Engine cannot start when warm but can start again after 15 min later. The first time we experienced this was 6 months after we got the car back in 2002. However 2 months ago, we have the same problem and this time the dealer has to change the timing chain and cost $1500. The only difference we have this time was we have engine warming light on after engine started. Now even though the same problem appeared pretty much the same as last time when we have the car just 6 months, Nissan said it was out of the warranty and will do nothing.

The first time it fixed by replacing the cam sensor as the dealer had put down in the paper. But the process took 2 months on and off. During the repair, the dealer said they have to put another X-Trail next to my car and swapped lot of parts but still can't fix it. They then have to call Japan. But I still don't know what was the real fix back in 2002/2003. The car finally got "fixed" in mid-Jan 2003.

This time, the dealer changed the timing chain (not the same dealer as in the 2002/3 fix) said they have never have problem with timing chain. As far as I know, you don't need to change timing chain in this kind of car unless you have problem. The car run just over 100,000km. What kind of problem could it have?

Does anyone have any similar problem with timing chain with X-Trail?

Has anyone else had a problem with the aircon belt exploding? RACQ (Barcaldine) advised that this was a known problem, Holden dealer states that they know nothing about it.

I have a 2008 LT CL Focus hatchback that has a few problems, and I'd appreciate some feedback/advice on what the causes may be.

Problem number 1 is a rattle noise from the engine when the car is started from cold, and the clutch is fully depressed. The dealer advises that this is "normal" (the words "they all do it" were mentioned). It is the clutch springs making the noise as they heat up and expand. In 30 years of driving I've never heard a similar noise and have no idea if the problem is minor or serious or a pointer to problems in the future. Either way, you don't expect a new car to rattle like an old one.

Problem number 2 is a subtle rattle from the suspension. This was blamed on excessive tyre pressures (I'd been on a long trip and put extra air in the tyres). The dealer reduced the pressures, then claimed the car was functioning to specification despite the fact the noise is still there, and despite the fact the noise was there previously and that they had previously found and fixed some loose bolts in the front suspension.

There are other problems with the car but these are the ones that concern me most. The dealer's attitude, expressed through the Service department and the mechanic who looked at the car was a bit hostile and borderline aggressive. I was invited to go to another Ford dealer and see if they could find a problem.

Wayne

Sorry to hear your story. I suspect your failure is a result of a classic fault with all Kia engines where the cylinder liners slip/move allowing the ingress of oil to mix with the engine coolant forming a messy sludge in the coolant system that can cause overheating in some cases although the majority of vehicle / engine failures show no signs of overheating prior to failure. In some instances it shows up as coolant vanishing & needing constant top ups.

Kia will pretend that they have never come across this problem in the past. Yet there are hundreds of examples listed on this web site? Reply back to me & I will forward some info that may assist. You need to do the following.

Go into much more detail on your story you can't put down too much, detail everything & then re post these revised details on this website, doing this keeps everyone more informed (KM's when bought, who from, has Kia knocked you back etc, Oil in Coolant? water in oil, etc etc.)

1) Lodge a formal request via your local Kia dealer for Kia to repair the vehicle at their cost. Insist they lodge a request with Kia to repair the vehicle at Kia's Cost. they will try & fob you off that you are wasting your time etc.
2) Lodge a formal complaint with your states fair trading.
3) Never believe anything Kia will tell you (they will misrepresent the truth.
4) Do everything in writing & politely request everyone confirm their answers / replies to you in writing.
5) Rest assured you are not on your own there are thousands before you that have been through this & unfortunately there will be many more.

Dale

Hi Guys, my 2000 City Astra's Aircon has been a nightmare to repair. A mobile air conditioning mechanic fitted a brand new compressor to the unit and then wanted to charge me $900+ after telling me the aircon still has an electrical fault and needs to be seen by an auto electrician!

No audio using infra red headsets. Headsets have new batteries and red light is illuminated for 30 secs and then goes out. Looks like infra red not detected or system is not emitting infra red. Is there any way to detect if infra red is being emitted?

Anyone got some tips for getting Kia DVD sound working?

Can shift lever into all gears but transmission jammed in 2nd gear.

