Holden Commodore Problems

I don’t remember the Commodore test, but I do recall the claims made by companies trying to sell us their products. I have to admit I’m a skeptic and don’t believe the claims. I would prefer to err of the side of caution and change the oil regularly instead of relying on something that in my mind really isn’t proven.

On your figures it’s getting 19 L/100 km whereas it should be getting around 11 L/100 km. That says there’s something very wrong, and the petrol smell suggests it could be running very rich. It could be a problem with the oxygen sensor. Have it checked out.

It’s not always easy to diagnose a problem, which is probably why the mechanics haven’t been very specific with their advice. If you’re not happy with the advice you have received take it somewhere else. You could perhaps try a steering or suspension specialist who should be able to tell you if it’s the steering or the suspension.

As you say 20,000 km from a clutch, when driven normally, is not acceptable. You need to retrieve the parts and have them examined by an independent engineer with experience in clutches. Armed with his information you can approach Holden and ask for compensation for your expenses.

I would put my money on the Crank Angle Sensor, even though you are willing to rule it out. It does sound electrical and the CAS is often the culprit in these deals.

Rear tyre wear is a well-known issue with the VT Commodore; it’s due to the type of rear suspension it has. Holden made a change with the VX Commodore in 2001 to fix the problem. You could talk to the guys at a suspension specialist, such as Pedders, who could probably help you with an aftermarket fix they sell.

It sounds like the engine is overheating and you should have it checked to determine the cause. If it is overheating be careful about driving it as you could de even more damage. Any mechanic could check it for you, it's not necessary to take it back to the place you bought it, unless of course you have some form of warranty and want them to cover the cost of the repair. You could trade it in if that's what you want, but dealers might be reluctant to accept it if it has a problem. The best course of action would be to find out what's causing the problem and have it repaired.

Vapour-injection kits are more expensive than the old venturi/mixer systems, but they work well on the Gen III. If you go for good quality brand and have it installed by a competent gas mechanic you should have no problems with it.

While oil usage is something to watch your car isn’t using a lot of oil and the trade advice is that the 6.0-litre V8 doesn’t generally have a problem with oil consumption. I would check the oil regularly and if the consumption increases then take it back to Holden for investigation. As an aside most mechanics believe the factory specified service intervals are too long and strongly recommend changing oil more frequently, at 5000 km or so intervals.

It doesn’t sound like there’s anything wrong, the ‘smoke’ is pretty normal for most cars during the warm-up phase.