Holden Problems

Unfortunately, the odds are against this problem being a simple blown fuse. This series of cars is notorious for ABS faults and the cause is almost always the control module that has failed. A replacement module is the only real fix.

You can either source a brand new module, a reconditioned one or, for about $100 or so, a second-hand module from a parts recycler that specialises in this type of vehicle. The market for these is well served purely because failures of this component are so common.

The reason you can’t start the engine in second gear is for safety reasons. Car makers fit what’s called a Neutral or Park switch, which means the engine won’t crank unless the car is in Neutral or Park. That prevents the car starting in gear and taking off.

If the lever’s connection to the transmission has failed or become excessively worn, you can get the symptoms you have because the lever won’t select Neutral or Park. And therefore the engine won’t start.

However, it’s highly questionable that this is connected to the limp-home mode. That’s usually caused by a problem with the driveline that threatens to do more damage if you continue driving. The gear lever problem sounds more like a simple mechanical issue. Did both things happen at the same time? If not, they’re very probably not related.

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.

You have two issues here. The first is the transmission problem, and, to be honest, on a late model car like this, an automatic transmission specialist is where you need to go. A slipping transmission can be caused by all manner of things, starting with the simple low fluid level, to the catastrophic mechanical failure. In between there are also electronic possibilities to be investigated.

Your second problem is that you’ve spent otherwise useful money on an aftermarket extended warranty. All too often, these warranties are carefully worded to exclude a range of possible problems you might experience. You might be lucky and the warranty will cover the repairs (it’s definitely worth a try) but don’t be surprised if the fine-print scuppers any chance of the warranty paying out.

Start with the basics. How old is the battery and what condition is it in? Sometimes you can check a battery’s voltage is at 12 volts with a meter, and have lights on the dashboard, and be tricked into thinking the battery is okay. But if the battery is worn out, when you turn the key to engage the starter motor, the extra load on the battery sees it lose the plot and nothing happens. You might hear a clicking noise, or you might hear nothing.

Modern engines rely heavily on electricity to run and will cut out if they aren’t getting enough voltage from the electrical system and, again, a dud battery can be the cause even if the alternator is working properly. You need to have the battery tested when a load is applied to it. If the voltage plummets when you apply that load, the battery is definitely ready for replacement.

Don’t forget the other basic stuff like the tightness and cleanliness of the battery terminals. Dirty or loose terminals can provide enough power to light up the dashboard, but can fail you when you apply the load of the starter motor.

A quick test will tell you whether the alternator is sending charge to the battery. If it isn’t, then you need to start checking the wiring and things like the whether the car is earthed properly. Perhaps there’s a blown fuse of circuit breaker that is preventing the flow of charge from the alternator to the battery.

If the alternator is, in fact, charging the battery when the engine is running, then you’re looking for a problem such as an aftermarket alarm or a boot light or some other electrical gremlin that is draining the battery overnight. It would also be worth checking that the new battery and alternator for correct operation and capacity. It wouldn’t be the first time a brand-new component has been faulty, fitted to a car and then confounded the mechanic responsible.

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.

Those codes are reasonably common ones. The first two (0193 and 0089) generally relate to a problem with the fuel rail, specifically the pressure in that rail. This is obviously critical to how the engine runs.

The third code (0401) is more commonly associated with the flow of the EGR valve. If this valve is damaged or blocked, then this fault code would likely show up. As such, you may find you have two separate problems, rather than a single one.

Low pressure in the fuel rail would certainly explain why the performance is off, and the overheating could easily be associated with an EGR valve failure. A blocked EGR can raise combustion chamber temperatures while a failed EGR can actually leak coolant and allow the engine to overheat that way.

Code 79 on the dashboard (along with the little spanner icon) means your engine is low on oil. You should top it up before driving anywhere as running an engine with a low oil level is tempting fate and could lead to a catastrophic engine failure.

The best advice is not to rely on this warning code to alert you to low oil level, and instead make a habit of checking the engine oil level on the dipstick every couple of weeks. This takes just a minute or so and can save your engine in the long run. Your owner’s manual should tell you how to check the oil on this engine, but it’s not difficult. Just make sure the oil level stays between the high and low marks on the dipstick and you should be fine.

Don’t forget, all engines use some oil in the normal course of things, but as engines age, this usage can increase and that’s when owners who don’t do regular checks get caught out.

Milky oil is a big hint that the engine’s oil and coolant are mixing, suggesting a cracked block, cylinder head or blown head gasket. But just because the oil has not turned milky does not rule out a head gasket leak, as the coolant can sometimes find its way into the combustion chamber(s) rather than the sump (oil-pan).

What would be interesting to know is if the coolant disappears in a week of normal driving, or even if the car is left to stand for the week. If it’s the latter, then you more likely have an external leak somewhere in the cooling system’s maze of hoses, pipes, radiators and catch-tanks.

The first thing to do is conduct a pressure test on the cooling system. This involves topping up the coolant and then using air to pressurise the system to see where the coolant appears from. You may find it’s something as simple as a loose hose clamp or a cracked plastic catch-tank.

If that doesn’t provide any hints there’s a kit called a TK Test which samples the coolant to see if there are any gasses (from the combustion process) that shouldn’t be there. If they are present, you probably have a head gasket leak. But don’t rush to that conclusion yet.