WM Caprice Problems

[EvokeWM]

Unfortunately I've had quite a few problems with my WM Caprice. I'm interested to know whether other WM Caprice owners have had similar problems.

The knocking noise from the front suspension is the most annoying problem. Its been in 4 times to have the problem fixed and each time the dealer says "fixed it this time". When I drive it out, it's still doing it. This week I'm taking the foreman for a drive so we can all agree what it is we are trying to fix (in the past the workshop has said it heard the noise and was fixing it). Has anyone else had this problem? If so, what was the fix?

Here is the list (so far).....

- Battery goes flat for no apparent reason - can't unlock car without alarm going off (occurred twice) - fixed after BCU reflashed with updated s/w.

- Key remote buttons fail, remote's clamshell splits open - both remotes replaced twice then replaced with new design remote (design flaw)

- Speed alert changes set speed all own its own (unresolved)

- Handbrake cover falls off - new handbrake cover fitted (design flaw)

- Driver's seat control panel warps showing seat control wiring

- Tyre pressure monitoring system fault - unit "recalibrated" by dealer.

- Knocking noise from front suspension over uneven roads - been in for this to be fixed 4 times and still unresolved (although they found an engine and gearbox mount loose !

- Roof mounted DVD player faulty from Day 1 - took 4 months for a replacement unit to be ordered in - no spares were available.

- 6sp transmission has harsh gear changes - reflashed twice but no improvement (unresolved)

- Engine idles at 1,000 rpm when cold - takes off rapidly unless brake pedal firmly depressed (unresolved)

- Cruise control speed set switch often unresponsive - need to turn off then turn on again cruise control in order to change cruise speed (unresolved)

- Passenger seat lumbar support motor driven adjustment intermittent (unresolved)

- Auto dipping passenger side mirror (for seeing gutter when reversing) does not always dip (unresolved)

- Front mp3 input socket has a poor electrical connection (unresolved)

- Radio channel change scroll wheel often intermittent (unresolved)

[Freebaggin]

Hmmm, what month and year was it made? Long list.

[LSX-438]

I've had no issues with my WM, it was built October 07. We've only travelled a couple of thousand k's though.

[Carby]

A few of those problems are familiar to our VE SV6 - Holden has to smarten up it's quality - a good ride will soon sour if the stupid thing needs to go back to the dealer all the time.

[CapriceMe]

I'll be watching this thread for sure - I was looking to purchase one in Feb this year... Maybe I'll wait till the update?? Thoughts?

Evoke - any luck with Holden on these matters, as opposed to the dealer?

[EvokeWM]

Hmmm, what month and year was it made? Long list.

It is a Dec 06 build delivered in Feb 07.

[German Statesman]

Only dramas with my flatmate's new limo is the stupid dealer put the paint protection over a dirty car LOL

[EvokeWM]

I'll be watching this thread for sure - I was looking to purchase one in Feb this year... Maybe I'll wait till the update?? Thoughts?

Evoke - any luck with Holden on these matters, as opposed to the dealer?

I haven't raised any issues direct with Holden yet but will if the suspension knocking sound isn't fixed the next time I take it in to the dealer.

Frankly I had high hopes for this vehicle, given all the media reports on it, but its been disappointing. I previously had a Statesman before the Caprice and the Stateman was a more comfortable (and reliable) long distance drive. Ignoring the quality issues I've had, the vehicle's achilles heel IMO is the 6sp auto. It has very harsh indecisive gear changes and makes it impossible to drive the vehicle smoothly. I think the extra weight and hence inertia of the Caprice over a Commodore exacerbates the 6sp box problems. For example, when moving off from stationary, initially the throttle is unresponsive then the vehicle will move off quickly. Backing off the throttle a little to slow down the vehicle after the rapid take off results in the transmission immediately changing up gears with a loud thunk that can also be felt in the vehicle. If you need to accelerate quickly, the throttle has to be pushed well down while the transmission thinks about it for several seconds. It will then rapidly change down two gears and the vehicle will rocket off. This, along with the noisy suspension, takes away from the vehicles luxury feel. (Shame as the Caprice is a great looking vehicle).

By the way, two more issues to add:

- water entry into LED side turn indicators (this probably won't be an easy fix as the LED bar is mounted on a vehicle coloured plastic piece).

- engine operation warning light comes on and off from time to time. Handbook indicates that this is an emission warning indicator (oxygen sensors faulty??)

[Titanium]

Your car sounds possessed, try an exorcisim ...... :)

Shame about the bad run of luck.

The handbrake cover breaking is an issue right across the VE range.

PS - A lot of the issues sound consistent with water submersion, not a car from a flooded dealer up north is it?

[STATIE]

- Tyre pressure monitoring system fault - unit "recalibrated" by dealer.

- Knocking noise from front suspension over uneven roads - been in for this to be fixed 4 times and still unresolved (although they found an engine and gearbox mount loose !


The tyre pressure monitoring fault is a carry over from the WL's and we have replaced every component in the system and it still faults occasionally.

The front suspension knock is another common commodore/statesman fault that I have had in the WH11 & the WL easily fixed by a competent mechanic.

[HSV Listy]

I hired one for 2 weeks. Just a statesman with 9000km. Found a few issues but nothing too nasty. V6 version. 5 speed

1. I found the glovebox would not close without both hands pushing hard to get the right hand side to lock. (warranty I would say)
2. The air recirculation did not make any difference. Smells still come in wheater it was on or off.(warranty I would say)
3. The boot did not come up on its own. Pressed the button and you had to manually lift it. I presume it should pop up under its own weight as there is no where to lift it from.(warranty I would say)
4. The steering was terribly sensative sitting on 100km. Found it very difficult to corner smoothly for a good ride
5. Highway economy over 2500km was 10.5l/100. Most was 100km/h driving. Nearly 0 city driving. I was expecing better but it is a heavy car
6. The auto box confused itself when on a hill with cruise on. It seems to always kick back 2 gears and take off. Scared me on a couple of occasions taking off up a hill around a corner. Later my bro told me to use the manaul setting and put the gear back before the hills. It worked very well but a pain to do all the time.
7. Handbrake angle and grip was too sharp and you had to lift your elbow to access it but this is common on all models. I could not get used to it
8. The high beam was rubbish. My old GTS has better. For a luzury car it should be better. Go the upgraded lights.
9. I am a taller bloke, the inside leather stitching on the door opening handle hit right on the corner of my knee. Real pain as this is how it was with the BA falcons. Silly to put hard leather sticing right there. Should be padded or somthing.
10. The rear seats not a cosy as I would have thought. Seemed a little more padding would be good. You also sit quite low in the back and suffer from lack of view out the window.
11. The power steering pump wined when at full lock. Did not sound good.
12. The throttle was touchy when the car was cold. Seemed to take off.

Good things

1. Looks really good. Grills looks flash all be it a little plasticy
2. Really confortable both in front seats and ride. Lacked a bit of side susport in the seats but good for sure. Trim was nice.
3. Handling not as good as I was expecting but they are cruisers and this was exactly what it was.
4. The boot is massive and really long but a camry boot is higher. You can not stand up most suitcases. Camrys I could
5. The flick key ring was cool. My 2 year old spent most of her time playing with it. Me too.
6. When you start the car all you have to do it click it to the start position and it will crank over until it is started. Great thing. The old models it used to be a pain if you did not hold the key there long enough and the electronics got confused.

7. Best thing I found was the auto sencing wipers. Bloody brilliant and calibrated perfectly. All the weather I run into it wiped as fast as I wanted to perfrection. Stupid weather over most of QLD so it was great to have. If you put an option of you car get these. Just watch out for insurance and make sure you get a free windscreen each year and I think they are about $900 a pop

Good car over all but way too many drawback for me. Hertz rent them a really good prices if you get the free upgrades through RACQ or NRMA etc.

Hope you sort out all your issues.

[EvokeWM]

Your car sounds possessed, try an exorcisim ...... :)

Shame about the bad run of luck.

The handbrake cover breaking is an issue right across the VE range.

PS - A lot of the issues sound consistent with water submersion, not a car from a flooded dealer up north is it?

Exorcism.....not a bad idea

Re the water submersion. no ivehicle was ordered direct from factory (not a dealer stock or SA holding yard vehicle). Had to wait many months for it. The water in the indicator only came after it first rained. It then got condensation trapped in it and never dries out.


I hired one for 2 weeks. Just a statesman with 9000km. Found a few issues but nothing too nasty. V6 version. 5 speed

1. I found the glovebox would not close without both hands pushing hard to get the right hand side to lock. (warranty I would say)
2. The air recirculation did not make any difference. Smells still come in wheater it was on or off.(warranty I would say)
3. The boot did not come up on its own. Pressed the button and you had to manually lift it. I presume it should pop up under its own weight as there is no where to lift it from.(warranty I would say)
4. The steering was terribly sensative sitting on 100km. Found it very difficult to corner smoothly for a good ride
5. Highway economy over 2500km was 10.5l/100. Most was 100km/h driving. Nearly 0 city driving. I was expecing better but it is a heavy car
6. The auto box confused itself when on a hill with cruise on. It seems to always kick back 2 gears and take off. Scared me on a couple of occasions taking off up a hill around a corner. Later my bro told me to use the manaul setting and put the gear back before the hills. It worked very well but a pain to do all the time.
7. Handbrake angle and grip was too sharp and you had to lift your elbow to access it but this is common on all models. I could not get used to it
8. The high beam was rubbish. My old GTS has better. For a luzury car it should be better. Go the upgraded lights.
9. I am a taller bloke, the inside leather stitching on the door opening handle hit right on the corner of my knee. Real pain as this is how it was with the BA falcons. Silly to put hard leather sticing right there. Should be padded or somthing.
10. The rear seats not a cosy as I would have thought. Seemed a little more padding would be good. You also sit quite low in the back and suffer from lack of view out the window.
11. The power steering pump wined when at full lock. Did not sound good.
12. The throttle was touchy when the car was cold. Seemed to take off.





Thanks for your feedback on your experience with the Statesman.

Re your issues:

1. Glovebox - agree it needs two hands to generally close it (or slam it shut with one hand!)
2. Air Recirculation - I've found that if you have it set to recirculate then turn the fan down to minimum (because it gets too noisy for example), it will automatically revert to fresh air (safety design)
3. Boot release - no, the release just pops it about 1cm. You then need to lift it the rest of the way. Agree, there is nothing to grab to lift it apart from the chrome boot strip.
4. Steering - agree it is too sensitive and it has too much spring loaded self-centering. Makes driving tiring as you have to continually pull on the wheel when off centre. (a friend who has a Monaro told me this was the case with his Monaro as well and it made country driving tiring)
5. Fuel consuption - yes it is thirsty.
6. Cruise control works well slowing the vehicle from running away down hills but agree it scares you when it decides to drop two gears near the crest of a hill and rockets off. This forces you to hit the brakes which of course deactivates cruise control. Ahhhhhh....
7. Handbrake, yes weird when up but neat solution when down.
8. Xenons on Caprice. Very nice :)
9. Had same problem with hard stitching in wrong place. Also door armrest too low and sports steering wheel has hard narrow edge under your palm in normal driving 9 and 3 position. Makes hands very sore on long trips.
10. Rear seats in Caprice are different - almost bucket seats. Very nice and great place to snooze when wife driving on long trips.
11. Power steering - on full lock often loses power assistance (dealer said its a known issue - how helpful !)
12. Touchy throttle when cold - same issue I have.

[Janus]

Hey EvokeWM,

Yeah I saw that we have many of the same issues.

I am booking my car in for service tomorrow. I will be faxing them my list of problems when I do to make sure that they know what I want done and get the stuff in that they need, as previously I have taken it in and they say that they don't have the parts etc and I will have to bring it back in in like a weeks time.

Will let you know how it goes and if they actually fix anything.

[Slimbo]

Yikes.......

Have i bought another lemon like my WL Caprice, i hope not, lt's ok at the moment.

I had 5 engines in my WL, i think i was the only one in the country to have 5 engines, the first 4 services in that car was a new motor for a oil change, funny now but wasn't at the time.

