Holden Commodore Problems

HOLDEN made changes to the throttle control, engine calibration, induction and exhaust systems on the VZ SS to lift the power by 5kW to 250kW at 5600 revs. The torque was also increased by 5Nm to 470Nm at 4800 revs.

IT WILL be about 11.5 litres for 100km in city traffic and about 7.5-8.0 litres for 100km on the highway. You can measure it by first filling the tank and setting the trip meter to zero, then driving normally for a few days and refilling the tank and recording the litres it takes. You then divide the litres you used by the kilometres driven, expressed in hundreds. If your car used 46 litres while you drove 400km, the consumption would be 11.5 litres for 100km.

I AGREE the design is poor and, like you, I have caught my hand under the lever. The only reason I can think of for Holden going away from the tried and true design they and most other carmakers have used is some misguided view that it's a better, more appealing design. I find it very awkward, and I can only hope they change it at the next facelift.

WE RECEIVED several responses form readers who had experienced similar problems with the VR Commodore. They suggested a number of possibilities: ignition coils, coil mountings and crank angle sensor on the damper. The crank angle sensor is a known problem with those early Commodores.

HOLDEN won't recommend fitting LPG to the Alloytec V6 fitted to your ute. They say you must have the LPG-compatible valves and valve seats they fit to the LPG-compatible engines they use when they fit the dual-fuel system. Some converters also talk of very high valve recession on the standard Alloytec engine. Talk to an experienced and knowledgeable converter first.

PUMPING the accelerator can help a car with a carburettor, but it is no help at all on a car like yours with fuel injection. In fact, it can cause problems by confusing the car's computer. There must be a problem and I suggest you take it to a mechanic who has the facilities to run a full diagnostic check.

THE hydraulic valve lifters could be worn. They typically rattle for a few minutes before the oil pumps them up. If they're worn it can take a little time for the oil to work, and once it does they generally go quiet.

I WOULD lean towards the ignition system and have the leads, ignition coils and the coil mountings checked. You could also have someone run over the engine diagnostics for you.

I'D LOOK for a leaking windscreen. Certainly that could explain the water in the front footwell, but it could also result in water in the rear.

A NUMBER of fuel companies are offering blends of up to 10 per cent ethanol and generally there won't be a problem with that relatively low amount of ethanol. The concentration needs to climb to about 25 per cent or so before you would expect problems.