Holden Commodore VT (1997-2000) Questions & Answers (page 3 of 3)

Neil, Buy the time you buy piston compression tool etc, and change the brake fluid which probably has not been replaced since the last set of pads, it will be cheaper and safer to get a mechanic to do it.

Sounds like a short - the current is high each the circuit is energised. What else is on the same circit as the trip computer? That may the problem if the trip computer is ok. Then it may be case of eliminating which electrical item is allowing high current to the body (earth).

Hi Chad, I've bought a 2006 VE Calais with 240000 klm on it, the computer screen just goes off and I'm constantly thumping it on the side for it to come on so I can control the AC, fan speed, the radio, and just so screen is on, I've been told by other's who own VE's with that many klms on them it's just called wear and tear of a VE, I paid $8000 for mine and I've spent $4000 so far, by the time I'm finished spending on it the car will be worth more than I could sell it for, but that's cars for you, the only way you can do great when you buy cars and buying near new cars with low klms from a car salesman and get electrical and computer cover, my next car will be a near new motor car from a car yard with warranty and low klms, the interest rate are cheap as chips, and you'll be surprised of the monthly payments, I hope I've help.

Sounds like you might have a weak spark,
When an engine is under load meaning towing or attempting to accelerate the engine adjusts the ignition curve and adds more fuel this can "wash" the spark out.
When the engine is cruising or idling then its not using much fuel to keep it spinning so the mixture density isnt that strong.
Under acceleration from idle then your using lower gears so the engines not working hard because gears multiply the amount of torque required to turn the tyres.
But when your in top gear and slow to 50-60 and then need to overtake she pops and carries on until you drop back a gear or rise above that mixture density issue.

Most likely its old plugs, leads or a igniter or coil pack. after that its sensors but they are inclined to affect everywhere performance, not just specific rpms.

This sounds like the power steering and it could be because of either low fluid level, or the rack is just worn out . If it is dry around the rack rubbers and no visible sign of leaking then low fluid is the answer, just top it up, but not to much it needs to go only as high as the mark on the resevoir shows as full . If it is leaking however, try sucking all the fluid out using a syphon [available at Supercheap or Repco ] and then fill with RISLONE POWER STEER REPAIR or LUCAS POWER STEER TREATMENT and any noise or leaks should rapidly dissappear . You have to remember your VT is now approaching 18 years old or so, it's therefore due for some maintenance !

Appriciate your answer and advice. Thank you. Will get back to how I got on

The vin number will tell you

Check the tail lights and steering wheel. If the wheel has no buttons on it, then it's a VT. If the tail lights span over the boot, than its a VT

Check the tail lights and steering wheel. If the wheel has no buttons on it, then it's a VT. If the tail lights span over the boot, than its a VT

I have owned a VT supercharged for about 2 months only different so far i seen are rocker cover gaskets are different and the cover's them self to allow for injectors as well as the way the water pipes are run, also compression is lower then normal aspirated one. other then that all the same so far

.

Sorry I don't know.

Perhaps a Holden Australia workshop or a auto electrician shop such as ultratune or kmart tyres and auto might be able to help

Coolant temp sensor needs to be replaced, had same issue in mine. Replaced the sensor and fans worked as they should, does take about 20mins from cold to warm enough for the fans to kick in but you shouldn't have any problems after that

I think it time ⌚ you took your car to a Holden Australia workshop or a mechanical repairs and servicing workshop though it seems like you probably just need a tune up in which case the team at ultratune should be able to help

Mine did the same, blown head gasket, around 1100.00 from memory.

I agree with Danny - head gadgets wreck up very easily

I think code 22 is throttle position sensor error (tps)

I think a code 22 is a hold up in progress at the local corner store.easily fixed, shop at woolies or coles.lol...

These are 'general' things so don't freak out. Every car is different.

Source Just Commodores Forum [link removed]

Gen III Pistons - There are plenty of Gen III's that have never had any oiling issues, whereas there are some that have had excessive oil consumption issues. As we all know, "Bad news" travels twice as fast as "Good news". Apparently GM has changed the piston and ring design 3 times (to suit Australian fuels and oils not USA's) to try to get the oil consumption down, without impeding power or noise. Gen III engines are quite often noisy/rattly when cold (piston or gudgeon noise), which is a result of assembly tolerances. Those types of noises should be reduced as the engine and oil warms.

Gen III Oil Consumption - Oil consumption has been found to be reasonably higher than previous models, with 2.5Ltrs per 10,000Km's being the acceptable limit.