The only things i don't like about the WM are,

1/ I'm not tall, 5ft 10" and my head touches the roof
2/ The steering wheel is hard to the touch compared with the WL
3/ Handbrake Lever is weird, keep hitting my knuckles on the console when i release it
4/ Don't like the black trim on the inside of the car, roof and pillars that is, guess i will get used to it.
5/ I can't install my very extensive Pioneer ODR Sound System, although saying that, i am quite impressed with the way the Bose ????? sound system sounds, about the only thing i will do is replace the speakers that are in the car with the Pioneer ODR speakers, that will improve the sound even more, including removing the ???? subs in the parcel shelf and putting the ODR 12" Sub in place where the rear seat folds down.

Apart from all that, great car, just hope i don't end up having another 5 engines with this one.


Yikes.......

Have i bought another lemon like my WL Caprice, i hope not, lt's ok at the moment.

I had 5 engines in my WL, i think i was the only one in the country to have 5 engines, the first 4 services in that car was a new motor for a oil change, funny now but wasn't at the time.

The only things i don't like about the WM are,

1/ I'm not tall, 5ft 10" and my head touches the roof
2/ The steering wheel is hard to the touch compared with the WL
3/ Handbrake Lever is weird, keep hitting my knuckles on the console when i release it
4/ Don't like the black trim on the inside of the car, roof and pillars that is, guess i will get used to it.
5/ I can't install my very extensive Pioneer ODR Sound System, although saying that, i am quite impressed with the way the Bose ????? sound system sounds, about the only thing i will do is replace the speakers that are in the car with the Pioneer ODR speakers, that will improve the sound even more, including removing the ???? subs in the parcel shelf and putting the ODR 12" Sub in place where the rear seat folds down.

Apart from all that, great car, just hope i don't end up having another 5 engines with this one.

Did i say WL Caprice, i mean WH Caprice

[hdj105]

Unfortunately I've had quite a few problems with my WM Caprice. I'm interested to know whether other WM Caprice owners have had similar problems.

- Tyre pressure monitoring system fault - unit "recalibrated" by dealer.

- Knocking noise from front suspension over uneven roads - been in for this to be fixed 4 times and still unresolved (although they found an engine and gearbox mount loose !

- Engine idles at 1,000 rpm when cold - takes off rapidly unless brake pedal firmly depressed (unresolved)

- Radio channel change scroll wheel often intermittent (unresolved)

Those above are familiar, don't know if the reflash at the recent 15k service fixed the LH scroll wheel, I read here that it was supposed to. (Dealers are supposed to also keep the vehicle overnight after reflashes to ensure the battery doesn't go flat ;-)

He's also had a split fuel tank and a split / cracked washer bottle.

On top of those Dad's rear tyres are stuffed, although no one is admitting so it appears to be an alignment issue.

[lollymanv8]

- Knocking noise from front suspension over uneven roads - been in for this to be fixed 4 times and still unresolved (although they found an engine and gearbox mount loose !



My ve ss also makes similar clanking,clunking noises over road bumps/holes but it doesn't happen all the times! At the last service the foreman and I were driving around for about half hour and the front suspension behaved perfectly! And of course on the way back home, it was clunking and clanking over every road bump/hole... argh... I'll have to get it checked out again at the next service.

[EvokeWM]

Yikes.......

Have i bought another lemon like my WL Caprice, i hope not, lt's ok at the moment.

I had 5 engines in my WL, i think i was the only one in the country to have 5 engines, the first 4 services in that car was a new motor for a oil change, funny now but wasn't at the time.

The only things i don't like about the WM are,

1/ I'm not tall, 5ft 10" and my head touches the roof
2/ The steering wheel is hard to the touch compared with the WL
3/ Handbrake Lever is weird, keep hitting my knuckles on the console when i release it
4/ Don't like the black trim on the inside of the car, roof and pillars that is, guess i will get used to it.
5/ I can't install my very extensive Pioneer ODR Sound System, although saying that, i am quite impressed with the way the Bose ????? sound system sounds, about the only thing i will do is replace the speakers that are in the car with the Pioneer ODR speakers, that will improve the sound even more, including removing the ???? subs in the parcel shelf and putting the ODR 12" Sub in place where the rear seat folds down.

Apart from all that, great car, just hope i don't end up having another 5 engines with this one.



Did i say WL Caprice, i mean WH Caprice

I think I've been unlucky with my Caprice. If they were all like this there should be more posts on this forum about them. Hire car drivers seem to like them. They certainly look great. I get comments about the vehicle looking really good all the time.

The Bose system is really good on DVDs when in 5.1 surround mode. It's only average otherwise.

The black trim all over took a while to get used to. Now I don't notice it that much (not so bad in a vehicle as large inside as a Caprice but I found it too dark on a Calais V I test drove).

The fat A-pillar on the Caprice is a real problem, particularly in the wet when visibility out of the windscreen is reduced. It's so wide that you have to move in the driver's seat to look around it on some corners - its that obstructive.

Hopefully I get the problems fixed soon and start to enjoy the ride.


My ve ss also makes similar clanking,clunking noises over road bumps/holes but it doesn't happen all the times! At the last service the foreman and I were driving around for about half hour and the front suspension behaved perfectly! And of course on the way back home, it was clunking and clanking over every road bump/hole... argh... I'll have to get it checked out again at the next service.

My clunking problem is weird. It's usually quiet after its been in and they have checked it out and tightened everything but by the next day its back. I can't believe whatever is coming loose loosens up so quickly. Still reckon the shocks are faulty. They sound like they rattle around in the towers.

[Slimbo]

Get them to check the front stabalizer bar, i know in the WL and VT they were a problem, my WL and my wifes VT both had the problem, ended up being the rubber mounts, once replaced, problem solved.

I have noticed a knock in the rear left when i go over a large bump in the new one, battery might not be tightened down enough, can't check it though as i stuffed my shoulder removing two car stereo's a week before Christmas.

Yes the first thing i did notice was the pillar in the Caprice, my wife has the new VE Calais and she can't believe it either, visibility is really poor from inside the car looking over your right shoulder as well, time we will get used to it.

If you hadn't guessed, i picked my Caprice and the Wifes Calais up on the same day (28/12/07), we are both still getting used to them, much better to drive as you would expect than the old cars.

[BigFella]

its interesting reading all these things goin wrong with the VE sedan and Statesmans.
Im sad that the quality still isnt that good and im reading about so many people having problems with a brand new car.
I love the VE heaps, ive driven a few and loved most of them.

Maybe one day holden will catch up to the build quality of the japs? i hope so.
Ive had a VS and VX calais and had very little problems indeed. I see so many more probs with all these new ones though.

[CapriceMe]

I agree with you mate - it is very disappointing indeed that a car that cost in excess of $70K can have so many problems.

Interestingly, I bought a BMW 5 Series in 2002 (E39 540 M sport) and thought that it was going to be the bee's knee's in quality. For me, it was - not one issue in the time I owned it - just a beautiful car.
I joined the BMW clubs etc to enjoy it a bit more and learn the idiosyncrasies of the car and it became obvious that these cars are just like our Aust. counterparts - they had issues pages long with their cars. Then it dorned on me, an E-Class or 5 Series is a taxi in Europe, just like our 'dores and Falc's. Speaking with the owners, it cost considerably more to fix them too!!

In 2006, I sold my 5 and came back to the Aust. metal. Whilst they don't have the solid 'clonk' of the germans, nor the fit, finish or prestige, it does cost a shit load less to own... Service is bugger-all and most replacement parts cost stuff all too once out of warranty. But damn I miss it!

Anyway, my point is - it's very disappointing that our manufacturers continue to brag that these cars are world quality, but after posts like EvokeWM's I seriously doubt the companies claims... I'll still look at the Caprice next month or so, but I'll be very cautious...

Cheers

[TheRiddler]

- Engine idles at 1,000 rpm when cold - takes off rapidly unless brake pedal firmly depressed (unresolved)


Don't they do this so that the catalysts get hot or something? For emissions?
But who cares about emissions hey. :xmas:

[AAJ8A8]

Just joined the forum today.. Had my V8 WM Caprice since Mar 07.

Went to start the car today, and completely dead. This happened a few months after I bought the car and they told me was a software issue related to the new type of battery. Once fixed shouldn't happen again. Lets see what they say this time.

Havent had any major problems, noises etc, except for the following:
-Battery s/w problem (twice now)
-Rear LCD video display failed causing DVD unit to not work. (Screen replaced last week under warranty), and now appears to work fine. They tell me this is a common problem. So if your DVD unit stops working it might be a failed screen.
-My Car was delievered without the Sat Nav. Told would be 1 month due to hold up by supplier in Germany. 6 weeks later after pushing the local dealer, they told me part was in, and installed the wrong one (turn by turn instead of full colour map)!!!! Wasnt until I pointed it out they admitted it was the wrong one!! After I wrote a letter to Denny Mooney, got a call from his personal assistant and full color map was installed within a week and havent had any problems with Sat Nav since. By the time installed was about 9weeks since delivery of vehicle.
-When I test drove the car, the 'tyre pressure sensor fault' showed in display. Was told would be reprogrammed and wouldnt be a problem when I took delivery. My WM has the 20" rims, and when I looked the valves looked normal and not the senor type, was told they would check. Took delivery of car, and after half an hour 'tyre pressure sensor fault' in display again. Cut a long story short here, the sensors were not installed, and had to be ordered and installed. 2 weeks waiting on this one.
-My glove box doest shut properly either, so once its shut I try not to use it!

Look forward to more posts, overall I love the car.....

[Janus]

I have my car booked in for Monday, for them to have a look at it, and Thursday should they, which I think they will, need more time to fix it all.

If they can't get everything done on the day I will be asking them for a replacement car whilst they work on mine.

Will let you know how it goes.

[Jag530G]

Just joined the forum today.. Had my V8 WM Caprice since Mar 07.

Went to start the car today, and completely dead. This happened a few months after I bought the car and they told me was a software issue related to the new type of battery. Once fixed shouldn't happen again. Lets see what they say this time.

Havent had any major problems, noises etc, except for the following:
-Battery s/w problem (twice now)
-Rear LCD video display failed causing DVD unit to not work. (Screen replaced last week under warranty), and now appears to work fine. They tell me this is a common problem. So if your DVD unit stops working it might be a failed screen.
-My Car was delievered without the Sat Nav. Told would be 1 month due to hold up by supplier in Germany. 6 weeks later after pushing the local dealer, they told me part was in, and installed the wrong one (turn by turn instead of full colour map)!!!! Wasnt until I pointed it out they admitted it was the wrong one!! After I wrote a letter to Denny Mooney, got a call from his personal assistant and full color map was installed within a week and havent had any problems with Sat Nav since. By the time installed was about 9weeks since delivery of vehicle.
-When I test drove the car, the 'tyre pressure sensor fault' showed in display. Was told would be reprogrammed and wouldnt be a problem when I took delivery. My WM has the 20" rims, and when I looked the valves looked normal and not the senor type, was told they would check. Took delivery of car, and after half an hour 'tyre pressure sensor fault' in display again. Cut a long story short here, the sensors were not installed, and had to be ordered and installed. 2 weeks waiting on this one.
-My glove box doest shut properly either, so once its shut I try not to use it!

Look forward to more posts, overall I love the car.....

Hello Andrew, I wondered when you get round to joining the forum. Now it is time for you to investigate the wonderful world of Edit and get some more power - trust me you won't be able to help yourself.

Cheers Matthew (Noosa)

[EvokeWM]

Well it looks like its another trip back to the dealer. Today the airconditioning suddenly stopped cooling. Seems to have lost all the gas in the system.

I also noticed that the chrome surround on the rear door (next to C pillar) has come off. Seems the tiny smears of glue where not enough to hold it on.

The Tyre Pressure System Fault indicator is also now coming up more frequently again and becoming a pest.

Oh well - the front clunking noise (I still reckon its a bum shock) is so loud now and continuous, one hopes the dealer will finally find the problem when it goes in this week for the aircon and trim refix.

Hmmm - I wonder what else can go wrong?

