Holden Commodore Problems

Without knowing what your criteria is, it's hard to recommend a car to you, George. By all means go for a V8 if you need to tow a trailer for work or pleasure, though there's no lack of grunt with the six-cylinder engines on that front either. I would choose a six, and probably a Commodore, based on its better resale than the AU III, and go for a VX rather than a VT simply because it is a newer model and will have fewer kilometres on it. They are both reliable, so there's no real difference between them in terms of reliability.

CHECK the oil levels in the engine and transmission and the fluid level in the power steering. Other than that, I wouldn't be changing anything, but if it was 12 months I would definitely replace the engine oil, coolant and brake fluid and I'd re-gas the aircon.

IF YOU check your owner's manual you will see Holden recommends using the brake to hold your vehicle on hills. That said, it is unusual to have to use the brakes to stop the car rolling backwards. It's possible the idle speed is on the low side and the torque converter is also low in terms of take-up. If you're not happy with Holden's response, argue your case again. On the face of it I think you have one. You could also consult an auto trans expert to make sure all is well.

I HAVEN'T heard of the worry you have, Tim, but I'd doubt very much that it's a bearing problem at that mileage. I would be looking at the clutch rather than the gearbox, but I would recommend you seek the help of a Holden specialist. Happy to hear you aren't having any problem with your Gen III V8. Not all Gen IIIs exhibit the problem. It's really only a relatively small number of the total sold that have the piston rattle and excessive oil consumption.

WITH that, you're looking at either a Falcon or a Commodore. On the Ford side you could look at an AUIII Falcon or a BA six-cylinder which has a towing capacity of 2300kg in auto form. Across the divide there's the VXII or VY Commodore that will handle up to 2100kg. As for which is the more reliable, I would lean slightly towards the Commodore.

There's no reason the Avalon should be any thirstier than the Camry. They're about the same weight and they share the same V6 engine and drivetrain. The Avalon is locally produced, not imported, so the parts are the same price as the Camry's. On the current market the Magna is the best buy in that its used values have slumped, the Camry and Avalon are standing up well, while the Commodore remains popular and hence has good resale value. In terms of mechanical reliability, it's hard to go past Toyota and I would probably prefer the Camry or the Avalon, but all four have good reliability and will do the job well.

Holden calibrated the Gen III to run on regular unleaded, so you are paying for a marginal increase in performance and fuel consumption, at best in the order of 2-3 per cent. The best way to check the value of running Pulp is to do a consumption test with both fuels. That way you will know the real benefits, or otherwise, in your own actual driving conditions.

YOU'VE clearly had a bad run with your Commodore. It seems there is an electrical gremlin that is causing the problems you've experienced with the warning lights, power windows and fuel gauge, and I would insist your dealer find it and fix it. As for the diff, I would wait for the new one then assess the situation. If problems persist take it up with Holden and insist on a resolution.

IT'S great to hear that you are not having any oil consumption issues with your Gen III V8 Commodore. There is no great risk in fitting a chip providing you consult an expert and buy a recognised chip. Give Peter Schweighofer a call at Swift Automotive in Dandenong and he'll be able to advise you on the best gear to use.

BOTH the Falcon and the Commodore convert well to LPG. The taxi industry runs both successfully on it, and they are the toughest when it comes to finding out a car's weakness. Ford has probably done more work with LPG on its Falcon, and has a dedicated LPG option, but there's no problem with converting the Commodore.