Holden Hatchback Range

It sounds odd, but sometimes you can overheat an engine and do lots of damage, but the engine will still run. The problem is that more and more damage can be accumulating during this process, to the point where it then won’t run at all. Perhaps that’s what’s happened here.

Overheating can cause mayhem under the bonnet and you really need to have the engine assessed to see if its fixable or junk. Damage associated with overheating can include a blown head gasket, warped cylinder head, damaged piston rings and even complete engine seizure (although that’s clearly not the case with yours).

If the engine is toast, perhaps a tested second-hand replacement engine from a wrecked Barina might be the most financially appealing solution.

Since you’ve been driving manual cars for many years now, you’ll be aware that some gearshifts are just better than others. However, none should be causing you to apply lots of force just to select a gear.

You could be dealing with a worn clutch which is making selection difficult, or a selector mechanism (cables, linkages and pivots) that are worn or have run out of lubricant. Even the adjustment of the shift cables can cause a problem like this.

I’d start with lubricating everything that connects the gearstick to the transmission and work the lever through the gears a few times to see if the lubricant makes any difference. If not, you might have to dig a bit deeper, checking for frayed shift cables of frozen joints. If you’re really unlucky, you may have wear or damage inside the gearbox that is making it difficult to select first gear.

But in the meantime, you can try this trick. When you’re stopped at the lights and ready to select first, instead of going straight for that gear, slip the lever into second for a brief moment and then try for first. Sometimes, this can assist selecting first, as you’re using the synchromesh on second to help with engaging first. This is often a great trick for a worn transmission.

It honestly doesn’t sound too bad given the average dealership labour rate is usually something like $160 or even $200 per hour to the customer. Also, genuine Holden parts for this type of job will always be preferable to aftermarket parts, and if the quote is to drive the car in and drive it out again with a brand new turbocharger working perfectly, then the price is probably pretty good.

If you want to save money, you can always try to find an independent workshop, but make sure you use one that knows this type of car and this type of repair. And don’t be afraid to ask about where the new parts are coming from.