[EvokeWM]

Dealer said the clunking was due to a faulty steering rack and replaced it ($1,000 warranty claim on Holden). Only picked it up from the workshop yesterday but so far, I can't hear the clunking any more. Need a few weeks on uneven bitumen roads to tell for sure if they have fixed it.

Noticed there was a few steering racks piled up in the corner of the workshop.....

[BLACKVE]

Sorry to read about all your probs, holden really have to sharpen up there act.:vpo: They really should give you a hire car and fix all the probs until your happy. My ss has front noise too will get it checked at 15'000km sounds like a new rack coming. Apart from that no probs(mines a sep 06 build one of the first) fingers crossed:rofl:

Hope you can enjoy your ride soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LTH-00L]

Evoke, Which dealer are you taking the car to? I have a really good dealership which I go to and I always deal with the foreman directly. Maybe I can help you and pass on his details.

Half the problem with having problems with a car, is a lowzy dealership. Regardless or how good or bad they treat you, they're not much help if they don't fix the points raised.

cheers.

[EvokeWM]

Evoke, Which dealer are you taking the car to? I have a really good dealership which I go to and I always deal with the foreman directly. Maybe I can help you and pass on his details.

Half the problem with having problems with a car, is a lowzy dealership. Regardless or how good or bad they treat you, they're not much help if they don't fix the points raised.

cheers.

Knocking noise is coming back again so it wasn't the rack (I told them that). It goes quiet everytime it goes in to be fixed because they do doubt tighten every bolt & nut up again. After about a day of driving it around, the knocking comes back again.

The dealer is Suttons Rosebery - they have a massive workshop (like an aircraft hanger !) and should have a lot of knowledge on what causes particular problems as huge numbers of vehicles pass through the service area.

[CSP]

- Engine idles at 1,000 rpm when cold - takes off rapidly unless brake pedal firmly depressed (unresolved)


errrrrr... This is not a fault. It's to aide with engine warm up. As for "firmly depressing" the brake pedal, well, yeah... Individual differences I guess. I wouldn't want a brake pedal that only needed a feather touch to be applied. Most people like some feel in the brakes (probably not luxo barge drivers though).

[LSX-438]

errrrrr... This is not a fault. It's to aide with engine warm up. As for "firmly depressing" the brake pedal, well, yeah... Individual differences I guess. I wouldn't want a brake pedal that only needed a feather touch to be applied. Most people like some feel in the brakes (probably not luxo barge drivers though).

I've got a WM caprice and i have noticed this too. The cold start RPM is just way too high. It makes the car almost jump out of the garage. It doesnt feel right. i think the calibration is a bit odd.

[EvokeWM]

errrrrr... This is not a fault. It's to aide with engine warm up. As for "firmly depressing" the brake pedal, well, yeah... Individual differences I guess. I wouldn't want a brake pedal that only needed a feather touch to be applied. Most people like some feel in the brakes (probably not luxo barge drivers though).

You must be kidding. This is the sort of response I'd expect from the dealer...."Don't worry Sir, It's a design feature !"

Well my other vehicles don't do it nor need to. And my comment related to brake pressure is because the vehicle idles so fast, it needs a very firm push on the brake pedal to stop it moving off.

It's just aother bad design issue - my Caprice is full of them.

[Slimbo]

You must be kidding. This is the sort of response I'd expect from the dealer...."Don't worry Sir, It's a design feature !"

Well my other vehicles don't do it nor need to. And my comment related to brake pressure is because the vehicle idles so fast, it needs a very firm push on the brake pedal to stop it moving off.

It's just aother bad design issue - my Caprice is full of them.

Honestly, what's the problem, yeh it idles high at startup, it's called auto choke as we all know, allow 3mins warm up time with mine and it idles at normal rpm, what ever happened to warming the engine before you take off like a shower of shit, don't care what anyone says i will always allow up to 5mins warm up time before driving off from a cold start.

Oh dear i can just see everyone shooting me down for saying that, no need for warm up times, waste of fuel, just drive the thing to warm it up, in my view all comes down to engine wear............

[LSX-438]

There is a problem. It idles too fast when the car starts. When you put it in gear the thing almost jumps; it's not really like any other holden v8 I've ever had (and i've had a few).

I've had a quick look at the idle tables and it doesn’t seem too bad, it says 850rpm for lower temps but mine appears to idle at around 1000rpm sometimes, there is something else going on.

I've noticed some of the Caprice idle tables are different (to say an L98 Calais) not sure why yet. I might log it tomorrow morning and see whats going on.

As for warm up, there are heaps of calibration stuff in there to deal with that (it is implement with the assumption you just drive off).

I certainly am not waiting 5 mnutes for my car to warm up every morning.

[Deanss-v]

Honestly, what's the problem, yeh it idles high at startup, it's called auto choke as we all know, allow 3mins warm up time with mine and it idles at normal rpm, what ever happened to warming the engine before you take off like a shower of shit, don't care what anyone says i will always allow up to 5mins warm up time before driving off from a cold start.

Oh dear i can just see everyone shooting me down for saying that, no need for warm up times, waste of fuel, just drive the thing to warm it up, in my view all comes down to engine wear............

YA i let mine warm up in the morning, but i leave home 5 am in the morning. Start her up, go give the orange tree a watering come back and he's all good and warm.

[VYBerlinaV8]

Hearing about these sorts of problems with new Holdens is the reason I'm unlikely to buy another one. The VY is now 5 years old, and seems to have had it's problems all sorted. By the time I'm ready to get rid of it, I suspect I'll be ready to try something different anyway.

[skip100]

Hire car drivers seem to like them.


I'm a Hire Car driver considering a WM Caprice, and I'm becoming increasingly concerned. Aside from some of the posts in the forums here, a colleague of mine who does have a WM is having lots of electrical problems with his. (I don't know the intimate details, but one of the problems he mentioned was the tyre pressure monitoring system - Holden simply don't know how, or won't, fix it) This driver is very unhappy with the treatment his dealer is giving him.

Noisy suspension would drive me *nuts*. FWIW, neither of the two WM's I have test driven exhibited this problem, and I did drive over some reasonably rough roads.

Greg.

[LSX-438]

I'm a Hire Car driver considering a WM Caprice, and I'm becoming increasingly concerned. Aside from some of the posts in the forums here, a colleague of mine who does have a WM is having lots of electrical problems with his. (I don't know the intimate details, but one of the problems he mentioned was the tyre pressure monitoring system - Holden simply don't know how, or won't, fix it) This driver is very unhappy with the treatment his dealer is giving him.

Noisy suspension would drive me *nuts*. FWIW, neither of the two WM's I have test driven exhibited this problem, and I did drive over some reasonably rough roads.

Greg.

Out of interest Skip what are your other choices for the hire limo?

[skip100]

Out of interest Skip what are your other choices for the hire limo?

Not much choice at all. The only other realistic choice is a Fairlane. (still a few brand new 07s around, plenty of 07 used) Buying a Chrysler (300) is just like buying a Commodore or Falcon because of it's lack of interior and boot space. Other than that it's megabucks for a European vehicle, however they don't suit the kind of work our company does.

The fact that Ford have exited the limo business (for now) makes it so important for Holden to make good cars!

EDIT: I am also considering a Grange. Also, I was interested to read that the new Falcons actually have a 535L boot if the space saver is used - that's enough, and the fact that the interior has a bit more room may actually make them a viable choice. (*technically* the current Falcons, Commodores, and Chryslers meet the requirements to be a Hire Car - have seen a few Falcon HCs and plenty of 300s, but IMHO they're not *really* big enough)

Greg.

[LSX-438]

Not much choice at all. The only other realistic choice is a Fairlane. (still a few brand new 07s around, plenty of 07 used) Buying a Chrysler (300) is just like buying a Commodore or Falcon because of it's lack of interior and boot space. Other than that it's megabucks for a European vehicle, however they don't suit the kind of work our company does.

The fact that Ford have exited the limo business (for now) makes it so important for Holden to make good cars!

EDIT: I am also considering a Grange. Also, I was interested to read that the new Falcons actually have a 535L boot if the space saver is used - that's enough, and the fact that the interior has a bit more room may actually make them a viable choice. (*technically* the current Falcons, Commodores, and Chryslers meet the requirements to be a Hire Car - have seen a few Falcon HCs and plenty of 300s, but IMHO they're not *really* big enough)

Greg.

Greg maybe if you go for a WM, before you take delivery, compile a list of the known issues posted on the forum, and have them thoroughly checked out beforehand - i mean before you actually take delivery. Or even take the list when shopping for the car, and really check them out.

I would imagine it would be a royal PITA to have a hire car off the road to fix (relatively minor quibbles). I've had a few trim issues, and having the car off the road for a day just because they need to replace a small trim piece is pretty lame. WM's seem to be the benchmark limo around Sydney atm, they look fantasic, but interior fit, finish and quality isnt the best. As a comparison my previous car (WH statesman) was screwed together better believe it or not. I dont think i had a single issue with it in over 5 years.

[EvokeWM]

(I don't know the intimate details, but one of the problems he mentioned was the tyre pressure monitoring system - Holden simply don't know how, or won't, fix it) This driver is very unhappy with the treatment his dealer is giving him.

Noisy suspension would drive me *nuts*. FWIW, neither of the two WM's I have test driven exhibited this problem, and I did drive over some reasonably rough roads.

Greg.

The tyre pressure monitoring system fault is one of the many I have on my Caprice. Regularly comes up with either "Warning - Low tyre pressure" or "Tyre Pressure Monitoring System Fault". Each time I take it to the dealer (to fix other more serious probs), they tell me "We recalibrated it - that will fix it". It doesn't. What they mean to say is "live with it buddy - the fix is too expensive for Holden".

As for the clunking noise from the front suspension, saw the Service Manager today and told him I've had enough of the stuffing around and saying each time I bring it in "we fixed it". He's now guaranteed (lol) to fix it when I bring it in for the 7th time next week. Says he knows what it is (won't tell me though !) and they have learnt from others (I'd have hoped they would have learnt before now seeing the WM Caprice can out in 2006). Seems it could be the engine mounts, the tranny mounts, the sway bar bushes, the steering rack or the top suspension mount. Suspension mount is the only thing left in this list they haven'y changed.............

[skip100]

Regarding my colleague, another thing he mentioned was that he often has to wait for the error warnings/messages to go away after he has started the car, before he can drive it. He mentioned that the service technicians say they have some idea of the possible causes for some of the problems, but since they're not sure, they can't/won't replace anything - they need to be sure first. I had exactly this kind of problem with my Ford Fairlane - a refusal to replace a component unless they could actually reproduce the problem and prove that the component was at fault. Very frustrating when they say "sorry - no error codes". Grrrrrr. (mind you, they told me "off the record" that if I had purchased the car new, they would be more willing to replace things for me. *IF* that is true, then it appears that they may be *slightly* better than Holden. I doubt it though)

As I mentioned in another thread, I've ordered a brand new WM. Wish me luck. I'm not going muck around taking in a list of known problems - I just doubt it will help much, and plus I want to get back on the road earning an income ASAP. (I'm currently car-less)

Just as an aside, I had a clunking sound in my G220 Fairlane. At the time I was unhappy with the dealers service departments in general, and I decided to take the car to suspension specialists, despite the fact the car was still in warranty. I spent $400 at one place just for the labour. The suspension guys couldn't fix it, so I ended up going to Ford in desperation. They knew what the problem was straight away, and fixed it under warranty. So it wasn't all bad with Ford. (problem was the front springs "bowing" and rubbing against the shocks - they had released revised springs with less coils that fixed the problem)

Greg.

[skip100]

As I mentioned in another thread, I've ordered a brand new WM. Wish me luck.

Not looking good at all at this juncture. I don't even have the car yet and I have already encountered a serious (non technical) problem, and I am already talking to customer relations.

Greg.

[Wonky]

Not looking good at all at this juncture. I don't even have the car yet and I have already encountered a serious (non technical) problem, and I am already talking to customer relations.

Greg.
They're building it as LHD? :confused:

No, seriously, sorry to hear that. Doesn't sound good if you are having problems before you even get it!!