I too wish to report air con problems. My car had air conditioning problems just out of warranty and as per other correspondents, it cost me $1000 to get it fixed and was told it was a problem with the clutch (worn out with overuse? when I’m not usually driving it in height of summer as interstate?).

Holden Australia refused to acknowledge there was an issue and then I found 7 other Astra owners with the same problem and was going to go to Consumer Affairs but it was all too hard. The 8th owner, told me about the diode replacement trick! I enter this comment just because I can at least register what a problem this is with many Astras and then maybe someone with time (and enough anger) will finally go after Holden about this design fault and the inappropriate $700-1000 repair bills.

Had the same problem early this year. Oil is critical and have found Mobil Synth S or if you can afford it Mobil One OK. My problem was caused by the fact that the Oil Pick up in the sump broke off and had to have car be towed to Holden dealer, common complaint apparently. There are two pickups, one for lubrication and one for the fuel injection system. The injection pickup has a habit of cracking or in my case falling off, making the fuel system inoperative. Cost me $450.00 to have fixed. Hope this helps.

Peter

Daryl,
Pay no attention the hypothesis of the mechanic about the fluid level as it is flawed. The premature clutch failure on the Navara is a very common problem as can be seen on this site. Make a lot of noise to Nissan and your dealer and hope for the best result.

Good Luck,
Mark.

I have a weird engine light issue - VY2 on Factory LPG - Gas workshop replaced mixer with new unit and also spark plugs. Engine light still occurred - changed leads to stainless gas leads. Next time on Freeway speeds took 40 km to re-occur (instead of 4km) - stops when change to petrol. Doesn’t occur around city speeds on gas below 95kmh - only sustained 100kph.

Codes that service check produced TPS and 02 sensor. Doesn’t occur on petrol though so must be 02 sensors? So is it a worn TPS?

Service tech gaps plugs at .9mm (because he’s scared of Backfires). I find running small gaps on my car causes rough running - put back one stage colder NGK at 1.4mm and runs a lot smoother too. The guys a nutter - he even redlined the engine to produce fault in workshop when I told him it only occurs at 1800rpm?

On last trip even though engine light was occurring was getting 9 litres? 100km. Any ideas welcome.

Hello, I've just bought a 2003 Astra. There’s a ticking coming from motor area. Dealer reckons that's normal with Astra's if they sit too long. Is this true? He said it goes away when you drive it for awhile.

Holden Astras must be serviced properly, and only use genuine filters and the correct fluids (see chapter 8). You can not treat them like a Kingswood and expect them to run well. Look at chapter 12 of the user's manual ($30 from a dealer if you don't have one) and make sure everything is being done on schedule. Most garages and dealers are really slack and only interested in how many cars they can put through in a day (i.e. maximum profit). For example, my wife's 2003 Zafira has been serviced 3 times, only at Holden dealers, over a period of 5 years, and never have they changed the brake fluid - the manual says do it every 2 years regardless of klm's.

I recently bought a 2000 TS Astra that had no power below 1500rpm, would jump and jerk under acceleration, and would stall when coming back to idle regularly. This is probably why the previous owners sold it to me for a bargain. They had it "serviced" at a garage "regularly". The problem was caused by a clogged fuel filter, which was 6000klm overdue, according to the user's manual. A genuine filter cost me $19 from a dealer, and 15 minutes under the car to swap it over. The scariest thing was that they had installed a non-genuine air filter, and had to adjust it with a razor blade, to make it fit. Thankfully it was fairly clean, so it had not been in for long (it now has the right one installed). The wrong air filter will cause a $1500 engine rebuild for sure.

My Astra now runs like a new car again, and I am servicing both vehicles myself from now on (my father is a retired mechanic though, which is good for me). When you go to a garage or dealer take the manual in with you and specifically ask them to follow the list. You can even ring Holden directly and ask them for recommendations. I had to do it once, when I suspected a dealer was lying to me.

Also, if the "Check Engine" light is not coming on, don't waste your time looking at the electronics. Look for a mechanical problem first or a basic electrical problem. e.g. If your battery is weak, the ECU can be starved by the electrical power steering pump, and when computers don't have the right voltage they will do all sorts of stupid things. Astra's need a 'big' battery for a small car.

