Holden Problems

I'm not sure how an electric piece of equipment continues to function when its fuse or relay has ben removed, so maybe you need to check that you're pulling the correct fuse. The car's owner's manual should contain a list of fuses, their location and what circuit they relate to.

In any case, problems like this one are often the fault of the car's body computer which can fail, allowing all sorts of random errors to crop up in anything from the climate-control stuff to the central locking. If that's the case, a new body computer may be required, but these can be obtained second-hand to keep costs down.

But before you do any of that, try these simple tricks: Using the key fob, press the door lock button and hold it down for at least a minute. Sometimes, this is enough to reboot the computer and restore normal settings. The second thing to try is to park the car and disconnect the negative battery terminal. Wait at least an hour (overnight is better) and then reconnect the battery and see if the car's computer has reset itself. It doesn't always work, but it's free and definitely worth a shot. Just make sure you have access to the radio's security code to restart it after disconnecting the battery.

It sounds as though you either have a problem with the car's electrics or the electronics within the ignition remote. If the car's battery is dead flat, you'll get the symptoms you're reporting, but if the remote has a flat battery (or is faulty in some other way) then you an find yourself in the same boat.

But it could also be an electrical problem other than a flat battery. From memory, some of these Holdens had suspect battery terminals which lacked the grip they should have had and could lead to a loose connection which could produce these symptoms. This would be a good place to start.

But there's another trick you can try. On some Cruze models, there's a process that can over-ride the remote locking and ignition protocols. If the battery in the remote is weak or the remote itself is damaged, this is definitely worth a try. From the driver's seat, locate the small, round plastic bung in the cup-holder in the centre-console. Place the remote key over this hole with the Holden logo facing up. Then try the starter button. With luck, the engine will start and you're away to have the remote fob fixed or replaced. You may find you need to hold the stop/start button for two seconds to get the engine to stop.

Meantime, I have no idea why the actual physical key will not lock the doors from outside. That sounds more like a job for a locksmith.

The ACCC operates a national website that lists all safety recalls. Included within that is a complete list of automotive recalls for Australian cars. You can visit the site here.

You simply search for your car's make, year and model and the website will tell you what recalls have been applied over the years. The alternative is to find a Holden service outlet who should be able to check your car's VIN and identify what recalls were relevant and whether they've been carried out (i.e fixed) or not.

This particular error code denotes a lean running condition. That is, the engine either has too little fuel or too much air entering it. It's actually quite common on this engine and can be traced to several possible causes. Some of those include bad fuel injectors, a worn fuel pump, an intake vacuum leak, or – and this is where we'd look first on this engine – a bad PCV valve.

This valve is responsible for controlling the crankcase ventilation, but if it fails, it can allow the lean mixture condition to emerge which is when you'll get the error code and a check-engine light. The good news, is there's a quick and easy check if you know your way around an engine.

First, remove the plastic engine cover to reveal the rocker cover and the PCV valve. With the engine running, place a small piece of paper over the hole in the PCV valve. If the paper is drawn to the valve, you have a leaking PCV valve probably due to a broken diaphragm which is allowing extra air to enter the engine and create the lean mixture. If that doesn't work, make sure the oil cap is fitted tightly as a loose cap can cause the same problem. This certainly isn't the case for all engines, but experience has shown that in your car, it's a good place to start.

If the PCV valve theory doesn't work out, you're back to looking at things like fuel pressure, injector condition, intake tract leaks, a bad mass airflow meter or even a powertrain module fault.

The knocking noise could be anything from a poorly secured spare tyre to the struts that hold the boot or hatch in the raised position.

Many engine designs have the coolant temperature sensor screw into the thermostat housing. In the case of this model Captiva, however, the sensor screws into the inlet manifold next to (but not part of) the thermostat housing.

A temperature sensor that is sending the wrong information to the car's computer can cause all sorts of mayhem, but it's worth checking the sensor for correct operation before spending money on a replacement.

It sounds counter-intuitive that an engine would run at all with the crank angle sensor removed. Generally, without this sensor working properly, the fuel-injection system has no idea when to inject the fuel or fire the spark plugs. But sometimes – as in this engine – if the computer can't 'find' a crank angle input, it will take a reference from the camshaft angle sensor and use that to time the injection and ignition.

Even so, if the problem persists after two replacement sensors, it's probably fair to say this particular sensor is either not the root of your problem, or that or the engine's wiring is frying the new sensors as fast as you're changing them.

Either way, a trip to an auto electrician seems like the next logical step. Chances are a switched on sparkie will have seen this exact problem before and will know how to deal with it or at least take the logical steps to diagnose what's going wrong. Simply continuing to change bits and pieces is often an expensive way to solve a problem like this.

In many cases, this (usually) four-digit security code will be written down somewhere inside the owner's manual or the car's service manual. Both these documents should be stored in the glovebox. Another popular way to store the code was to write it on the back of the business card of the salesperson who sold the car new, and attach that to the owner's handbook somewhere.

Often, however, these books go AWOL, at which point you need to contact a Holden workshop with the car's VIN. From there, you should be able to check Holden's records and find the security code. You may have to provide proof of ownership of the vehicle, however.

If that fails, sometimes you can do an internet search on a specialist website, but to do that, you'll need to know the serial number of the stereo unit. Usually, that involves removing the unit from the car, a process that can range from very easy to incredibly difficult.

Mechanically this pair was very similar with identical engine options and power outputs. Both also had independent rear suspension by this time, also and the same safety package.

So what the Berlina offered over and above the base model Commodore was a bit more fruit and luxury. That started with climate-control air-conditioning (versus the standard set-up) a CD player, power windows and alloy wheels. And that was about it. Anybody looking for more luxury went for the Calais model which was more expensive, but better equipped again.

There are lots of places for a car to lose its coolant. The cooling system is a network of pipes, water jackets and other plumbing that is required to keep the engine cool, provide heat for the cabin and even cool the transmission.

Obvious places for a leak to occur are any of the joints in this plumbing, the water pump itself or any of the various components that store the coolant (heater core, radiator, overflow tank). A failed welch plug will definitely cause a car to lose coolant, but it usually starts out as a small leak before developing into a bigger one as the plug deteriorates further over time.

If the water is really running out as fast as your pour it in, the best idea is to get somebody to add water to the radiator while you look in the engine bay and under the car with a torch. A leak as big as the one you describe should be very visible.

Modern vehicles like the Colorado have lots of sensors to help prevent major engine melt-downs. One of those is the sensor that tells the car the engine oil level is too low for safe operation. If that sensor is sending bad information to the car's computer, the vehicle might be programmed to go into limp-home mode or even shut down altogether to preserve the engine.

But the oil problem the car is reporting could also be dangerously low oil pressure or oil that has become too hot. The farther and faster you travel, the hotter the oil becomes (up to a point) and the thinner it becomes, meaning it may not be thick enough to sustain safe oil pressure. This could also be caused by a dud sensor, but it could also be a real situation. And like the low oil level sensor, this can force the engine into shutting itself down as a self-preservation measure.