[LSX-438]

Regarding my colleague, another thing he mentioned was that he often has to wait for the error warnings/messages to go away after he has started the car, before he can drive it. He mentioned that the service technicians say they have some idea of the possible causes for some of the problems, but since they're not sure, they can't/won't replace anything - they need to be sure first. I had exactly this kind of problem with my Ford Fairlane - a refusal to replace a component unless they could actually reproduce the problem and prove that the component was at fault. Very frustrating when they say "sorry - no error codes". Grrrrrr. (mind you, they told me "off the record" that if I had purchased the car new, they would be more willing to replace things for me. *IF* that is true, then it appears that they may be *slightly* better than Holden. I doubt it though)

As I mentioned in another thread, I've ordered a brand new WM. Wish me luck. I'm not going muck around taking in a list of known problems - I just doubt it will help much, and plus I want to get back on the road earning an income ASAP. (I'm currently car-less)

Just as an aside, I had a clunking sound in my G220 Fairlane. At the time I was unhappy with the dealers service departments in general, and I decided to take the car to suspension specialists, despite the fact the car was still in warranty. I spent $400 at one place just for the labour. The suspension guys couldn't fix it, so I ended up going to Ford in desperation. They knew what the problem was straight away, and fixed it under warranty. So it wasn't all bad with Ford. (problem was the front springs "bowing" and rubbing against the shocks - they had released revised springs with less coils that fixed the problem)

Greg.

Skip with all the concerns, especially for a hire car, why wouldnt you take a look before delivery? I know most of us don't bother, but it seems like a good idea in this situation.

Btw if you ever get a error light and want it read quickly, give me a call. (PM me for number).

[skip100]

Skip with all the concerns, especially for a hire car, why wouldnt you take a look before delivery? I know most of us don't bother, but it seems like a good idea in this situation.

Btw if you ever get a error light and want it read quickly, give me a call. (PM me for number).

One reason I am buying a brand new car is in fact because of my concerns - I'm HOPING that by paying the extra that this will "buy" me good support from Holden. (although from the reports from others in here I'm having my doubts about that) Just by the way, I went to take a look at a used one at auction the other day (as a backup plan in case my new one didn't get delivered) - when I turned on the ignition, a string of error messages came up, terminating with "Consult Holden". Anyhow, my delivery is looking in a lot better shape now and I should be picking it up in the next couple of days.

Regarding my colleague, as it turns out he's running gas, so perhaps some of his problems are due to poor engineering of the gas modifications - just a thought.

Thanks for the offer of assistance re: the error lights. I hope I never need to contact you. :)

Greg.

[LSX-438]

One reason I am buying a brand new car is in fact because of my concerns - I'm HOPING that by paying the extra that this will "buy" me good support from Holden. (although from the reports from others in here I'm having my doubts about that) Just by the way, I went to take a look at a used one at auction the other day (as a backup plan in case my new one didn't get delivered) - when I turned on the ignition, a string of error messages came up, terminating with "Consult Holden". Anyhow, my delivery is looking in a lot better shape now and I should be picking it up in the next couple of days.

Regarding my colleague, as it turns out he's running gas, so perhaps some of his problems are due to poor engineering of the gas modifications - just a thought.

Thanks for the offer of assistance re: the error lights. I hope I never need to contact you. :)

Greg.

Good luck with it, let us know how you go.

[Slimbo]

Well i have done 4500kms in my WM Caprice now, only thing that has gone wrong, which i don't believe the dealer will find is a rattle in the top left hand side of the dash, around the tweeter port, also a rattle in the same area or just behind the gauges on the right side as well, it's driving me nuts, can't really tell where the right rattle is coming from.

Knock in the front end, left side, but not the spring or shock tower, much closer to the front of the car, probably the plastic trim under the front of the gaurd, it seems very loose and it moves a fair bit.

Found a slight noise under the left side of the front door, turned out to be the sill trim on the bottom of the car, it was loose, i fixed it, problem gone.

I even ran a audio test disc in the stereo to find where the rattles were, still no joy, the only thing that did was show me how many rattles the rear parcel shelf has and the limatations the Bose speakers have, the speakers are not as good as you would think they should be.

Apart from that, all good.

[Wonky]

I even ran a audio test disc in the stereo to find where the rattles were, still no joy, the only thing that did was show me how many rattles the rear parcel shelf has and the limatations the Bose speakers have, the speakers are not as good as you would think they should be.

Many times on audiophile sites I have read that the main thing Bose have going for them is a great marketing department who have managed to get the public to associate the name with great sound, which is far from the truth....... :(

[Slimbo]

Many times on audiophile sites I have read that the main thing Bose have going for them is a great marketing department who have managed to get the public to associate the name with great sound, which is far from the truth....... :(

Agreed, hence when i find time i will be replacing them with splits, head unit itself isn't all that bad, just he speakers leave a little to be desired.

[EvokeWM]

As for the clunking noise from the front suspension, saw the Service Manager today and told him I've had enough of the stuffing around and saying each time I bring it in "we fixed it". He's now guaranteed (lol) to fix it when I bring it in for the 7th time next week. Says he knows what it is (won't tell me though !) and they have learnt from others (I'd have hoped they would have learnt before now seeing the WM Caprice can out in 2006). Seems it could be the engine mounts, the tranny mounts, the sway bar bushes, the steering rack or the top suspension mount. Suspension mount is the only thing left in this list they haven'y changed.............

Well I took it in for the clunking to be fixed and it took them two days to find a possible culprit. They thought they had fixed it on Wed and wanted to keep the Caprice overnight to be sure but on Thurs morn when they road tested it, the clunking was back. So today they replaced the sway bar mounting bushes with a fatter tighter fitting bush. Apparently Holden has issued a service note on the problem (despite the sway bar bushes being a known problem for some time on this forum !). So far so good - no more clunking. If its still quiet in a week then at last they have fixed it (after 7 attempts). If not, they told me the only option left is to replace the front struts.

Also had to get them to fix another bit that fell off - this time the driver's side panel on the side of the centre console.

[skip100]

Finally got my car. So far I'm very happy with it indeed - I hadn't driven one "normally" in my test drives, so it was great to finally let it rip a bit. Wonderful. And appreciably more compliant than my G220 Fairlane, even with the as-delivered tyre pressure being 45+. (I have let them down to recommended pressure now, but yet to go for another drive).

No fit & finish problems yet, no noises/clunks, and no error codes. Fingers crossed.

Greg.

[CSP]

Stick with 40 - 42 PSI tyre pressure. The recommended one is for comfort...

[skip100]

Stick with 40 - 42 PSI tyre pressure. The recommended one is for comfort...

Being a chauffeur, that's exactly what I want - comfort! :)
I normally set the pressure to somewhere between the recommended "normal" pressure, and "full load" pressure.

After saying that, I can't really feel any improvement in comfort down at around 37/38 psi anyway - it was fine before, and fine after.

I called the dealer to let them know how happy I was with the car so far - they said that the one I have (MY08) is completely different to the previous one. (MY07) - they fixed a lot of problems.

Greg.

[German Statesman]

I'm a Hire Car driver considering a WM Caprice, and I'm becoming increasingly concerned. Aside from some of the posts in the forums here, a colleague of mine who does have a WM is having lots of electrical problems with his. (I don't know the intimate details, but one of the problems he mentioned was the tyre pressure monitoring system - Holden simply don't know how, or won't, fix it) This driver is very unhappy with the treatment his dealer is giving him.

Noisy suspension would drive me *nuts*. FWIW, neither of the two WM's I have test driven exhibited this problem, and I did drive over some reasonably rough roads.

Greg.

I too am a hire car driver, with a 400,000km BA 5.4 V8 LTD to be retired in June. The BA has been a pig of a car, and I'm not looking forward to shopping around for a replacement in this market category.

My housemate's WM V6 Caprice has been satisfactory except for the usual dealer problems (attitude, applying 'paint protection' over rain marks in the paint - d'oh), and the battery problems noted earlier. I was impressed with the way it drove, but I don't like the narrow bootlid opening you get with the Audi A6 hatchback look, and it still looks cheap inside. Fit and finish are iffy and although it is a handsome car, I don't believe it had the 'presence' the old one had.

As for the 300C...clumsy looks, sunken rear seat means a low seat height for older/obese people to get into (gives the headroom in a low roof car), narrow bootlid opening, horrendous parts/service prices (no non-genuine as yet either I believe). The Fairlanes/LTDs are cursed with a 100km/h shudder that no-one including Ford dealers can rectify and 23 taxis/hire cars up here are waiting on a fix, plus the usual Ford fit and finish dramas. I've heard the new 6-speed box is a $6k proposition if it fails - not good when hire car owners factor in a 600,000km operational lifespan and the warranty's only good for 100,000kms.

We bought an ex-Avis WL International, and are really happy with it - great looks, good package, great driving car. A client of ours has offered us her WL Caprice 6.0L when it comes off lease and with 18k in black, it could be a goer to replace the LTD.

It's either that, or go back to BMWs - we have our eye on an '01 740iL Biarritz Blue with 98kms for $38k, and my last one did 503kms :)

[skip100]

Funny you should mention rain spots - that's the ONE problem with my car so far. They're not all coming off easily either. I wouldn't have dreamt that a brand new car would have rain spots.

I've been fortunate enough to have two (paying) trips to the Hunter Valley already, and I really am extremely happy with how the car drives - very special indeed.

Greg.

[Caprice270]

The Caprice is fantastic for those long trips - feels very solid and you get out of the car feeling much fresher than you would expect.

As I mentioned i have experienced very few problems. I am keen to upgrade to the next model but there's so many damn good cars being released...

[hdj105]

Dad's Caprice has developed a new fault, no interior courtesty lights. All fuses appear good, and the map lights work ok.

Also, this vehicle has the common tyre pressure system bugs... Has anyone tried to view the TPM in engineering mode, all I get is 5 zero's.

Watching this thread closely regarding the front-end clunk.

[mac06]

Dad's Caprice has developed a new fault, no interior courtesty lights. All fuses appear good, and the map lights work ok.


Just a point, the interior courtesy lights only come on when you open the door and it's dark outside. That's at the same time the headlights come on automatically. If you've accidentally hit the "doors open" courtesy switch then they won't come on at all. The only way you know you've done that is to try it in the dark or cover the sunlight sensor on the middle of the dash. If the courtesy light is off with the door open then press the "doors open" switch and see if that solves your problem.

[Big_Valven]

I think it'd be a really good idea to put down your MY revision year when you tell about faults, as it appears the revision changes are fixing some problems, and we don't want people being put off because the earlier ones had problems.

[hdj105]

...
If the courtesy light is off with the door open then press the "doors open" switch and see if that solves your problem.


Cheers Mac06, went and covered the sensor, then hit the button, all fixed. Thanks.

[EvokeWM]

Also, this vehicle has the common tyre pressure system bugs... Has anyone tried to view the TPM in engineering mode, all I get is 5 zero's.

Watching this thread closely regarding the front-end clunk.

5 zero's in Eng mode is all you get.

As for the annoying long term knocking/clunking I had in my WM Caprice, so far the new sway bar rubbers have stopped the noise returning (at last !!). Unfortunately while the knocking noise has been fixed, the underlying noisy Caprice suspension over rough/bumpy tar roads makes itself evident and detracts from the luxury vehicle feel. When I mentioned this to the service foreman (who went for a test drive with me after he replaced the sway bar rubbers), he agreed the WM was a lot noisier than previous Caprices or Statesmans.

[skip100]

I've found a minor problem with my new Caprice: the steering wheel actually flexes a bit, and sometimes makes a very slight "clunk" sound, which I believe is the centre portion of the steering wheel rubbing against the ribs of the wheel. At first I thought the actual steering had a tiny bit of play in it, but I'm quite sure it's just the steering wheel itself. It doesn't always do it, and it is subtle, but nevertheless it's bugging me.

Greg.

[Slimbo]

5 zero's in Eng mode is all you get.

As for the annoying long term knocking/clunking I had in my WM Caprice, so far the new sway bar rubbers have stopped the noise returning (at last !!). Unfortunately while the knocking noise has been fixed, the underlying noisy Caprice suspension over rough/bumpy tar roads makes itself evident and detracts from the luxury vehicle feel. When I mentioned this to the service foreman (who went for a test drive with me after he replaced the sway bar rubbers), he agreed the WM was a lot noisier than previous Caprices or Statesmans.

