have never seen a grease gus so off to the hardware for some gunk and I'll try that.

[Ned]

right, front UV joint greased, rear greased (at the front of the rear shaft at the gear box) and shaft also as it had a nipple at the same point. None of the nipples looked like they had seen any grease for a long time.... The front prop shaft didn't have a nipple and the shaft at the boot/seal looks pretty dry, should there be a nipple there? When I greased the rear shaft I noticed the rubber seal was being forces out by the grease, obviously giving things a good covering but the front could not be done the same way, I had to just smear some grease over the exposed shaft in front of the seal. I also noticed some pretty nasty black grease being forced out of the UV joint bearings as I squeazed in the new grease, is this normal?
I guess I should now take it on a long test drive?

[Ned]

was the sound something like shaking a nut in a milk bottle?

[Disgoshere]

Yep,I suppose that would be another way of describing the sound !.Must admet though that it was only really when I took the front prop off (it was the fron UJ causing the problem.
The whole thing fell apart practically when I had it on the bench!.

[Disgoshere]

Oh..Black grease would be normal,to be honest you could replace both UJ's in about two hours.What it costs in Australia for new shiney bits I've no idea but here in the UK avout £12.00 is about right.
You will find on the props 1 UJ with and 1 without Grease nipples !.
:p

[Ned]

sounds like the UJ is a good place to start them Just to clarify, should the front prop shaft have a grease nipple or is it just the UV joint with the nipplr? My front prop shaft has a hole where you would think a nipple should be, just back from the rubber seal.