I hope this helps someone. I have driven a lot of different hire cars and I chose to buy an Astra. I am very happy with it. It is a great car to drive.

After looking for ages for a decent 4 cylinder automatic second car/runabout for my wife, I came across a 2001 Corolla (the last of the bubble shaped hatchbacks) with a genuine 58000 km on the odometer at a private sale. This car was in very good condition so I was prepared to pay the top book price for a private sale. I had a 60000 km service done and a thorough mechanical check.. it only needed oil and filter change as everything else was in A1 condition. The car is very economical and reliable and happily sits on the 130kph speed limit on the Stuart Highway in the NT. It still has enough zip to safely overtake road trains and crazed campervan tourists.

It obviously is no sports car but it feels quite solid on the road and is fun to drive. This car should be around for another 100,000 km with regular maintenance. It doesn't look too bad for a 7 year old design when sitting next to our Aurion Prodigy in the garage.
We bought this car because all the research I read recommended this Corolla model and advised that you should grab one if you could find a good example. We looked at other makes but the Toyota reputation (and they sell heaps of Toyotas in the NT) sold us on this car. We made the right choice.

VACC and its Service Station and Convenience Store Division (SSCSD) have refuted claims by Assistant Treasurer, Mr Chris Bowen, that the defeat of a national Fuelwatch scheme has “given the green light” to “collusion in the retail petrol market”.

Mr Bowen made the allegations in an interview on Skynews Agenda following the Senate’s recent vote against Fuelwatch.

Mr Bowen was referring to previous comments by Chairman of the ACCC, Graeme Samuel, that the Informed Sources price monitoring service, used by retailers was “…as close to illegal collusion as you can get, but it is not illegal”.

“We totally refute the inference that there is collusion in the independent sector of the retail fuel industry,” SSCSD Chairman, Fury Bortolotto, said.

“For a start, very few independent service station operators can afford to use the services of Informed Sources.

“And secondly, collusion suggests a secret or illegal agreement among retailers. This could not be further from the truth. In today’s competitive market, independent service station owners are only ever looking at the micro market of their immediate area,” Mr Bortolotto said.

Mr Bortolotto’s comments have the support of the VACC, the peak automotive industry body in Victoria.

“Of course independent service station owners try to match or better their competition in order to maintain their customer base,” VACC Executive Director, David Purchase said.

“But it is not secret or underhand. In fact it is very much out in the open, quite literally, because the best way to check a competitor’s price is to walk outside the service station and look at the boards along the road.

“If Mr Bowen, the Government and the ACCC are serious about bringing down the price of fuel, they are best advised to stop trying to point the finger of blame at retailers, and instead have a good look at what is happening at the wholesale level.

“Fair and equitable access to fuel at the wholesale level is the only way to ensure true competition at the bowser. VACC and SSCSD are delighted to see the in-coming Petrol Commissioner, Mr Joe Dimasi, has acknowledged this by stating that if any investigating that needs to be done, it is at the transparency of the wholesale level.

“VACC and the SSCSD will be only too willing to co-operate with Mr Dimasi in any way they can, if it means finally breaking-up the unfair advantage at the point of purchase enjoyed by Caltex, Shell and their supermarket partners,” Mr Purchase said.

I had the exact same problem in my 95 EFII. Water was leaking in through the nylon inserts that the number plate screws go into. Found this out by lying in the boot while it was raining.

I too have a 2001 Patrol which has just blown pistons and turbo at 166000km. Never again will I buy a Nissan and I will repower this one with a 6.5lt Chev.

Hi everyone. Yes I was one of those owners who got caught out with a blown engine for my Zafira. Now I am trying to find a new motor for it to get fixed. I did speak with my most helpful and understanding Holden Local dealership which we had current servicing for the car with them. They took no responsibility for the motor even when it had appeared to have no sump plug either.

So, if you’re going to think of buying a Zafira find out what responsibility Holden is going to take because at the moment people are paying money for nothing and the money is greasing up in Holdens pocket (punt intended). So if anyone could tell me where I can get another motor that would be most helpful.

Thanks, Fiona

The Australian Automobile Dealer Association (Vic), the new car division of VACC, is calling on the Federal Government for decisive leadership, and action, to secure a solution to the dealer finance crisis.

