Holden Astra 2009

Holden Astra 2009 Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Holden Astra 2009 here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• Why doesn't the auto gear lever in my 2009 Holden Astra engage securely?

  The good news is that this probably isn’t an actual gearbox problem, but rather one with the mechanical linkages that select each gear or perhaps even the gear selector itself. If you can remove the centre console, you might be able to locate the offending (loose) fastener that is allowing the gear lever to flop about and not find its proper place.

  If, however, you mean that the vehicle doesn’t want to select Drive properly first thing in the morning and either won’t move or moves very slowly when you accelerate, then you could well be looking at a worn transmission. That said, the same problem can be caused by a transmission that is simply low on fluid, and a top up will put things right. So that’s the first step: Check the owner’s manual for the correct fluid-checking process and try that. If a top-up doesn’t fix it, it’s off to a mechanic. But beware – driving the car in that state could be doing extra damage to the transmission.

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• Holden Astra 2009: What is causing it to sound rough?

  It's always hard when you know there's a problem, but it's never present when there's a mechanic with you. It's hard to diagnose when you can't hear it for yourself, so keep notes on when it occurs and anything you observe that might give the mechanic a clue. Things like, does it do it on cold starts, under acceleration, slowing down, at idle. Even better, record it on your smart phone so you replay it for the mechanic the next time you take it in.

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• Holden Astra 2009: Should the air-conditioning fan last longer than 4 years?

  This is a difficult one; there is no right or wrong answer. The car is four years old, and things do go wrong, even on cars that have only done a few kilometres. I can sympathise with you and generally I believe that components like the heater motor in your case should last longer than they sometimes do, but cars are machines and they don't always go smoothly. I would recommend that you contact Holden's Customer Assistance Service and lodge a claim for compensation. In the normal course of events I would expect them to offer you, at best, part compensation.

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• Holden Astra 2009: What is causing airbag sensor light to come on?

  Get it checked to make sure it is a sensor and not a problem with the airbags. It would be horrible to find out the hard way that there was a problem with the airbags. Before you can start claiming against Holden you need to establish what the problem is. Perhaps it is something that Holden should fix, but you won't know until you find out what's actually wrong.

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