I have also noticed a clunk/knock in the left hand front end just recently, found the front bumper was actually loose on the left hand side, seems the crap plastic clips that hold the bar onto the car have a lot of wear/play in them

To check you front bar, grab it right at the bottom left side and try and shake it up and down while holding onto it tightly, mine moves at least 1/2 inch and is a very noticeable knock when you go over a big enough bump or speed hump, the right side of the front bumper is nice and tight, no movement.

Just a thought.

[skip100]

5 zero's in Eng mode is all you get.

.... the underlying noisy Caprice suspension over rough/bumpy tar roads makes itself evident and detracts from the luxury vehicle feel. When I mentioned this to the service foreman (who went for a test drive with me after he replaced the sway bar rubbers), he agreed the WM was a lot noisier than previous Caprices or Statesmans.

Has this underlying noise been there since new? I'm listening intently to mine, and I really can't hear anything objectionable at all. All I hear is a very deep "thudding" over the bumps, which to me sounds quite normal. It sounds like a very difficult sound to eliminate. Other than the bumps, I just hear what sounds like a normal level of tyre noise over rough roads. This car is quieter than the Fairlane I've just come out of over rough roads. I do not hear any clunking, vibrations, or rattles - everything feels very well sorted indeed. I hope it stays this way!

Greg. Jan 08 build A6/V8.

[skip100]

I've discovered the hard way that the parking sensors aren't too good - I've driven by brand new car into my concrete garage wall. (ok, I was inching it forward very slowly, but I did hit the wall gently)

In order to be able to close my garage door, I have to get the car very close to the wall. I had been using the sensors to get it as close as possible, by waiting for the beeps to change to a continuous tone. Once this transition occurred, I would use visual cues to get it a bit closer. This method had been working well and very consistently. On this occasion though, the continuous tone never happened - it just keep on beeping, and the car made contact. There was nothing on the sensors or anything.

From now on I will not be relying on the parking sensors as much as I had been!

Also, I now have another fit & finish issue: the plastics around the gear shift lever are creaking when driving. (I can make it creak in the same manner by pressing down on those plastics)

Greg.

[EvokeWM]

Has this underlying noise been there since new? I'm listening intently to mine, and I really can't hear anything objectionable at all. All I hear is a very deep "thudding" over the bumps, which to me sounds quite normal. It sounds like a very difficult sound to eliminate. Other than the bumps, I just hear what sounds like a normal level of tyre noise over rough roads. This car is quieter than the Fairlane I've just come out of over rough roads. I do not hear any clunking, vibrations, or rattles - everything feels very well sorted indeed. I hope it stays this way!

Greg. Jan 08 build A6/V8.

No, it started to get noisier as time went on then the loud thumping started. around 5 months after delivery. The loud thumping has now been fixed with the new design sway bar rubbers leaving the background noisy suspension (the low level deep thudding you described). However its so nice not to have the loud thumping and banging anymore that I can ignore the remaining intrusive suspension noises (for now !). It's a shame though as it does detract from the vehicle's quiet ride.

Geoff ~ Dec 06 build A6/V8 WM Caprice

[skip100]

...leaving the background noisy suspension (the low level deep thudding you described)......
Geoff ~ Dec 06 build A6/V8 WM Caprice

Ok, but I'm not totally convinced that your thudding is the same as my thudding, because mine sounds completely normal. I'll see what happens over time, anyway.

Cheers,
Greg.

[spank]

gees, after reading this thread in its entirety i think i might keep my 04 grange, i too am a limo driver / chauffeur and i dont need a car that is contantly beeping error codes or having flat batteries, trim falling off and clunky suspension, i have had my grange for 3 years now and besides normal things like brakes and tyres and service items its only had rear shocks, the large thermo fan, boot struts, rear tailshaft donut, drivers seatbelt, two batteries and one door speaker replaced. for a car thats on the road all day everyday it has been unbelievably reliable and relatively trouble free. its never actually broken down or made me late for a customer, its just had these items replaced while in for routine service, the trouble is that anything in equivelent wheel base is just too expensive, so a wm is the only choice, either that or i find a low klm wl grange and wait for holden to lift their game on these new ones :confused:

[German Statesman]

Lots of folks in the trade up here buying the last of the WLs...won't touch WMs until the Series II revision (if any) comes out.

There's a black late '06 build WL Caprice in black up here for $38 with 19k on the clock...corporate owner, but garaged while she's been OS on a project.

PM me if you need some ph numbers to hunt down cars, or give MarkOne a call

[VYBerlinaV8]

Holden - I hope you are taking this on board!

[Caprice270]

This is crazy...can everyone start reporting kms? My 8,000km Oct 2006 model, one of the first of the first, continues to go strong. Absolutely no issues. I'm thinking I might be in trouble later on?

[spank]

i went looking today, quite a few low klm wl around even a few granges, im told tho from my mate inside holden that there will be running updates and changes going on the line 31 june, so basically holden knows of the issues and are fitting the new updated parts at this date, i asked why then, assuming end of financial year tax reasons etc, no he says its because its around that time that holden expect to run out of the rest of the componants they already have in stock or are committed to from the suppliers, so holden are knowingly fitting parts to cars that they know are not up to scratch, hoping that only a few owners will complain. i think ill wait a bit.


Lots of folks in the trade up here buying the last of the WLs...won't touch WMs until the Series II revision (if any) comes out.

There's a black late '06 build WL Caprice in black up here for $38 with 19k on the clock...corporate owner, but garaged while she's been OS on a project.

PM me if you need some ph numbers to hunt down cars, or give MarkOne a call

i bought my wk grange from qld, was zupps owners personal car, had IMBOSS plates on it! bought it over the phone with only 4000k on the clock, first time i saw it was fresh of the transporter, been a great car, id buy another this way if the right car pops up

[EvokeWM]

Ok, but I'm not totally convinced that your thudding is the same as my thudding, because mine sounds completely normal. I'll see what happens over time, anyway.

Cheers,
Greg.

Maybe but there shouldn't be any thumping noise on a vehicle that is supposed to be Holden's top model and had all that money spent on R&D and testing. There was no intrusive suspension noise on my previous WL Stateman nor is there on my other late model vehicles.

What really bugs me is how long it took for the largest Holden service department in NSW to fix the loud suspension clunking noise. There are too many design flaws in the Caprice (and quality issues) for me to ever consider getting another one. The vehicle has also spent far too long in the service department getting one issue after another fixed (and they still can't stop the tyre pressure warning indication coming on numerous times each day).

I'd be really worried about what this vehicle will cost to fix after the warranty runs out if I planned to keep it. Fortunately, I'll be shifting it on next Feb.

Cheers
Geoff

[spank]

you may of mentioned it before buy what wheels are on your car geoff, im told by holden that any other than factory caprice wheels the tyre monitor willl play up.

[skip100]

Maybe but there shouldn't be any thumping noise on a vehicle that is supposed to be Holden's top model and had all that money spent on R&D and testing. There was no intrusive suspension noise on my previous WL Stateman nor is there on my other late model vehicles.

The "thudding" I hear just sounds like the normal sound you get going over bumps in any car - that's what I've been trying to say. I cannot imagine a car NOT making these sounds. Well, MAYBE a car with soft suspension and/or higher profile tyres might be a bit quieter.
In no way whatsoever does my Caprice make make what I would call objectionable sounds going over bumps. Have you had a drive of a recently manufactured Caprice for comparisons sake?

I've driven S-class Mercs and 7-series BMWs and in my very honest opinion my WM Caprice is right up there with them for NVH. In fact, with the windows down, the 7s I drove actually DID have objectionably loud low frequency "resonances" - the Caprice doesn't suffer from this. (the problem went away with the windows up, and no, I am not talking about the normal buffeting you get with one window down)

Right now, with my car in it's current state, I am very happy with it indeed. (despite the fact that I have driven into a wall ;^)

Greg.

[saaz]

Just on the hitting the wall thing, what I do is pick a mark (or make one) on the wall of the garage to line up with one of the mirrors. When it lines up the car is into the garage enough. Another trick we used on the farm with a long single width shed that a few cars were parked end to end in was hanging something (a rag) from a rope from the ceiling. When the car touched it, that was far enough.

[EvokeWM]

The "thudding" I hear just sounds like the normal sound you get going over bumps in any car - that's what I've been trying to say. I cannot imagine a car NOT making these sounds. Well, MAYBE a car with soft suspension and/or higher profile tyres might be a bit quieter.Greg.

As I said earlier, the head workshop foreman came out with me on a drive when they had finally fixed the knocking noise from the front suspension and agreed with me that the residual suspension noise (ie after the knocking noise had finally been fixed) was typical of the WM and further agreed the previous model Statemans and Caprices were quieter. I've been in previous model hire car Caprices and they do ride better. Probably don't handle as well as the WM when pushed but they are a quieter ride.

I'm pleased you like your Caprice and I hope you don't have the problems that I have. Ignoring the quality issues to date, the main things that let the Caprice down ÍMO are (i) the 6sp auto - it's hopeless. Try driving a BF Falcon with a ZF auto and you'll see how bad the Holden 6sp is, (ii) the front seats - they are made for 110kg people with big butts as they are too flat (no support) and too hard (the leather looks & feels like vinyl). The rear seats however are really nice, (iii) the steering wheel - it has hard angular edges on it that make your hands sore after a while when you use the correct 9 to 3 position. I do a lot of kms in the Caprice (incl long inter Capital City trips) and average 46,000kms per year and its not a particularly comfortable vehicle to drive because of the seats, steering wheel and driving position (incl the too low arm rests on the doors).

Having had a Stateman before, I had high hopes for the WM Caprice but it hasn't measured up which is very disappointing.

[skip100]

As I said earlier, the head workshop foreman came out with me on a drive when they had finally fixed the knocking noise from the front suspension and agreed with me that the residual suspension noise (ie after the knocking noise had finally been fixed) was typical of the WM and further agreed the previous model Statemans and Caprices were quieter. I've been in previous model hire car Caprices and they do ride better. Probably don't handle as well as the WM when pushed but they are a quieter ride.

I hadn't forgotten that. I still think it might be worth actually trying a recently manufactured one, just in case they have improved it, or, just in case yours is still defective. The foreman may just be fobbing you off. (unlikely, but possible)
Just by the way, one reason I am still not 100% sure we are talking about the same sound is that you refer to your sound as "suspension noise". My sound doesn't sound like the suspension at all - it sounds like the sound of the wheels hitting the bumps being transmitted through the vehicle. It's very deep (but not very loud IMHO), and intuitively it seems to me like a very difficult sound to eliminate, especially given that the car has suspension which is on the firm side, and low profile tyres. If sound insulation were to be used, I think it would have to be really, really substantial. (again, intuitively)


....the main things that let the Caprice down ÍMO are (i) the 6sp auto - it's hopeless. Try driving a BF Falcon with a ZF auto and you'll see how bad the Holden 6sp is,

I have driven multiple 7-series BMWs and Fairlanes which use the ZF 6-speed. I find the Caprice to be slightly BETTER than the 7-series (735iL & 740iL) which was too jerky. I don't find that much difference in overall impression to the Fairlane, however I do think the Fairlane is better. I do not find the Caprice "hopeless" though. I sometimes shift manually which helps. The main problem with the Caprice (that I have noticed) is that it can be jerky when travelling very slowly. Using sports mode helps somewhat, but manual is better. I wish there was a way to prevent it auto shifting all the way down to 1st though. (as I mentioned in another thread)


(ii) the front seats - they are made for 110kg people with big butts as they are too flat (no support) and too hard (the leather looks & feels like vinyl).

I'm with you on this I'm afraid. I have lost a fair bit of weight lately, and I was putting down the discomfort to that. (less "padding" on my behind ;^) But maybe I have to face up to the fact that it's the car. On long trips, my cocyx(sp?) hurts. It never did in the Fairlane.