Gen III Oil leaks - On the front left edge of the engine sump, there is a oil pan transfer cover (just above the oil filter). Some Gen III's may leak oil from this area. A possible caused can be porosity in the oil pan transfer cover stud holes. A revised sump was introduced early in 2000. O-Rings were added to the oil pan transfer cover studs (with a gasket as well), to help reduce leaks from this area. In some situations, the sump itself can be porous, and may need to be replaced.
Unfortunately, early production sumps can not have O rings fitted to them, as they have not been counter bored around the transfer cover mounting studs.

Gen III Coolant Leaks - Gen III's have a coolant crossover pipe located below and behind the radiator. The hoses were connected using spring band type clamps. In some cases, these clamps are insufficient, and coolant may leak from this area. Worm drive hose clamps for the cross-over pipe hose connections (larger radiator hoses) have been fitted to vehicles (during production) from mid 2000.
Hose Clamp - Part number 92138604

Gen III Engine Covers - Engine cover rattle at idle, or just above idle speed is common. This is caused by the engine cover contacting the coil/bracket assembly. GMH have revised the support brackets and the mounting nuts. Split covers are readily available which reduce inlet manifold temperature for better performance. In mid 2002, the brackets were again revised with bumpers, and no longer require spacer nuts.

RH Engine Cover Support Bracket (includes new bumper 92138641) - Part number 92087580

LH Engine Cover support Bracket (includes new bumper 92138641) - Part number 92087581

Bumper (15mm high, slotted) - Part number 92138641

Nut - Part number 09440004

Engine cover Insulator (front) - Part number 92086029

The engine cover may also rattle against the hydraulic clutch hose on manuals built before vin # L867194. The clutch hoses may become twisted or distorted and interfere with the engine cover. A revised clutch hose with quick-connect fittings was introduced mid 2002.

Gen III Vibration - Some VT's may suffer from an excessive vibration, which is felt within the vehicle. Vibrations may be felt when A. The vehicle is stationary with the engine idling in gear and the A/C is on, B. When the idle speed drops during automatic gear selection and/or a steering load is applied, or C. During slow acceleration or low speed driving in a low gear, with engine speed between 650 and 1000 rpm. Several areas may cause these issues. One area is the PCM calibration, which was later revised with improved idle speed control. Another area may be a stressed exhaust system. A Bent catalytic converter bracket is an indication that exhaust stress is evident (this should be straight). Spacers can be added to keep this bracket straight when bolted in place.

Catalytic Converter bracket bolt - Part number 90495649
Flat washer (spacer) - Part number 120394

Along with a sequence of loosening and retightening exhaust and mount bolts, extra bolts were added to the rear gearbox mount.

Gearbox mount bolt - Part number 92138301
Gearbox mount nut - Part number 11086962 (torque to 45-55 Nm)

Gen III Belt Squeal - In some cases, Gen III engine serpentine belts will squeal at around 1500 to 1900 rpms. The squeal can occur if the power steering pump pulley is misaligned with the crank pulley and the alternator pulley. The pump pulley may be too close to the pump body or too far forward. This can cause the belt to not track straight and will rub on the front or rear flange of the pulley. An adjustment of the power steering pump pulley (between 1 – 3mm) may be required, to re-align the pulleys.

Some Gen III Automatics may develop a belt chirp/squeal under hard acceleration, during the 1-2 shift.
Decreased damping of the belt tensioner increases this condition, so a revised belt tensioner with increased damping was introduced early 2002.

Belt Tensioner - Part No 92111701

Gearshift Rattles Gen III Manual - Under certain driving conditions some VT's may develop a rattling gear shift lever. This condition is different to gear knob rattle. The cause of the rattle may be due to excessive clearances in the remote shifter linkages. A revised remote shifter was introduced late 2003 to eliminate rattles.

Shifter Upgrade Kit VT/VX type - Part number 92147248

Gen III Vibration - Some VT's may suffer from an excessive vibration, which is felt within the vehicle. Vibrations may be felt when A. The vehicle is stationary with the engine idling in gear and the A/C is on, B. When the idle speed drops during automatic gear selection and/or a steering load is applied, or C. During slow acceleration or low speed driving in a low gear, with engine speed between 650 and 1000 rpm. Several areas may cause these issues. One area is the PCM calibration, which was later revised with improved idle speed control. Another area may be a stressed exhaust system. A Bent catalytic converter bracket is an indication that exhaust stress is evident (this should be straight). Spacers can be added to keep this bracket straight when bolted in place.

