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.

YOUR Commodore has a six-cylinder engine bought from Nissan, basically the same that was fitted to the Nissan Skyline here. The engine is a fine unit, but there was an installation problem when it was fitted to the Commodore, and it can give trouble when air pockets develop in the cooling system, causing the engine to overheat. It's important to use the correct coolant if you have to top up the cooling system -- don't use water, and be careful to bleed the cooling system properly if you have to service it for any reason. The auto is generally reliable, but it is expensive if you have to rebuild it. One thing to check is the service history. Older drivers often consider servicing too expensive, especially if they do few kays. Find out if the car has been well serviced, and if it hasn't think about getting it serviced.

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.