Holden Problems

Based on your mechanic's diagnosis it would seem that the oxygen (02) sensor is probably faulty and needs replacing. There is no connection with the car's heater. If there is a problem with the heater it's different one.

I would not recommend a Captiva. At the moment, the CX-5 is best in class but the Tucson also gets The Tick.

I agree with you, it should have been replaced earlier, and under warranty. The automatic transmission in the Cruze has a troubled history, as we have consistently reported. Present your dealer with your car's history of failure and make a formal request that the transmission be replaced at no cost to you. If the dealer won't agree take your case directly to Holden's Customer Care service (Ph: 1800 033 349).

I couldn't recommend the Viva. It was made by Daewoo in Korea and rushed to Australia to plug holes in Holden's model line-up and the market shifted away from traditional big cars. Owners mostly slam it for its unreliability and problems with electrics and transmission. I would urge you to consider a small model from one of the Japanese manufacturers, or a later model from Hyundai or Kia.

Putting Premium unleaded in it won't help. The problem is likely to be partially blocked fuel-injectors and I would suggest you have them cleaned.

We'll be driving the Series II, with its major V8 engine boost, very soon for a road report. My heart says Mustang for the shape and history but the head would go Commodore in a showroom.

There's only one option and that is to take it to your Holden dealer and have them assess the problem. The automatic gearbox in the Cruze is troublesome and you're not the only one to have trouble. Holden usually comes to the party in repairing or replacing the gearbox, so ask the dealer to request help from Holden when you take the car in.

It depends on the car, but some get better fuel mileage on the higher octane rating if they are set-up to take advantage of it. The best way to determine if it is better is to run it on each fuel and actually measure the consumption.

It's possibly a wiring problem, but there's no way of knowing until it fails in such a way that the problem can be traced. It would seem that it's not a major problem, so press on until it develops further.