Holden Cruze 2002

Holden Cruze 2002 Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Holden Cruze here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• Are there known transmission problems with the 2015 Holden Cruze?

  The most problematic of the Cruze transmissions were the six-speed automatic fitted to Cruzes built between 2011 and 2013. Holden actually instituted a special repair program for owners of these cars and extended the warranty period on those that had been repaired under the terms of that program.

  The 2015 car you’re looking at should not have these problems, but the Cruze itself was plague by a long list of other faults including oil and coolant leaks, overheating, cracked cylinder heads and more. To be fair, the later the build date, the less likely the problems were to occur, but any Cruze needs a careful, independent inspection before money changes hands.

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• Can I put a 2010 Holden Cruze bootlid on a 2013 model

  On the surface, the two bootlids look very much alike. In shape, they may well be identical, but there's a catch. In 2012, Holden switched from the fully-imported Cruze to a locally built version of the same car. Which means that the two versions were painted in completely different factories (different countries, in fact) and the chances of two blues or reds or even whites colour-matching exactly are pretty slim.

  If you look at the locally made Cruze line-up, you'll also see that many of the colours were shared with the Holden Commodore range (built in the same factory). The other thing to consider is that the paint on these cars was never stellar quality, and a decade or so of varying UV radiation exposure might mean that even two bootlids that started out the same colour, may not be now.

  Compare the two bootlids in strong sunlight to gauge whether the colours actually match before committing to the swap. That said, if you do manage to match two bootlids in an identical colour, it will be a lot cheaper than having one resprayed.

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• 2013 Holden Cruze engine is seeping oil

  If the car in question has the 1.8-litre engine, then this is definitely a known problem. Plenty of these engines suffered cracked cylinder heads which could allow the engine's oil and coolant to mix, producing the symptoms you saw. Holden actually issued a service program to replace the cylinder heads and other components to address the problem.

  The other major cause of these symptoms is a failure of the transmission's cooling system. This actually piggy-backs on to the engine's cooling system (they use the same radiator) but if the transmission cooler fails, it can allow transmission fluid into the radiator and coolant into the transmission. Eventually, this will destroy the transmission both mechanically and electronically.

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• What does error code P10171-00 mean?

  This particular error code denotes a lean running condition. That is, the engine either has too little fuel or too much air entering it. It's actually quite common on this engine and can be traced to several possible causes. Some of those include bad fuel injectors, a worn fuel pump, an intake vacuum leak, or – and this is where we'd look first on this engine – a bad PCV valve.

  This valve is responsible for controlling the crankcase ventilation, but if it fails, it can allow the lean mixture condition to emerge which is when you'll get the error code and a check-engine light. The good news, is there's a quick and easy check if you know your way around an engine.

  First, remove the plastic engine cover to reveal the rocker cover and the PCV valve. With the engine running, place a small piece of paper over the hole in the PCV valve. If the paper is drawn to the valve, you have a leaking PCV valve probably due to a broken diaphragm which is allowing extra air to enter the engine and create the lean mixture. If that doesn't work, make sure the oil cap is fitted tightly as a loose cap can cause the same problem. This certainly isn't the case for all engines, but experience has shown that in your car, it's a good place to start.

  If the PCV valve theory doesn't work out, you're back to looking at things like fuel pressure, injector condition, intake tract leaks, a bad mass airflow meter or even a powertrain module fault.

  The knocking noise could be anything from a poorly secured spare tyre to the struts that hold the boot or hatch in the raised position.

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