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Holden Calais 2006 Problems

Are you having problems with your 2006 Holden Calais? Let our team of motoring experts keep you up to date with all of the latest 2006 Holden Calais issues & faults. We have gathered all of the most frequently asked questions and problems relating to the 2006 Holden Calais in one spot to help you decide if it's a smart buy.

How much is a used 2006 Holden Calais worth?

The prices of second-hand cars have sky-rocketed recently due to a lack of supply. People are simply not selling their old cars at the usual rate (as trade-ins and private sales) so the laws of supply and demand apply. That is; more demand plus less supply equals higher prices. This phenomenon has been most strongly felt in the case of locally-made Holdens and Fords, perhaps because of nostalgia and the `they don’t make ‘em any more’ factor. Either way, it’s true that the second-hand Holden Calais that cost $6000 this time last year can be worth almost double that now.

With just 120,000km showing, your car is a relatively low-mileage example and the fact that it’s a V8 is good news. Beyond that, however, you haven’t given me much to go on. For a start, 2006 was a change-over year for Holden models; the VZ left showrooms and the new VE model entered. The difference between a VZ and VE in price is significant, particularly in V8 form. I’d also need to know whether your car is a Calais V. All those things have a bearing on value.

For the record, though, a VE Calais sedan in good condition with similar kilometres to yours would probably be advertised for around the $14,000 mark or even more. And that’s almost twice what it was worth just a year ago.

Why is water coming into the passenger side of my 2006 Holden Calais?

The prime suspect for this is a blocked vent that normally funnels condensation from the air-conditioning system to the outside of the car. If this vent becomes blocked or split, the condensation can enter the cabin. Other possibilities include a damaged heater matrix which can leak coolant into the cabin or a sunroof with blocked drainage channels that can also leak into the vehicle.

VE Holden Calais won't start

There was a problem with the early Calais and there was a software fix developed to take care of it. It wouldn't have been a sudden loss of battery charge, but a steady drain that would ultimately mean there wasn't sufficient charge to start the car. I would have expected the fix to be automatically installed in your car when it went to the dealer for its regular servicing. It certainly should have been if you had complained about the previous times the battery went flat.

Holden Calais lunges forward

It could be that you’re driving on the point of torque convertor lock-up, change your speed when it happens.

 

HSV for Calais

I believe Orbital supplies the HSV system and I can't think of any reason that you couldn't fit an Orbital system to your car. It would have to be tuned differently, of course, because your engine is different to the HSV one. There are other liquid-injection systems available, as well as some very well developed vapour-injection systems. One you could check out is the Impco system. The beauty of injection systems is that you can tune them to produce the same performance on LPG and on petrol. Without being exact you could expect to recover the cost of installing a system in around 18 months.

Coverting a Calais to LPG

I believe Orbital supplies the HSV system and I can't think of any reason that you couldn't fit an Orbital system to your car. It would have to be tuned differently, of course, because your engine is different to the HSV one. There are other liquid-injection systems available, as well as some very well developed vapour-injection systems. One you could check out is the Impco system. The beauty of injection systems is that you can tune them to produce the same performance on LPG and on petrol. Without being exact you could expect to recover the cost of installing a system in around 18 months.

Ask Smithy Xtra converting a Calais to LPG

Yes it is possible. LPG converters are regularly doing VE Commodores and Calais like yours and owners are not reporting any problems. The system you should use is a vapour-injection one and you should choose a recognized brand and a reputable converter.

Holden Calais warning light

If the transmission is performing as it should then it could just be a dodgy wiring connection, but having the transmission checked and serviced is a wise course of action.

Battery size matters

WE ARE told by a source other than Holden that a fix was brought out for this problem a few months ago. It's claimed that the car's seven computers were staying on too long after the ignition was switched off and draining the battery, also that there was a problem if you used a Bluetooth phone with the ignition on accessories.

Best fuel for calais

HOLDEN couldn't tell me how much improvement you get going from unleaded to premium, but they did tell me the fuel economy figure they quote is achieved on premium and is the best they could achieve from their testing. They didn't have the actual performance figures either, but their engineers say the improvement is in the order of a few per cent. From that you'd think it isn't a lot and would lead me to think it isn't worth the extra few cents premium costs.

Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.
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Complete guide to Holden Calais 2006
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