Holden Captiva Engine Problems

It's got nothing to do with the fuel you're using; the Captiva is fine to run on regular unleaded. You need to have a mechanic experienced in diagnosing problems with modern engines check it out for you. Clearly the dealer's mechanics are not up to the task.

I can't comment on the Walkinshaw chip specifically, I don't have any experience of it, but I'm not a huge fan of the chips in general as you don't really know how they achieve the results they claim, and ultimately you don't know what effect they will have on the car down the track. If you can find someone who has fitted a Walkinshaw chip you could ask them, after all first hand knowledge is the best you can get.

$1000 does sound like a lot of money to fix an oil leak; I reckon a local mechanic could do it for less. The cost aside I would accept the deal, the car is out of warranty and an oil leak is not something I would spend time and energy fighting over.

Holden spokesman Sean Poppitt says: "It's unfortunate Ms Dib has experienced some issues with her vehicle. Customer satisfaction is always our priority and we have contacted Ms Dib to have those mechanical repairs performed under warranty at no cost to the customer. A courtesy vehicle will be provided at no cost for the duration and we will also offer Ms Dib a goodwill gesture at the conclusion of any repairs."

It appears they haven't, but we will check. In the meantime religiously stick to the maintenance schedule and change oil and filters regularly.

There's no reason why Holden should replace your car because of an oil leak. The company has an obligation to fix the leak under warranty, so it should not cost you a penny. To write it off as a lemon at this stage doesn't make any sense. I wouldn't bother approaching Holden for a replacement.

There has been an issue with the front seal on the diesel engine and the seal is being replaced. The problem seems to be that the engine has to be removed to replace it.

It needs to go to a mechanic who can properly diagnose it. It sounds like it could be a sensor problem, which should show up on a diagnostic check.

I think you're being a bit harsh. I'm not a fan of the Captiva, but at least the dealer fixed it outside of the 100,000km warranty period.

It's possibly a wiring problem, but there's no way of knowing until it fails in such a way that the problem can be traced. It would seem that it's not a major problem, so press on until it develops further.