The AADA (Vic) is urging Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Treasurer, Wayne Swan, to realise the gravity of the situation and the potential for large scale job losses should a solution not be found.

“The time has come for a decisive lead from the Federal Government on this crisis,” VACC Executive Director, David Purchase said.

“Time is running out for new car dealers. Those affected by the withdrawal of GMAC Financial Services and GE Money have only until December 31, barely five weeks away, to secure wholesale finance for their dealerships. Without it, they will close.

“AADA (Vic) and VACC are calling on the Government to put pressure on the credit providers to extend their 60 day deadline.

“It can take months for a car dealer to secure new credit finance, made worse by the credit crisis affecting financial markets. There are only 37 days left of 2008. Any dealer who needs new finance and does not have it in place by now is at serious risk of closure. This could result in thousands of job losses.

“Drastic times call for drastic measures. This may be the opportunity for Government, credit financiers and dealers to explore new methods of financing the industry:

Could new finance be fast-tracked?
Can more credit companies, banks and financial institutions be enticed to branch into floorplan finance?
Can existing contracts be renegotiated?
Can GE and GMAC be prevailed upon to extend the December 31 deadline?
Can interest payments be suspended?
“VACC and AADA (Vic) have written to GMAC Financial Services, GE Money, State and Federal Governments laying bare the gravity of the situation. We are exploring every means possible to alleviate this situation.

“We need a solution, and we need it quickly. For that we may need the intervention of Government,” Mr Purchase said.

Have had the same issue... I thought it was strange at the time, however I am starting to think that the symptoms you describe may have something to do with my clutch failing at 35000k's.

I know how you are feeling. Mine was bought brand new - first brand new car I have been able to purchase in my life. It has 35000 k's on the clock and the clutch has gone completely. Nissan say that they will remove the clutch and test the clamping pressure and if that is ok then the cost to replace will be mine.

The car has been off road on gravel once, has not towed a thing in its life and I drive it to and from work some 70 k's a day... some "work horse" it has turned out to be.

One thing I did notice is that the brake/clutch fluid compartment (for the hydraulic operated clutch piston) was completely full, something that was apparently topped up in my service some 3000 k's ago. One hypothesis from a mechanic I paid to do a preliminary report on the vehicle, was that under brakes and with the clutch pedal depressed the fluid will expand. If the reservoir is completely full then the fluid will still hold the piston cylinder out when you let the clutch pedal out i.e. the clutch will not fully engage. Whether this has caused the malfunction or not, I am amazed that with today’s technology, a clutch could malfunction within 35000 k's.

I have been driving a manual for 17 years, yes all of my driving life, and have never yet been Able to blow a clutch plate out let alone have one go on me when I am getting older and driving my new baby like a knitted cardigan and tartan cap wearing, dare I say it Volvo driver.

However the solution is fairly simple, they either fix it under warranty or I trade the useless thing in on a Hilux.

I have a Patrol 3ltr turbo diesel, it has only traveled 166,000 km and the motor has destroyed itself (piston failure) a common problem that Nissan won’t admit to. After 100,000km it stripped 5th gear and was out of warranty but Nissans eventually repaired the problem.

How can a company sell these unreliable vehicles and get away with it? It appears they fixed the problem after 2004 but I do not trust them. I will be replacing the engine Not with a Nissan no matter what anyone says but with a Chev diesel and will remove all badges referring to Nissan. I have already put a few of my friends off buying one either new or 2nd hand and will never never buy anything with Nissan ever ever again!

My fuel pump stopped working but when connected directly to the battery it works.

Please could someone advise me on why my fuel pump works perfectly when the engine management system is bypassed? No one seems to be able to find the problem. I was driving off-road and it just died on me and had to be towed to the nearest town. The only thing they could do was connect it directly to the power. I would very much appreciate any advice.

I have a 2001 Patrol 3ltr ZD30 engine just done 166,000km and has blown piston and turbo. Not game to trust another Nissan engine so I am repowering with a Brunswick Chev 6.5 diesel. I think the extra expense will be worth it in the long run.

Barry

Can someone help please? Fully charged battery, no ignition power going to solenoid on starter, all fuses ok... so?