Holden Sedan Range

It could be the fuel filter that’s allowing the car to start, then not allowing enough fuel past to keep the engine running. But, equally, it could be a failing fuel pump or fuel pressure regulator that’s causing the issue. Even an air (vacuum) leak somewhere in the intake system can cause problems like this one.

You may even find the problem is electrical and once the engine has run for a short time, something like a sensor is getting hot enough to shut things down. An electronic scan of the vehicle at a workshop would likely throw some useful light on what’s going on, including a check of the fuel system’s operating pressure and its delivery rate.

Rather than continuing to replace expensive bits and pieces that aren’t – so far – curing the problem, have the vehicle electronically scanned to see what fault codes are being logged by the on-board computer.

If you’ve completely replaced the ignition system, then you might need to start looking at the fuel system. The V6 engine was a direct-injection unit which means it can start to be affected by a build-up of carbon in the intake system. That alone could be enough to cause your problem.

But don’t rule out a dud injector or failing fuel pump, either, as both these things can an allow the engine to idle properly, but develop a case of the staggers when you put the engine under load. Even a dirty fuel filter can cause this sort of mayhem, but until you interrogate the computer, you’re flying blind.

The answer to this isn’t as simple as you might think, as there were four engines sold in this model Cruze, some of which have different capacities. So let’s start with the 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine which holds four litres of oil. The 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre petrol engines hold 4.5 litres, as does the 2.0 litre turbo-diesel engine.

For the record, the correct Holden Cruze oil type (grade) is a 5W30 fully synthetic. That’s for either the 1.8-litre, 1.4-litre turbo or the 1.6-litre turbo engine. The exception is the two-litre turbo-diesel Cruze engine which requires 5W40 grade oil. And if you’re doing an oil change at home, those figures should include enough to fill the new oil filter, but definitely check the level on the dipstick to be sure.