Holden Colorado 2008 Problems

Are you having problems with your 2008 Holden Colorado? Let our team of motoring experts keep you up to date with all of the latest 2008 Holden Colorado issues & faults. We have gathered all of the most frequently asked questions and problems relating to the 2008 Holden Colorado in one spot to help you decide if it's a smart buy.

Used Holden Colorado review: 2008-2011
By Graham Smith · 20 Feb 2015
When General Motors and Isuzu split, Holden relinquished the popular Rodeo badge. The revised replacement in 2008 was the Colorado.To meet the evolving role of utes as combined tradie-family transport, the Colorado had a flashy new look that would fit comfortably in suburbia and bush alike.Underneath it remained the same tough truck as the Rodeo predecessor and was just as capable of slogging through the rough stuff off-road.There were two and four-door Colorado utes, with rear or four-wheel drive and petrol or turbo diesel engines.Depending on your need for comfort you could choose between the LX and LT-R, the latter with all the fruit you could want. Even the LX had aircon and MP3 sound, the LT-R adding Bluetooth phone connectivity and reversing sensors.The petrol option was a punchy 3.6-litre V6 (157kW/313Nm) and the turbodiesel a more frugal 3.0-litre four-cylinder (120kW/360Nm). Backing them were a smooth-shifting five-speed manual or a four-speed auto.For lighter duty, the rear-wheel drive model sufficed.For going off-road there was also the option of dual-range four-wheel drive.On the road the Colorado was comfortable and quiet, the seats were supportive and the cabin well laid-out and welcoming.The price for the V6's ample performance potential was in fuel consumption when pushed.The well-proven mechanical package gives little troubleMeanwhile the turbo diesel was not only the thriftier engine when it came to fuel consumption, it also had greater low-down grunt to make it more drivable and more comfortable and competent off road.The Colorado is rated to tow up to 3000kg braked.The well-proven mechanical package gives little trouble, according to the trade and owners alike.Initially there were some complaints from owners about noisy front suspension bushes.Holden got on top of that relatively quickly with revised upper shock absorber bushes and retainers so there shouldn't be any out there still exhibiting the distracting noise.The Colorado is well equipped to handle the hard going and will do so competentlyIf you hear a creaking sound from the front when road-testing a Colorado, check to see whether the revised setup was fitted.Some owners complain of the fuel consumption of the V6, others moan about the turbo lag of the diesel.The Colorado is well equipped to handle the hard going and will do so competently if driven by someone knowing how to do it. Look for damage underneath, to the floorpan, chassis fittings, exhaust etc.It looks good, goes well, good for family or work use.Also check for a service record. It's most important on any vehicle but it's even more important on a car that's made to work hard for its keep, such as towing or off-roading.
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I'm with you, Allan; I much prefer a hardcopy book I can lay out in the engine bay with me while I'm working on a car, rather than an e-book that requires an electronic device to access it.

A quick online search revealed that while the official Holden manual is, indeed, most commonly available as an electronic document, there are plenty of hardcopy workshop manuals from other companies available to buy. Another possibility would be to try a Holden service centre to see if it still sells workshop manuals for its cars. Some public libraries also keep a selection of workshop manual to borrow.

The best place to find workshop manual is a swap meet where some vendors have literally hundreds of titles to choose from. A second-hand workshop manual is not only a great form of recycling, the pages with the most greasy fingerprints will give you a good hint on the major problem areas of the vehicle.

Holden Colorado 2008: Blowback diesel
Answered by Graham Smith · 26 Apr 2019

 It could be that they’ve replaced their pumps and the flow was too high for your car. Try tempering the flow next time you fill at that servo, and to be sure fill at another servo to see if it does it at other stations or it’s just related to the newly renovated one.

Holden Colorado: Why are my wipers noisy?
Answered by Graham Smith · 05 Apr 2019

It’s not likely to be the linkages. The blades are the usual cause of such a noise, and it’s mostly because they don’t flip over when the wipers change direction at the end of each sweep. Try something like Rainex on your screen; that usually does the trick.

If replacing the actual sensor doesn’t fix the problem, then you could be looking at a problem with the wiring that connects that oxygen sensor to the car’s on-board computer. Did the mechanic that changed the sensor check the condition of the wiring? This equipment all lives very close to a very hot exhaust system, so damage from that is not unknown.

There’s also a chance that the computer itself is throwing up a bogus fault code when it’s interrogated. Temporarily swapping the computer for another one is a reasonably simple way to rule this out. There’s also a chance (and it’s more common than you might imagine) that the brand new oxygen sensor you had fitted was a dud straight out of the box. This has definitely been known to happen, and it’s the first thing some experienced mechanics will think to check.

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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