Unfortunately, looks like I might be in the same boat with the '99 VX I just bought 3 weeks ago - excessive oil consumption and pinging. It has a short warranty from the dealership. I will take it in to them on Friday and see what they have to say about it. I've seen mention on vmag from Trooper owners that the problem is faulty oil control rings and that a ring job may take care of the problem. I'm actually thinking about pushing the dealership to buy it back from me and going with another vehicle instead. I've loved the VX's from the first time I saw one in '99, but don't want to be saddled with a problematic engine. If any of you guys who are still under your warranties even suspect you have a problem, have it seen about right away. Changing the quality/weight of your oil may seem to fix the problem in the short term, but I think in the long term these engines have some serious defects.