Holden Captiva Gearbox & Transmission Problems

Your mechanic is right in deciding that a leak between the engine and gearbox will need the two components to be split to access the problem. Whatever it turns out to be. It could be a broken torque converter which would be expensive, or a simple oil seal which may cost just a few dollars. Either way, though, the labour involved in fixing even that cheap oil seal is going to make this an expensive operation.

Sometimes, you just have to let it go and cut your losses on a car that is starting to become worn out. To be honest, the Holden Captiva was not the most reliable or durable car ever made and many owners have discovered the hard way that this Holden badged car was actually a Daewoo, and not a good Daewoo at that.

The first thing to do is check the fluid level in the transmission. Problems like this are often caused by a low fluid level, so that’s where to start. The problem then is that the Captiva’s transmission doesn’t have a conventional dipstick, so the level is checked by getting the vehicle up to operating temperature and then removing the fill bung (on the transmission next to the left-hand driveshaft. Obviously, you need to car off the ground to do this.

If a little fluid drips out of the fill bung when you remove it, the fluid level is correct. If not, you need to add fluid until it does start to drip back out. If the transmission is low on fluid, you’re also dealing with a leak, because this is a sealed system and should not require top-ups.

Don’t be tempted to continue driving the vehicle as it is, as the fluid not only provides the drive for the transmission, it also lubricates the moving parts. So operating it with a low fluid level can cause permanent damage to the unit.

Transmission faults in this model and variant of the Captiva are common. Holden actually issued a service bulletin for affected cars to check and replace components including the torque converter, electro-hydraulic control components and speed sensors. Symptoms included a loss of drive, flaring or slipping between gears and gear selection problems. I’d say your problems fall within those boundaries. Have the vehicle scanned and if error code P0776 pops up, you have the same conditions that caused Holden to issue the service bulletin back in 2016. From there, talk to a Holden dealer as to what can be done about it.

It could be a computer problem, but it could also be a mechanical one with the driveline of the car which is faulty and is triggering the warning lights you’re seeing. If the body computer is the problem, then those lights on the dashboard and the symptoms you can hear are a distinct possibility. But the noise you’re hearing is more likely to be the anti-lock brake mechanism triggering than the vehicle trying to select four-wheel-drive as the Captiva has constant four-wheel-drive, so it’s always engaged.

The reason it moves slowly when the warnings are present is because it’s going into limp-home mode – probably - to prevent any more harm coming to the vehicle itself. I’d be having it looked at promptly, as any problems with the braking or ABS hardware are, obviously, a safety issue.

The automatic transmission has been a problem for Captiva owners, but you’re unlikely to get much sympathy from Holden on a car that is now 11 years old. How’s to say what might've happened to the transmission in the past 11 years.

It’s likely that the lock-up convertor is not unlocking as it should when it comes out of top gear. Take it to an automatic transmission specialist to check.

I would consult an auto transmission specialist before doing anything. It could be that it only needs servicing.

The gearbox light you mention is a mystery to us, not sure what light you’re talking about, but it’s most unlikely that you need a new timing chain. If you’re concerned about it take it to a Holden dealer and have it checked.

The Captiva doesn’t actually have a four-wheel drive mode in the conventional sense. It employs an all-wheel drive system with all the drive going through the front wheels in normal conditions, but when conditions dictate the drive is redirected to the rear axle as required for maximum traction. I’m not sure what difference having a light on the dash would make, the system would still be working out the best distribution of the drive for best traction, all you would have is a light flashing on the dash. I would find that distracting.

FIRST, the fuel consumption is clearly good, so that's a plus. Your gripes are typical of what you can experience with a smallish outfit that doesn't have the clout, and sometimes the willingness, to press the factory to get things fixed. Adding to your possible woes is the change in local distributors to Sime Darby, the Peugeot distributors for Australia. I'd guess the old distributors have little interest in fixing problems like yours and the incoming distributor may have little more interest in fixing problems left over from the old people.