Holden Astra FAQs

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

• Why is the coolant in my 2007 Holden Astra a milky colour?

  The first response of most mechanics on this would be that you have a head gasket leak in the engine. Coolant in the oil and/or oil in the coolant are classic symptoms of this. It happens because the faulty head gasket allows the two fluids to mix but, depending on exactly where the gasket fails, you don’t necessary get both symptoms. A workshop can pressure test the engine’s cooling system and perform what’s called a TK test to show up any contaminants in the coolant that have found their way there via a blown head gasket.

  But before you go tearing into the engine, check the service records to find out how old the coolant is. Coolant will discolour over time and kilometres and what you’re seeing as a `milky colour’ might simply be old coolant that has gone cloudy and needs changing.

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• Why does my 2017 Holden Astra jerk when I put it in reverse?

  The jerk when you select reverse sometimes is definitely worth having diagnosed properly as it shouldn’t be that way. Scanning the car (which I’ll presume the dealership did to arrive at its answer) doesn’t always show up all faults, so just because the computer says there’s nothing wrong, doesn’t mean there isn’t. There are plenty of reasons for a car to jerk into a particular gear, but the good news is that the Astra uses a conventional, torque-converter automatic, not one of the vastly more troublesome double-clutch units.

  Your second problem, however, may not be a problem at all. In fact, the gearbox in the Astra is smart enough to know that you’re coasting down a hill and will actually shift down a gear or two to take the strain off the brakes while still maintaining your speed. As it shifts down gears, the engine revs will rise; that’s absolutely normal and part of the way the car is designed to operate.

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• Why does the clock in my 2004 Holden Astra CD keep resetting?

  My first thought is that your car’s battery is on the way out. Are there any other symptoms of this (slow cranking etc)? Essentially, a battery that isn’t fully charged or is a bit wonky can start to shed its responsibilities one by one as it wears out. In this case, you might find that maintaining the clock’s memory/time isn’t programmed into the car as a major priority, so it switches that circuit off as a means of saving every available volt and ampere for actually starting the car (which is the point at which the maximum strain is placed on a battery).

  Beyond that, you could have a dodgy ignition barrel that isn’t making all the necessary contacts when you insert and turn the key each time. I’ve heard of applying a liberal coating of acetone (or a solvent such as carby cleaner or WD40 should also work) and inserting the key a few times in succession. This is sometimes enough to clean the contacts and restore full functionality.

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