Holden Crewman Problems

No, the manual and automatic versions of the Crewman are rated to tow up to 1600kg and 2500kg respectively with a braked trailer. This is to protect the clutch of the manual versions which could easily be damaged trying to tow the automatic's 2500kg.

It's generally accepted that the more progressive take-up from rest of an automatic transmission makes it the better solution for a tow-car in the first place. And that extends beyond any single make or model.

If you're looking for a dual-cab ute with an emphasis on comfort and performance, then a Holden Crewman suddenly comes into sharp focus. These are around for the money you're talking about and even though some of them are getting close to your age cut-off, they provide ride quality and dynamics that even modern dual-cab utes struggle to reproduce.

The Holden in question is not an off-roader by any means, but it can do all the sorts of things that ute owners love them for. By going down this route, you also side-step the potentially troublesome common-rail diesel problems that can include blocked DPFs and internal clogging from soot and oil. If you can find one, there was even a V8 version of the Crewman which, if you find a good example, will provide lots of reliability and even more performance.

Make sure the engine is tuned properly at all times, resist the urge to carry gear you don’t need (utes are bad for this) and make sure the tyres are correctly inflated. All those things will directly affect how much fuel your car uses. But really, the biggest change you can make to the Crewman’s drinking habits it to control your right foot. Driving behaviour will have a much greater affect than anything else, but it’s worth noting that the Holden Crewman earned a reputation for being a guzzler early in its life.

High fuel consumption was a major criticism of these cars when they were brand-new. The combination of a heavy car and a large capacity engine meant that the Crewman was never a fuel sipper. To be honest, the absolute best way to reduce its fuel consumption is in the way you drive it. A light foot on the accelerator might just have a bigger effect than you imagine when it comes to squeezing every kilometre out of every litre.

But there are other things to do as well. Start with the tyres. A tyre that is under-inflated can cause a vehicle to use more fuel, but frequent tyre-inflation pressure checks can help. Of course, the car’s safety is dependent on correct tyre pressures, too, so it’s not just fuel economy at stake here. Either way, start at about 30 or 32psi (more if you’re towing or carrying heavy loads) and don’t let the pressures drop below that level. Correct wheel alignment can also influence fuel economy and don’t forget to keep the engine tuned and running sweetly as a well-tuned engine will always use less fuel than one that is out of adjustment. Ute owners often fall into the trap of carting around a lot more gear than they need (because they can). Removing weight from the vehicle’s tray will also help cut fuel bills.

If it has come on and stayed on it means you should get it checked, it could be a number of things that caused it, and you need to have it checked by a mechanic to determine the exact cause. If there isn't any obvious change in the way the car drives there's probably not much to be concerned about, but it the car isn't running the way it was, and the light is still on get it checked.

I'm not sure of the date, but I understand the 7.7mm pitch chain was fitted to engines after number HO53340001. That should tell you if your engine was affected.

It's hard to suggest what might be wrong without seeing the car, so I suggest the best thing is to have an LPG specialist look at it. Give the people at Impco a call on 03 8788 1000 and ask them to check the car for you.

That's the problem when trying to locate the cause of leaks etc. They're not usually the obvious things you think of, like a poorly fitting or damaged seal etc. but you have to check those things first before you dig deeper and spend a lot of money in the process.