GWM SUV Range

A lot of car owners would be horrified at the thought of having to top up their engine oil between services. But the reality is, all car engines use at least a tiny amount of oil. It’s just part of how an engine works.

There are other factors, too, including the extended oil change intervals we’re seeing these days as car-makers try to drive down servicing costs and down-time. But some modern engines also use what are referred to as low-friction piston rings. These don’t exert so much force against the cylinder walls during the engine’s operation to reduce internal friction and, as a result, can contribute to noticeably lower fuel consumption. The flipside is that these low-tension rings can also contribute to an engine using a bit more oil.

Haval specifies an engine oil change every 12 months or 15,000km whichever comes first, and that’s a pretty decent length of time (and distance) to go without servicing. So full marks to you for keeping your eye on the dipstick and knowing when the level is dropping.

The general view in the trade is that the oil you use to top up should be a fully synthetic 5W30, but you really need to find out what oil Haval put in it at the last service. That’s because you don’t really want to mix oils as different brands have different additive packages that may not necessarily be compatible with other brands.

GWM is unlikely to replace your hybrid battery, because under the terms and conditions, the car is now out of factory warranty. The problem is that the car has been used as a ride-share vehicle, at which point GWM’s factory warranty drops from eight years and unlimited kilometres to eight years and 150,000km. So, on the basis of distance travelled and the car being used for ride-share duties, you’re around 20,000km over the warranty limit.

You can certainly contact GWM’s Australian customer service department and plead your case, but on the face of it, your car is out of warranty and GWM has no obligation to help with repairs or costs.

It’s not uncommon for owners of new vehicles with dual-clutch transmissions and throttle-by-wire to technology to feel a bit at odds with the way the car behaves. The feeling of a stilted, hesitant operation mirrors your experience to some degree. Over time, this sensation can be reduced. But it sounds as though your experience is a bit more dramatic than the norm.

In the first instance, give the dealer the opportunity to check the car out and make it right if there’s a problem. Modern vehicles like this can be scanned and the operation of their major functions graphed to show whether they’re within tolerance or not. There may be a software 'patch' in the works at Haval to address this.

If that doesn’t satisfy you, you can contact Haval Australia’s customer service department and lodge a complaint. Finally, if none of that does any good, you can contact the ACCC as a car sold brand-new that is not fit for purpose falls within the commission’s sphere of influence. You may find an independent test report of the vehicle’s behaviour would be a handy thing to have if you go down this route.

A $200 aftermarket throttle controller may, indeed, produce a vehicle you are happier to drive, but you should definitely check with Haval first to see if there are any warranty concerns in fitting such a device. Some advertisers of these devices claim there is no warranty issue, given that Haval would need to prove the throttle controller was the cause of any mechanical issues in the future. We’d still check with Haval before committing, however.