Holden Astra Problems

YES, change the belt and tensioner because Holden recommends it after four years or 60,000km. The possible consequences of not changing it are too horrible to think about. You will be up for much more than the cost of the service if the belt breaks.

THE handbook is out of date. Holden will have told dealers, who would take it into account when cars came in for their 60,000km service. Check your service records to see if it's been done.

MOST cars now have electronic throttles, replacing the cable connection that existed in the past. It's linked to the electronics, which tell the engine what you, the driver, want to do. It's a more efficient system. The Astra auto will drop into neutral when you're at rest with your foot on the brake; it does that to save fuel. When you hit the accelerator it automatically engages Drive and you move off.

MANY Territory owners have responded to our call for information about their cars. It seems there could be a problem with rustproofing on the locally built crossover wagon. No doubt there will be questions about the effect of living near the sea when you approach Ford, so do your homework and be prepared to answer them.

THERE have been, and are, other means used to drive the camshaft. Holden, for instance, used gears to drive the camshaft on its early six-cylinder engines. Chains have also been used. Chains last longer, but can be noisy. Most carmakers moved to belts because they were cheaper than chains and quieter. And you might think they also reckoned their dealers could make some money through regularly replacing them.

NO, PROVIDING he follows the Holden service schedule and does everything by the book. If you have a problem in the future that you want to have fixed by Holden under the warranty, you need to be able to prove it has been serviced correctly, so there can be no suggestion the problem has been caused by the non-factory servicing. Make sure your mechanic is doing the work by the book and everything is being recorded.

THE market is flat so your trade-in figure is a little optimistic. I would work on $1000 less.

I WOULD lean towards the ignition system and have the leads, ignition coils and the coil mountings checked. You could also have someone run over the engine diagnostics for you.

THERE is no problem with converting the VX 3.8-litre V6.

YOU really should have done your homework on the service costs of the Astra before you bought it. It's really not good enough to say people don't sit down and read the service book. It's your responsibility to inform yourself about the car before you buy it. By not doing so, you left yourself open for a surprise. Most car companies service the timing belt about 100,000km, but Toyota is generally about 150,000km.