The rear seats however are really nice,

I've found a problem with my rear seat(s): they're loose, and sometimes make a bit of a clunk when sitting down or getting up. I can also reproduce the problem by grabbing the seat from the front and moving it up & down. At my first service today they told me that they've seen this on other cars as well and made out that it's just the way it is.


(iii) the steering wheel - it has hard angular edges on it that make your hands sore after a while when you use the correct 9 to 3 position.
Haven't noticed this at all, however I prefer the smaller steering wheel I had in the Fairlane. (no biggy though)

Greg.

Evoke: I see what you mean about the wedge-shaped steering wheel. However, my hands haven't hurt at all yet, and I have been on a couple of long trips too. When I first started this job my hands actually did hurt, and I quickly learnt to hold the wheel less tightly, which solved the problem. (I'm not saying this will necessarily solve your problem)

This has reminded me about another aspect of steering which is fairly important to me though: I have noticed in the 7-series and Lexus (LS460, which I only drove once briefly) that there is too much servo assistance, to the point where the wheel will not naturally return to centre when turning sharp corners. I.e, the wheel has to be deliberately turned back the other way. In the city, with lots of slow tight turns, this is really annoying. I much prefer the behaviour of my "basic" Caprice - I can let the wheel slide back through my fingers. The Fairlane is fine in this regard too. Chalk another one up to the locals IMHO. I think the fact that I have driven the expensive imports and found them to be, really, not all that special at all, makes me a bit more forgiving of our own cars than I might otherwise be.

Greg.

[skip100]

My cruise control has stopped working altogether - I can't activate it. It happened once yesterday, but after some fiddling, started working again. Today, it just won't work at all.

Greg.

Fixed.

"There was a programming error with the cluster assembly, plus we fixed the problem with the stalk".

*shrugs*

Greg.

[EvokeWM]

My cruise control has stopped working altogether - I can't activate it. It happened once yesterday, but after some fiddling, started working again. Today, it just won't work at all.

Greg.

Fixed.

"There was a programming error with the cluster assembly, plus we fixed the problem with the stalk".

*shrugs*

Greg.

I think these vehicles are going to be very expensive after the 3yr warranty expires given the complexity of the new instrumentation and the number of electrical problems they seem to have. Fortunately I only lease my Caprice. I'll be glad to see it returned next Feb.

As for the 6sp auto, my 12 year old Ford changes gears smoother than the box in the Caprice. I've had the Caprice auto reflashed 3 times to ensure I get the latest software available in it but its only made a marginal improvement to the harsh gear changes on anything else but gentle acceleration. As I noted, the old 4sp autos in the Statesman/Caprices were a much smoother box.

Cheers
Geoff

[skip100]

I have a couple of ideas on why current transmissions aren't as smooth as we may expect:

1. Perhaps the "coupling" is more direct - more like a manual. If this is true, it should help with fuel economy. I know that most of the older ones had "lockup", but my understanding is that this only happens when cruising - not during acceleration. The previous car I owned (4-speed G220 Fairlane) definitley had a lot more "slush", which made it smooth. (however it could jolt sometimes too)

2. They are being programmed primarily with fuel economy in mind, rather than drivability. In both my current A6 Caprice and the Fairlane, I find that drivability is better in sports mode - I use sports mode for stop start driving, and only switch to standard mode for cruising. However, for the 6-speed Fairlanes, I found that city driving felt much the same in either mode, so I just left it in standard mode most of the time. One thing about the 6-speed Fairlanes that I noticed is that it's sports mode was, I think, more advanced than the Holden in that it would still settle down to the highest gear possible for cruising.

The above may well be way off base - I'm not a mechanic.

Greg.
p.s For the BMWs, I would use manual mode almost exclusively, because I hated the jerkiness in auto. I became quite skilled at pressing the buttons on both the front and rear of the steering wheel, without moving my hands much at all (I even had a finger permanently wrapped around to the rear, on the rear button), and I would time the shifts carefully for tight city turns. Drivability was fantastic, but it took concentration.

[EvokeWM]

Geeez - I think my Caprice is jinked. The aircon has just failed again - no cooling. At least it's not Summer like when it previously failed.

The dealer will have some answering to do on why it has failed again. I suspect it is yet another electrical problem as it seems like the compressor is not switching in.

The driver's window is also now playing up - refusing to power up at times.

Given the number of times I have to return to the Holden dealer to get things properly fixed, I can see why Holden bottomed out in this survey mentioned in today's SMH http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/dealerships-take-motorists-for-a-ride/2008/04/30/1209234957530.html

[sandmanls1]

good luck evoke might be time to retire to your Home Theatre Room..... Have you tried getting in touch with Holden direct. Has the state manager etc looked at your car? I think with the amount of issues and time of road you are almost justified a new one... pity the lemon laws don't exist yet.. Might be worth emailing one of the current affairs shows, nothing like a bit of negative publicity. good luck I feel for you. I lost count of the number of times my Senator went back for over 30k of warranty work, including the infamous clunk (not thunk) in the front suspension. May be time to see if they will buy it back and do you a good deal on another one or get a Jap / Euro etc.

[EvokeWM]

I was planning to ask for my own office at the Holden dealer so I can work from there while they are fixing the vehicle seeing I spend so much time there :eyes:

Thankfully I only lease the 'lemon' so I'm counting down the days to the end of the year when I can return it. Upside of leasing is that if it is a lemon, you are not stuck with it. Downside of leasing is that the dealers know this and take a lot less interest in your problems. Just go to a showroom and tell the salesman you're thinking of leasing and see how fast they lose interest. The leasing companies get such good deals on the vehicles, there is not much profit left for the salesman & dealer.

One things for sure, I won't ever get another one. Too much grief with this one.

[EvokeWM]

Vehicle is booked in this Wed for the a/c to be fixed but the regular drivers of the Caprice in my family tell me a few more spooky problems have arisen:

a) radio increases the volume a few notches all on its own when the vehicle is stationary and the engine off; happened a few times so far that were noticed

b) the "Tyre Pressure System Fault" warning is now coming up more regularly and being more of a pest;

c) the Speed Alert resets itself from time to time from 80kph (where we have it set) to another preset (either 60kph or 110kph). The really strange thing is that it triggers at 80kph but flashes up on the centre digital display a 110warning. When the Speed Alert setting is checked, it now says 110kph (yet triggers at 80kph).

Has anyone else experienced problems a) or c) ???

Cheers
Geoff

[EvokeWM]

The aircon problem is due to it throwing the compressor drive belt. Done it twice so far and they aren't sure why it does it.

They have finally decided to replace a part - the HVAC module - to try and fix the Tyre Pressure warning problem. Note sure why the HVAC module - guess it must also contain the electronics for the typre pressure receiver module.

[PeterS]

In my WM, over the past six months, I constantly get the tyre sensor error. Have taken it in to the dealer multiple times and still "waiting on a new sensor" (been waiting 3 weeks). They are also replacing the "NIM"? module on the GPS plus upgrading the maps (mine doesn't have the M7 on it).

Cheers,

[lowriding]

As for the 6sp auto, my 12 year old Ford changes gears smoother than the box in the Caprice. I've had the Caprice auto reflashed 3 times to ensure I get the latest software available in it but its only made a marginal improvement to the harsh gear changes on anything else but gentle acceleration. As I noted, the old 4sp autos in the Statesman/Caprices were a much smoother box.



you really have got an issue if you think the old box is better or your EF Falcon is smoother . What dealer are you using ?

[EvokeWM]

you really have got an issue if you think the old box is better or your EF Falcon is smoother . What dealer are you using ?

Yes, it is very disappointing. The dealer says it fine. Nevertheless I check it has the latest firmware every time I take it in. There are three family members who drive the Caprice and all are unimpressed with the 6sp auto.

As for the dealer, its the largest one in Sydney.

[spank]

well im definately waiting for a july onwards build car, im told from my mate at holden that all these electrical problems are sorted and new hardware and software is ready to go into the cars on june 30, wish me luck, as my 04 GRANGE is being so well behaved without any problems at all, id hate to get into something thats unreliable and has constant problems, by the way, every limo driver i speak to with a wm wishes he'd kept his wk - wl

[Slimbo]

Vehicle is booked in this Wed for the a/c to be fixed but the regular drivers of the Caprice in my family tell me a few more spooky problems have arisen:

a) radio increases the volume a few notches all on its own when the vehicle is stationary and the engine off; happened a few times so far that were noticed

b) the "Tyre Pressure System Fault" warning is now coming up more regularly and being more of a pest;

c) the Speed Alert resets itself from time to time from 80kph (where we have it set) to another preset (either 60kph or 110kph). The really strange thing is that it triggers at 80kph but flashes up on the centre digital display a 110warning. When the Speed Alert setting is checked, it now says 110kph (yet triggers at 80kph).

Has anyone else experienced problems a) or c) ???

Cheers
Geoff

Funny about the Tyre Pressure indicator, mine stays at 3 - - - and won't change at all, happened after i had a low pressure warning come up, one tyre was 4lb lower than the rest.

No idea what is wrong with it... will have to wait till the next visit to the dealer.

[GR8M8]

[QUOTE=There's a black late '06 build WL Caprice in black up here for $38 with 19k on the clock...corporate owner, but garaged while she's been OS on a project.[/QUOTE]

Not doubting you but that sounds too cheap to be true, is that what they pull up there? any more details on the car?

Geoff.

[EvokeWM]

well im definately waiting for a july onwards build car, im told from my mate at holden that all these electrical problems are sorted and new hardware and software is ready to go into the cars on june 30, wish me luck, as my 04 GRANGE is being so well behaved without any problems at all, id hate to get into something thats unreliable and has constant problems, by the way, every limo driver i speak to with a wm wishes he'd kept his wk - wl

Gee, it took Holden long enough to finally fix these electrical gremlins.

I've often been tempted to ask limo drivers what they think about their new WM Caprice. Interesting to see your comment on this.

Another gremlin - twice now it has put one of the front windows down all on its own. Fortunately it didn't rain on those nights. I know its doing it on its own as every time I park the vehicle for the night, I pull up all 4 window switches and visually check they are all up.

[EvokeWM]

Aircon problem was due to the belt coming off the pulleys. The aircon compressor is driven by a separate belt off the main drive belt system. They put it back on and it lasted about 4 weeks till last Friday when it threw the belt again and no aircon again.

Took it straight it and asked for it to be fixed. This time they are trying a new belt. We'll see how long it lasts. It's dropped the belt 4 times so far.

[skip100]

FWIW, I'm getting a lot of positive feedback on my WM from my passengers - they love it. One commented today "it's like riding on a magic carpet". (and also offered to buy the car off me when I'm eventually finished with it)

Greg.

[German Statesman]

Hmmm.....

Housemate's WM Caprice expeired its battery - 7 months old, 40,000kms. At the same time his boss' V8 WM Caprice lost its electric window memory and the RHF window went up and down uncontrollably in the roaring rain :lmao::D:bravo:

Couldn't stop laughing when I saw the poor bastard whining about it all wet down his RH side :rofl:

[EvokeWM]

FWIW, I'm getting a lot of positive feedback on my WM from my passengers - they love it. One commented today "it's like riding on a magic carpet". (and also offered to buy the car off me when I'm eventually finished with it)

Greg.

Can't wait till mine goes back. Worst vehicle I'ved ever had....ever. And I've had quite a few over 30 odd years.


Hmmm.....

Housemate's WM Caprice expeired its battery - 7 months old, 40,000kms. At the same time his boss' V8 WM Caprice lost its electric window memory and the RHF window went up and down uncontrollably in the roaring rain :lmao::D:bravo:

Couldn't stop laughing when I saw the poor bastard whining about it all wet down his RH side :rofl:

Yes - mine does the confused up/down/up/down of the RHF window. Really impresses my wife when its raining :vpo:

[EvokeWM]

Aircon problem was due to the belt coming off the pulleys. The aircon compressor is driven by a separate belt off the main drive belt system. They put it back on and it lasted about 4 weeks till last Friday when it threw the belt again and no aircon again.

Took it straight it and asked for it to be fixed. This time they are trying a new belt. We'll see how long it lasts. It's dropped the belt 4 times so far.

