Holden Calais Problems

BLACK cars tend to absorb heat more and get hotter in the sun. They can take more work to keep clean and scratches and scuffmarks show up more. For those reasons the resale value of black cars can be lower. Other than that, there are no specific problems with them.

WE CONTACTED Holden for clarification and received the following corporate response: ``Wheels and tyres are engineered and carefully selected for release. This is done in accordance with all ADRs and takes into consideration many criteria including tyre and axle loading for each particular model. Though similar, each model within a range is not identical. Accessory wheels are only tested for specific models and therefore any deviation from this is considered a modification and not endorsed by Holden. It should be noted that there is an HSVi 19-inch Supersport wheel that has been validated and is released as an accessory wheel for the Calais V-Series Sportwagon. For further detail, please contact your Holden dealer.'' Before you sign a waiver seek the advice of a solicitor on their validity under the law.

THANKS Ross. We have received a lot of suggestions on what might be causing the battery to go flat. Yours seems to be a plausible explanation and might give our reader a clue on where to look next.

THE VT was a good solid car when new, but is an ageing model now, so you need to be careful about many things. Look for evidence of a crash, make sure it's been regularly serviced, and have it driven by someone with experience to make sure all's well mechanically.

Good point. In my view the marketing people are driving it. They seem to think it's a way of impressing owners and prospective owners with the performance of their cars. Also, manufacturers should take a long, hard look at the graphics on instruments. Some are very hard to read in daylight.

K-POW was a hero colour introduced to get the VE off to a bright start, and like many hero colours it was dropped after a relatively short time so it wouldn't go stale. Holden denies there is any problem matching the colour if repairs need to be made, so I wouldn't be concerned.

THE VX Calais weighs 1620kg, 220kg more than your VN Calais. This will certainly have an adverse effect on fuel consumption. Also, the ECOTEC V6 engine produces 152kW, whereas your VN put out 127kW. So the extra power is coming at the expense of fuel consumption. Perhaps other readers can let us know what they're getting from their VX models to compare with yours, but I reckon what you're getting is about on the mark.

IT LOOKS like you've been given a factory fix, and it has worked. We have had sufficient complaints about the six-speed auto box to make us think something fishy is happening. Anyone with a similar problem should contact their dealer. If that doesn't get the required response, contact Holden direct.

I THINK your dad is on the money. The crank angle sensors are notorious for giving trouble in these older Commodores.

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.