Holden Barina 2001 Problems

By 'rides' I’ll assume you mean 'slips', which then slowly allows the car to build up to speed (as in, the rest of the car catches up with the engine). There are two major causes of this, the first is a clutch that is out of adjustment, and the second is a clutch that really needs replacement.

The problem you have, though, is that even if the clutch on the Barina is adjustable (and some clutches aren’t) the fact that you’ve been driving it with the clutch slipping suggests that you’ve already damaged the clutch to the point where it would need to be replaced anyway. Continuing to drive it can also put 'hot-spots' on the car’s flywheel (to which the clutch attaches) and that can mean the flywheel also needs to be resurfaced when you replace the clutch.

I reckon, at the minimum, you’re looking at a new clutch kit. Ignoring it will eventually wind up with the clutch expiring completely and you walking home.

The Barina will run happily on E10 and I doubt the dealer's advice about the "emission light". Ford, on the other hand, recommends you use the higher octane rating premium fuel, hence the advice not to use E10. Your Focus will run on E10, probably without any trouble, but it will run better on premium unleaded.

HAVE you switched fuel recently? A change of fuel can have the effect you complain of. Of course, it's worth checking the basics to make sure the engine management system is doing what it's meant to be doing, particularly during the cold phase.

WHY are you having your car serviced before you need to? Why 39,900km instead of 45,000km? Generally, modern cars consume pads and discs at a faster rate than older cars do, and European cars generally consume them at a faster rate than locally produced cars. It's largely to do with braking performance, as well as the switch away from pad materials containing asbestos, which are outlawed for health reasons. Ask to see the discs and have the dealer show you that they need to be replaced, including having him measure the discs in front of you. I would be sceptical about claims they're worn out at such low mileage.

Have you noticed how well your car stops compared with those you were probably running around in 20 years or more ago? That stopping power has come courtesy of a number of improvements, including greater friction between the rotors and pads, and that has been achieved by softer pads and softer rotors. That unfortunately comes at a cost of increased brake wear in general and the need to replace rotors on a regular basis where we once almost never needed to.

Some AM stations don't have a very strong signal and that, in combination with the tiny roof-mounted antenna on the Barina, leads to problems. The longer the antenna the better the reception, but modern cars don't have long antennas that would solve your problem. It would be worth checking the antenna connections and mountings again to make sure water hasn't got in. And check the signal amplifier at the base of the antenna. Finally, unscrew the antenna, insert a coat hanger in its place and check the reception with that. If it improves the problem is with the antenna, so see if you can find a longer antenna.