Didn't last - threw the new belt again yesterday. No aircon again. Yet another trip back to the servive department :vpo:

[Stevotski]

a) radio increases the volume a few notches all on its own when the vehicle is stationary and the engine off; happened a few times so far that were noticed

Has anyone else experienced problems a) or c) ???

Cheers
Geoff

Yep... not in a WM but in my current VE SV6 - randomly at any time - Holden said that it was an unknown problem and they couldn't replicate the fault...

also have a magical Aircon compressor that somtimes will not switch on - Holden reflashed but it still does it and you need to turn the car off and back on to 'reboot it'

plus the old key wont unlock the car without breaking in and setting off the alarm issue...

anyway it is a October 2006 build and the POS is going in 3 weeks with a new VE9 ordered.

I wonder if the electrical system updates will be VE9.5 or just a running change to VE9? Mine was ordered this week so I hope it is a new build :)

with all the other electrical issues I have had, i thinnk that VE7, VE8 and VE8.5 will be the VN Series 1 of the new millenium :flipoff:

[EvokeWM]

Well I've just had the harmonic balancer replaced on the WM. Service guys said it appeared to wobble and their theory was this was what was throwing the aircon belt (the harmonic balancer on the V8 engine has two belt slots. One for the aircon belt (the rear one) and one for the long main serpentine belt.

We'll see how it goes. Given the past "trust me, we've fixed it" I've heard before, only time will tell.

They also did three separate reflashes of the electronics (one on the BCU - again - as I had another flat battery episode). Seem to have reflashed all the main instruments as well as they were all reset to factory defaults again and trip meters all reset.

[skip100]

I have the "Tyre Pressure System Fault" error message appearing intermittently. Went in for a service today and they said that my rear pressures were low, and to see how I go. I had set the pressures half an hour before I took the car in - they were not low - I put 39 in the rear, and 38 in the front, and it was absolutely stone cold. Recommended pressure for normal load is 36 front & rear.

Does anyone know anything about this error?

Also, is it possible to disable the audible alarm for errors like this?

Another hire car driver I spoke to recently is so fed up with the tyre pressure errors that he's going to have the system completely disabled, he said.

Greg.

[skip100]

I've just encountered another problem: the backrest of the driver's seat could not be adjusted to be upright enough. (I tried the passenger's seat, and it could be rotated MUCH further forward.) It's been fixed now - they told me that it had lost it's memory, and needed to be reprogrammed.

They also mentioned that they had addressed a recall issue related to the rear entertainment system remaining powered on even with the ignition switched off. I thought this was quite an old recall! My car is a Jan-08 build, and besides, it's had two services, and it wasn't addressed on either occasion. At least it's been fixed now.

Finally, I was talking to another HC driver whilst waiting - his car was in for the problem which someone else has mentioned earlier - a window was going down for no reason. FYI: I heard the mechanic describe the cause of the problem to the driver - they reckoned they found condensation around the connectors inside the door, and they have put some gell on the connectors. (take this FWIW - this is just what I heard - not meant to be a full account)

The car is still driving very well though.

Greg.

[EvokeWM]

Well the battery in my WM Caprice went flat again. That's twice in two weeks. Holden Roadside Assistance is getting tired of coming out (and sick of jump starting VE/WMs !) I took it to the dealer after the earlier flat battery episode and they did the BCU module reflash. Looking at the number of posts in the battery thread I started quite a while ago, it looks like Holden has no idea how to stop the battery going flat at random intervals.

Now for something totally new - yesterday without warning I got "ABS Fail", "Stability Control Off", "Engine Fault" and "Very Low Tyre Pressure Warming" - all at the same time ! Overnight they all cleared and I thought it might have been a one off problem but as I drove down the road this afternoon the brakes shuddered and "ABS Fail" & "Stability Control Off" warning came up again. So far they have stayed up (as the ABS has failed, it has clearly also switched off Stability Control as it needs ABS to work).

As for the stupid tyre pressure monitoring system that the dealer 'calibrates' each time I take it in and says "that should fix it", I've now had all three possible warnings (i) Tyre Pressure Monitoring System Fault (ii) Low Tyre Pressure and (iii) Very Low Tyre Pressure. In all cases the tyre pressure was checked and was still at 38psi.

As for the window up/down on its own problem, I've had 5 episodes of this in the last couple of weeks.

Looks like another trip back to the dealer with the Lemon. :vpo::vpo:

[dplp1]

Im looking at buying a wm caprice but after reading this thread im not so sure!!!

[Excellent]

Well the battery in my WM Caprice went flat again. That's twice in two weeks. Holden Roadside Assistance is getting tired of coming out (and sick of jump starting VE/WMs !) I took it to the dealer after the earlier flat battery episode and they did the BCU module reflash. Looking at the number of posts in the battery thread I started quite a while ago, it looks like Holden has no idea how to stop the battery going flat at random intervals.

Now for something totally new - yesterday without warning I got "ABS Fail", "Stability Control Off", "Engine Fault" and "Very Low Tyre Pressure Warming" - all at the same time ! Overnight they all cleared and I thought it might have been a one off problem but as I drove down the road this afternoon the brakes shuddered and "ABS Fail" & "Stability Control Off" warning came up again. So far they have stayed up (as the ABS has failed, it has clearly also switched off Stability Control as it needs ABS to work).

As for the stupid tyre pressure monitoring system that the dealer 'calibrates' each time I take it in and says "that should fix it", I've now had all three possible warnings (i) Tyre Pressure Monitoring System Fault (ii) Low Tyre Pressure and (iii) Very Low Tyre Pressure. In all cases the tyre pressure was checked and was still at 38psi.

As for the window up/down on its own problem, I've had 5 episodes of this in the last couple of weeks.

Looks like another trip back to the dealer with the Lemon. :vpo::vpo:

Would be easier if they just gave you a new car. The sooner the lemon laws get introduced the better. I'm sure you'd be a worthy candidate.

Commiserations.

[GODSMACK]

Well the battery in my WM Caprice went flat again. That's twice in two weeks. Holden Roadside Assistance is getting tired of coming out (and sick of jump starting VE/WMs !) I took it to the dealer after the earlier flat battery episode and they did the BCU module reflash. Looking at the number of posts in the battery thread I started quite a while ago, it looks like Holden has no idea how to stop the battery going flat at random intervals.

Now for something totally new - yesterday without warning I got "ABS Fail", "Stability Control Off", "Engine Fault" and "Very Low Tyre Pressure Warming" - all at the same time ! Overnight they all cleared and I thought it might have been a one off problem but as I drove down the road this afternoon the brakes shuddered and "ABS Fail" & "Stability Control Off" warning came up again. So far they have stayed up (as the ABS has failed, it has clearly also switched off Stability Control as it needs ABS to work).

As for the stupid tyre pressure monitoring system that the dealer 'calibrates' each time I take it in and says "that should fix it", I've now had all three possible warnings (i) Tyre Pressure Monitoring System Fault (ii) Low Tyre Pressure and (iii) Very Low Tyre Pressure. In all cases the tyre pressure was checked and was still at 38psi.

As for the window up/down on its own problem, I've had 5 episodes of this in the last couple of weeks.

Looks like another trip back to the dealer with the Lemon. :vpo::vpo: If its any consulation, ill join the lemon club, but i have an VE SS.

2 visits to the stealership so far to have a crank angle sensor oil leak fixed &
6 visits to have the 'knocking' from the front of the car fixed, still no result. Dealership has no idea what to do next. Spoke to them today, Sevice managers words where "I dont know where to go next with your car" - long awkward pause......
Ive also had the battery go flat when i first got the car, however the module reflash seemed to work in my case.

[skip100]

Two more little, but annoying problems:
1. The DC power receptacle in the boot is loose - when I pull out the plug, the receptacle pops out. I've had one attempt at having a dealer fix this so far - they said they reseated it, but admitted that there "isn't much holding it in". It's not fixed.

2. There is an intermittent "ticking" sound in the cabin when driving. I eventually tracked down the source of this sound: it's the passenger side rear DVD screen. The panel is slightly loose in the frame, and vibrations cause the small but audible rattle. This could be tricky to fix. (I haven't attempted to have it fixed yet) I am sure it is this because when I push firmly on the frame whilst driving the sound stops. I noticed that the other screen (driver's headrest) makes the same kind of sound when I tap the frame, but I don't think it's making a sound on it's own accord when driving.

Greg.

[EvokeWM]

The "ABS Fail", "Stability Control Off", "Engine Fault" warnings decided to disappear the day I had it booked in for service - so cancelled the service as I know it would be a waste of time taking it to them when the fault cleared. Was OK for 4 days then all three warnings started up again but randomly clear then come up again. I'm waiting till they come on and I can whip it down to the dealer to have the diagnosis done while they are up.

Had the BCM reflashed but the battery doesn't hold much of a charge. DVD player on for 15 mins without engine running will flatten it. Just restarting the engine and stopping it again without a road run will drain it enough that it will only just crank over & start the next morning. Sad to see the Flat battery thread I started long ago is still going strong showing Holden has got no idea how to fix the recurrent flat battery problem soooo many people are experiencing, even on late build vehicles.

As for the knocking in the front suspension - the new D bushes on the stabiliser bar worked for a few months but the knocking soon came back - soft at first but getting louder & louder. Another problem I note lots of people are having with their 'million dollar baby' !

[Stevotski]

I wonder if the electrical system updates will be VE9.5 or just a running change to VE9? Mine was ordered this week so I hope it is a new build :)


Yay :smilesandbanana: 11 July build :)

...lets see if the electrical issues are finally sorted :xmas:

[hdj105]

Wait until you need a new windscreen, budget for $300 as they are genuine only because of the rain sensor (which is part of the screen).

Dad's still consistently displays the "Tyre pressure system fault" warning despite the dealers efforts.

[EvokeWM]

I certainly would not want to own one after the warranty is up. They are damn expensive to fix. Replacing the steering rack on these is $950. Half the front end needs to come out.

The ABS and Engine lights were apparently due to a faulty rear wheel speed sensor & its loom.

I told them about my frustration with the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and they said "Would you like it turned off". Why the hell didn't they tell me before it could be deactivated !! I naturally said Yes. At last, no more ding ding ding Tyre Pressure faults.

Told them to replace the battery as I was sick of calling Holden Assist for a jump start. They finally did a test on it and said it wasn't holding a charge and replaced it with a standard lead acid battery (no Calcium batteries in stock). Despite the BCM module stuffing up the battery over the past 18 months, they said tough luck, battery out of warranty period and billed me. Now that makes you want to buy another Holden !

[skip100]

The clicking DVD screen was driving me batty, so I took it in. To the dealer's credit, they were willing to order in a new screen assembly, however, I wasn't sure this would fix the problem, as the other screen in my car seemed about the same. I wanted them to simply shove something between the frame and the screen, which would prevent the frame from vibrating, but they refused to do that. I took the car down the road to a smash repairer, and they jammed a bit of sponge in, which has stopped the noise. (yes, I could have done this myself) The sponge is for all intents & purposes fully concealed.

Btw, the noise went away when someone was sitting in the front passenger's seat - I think it's because the weight reduced the amount of vibration. This might explain why I haven't heard the driver's side screen make the sound - that seat always has someone in it. :)

Greg.

[skip100]

I was wrong about the cause of the clicking DVD screen - it came back!
The real culprit is, I think, the struts of the headrest, or something to do with that mechanism. In any case, lifting the headrest up one notch (as opposed to being down fully, which it was) appears to have fixed the problem - I have not heard it click once and it's been a few days now.

I managed to flatten my battery this morning by leaving the headlights on. I thought perhaps in this day & age it may have been able to produce a warning before the battery got so flat that it would not start the engine, but I didn't get anything. (well, it DID say "battery saving mode on" at some stage when I was actually trying to start it). An indicator on the dash which lights when the headlights are on (at least when the engine is off) would be useful too. Oh well. I took the car straight to the dealer and they said that because the charge rate is ok I probably haven't stuffed the battery.

Greg.

[big "d"]

I was wrong about the cause of the clicking DVD screen - it came back!
The real culprit is, I think, the struts of the headrest, or something to do with that mechanism. In any case, lifting the headrest up one notch (as opposed to being down fully, which it was) appears to have fixed the problem - I have not heard it click once and it's been a few days now.

