Question 1

Should I replace the engine in my 2013 Holden Captiva?

Accepted Answer

Depending on what sounds the engine is making will determine whether the engine is a throwaway or can be fixed. But if the consensus is that the engine in your car is beyond redemption, then I reckon a second-hand engine from a wrecked Captiva would be the best bet. I don’t think the car itself would be worth enough money to justify a rebuilt engine which could run to $10,000 or more. Nobody wants to tell you this, but fundamentally, the Captiva was a pretty ordinary car. Lots of owners had lots of transmission problems (which you already know about) and plenty of diesel engines destroyed their turbochargers and – in some cases – the rest of the engine in the process. The petrol V6 was no beacon of excellence either, with a terrifying propensity to consume timing chains. Who at Holden has rejected your claim for help in repairing the car? If it was the dealer, I’d simply go around that business and talk directly to Holden’s customer service department. The fact that the car has a full Holden service history might sway opinion at head office, but I wouldn’t be going to the bank on it given the age of the vehicle.

Question 2

Why is my diesel 2014 Holden Captiva blowing black smoke?

Accepted Answer

Excess black smoke from a diesel engine is bad news as it can – among other things – cause the engine to run hot enough to cause internal damage. As for a cause, it could be anything from contaminated fuel to a block air-filter, a faulty sensor or a damaged intake system. Modern diesel engines like this one also have a habit of forming black deposits in their intake tract (a by-product of the engine’s own emission controls) and this can cause all sorts of problems including black smoke. Another possibility is that the car’s diesel particulate filter (DPF) is blocked and the car is trying to regenerate it (clean it out) by dumping lots of fuel into the engine, and that’s causing the excess smoke. Either way, it needs to be fixed to avoid the potential for costly engine damage, not to mention the environmental havoc the car is causing in its current state. An electronic scan of the onboard computer would be a good starting point.

Question 3

Is there a problem with the timing chain in my 2016 Holden Captiva?

Accepted Answer

The V6 engine in the Captiva is well known for its propensity to suffer from worn or stretched timing chains far too early in life. Early signs can be a rattling noise when the engine is first started (hot or cold) as well as a check-engine light on the dashboard. The check-engine light is a result of the stretched chain allowing the camshafts to move so far out of sync with the rest of the engine that the sensor that measures their position can longer 'find' them. At which point, the warning light is triggered. You can also have the car electronically scanned to see what’s going on. If the computer throws up fault codes P0008, P0009, P0016, P0017, P0018 or P0019, then you almost certainly have a stretched timing chain. Replacement of the chain is the only proper fix.

Question 4

Should I buy a 2009 Holden Captiva?

Accepted Answer

The short answer to your question Rhonda is that the 2009 Captiva was far from a good car. It has experienced lots of reliability and durability problems and, although some will disagree, there are much better choices out there. The Captiva has been recalled for all manner of problems including (but not limited to) steering issues, braking dramas and electrical gremlins. About the best thing about the 2009 four-cylinder petrol Captiva was that the engine didn’t have the timing chain problems of the V6 model, and the transmission wasn’t as problematic as the later Captiva. But that’s surely damning with faint praise. The Captiva wasn’t actually a Holden at all; it was built in South Korea by Daewoo, a brand considered to be way behind the quality and engineering of its South Korean counterparts Kia and Hyundai. And it showed.

Question 5

What caused my 2013 Holden Captiva to lose power and stop?

Accepted Answer

The only smart thing to do here is to have the car scanned at a workshop with the necessary computer gear and see what the fault codes suggest. You could try for years to second-guess what has caused this problem, and still not come up with the correct answer. The possible causes number in the hundreds, but a scan will hopefully take the guesswork out of a diagnosis.

Question 6

What could be causing a vibration and metallic noise in my 2009 Holden Captiva LT?

