Holden Commodore Problems

First thoughts would be that you have a fuel injector that is not spraying either the correct amount of fuel and/or in the correct pattern for proper combustion. This will certainly bring on the symptoms you’re seeing, as well as ruining fuel economy. It’s also most likely to show up if the engine has been sitting for a while.

But the reality is that a modern engine like this one has literally hundreds of electronic sensors and systems that can all add up to poor running and economy. The best bet is to have the car scanned to see if the on-board computer has logged any faults. Without this intelligence, you’re flying blind, replacing parts that may or may not fix the problem.

There are literally hundreds of things that can cause a check-engine light in a modern, computer-controlled car. A problem with the ignition, fuel system, emissions-control system, air-intake, lubrication, cooling and much, much more can cause this light to illuminate.

The best way to proceed is to have the vehicle electronically scanned. That way, the computer can tell the mechanic where the problem is and, hopefully, precisely what’s causing the check-engine light to flicker on.

For the record, however, a common fault with the V6 engine in this series of Commodores is a stretched timing chain that the computer interprets as incorrect valve timing (which it is). Plenty of owners of this model have discovered this as the cause of their check-engine light.

The first thing to do is make sure your battery is earthed properly and all the relevant electrical contacts are tight and clean. Low voltage or a poor connection can easily cause the problems you're seeing, especially if they've all occurred more or less at the same time.

The next thing is to have the vehicle electronically scanned. That will tell you what faults the on-board computer has spotted, and you can then tackle them logically instead of replacing parts that don't fix the actual problem. The rough running could be anything from a dud oxygen sensor to a fuel-injection problem and lots in between.

I would suspect the heating and air-conditioning problems are separate to the engine's poor running, but anything's possible when a car's electronics start playing up.

It's good news. Your car is indeed compatible with E10 fuel which means you can use the slightly cheaper fuel without risking damage to your vehicle. The car should also run exactly the same as it does on normal unleaded petrol, although you may find you use slightly more fuel per 100km. This should, however, be more than offset by the savings you'll make at the pump.

Both those models of Holden used the same engine; the L36 (Holden's internal code) Ecotec V6. As such, you should be able to fit the engine from the VT Commodore into the Statesman with very few other changes. The biggest hurdle will be if the Commodore donor car was a manual-transmission vehicle, as the ECU may be different to the Statesman's unit to allow for control of the electronic transmission. The best bet is to retain the Statesman's wiring and computer and change over only the engine hardware from the Commodore.

The other (minor) catch is that the VT's version of the V6 was tuned for 147kW, while the later version of the same engine in the Statesman was good for 152kW. There was a small torque difference, too (304Nm plays 305Nm). So you'll be trading off a small amount of performance but, realistically, not enough to notice.

Whether you can register the car or not, is not your biggest hurdle here. Because somebody else (a finance company or bank in this case) has a financial interest in the vehicle, the law in Queensland states that the car may be repossessed by that finance company or bank as a means of recovering the debt, even though the debt was not incurred by you.

Fundamentally, the private seller who sold you the car was not legally in a position to do so for the simple reason that the car was not theirs to sell. Because that financial institution still had a stake in it (as loan security or whatever) the car was not fully owned by the private seller. The car did not, as the law calls it, have a clear title.

If the financial body decides to repossess the car, you would have the choice of letting them do so (and waving goodbye to your money and your car) or paying out the amount of money in dispute. Either that or contact the seller and convincing them to make good on their loan repayments.

You can avoid this situation by doing a PPSR check (in most states) which will alert you to a vehicle that is encumbered. The official advice it to never buy a car with money still owing on it or is in any way encumbered. The other alternative is to buy from a licensed car dealer or trader as, under the law, they must guarantee clear title on any vehicle they sell.

So, before attempting to spend more money on registering the car, talk to the company with the interest in the car and try to come to an arrangement regarding the car’s future. You will have very little recourse if the car is repossessed as the company involved is well within the law to take this action.

It’s a bit hard to go past an older Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon for this brief. That said, your towing requirement means you’d be best looking at something like an AU (1998 to 2003) Falcon Ute (assuming you only need to move one other person).

These are strong, simple cars that any mechanic can deal with and parts are plentiful and relatively cheap. There are other options (older Japanese dual-cabs) but nothing really gets close to the Aussie stuff for durability and running costs. An elderly Nissan Navara, for instance, might do the job but is likely to become fragile as it ages. A two-wheel-drive Toyota HiLux is another possibility, but you’d probably be right at the limit of your towing capacity with one of those. The Falcon ute, meanwhile, can legally tow 2300kg. It’s not glamorous or sexy, but it’ll do the job and stay on target price-wise.

The other obvious contender would be an early Mitsubishi Pajero with a V6 engine. These had a towing capacity of 2500kg and are around now for very little money, certainly within your budget. They also double as a very handy off-roader should you wish.

Some owners have, indeed noted power-steering problems in this model Commodore. That said, this is a very common model, so some problems are to be expected as they with most other makes and models.

The most common problem seems to be a squealing noise when the wheel is turned. That’s often due to low power-steering fluid level (check the dipstick at the top of the reservoir under the bonnet). If the level is low, you need to start looking for a leak as this is a sealed system and shouldn’t need topping up over time. Leaks can occur in the pump itself, the steering rack or the plumbing that joins them.

A vibration through the wheel or a fluttering sensation can often be caused by air trapped in the system. With the engine running and the car in Park, turn the wheel slowly from lock to lock a couple of times., That’s often enough to purge the air and return the steering to a nice smooth feel.

Some owners have reported an improvement in their power-steering by draining and flushing the system and adding new fluid.

Let’s start with what made a 2017 Holden Commodore an SV6. Over and above the standard Commodore specification, ordering an SV6 also got you the higher-spec V6 engine with 210kW, 18-inch alloy wheels, FE2 (firmer) suspension, LED daytime running lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a body kit.

The Black Edition package, meanwhile, was a visual enhancement package that could be specified with either a Commodore SV6 or SS (the V8 model) and, in the case of the SV6, added specific black alloy wheels (still 18 inches) a blacked-out grille, black rear lip spoiler, Black Edition badging, satellite navigation, an improved info-screen, red stitching on the seats and specific floor mats.

Yes, your Commodore is suitable to run on either E5 or E10 ethanol-blended fuel. Switching to E10 would definitely save you a few dollars per week versus filling up with 95-octane unleaded.