Holden Captiva Engine Problems

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.

If you’re referring to the little light in the shape of an engine, or a `check-engine’ light, then you have at least one problem that the computer is identifying and warning you about. It’s the vehicle’s way of letting you know that something needs to be attended to.

But what exactly? Well, the best way to find out what’s wrong is to have the vehicle scanned electronically, at which point the computer should give up all the car’s dirty little secrets. Sometimes the fix will be very simple, at other times it can be a result of a major system failures. Either way, it needs to be checked before the damage becomes more extensive and/or the car becomes unroadworthy.

Many engine designs have the coolant temperature sensor screw into the thermostat housing. In the case of this model Captiva, however, the sensor screws into the inlet manifold next to (but not part of) the thermostat housing.

A temperature sensor that is sending the wrong information to the car's computer can cause all sorts of mayhem, but it's worth checking the sensor for correct operation before spending money on a replacement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My friend, if I could find somebody to give me $5000 for a 2009 Captiva with a dodgy turbocharger, I’d be taking that deal in a heartbeat. The reality is that your car is worth about $5000 in decent working order, and nowhere near the $8000 you’ve calculated. That’s because you never really get back the money you spend in repairs; even if you spend $3000 on fixing a $5000 car, it will still only be worth about $5000. That’s the cruel reality of the used-car industry.

A cheaper, second-hand turbocharger is one way to go, but then you open yourself up to the risk of having bought, and paid to have installed, a turbo that is almost as worn out as the one that has failed on you. There’s no nice way to put this, but I’d be getting rid of that Captiva for the best price I could and not looking back.

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.

As a rule of thumb, white smoke from a diesel engine suggests the fuel is not burning properly. If your engine only blew smoke when you first started it up each morning, I’d suggest the glow-plugs weren’t working properly and heating up the combustion chambers to gain a complete burn of the fuel.

But since it’s blowing smoke all the time, I think you could be looking at a fuel-injection problem. The injectors themselves could be bad (and it only takes one dud to make gales of smoke) or the system is mis-timed and not injecting the fuel precisely when it should be. These engines self-analyse themselves as you drive and it seems the car knows it has a problem, because it has turned on the check-engine light as a warning to you that something is amiss. Your first move should be to have the injectors checked as well as the injection timing