Holden Problems

Confirming genuine classics can be difficult and requires intimate knowledge of the make and model to be certain.

I would contact Holden's customer assistance people, give them the id numbers of your car and ask them to check against their production records.

If they can't do that contact a club such as an HSV Owners Club and ask them to help you. There isn't a club in the NT, so contact another state's club.

A guiding range for the value of your car is $38,000 to $46,000, but it can vary widely depending on originality, condition, kilometres done etc.

It is 90,000km. The service interval was reduced from 100,000km to 60,000km in the preceding TS model after a number of serious engine failures caused by broken or loose belts caused by a problem with the belt tensioner. In AH the service interval was increased to 90,000km. When it's replaced mechanics usually find that the water pump is leaking, and they replace it, which adds to the cost of the job.

It's all about condition with an old car. The Kingswood isn't a particularly valuable classic car, unless it's in good condition with low miles on the clock. Your uncle's seem to fit that bill. If you go by the trade value it's worth around $2000, but to a Holden enthusiast or someone looking for a cheap classic to enjoy it could worth $6000-$8000. It might be worth showing it to one of the insurance companies that provide cover for classic cars and see what insurance value they would put on it. You'll also find more details on the pricing & specs here.

The starting problem could be the result of an alternator that's not charging the battery. Have an auto electrician check it.

Trying to find the cause of the engine warning lights coming on is a tough one.

If they are on all the time then take it to a dealer or a mechanic with diagnostic gear to check the system. It must be either a wiring problem or a sensor malfunction.

It's probably easier to eliminate those that don't stack up, those being the VW Golf, Holden Cruze and Ford Focus.

All have transmission questions over them.

The best options would be the Mazda 3 and the Hyundai i30.

Does it crank over when you turn the key? If it doesn't I would suspect a problem with the cam timing chains that has caused serious internal damage. If it cranks over, but doesn't fire I would be looking at an engine sensor that has failed. Take it to a dealer and have them check it on their diagnostic gear.

They are very different cars, the Viva is small, the Falcon big, so it comes down to what you want from them. The Viva is newer and will have done fewer kilometres, the Falcon is getting old and is likely to have done lots of kilometres. That said, Falcons tend to be relatively reliable at high kilometres, so if you are after reliability that's probably the better bet for you.

All of the cars you name meet your criteria of size, economy, performance and handling.

You could also add the Mazda3 and 6 to the list.

Of all of those I would nominate the Camry as the great all-rounder.

The Trax is good value for money and stacks up well against all comers in the class. The 1.4 turbo is the best engine, and it has a conventional auto instead of a CVT that most of its rivals have. Others to look at are the Suzuki S-Cross, Ford Kuga, Nissan Qashqai, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru XV.

You don't say what your typical driving day is, so I can only guess on that front, but driving short distances without regularly getting out on the highway for a reasonable drive at higher speeds is a DPF killer. If that's the sort of driving you do then that could be the underlying cause of the problem. You can't fix that. To resolve the problem take it back to Holden and ask them to tell you what they think is causing it and try and work out a plan of action. You would appear to have a good case to put to them to fix the car.