LSD Chatter - The original oil and friction modifying additive used in VT and early VX commodores with LSD, can in some cases be ineffective in adequately lubricating the LSD unit, depending on operating temperatures. GMH, in conjunction with SAA (Spicer Axle Australia, formerly BTRE), have revised the oil and additive used to help improve lubricating qualities.
GMH use Mobilube SHC ID (1.5ltrs) in LSD units along with the revised friction modifier (100ml). They suggest no other alternative! The new oil and modifier requires the existing Viton material pinion seal to be replaced with a new Polyacrylic material pinion seal.
Additive Kit - Part number 92145121
Differential trouble - Excessive backlash, noisy differentials, sticking L.S.D.'s are the main issues with VT diffs. In many cases, backlash has been excessive, and has lead to the differential unit being replaced. GMH is now using a alternative additive to try and overcome temperature problems. BTR engineering (who were the previous suppliers of diffs to GMH) were taken over by Dana. Apparently Dana use different materials in their differentials, which expand and contract at different temperatures causing some problems.

Tyre wear - Excessive rear inside tyre wear is common on VT's. Rear camber kits are available to correct wheel angle and reduce tyre wear. Holden recommends only using a 2 way adjustable rear camber kit instead of a 4 way (Adjustable outers with standard inners), because of issues regarding higher speed stability.

Air Conditioning Vibration (Gen III) - In some VT's, a vibration may be felt inside the vehicle while idling in Drive, with air conditioning on. A possible cause could be the plastic end tanks of the radiator contacting the mounting brackets on the radiator support panel. It may also be the radiator retaining clips contacting the plastic end tanks, instead of just the locating rubber. Careful bending of the support brackets will increase clearances (3mm suggested minimum clearance between mounting bracket and tank. 1mm suggested minimum clearance between retaining clips and tank).

Poor Window Demisting - Some VT's may suffer from poor or inadequate air flow from the windscreen demister ducts. Excess foam from the crash pad may be the cause, which restricts demister air flow. Excess foam should be removed. Another possible cause is the floor/demister door in the heater assembly. In some situations, the door activating gear and pivot may not mesh correctly. A revised pivot gear was introduced mid 1998.
Floor Demister door activating gear - Part number 92142452
Some VT's also have inadequate demisting during very cold conditions (5 degrees or below). In some cases, the AC Pressure Transducer may send an incorrect signal to the PCM, which disengages the AC compressor.
Air Conditioning Pressure Transducer - Part number 92142145
Whistling Dash - A whistle noise may be heard from the A/C unit when in fresh air mode and with a high fan speed. A whistle can be caused by incomplete sealing of a door flap on the A/C unit under the dash. Revised actuator rods for the door flap were introduced late 1999.

Actuator Rod - Part number 92143261

Poor Illumination Climate Control Display - Some Climate Control units have poor illumination, which can be caused by faulty globes (6 in total).

Globe and holder clear - Part number 92140515

Globe and holder green - Part number 92140514

Gen III Air Conditioning rumble - Some VT's may have a rumble type noise coming from the dash area when the Air Conditioning is on. A possible cause can be the TX valve of the Air Conditioning Unit. A revised Eaton Brand TX valve (92116220) was introduced January 2002, and a further revision was introduced in April 2002, with the use of a TGK Brand TX valve (92117402) as used in VX V6's from April 2002 onwards.

LHF ABS Sensor - During excessive suspension movement while turning, the left front ABS sensor lead may contact the sway bar link rod. This can cause the lead to become damaged, stretched or disconnected. The ABS warning lamp on the instrument panel will illuminate if damage or disconnection occurs. A retaining clip was introduced late 1999 to limit the leads movement.

ABS Sensor Lead Retaining Clip - Part number 92057758

Strut noises - On certain road conditions such as gravel or loose surfaces, small stones and dirt can enter into the front strut upper support bearing. This may lead to noises or grinding while steering. GMH have introduced a foam dust seal to help reduce this problem.
Front Strut Bearing Dust Shield - Part number 92144452

Gen III Power Steering Leak - On early Gen III's, the return hose that is clamped to the power steering reservoir, may come into contact with the pulley of the power steering pump. A tie strap was introduced mid 1999, to limit the movement of the hose.
Tie strap - Part number 92138212

Steering Rack Boots (Gen III) - Some VT steering rack boots may be damaged by excessive heat from the exhaust system. VT's with extractors are more susceptible to heat damage. Revised silicone steering rack boots were released and are more durable.
Steering Rack Boot - Part number 92146712