Holden Problems

There are a number of LPG systems available for diesels, but they’re different from those we’re used to on petrol engines. In the case of the diesel system an amount of LPG is substituted for diesel, the engine never runs on LPG alone, and the effect of that is to increase power. The idea is then that you back off the throttle and save on fuel, but some people make full use of the extra power and can suffer engine failures as a result. I would urge caution and certainly urge you to talk to other owners who have done the same conversion you are considering to get their experience. It’s also crucial to have an experienced installer do the work on your car.

It's the first time I have heard of "Croak" and I would be asking the dealer to explain what they mean by the term. It could be as simple as a valve lifter needing to be replaced, or it could be serious like piston slap, which is what affected the 5.7-litre V8 engine used before your engine. Have an experienced engine man listen to the engine during the warm-up phase to tell you what part of the engine the noise is coming from. Because your warranty is about to expire I would recommend you place your concerns on the record with the dealer and with Holden. You should also be aware that Holden's responsibility for the product it sells does not end when the warranty ends, there is no time limit on the company's responsibility under our consumer laws.

I would expect that the issues relating to the air-conditioner and airbags would be covered by the warranty, if you are told that it isn't then kick up a stick. Contact Holden Customer Service on 1800 033 349.

It doesn't sound as if the boot is actually leaking as you say the water gets in when you open the bootlid. That sounds more like the Cruze designers didn't check to see what happened to water on the bootlid when it is opened. Perhaps other owners could tell us if this is an issue that annoys them.

I would suggest that there was a misunderstanding on the part of the person who told you it could be done after delivery, but you should be able to have a dealer accessory, or an aftermarket system fitted.

There really isn’t much option, if you don’t spend the money to repair it you’re left with a car that is worthless and you are faced with spending more to buy another car. As you say it is in good condition otherwise I would recommend you went ahead and repaired it. If it does have a blown head gasket, as you have been told, there is no other way of repairing other than replacing the head gasket, and there’s no way of reducing the cost of the job. To minimize the chances of being ripped off use a reputable mechanic, perhaps one who is well known and respected in your local area, take a friend or relative with a knowledge of mechanics with you when talking to the mechanic, and get two or three quotes for the job.

I would expect your car to return around 11.0 L/100 km, so yours is very poor as you say. You would have to allow for slightly higher fuel consumption due to wear on the engine, loss of compression etc., but I would still expect that you should get around 12 L/100 km. I would be checking the basics, like spark plugs, spark plug leads, air filters, fuel-injectors, and throttle body to make sure they are all in tip-top shape; then look at sensors like the oxygen sensor to make sure they are conveying the correct signal to the engine computer.

Many thousands of V6 Commodores have been successfully converted and there’s no reason to be afraid of converting your car. It would be fitted with an old style of system rather a new injection type, but there’s nothing wrong with that. A word of caution, however, is that you should make sure your engine is good and healthy before you convert it. It’s an old engine and I’m guessing it’s done lots of kays, so it’s worth having it thoroughly checked for tune and compression before you commit to the conversion.

If you feel it is a problem, and the presence of piston slap is not necessarily a problem in itself, you should keep meticulous records of your dealings with the dealer and Holden in case it does escalate into an issue that needs addressing. In that case you would be well armed with the information needed to support your case for Holden to act.

It would seem either the ignition switch or the neutral/park safety switch is faulty. I would guess it's the former. A mechanic or an auto electrician should be able to fix it for you.