Accepted Answer

Noises and vibrations are sometimes very hard to diagnose, particularly by remote control. A metallic noise from underneath the car is often a heat shield rattling against another component and this will can vary according to the load the engine is under at the time. Another common source of rattles is a collapsed catalytic-converter in the exhaust system which can sound like a tin can full or nuts and bolts when you rev the engine or place it under load. Also, you might find that the vibration and the noise you’re feeling and hearing are from the same source. But you really need to have the car inspected to find out the source of the white noise.

Question 7

Does the 2013 Holden Captiva have diesel particulate filter issues?

Accepted Answer

It sounds like you’ve had a rough trot with your Captiva, Danielle. Let me ask you this: When did the problems first occur and were discussed with the dealer? If you’ve been putting up with this stuff over a period of years, there’s a chance these dramas first cropped up while the vehicle was under warranty. If that’s the case, you’re dealing with what’s called a pre-existing condition and, if the dealer was made aware of the situation before the warranty had expired, then Holden is still duty-bound to fix the faults even if the car itself is now out of warranty. I’m asking because you said the problems go back at least as far as one month out from the warranty expiring, which is when you had new fuel-injectors fitted. Starter-motor problems are not unknown with the Captiva and DPF problems are likewise a well-documented source of grief with these cars. Sometimes, the only fix for the DPF is a full replacement but that’s not cheap. Not to mention the new filter will possibly become blocked sometime down the track. The only way to keep a modern turbo-diesel happy is to drive it for about half an hour at freeway speeds every three or four weeks. That will regenerate the DPF and help prevent these problems. Then again, in the case of a Holden Captiva, I wouldn’t be too certain of that.

Question 8

Is the 2012 Holden Captiva prone to transmission issues?

Accepted Answer

Transmission faults in this model and variant of the Captiva are common. Holden actually issued a service bulletin for affected cars to check and replace components including the torque converter, electro-hydraulic control components and speed sensors. Symptoms included a loss of drive, flaring or slipping between gears and gear selection problems. I’d say your problems fall within those boundaries. Have the vehicle scanned and if error code P0776 pops up, you have the same conditions that caused Holden to issue the service bulletin back in 2016. From there, talk to a Holden dealer as to what can be done about it.

Question 9

What is causing my 2009 Holden Captiva to run poorly?

Accepted Answer

Believe it or not, Matthew, a check-engine light illuminated on the dashboard is actually a roadworthy item. Did you buy the car through a used-car dealer? If so, it would have come with a roadworthy certificate, but I fear the car yard has simply cancelled the engine-light warning without actually fixing the cause in order to get the RWC and sell you the car. And some time down the track, the car has detected the same fault and switched on the light again. That said, a change of alternator can also sometimes throw up a fault code (which would illuminate the engine light) but a proper auto electrician should know how to either avoid this, or cancel the light if it did occur. There are many reasons for a check-engine light to appear including a problem with the car’s emission controls or various things to do with its electronic functions. However, the Captiva model you have was especially prone to a stretched timing chain in the engine. When the chain had stretched far enough, the on-board sensor that detects the camshaft position got so confused, it told the computer that something was wrong and the check-engine light would appear. With the mileage your car has covered, I reckon that a stretched timing chain is a distinct possibility. That would also explain why the car feels like it’s not making enough power and why it runs roughly. Have the car scanned and if either codes P0008, P0009, P0016, P0017, P0018 or P0019 show up, then you do, indeed, have a stretched timing chain.

Question 10

Why is the 4WD light coming on in my 2010 Holden Captiva?

Accepted Answer

It could be a computer problem, but it could also be a mechanical one with the driveline of the car which is faulty and is triggering the warning lights you’re seeing. If the body computer is the problem, then those lights on the dashboard and the symptoms you can hear are a distinct possibility. But the noise you’re hearing is more likely to be the anti-lock brake mechanism triggering than the vehicle trying to select four-wheel-drive as the Captiva has constant four-wheel-drive, so it’s always engaged. The reason it moves slowly when the warnings are present is because it’s going into limp-home mode – probably - to prevent any more harm coming to the vehicle itself. I’d be having it looked at promptly, as any problems with the braking or ABS hardware are, obviously, a safety issue.

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