I managed to flatten my battery this morning by leaving the headlights on. I thought perhaps in this day & age it may have been able to produce a warning before the battery got so flat that it would not start the engine, but I didn't get anything. (well, it DID say "battery saving mode on" at some stage when I was actually trying to start it). An indicator on the dash which lights when the headlights are on (at least when the engine is off) would be useful too. Oh well. I took the car straight to the dealer and they said that because the charge rate is ok I probably haven't stuffed the battery.

Greg.

Now you have got me thinking....

How did you leave the lights on when the car has auto lights off when the keys are out and the car is locked up :confused:

[skip100]

Now you have got me thinking....

How did you leave the lights on when the car has auto lights off when the keys are out and the car is locked up :confused:

I was with the car, with the keys in the ignition, but turned all the way off. Despite this, the lights stayed on because I had actually rotated the switch to the "on" position, rather than leaving it in auto. (according the manual, it is even possible to have the lights stay on even with the key out of the ignition - I haven't tried that yet)

I didn't see the dash backlighting because it was quite bright outside. In fact, I even walked around the car doing stuff and I didn't even see the lights on - again, due to the daylight.

I often control the lights manually.

The Ford Fairlane beeps as soon as the door is opened, if the headlights are on. This is a very useful feature - I wonder whether the Caprice can be configured to do this!

Greg.

[skip100]

Apologies - I think I was wrong about the headlights - I'm pretty sure they do go off automatically after a certain time, even with the key in the ignition. I will confirm by doing a test (at the dealer!).

I didn't mention this for brevity, but the last thing to happen when my battery went flat was that I had opened the sunroof, and in order to do this, I had to turn the key to the accessories position. So, when I went to start the car, the key was in that position, with the headlights on. I think it was like that for about 10 to 15 minutes. I'm sorry I didn't mention this in my original post.

I'll report back after the test unless someone else can confirm and save me the trouble.

Greg.

[skip100]

Re: the headlights - if they are switched on fully, and the car is then turned off, they do in fact go off after only 15 seconds (doh!), so that wasn't the problem. It must have been the last 15 minutes when I had turned on the accessories. If the accessories are off, and THEN the lights are switched on, they stay on (it seems), but I hadn't done that.

Just as an aside, I notice that it is not possible to actually leave the light switch in the full OFF position - the resting position is Auto, and the OFF position can only be selected momentarily. I'd prefer it if the switch could in fact be left in the full OFF position, especially as it seems that I have to have the key in the accessories position in order to have the sunroof stay open when the engine is not running.

Greg.

[EvokeWM]

I've found that the Caprice battery will go flat after only 15 mins of the lights on but no engine running. Watching a DVD for a while will totally kill it as well.

My Calcium battery has been replaced by a normal lead acid battery. They said it wasn't holding a charge. I reckon the standard battery its better. Supposedly they were going to put another calcium battery in it when stock came in but of course they never phone you back........

Holden service rep said Holden still don't have a fix to the 'battery goes flat' problem despite numerous upgrades to BCU module software.

[German Statesman]

I certainly would not want to own one after the warranty is up. They are damn expensive to fix. Replacing the steering rack on these is $950. Half the front end needs to come out.

The ABS and Engine lights were apparently due to a faulty rear wheel speed sensor & its loom.

I told them about my frustration with the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and they said "Would you like it turned off". Why the hell didn't they tell me before it could be deactivated !! I naturally said Yes. At last, no more ding ding ding Tyre Pressure faults.

Told them to replace the battery as I was sick of calling Holden Assist for a jump start. They finally did a test on it and said it wasn't holding a charge and replaced it with a standard lead acid battery (no Calcium batteries in stock). Despite the BCM module stuffing up the battery over the past 18 months, they said tough luck, battery out of warranty period and billed me. Now that makes you want to buy another Holden !

VQ/VR/VS Caprice steering racks were $950 plus install for a long time because they were genuine only and totally brand new - nothing newsworthy there. As soon as the aftermarket reconditioners started reco-ing Servotronic racks, the price came down.

I think its time for you and Skip to maybe print out this thread and take it to your Holden dealer...you have numerous pages of very negative opinions of the Caprices you bought. Its time to take action, don't you think?

Posting your experiences on a web forum aren't going to fix your car or improve your ownership experience. :)

[Caprice1]

I can't believe how similar my experience has been to you. In fact my brother and I both purchased Caprices at the end of 07. Although both cars are plagued with small issues like flat batteries, faulty dvd screens, constant faulty warnings on dash, passenger side dash board falling apart and dropping onto passengers legs; the main issues are the rattles, clunks and bumps in the suspension. Both vehicles exactly the same. New bushes, struts etc replaced at 15000K. No different, sounds like a HJ Holden farm ute. Second major issue is the auto. Harsh and dumb. Doesn't know what gear it wants to be in.
We always purchased Fairlanes in the past and as they were discontinued, we hoped the much acclaimed caprice would be enjoyable.
Can't wait to get out of these vehicles. Dealer doesn't look like being capable of fixing these issues. I can not believe the reviews the caprice received. If only I could get back into my 2003 Fairlane G220. Vastly superior car in every way!

[LSX-438]

We've done 10,000km now in our Caprice; problems thus far:

1. Flat battery (BCM update applied)
2. Centre console and another interior trim bit falling off
3. Windscreen washer reservoir seems to have cracked, spews it's guts
4. Tyre pressure sensors dont work too well when temps fall below zero

I think that's it. We just came back from the snowies and the car is a great family cruiser. Maybe there are some lemons out there but i cant imagine how someone would take a Fairlane over one. Perhaps - as a working limo doing thosands of k's a week - the WM isnt as robust? As a regular family car it's great though. Sorry you guys have had all these issues.

[Caprice1]

Glad you're enjoying your caprice. I was a little concerned to have purchased two, and find the problems were identical in both. Does your caprice have noisy suspension over minor road imperfections. (rattles and rumbles). I know there is nothing wrong with our auto, it is just seriously lame in comparison with the 6 speed autos in the Ford camp. I love the look of my caprice, but sadly that's where it ends.

[LSX-438]

Glad you're enjoying your caprice. I was a little concerned to have purchased two, and find the problems were identical in both. Does your caprice have noisy suspension over minor road imperfections. (rattles and rumbles). I know there is nothing wrong with our auto, it is just seriously lame in comparison with the 6 speed autos in the Ford camp. I love the look of my caprice, but sadly that's where it ends.

Now you mention it yes the suspension is a bit clunky, when turning bends under a bit of load, hitting a pothole it becomes very unsettled. And yes the auto box is a bit agricultural i must admit! it seems to be getting better though - or maybe i cam getting used to it.

[EvokeWM]

Posting your experiences on a web forum aren't going to fix your car or improve your ownership experience. :)

Bit hard to improve the ownership experience when just as things are fixed, others fail. And for the things that keep failing - Holden dealer says he has run out of ideas or Tech Briefs on the problem. I spend half my time in the Holden dealer's workshop and it's the biggest in NSW so if they can't fix it, Holden can't.

I post the problems so others can see the issues and where there is one, the fix. The whole idea of forums is information sharing.

You'll see others like Caprice1 now realise they ae not alone with their probs.

Finally, wouldn't have to complain if the damn thing had been better designed & built. Fortunately I've only got 5 months left before the lease is up and it goes to the auction yard. Pity the next person who buys it.


Glad you're enjoying your caprice. I was a little concerned to have purchased two, and find the problems were identical in both. Does your caprice have noisy suspension over minor road imperfections. (rattles and rumbles). I know there is nothing wrong with our auto, it is just seriously lame in comparison with the 6 speed autos in the Ford camp. I love the look of my caprice, but sadly that's where it ends.

Numerous other people (including me) don't like the new 6sp auto either. Its worse than the old 4sp auto ! See Australian LS1 and Holden Forums (http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=104096)

[skip100]

My parking sensors played up again today - the system locked up, beeping at a constant rate. The beeping continued even when I put the transmission into Park, and I could not turn it off by pressing the parking sensor on/off button - I tried repeatedly. It has done this on a few occasions before, too. I believe it's related to the front sensors, because the beeping is from the front. (the rear sensors seem to beep from the rear, which is a nice feature, but I digress) I was driving forward into my tight garage at the time.

This could be why I drove forward into my garage wall that time. (I mentioned this earlier in this thread)

If they can't fix it, I'll see if they can completely disable the front sensors only.

My car is now 5 months old and it has about 22000 on the clock. I am still very happy with how it is driving. I am still driving with the tranmission in Sports mode which helps drivability. I still don't seem to have any objectionable/unusual clunking.

Greg.

[Speedy Gonzales]

Bit hard to improve the ownership experience when just as things are fixed, others fail. And for the things that keep failing - Holden dealer says he has run out of ideas or Tech Briefs on the problem. I spend half my time in the Holden dealer's workshop and it's the biggest in NSW so if they can't fix it, Holden can't.

I post the problems so others can see the issues and where there is one, the fix. The whole idea of forums is information sharing.

You'll see others like Caprice1 now realise they ae not alone with their probs.

Finally, wouldn't have to complain if the damn thing had been better designed & built. Fortunately I've only got 5 months left before the lease is up and it goes to the auction yard. Pity the next person who buys it.



Numerous other people (including me) don't like the new 6sp auto either. Its worse than the old 4sp auto ! See http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=104096

Absolutely woeful the negative experiences that have been posted, Holden you reading this? Get your farken act together, build a quality car and offer a quality warranty, what a lemon.

[perthexcite]

I too have a WM Caprice and have held a life long dream to own one - I finally was able to get one with my new job. I agree with a lot that the rest of the guys have said in respect to the extremely poor quality finish and problems experienced. I guess the give away should have been the battery going flat on the third day (it was delivered straight from factory to me) and all the other things subsequently going wrong (many of which have been documented in this forum) - the biggest disappointment has been the Dealer's attitude of not caring and lies about there being no problem or fix.

I have been a holden buyer all my life starting with a brand new Gemini as my first car in 1981 - I thought I had finally achieved my dream by getting a Caprice. I can honestly say I have shed tears over the problems this car has been to me and I will never ever buy a Holden ever again nor will I recommend one to my mates.

The attitude Holden has demonstrated to me has resulted in me changing our business fleet policy from Holden to Toyota which will result in them loosing 200 vehicles over the next 2 years - I hope the Service Manager of my local Dealer is reading this as he walks out the door wondering why he was made redundant due to a down turn in sales...

Remember guys do what I did - vote with your feet and buy something else.

[Swordie]

How are the 300C's fairing as Limos apart from the lack of space in the back?

I hired a WM 6cly Statesman last week from Sydney to Bathurst and back. I was impressed with the handling across sweepers of the Blue Mountains. I even tested it around Mt Panorama. For a big car it handles very well around the mountain. The car would easily hit 180 - 200km to first rise of Conrod Straight. It’s a motor that sounds really sweet spinning above 5000 rpm. I didn’t bother with the reversing gadget, I’m used to parking a big car. It averaged 10.4 L/100 with an average speed of 54km over a distance of 520kms. The Alloytec is definitely a better motor than the Ecotec. I think my wagon still drives quite well in comparison, the Statesman is obviously better.

[EvokeWM]

I
I have been a holden buyer all my life starting with a brand new Gemini as my first car in 1981 - I thought I had finally achieved my dream by getting a Caprice. I can honestly say I have shed tears over the problems this car has been to me and I will never ever buy a Holden ever again nor will I recommend one to my mates.

Same with me. I'm fed up having it in the workshop all the time and it coming out with either the problem not fixed OR having one prob fixed then a week later another one arises.

I'm done with Holden for good too. My next lease is a Ford G6ET. I looked at the new Sportswagon but as it essentially had all the same electronics, gearbox & engine as the Caprice, I wouldn't touch it. I'll miss the space in the rear seat area the Caprice had but not the endless problems.

[CLUBRED]

I'll be back in a Bmw before the years end, and the reason is not actually for the car, but for the lack of 'service' from my dealer - that'll be less than 6 months of ownership.

[vecommo]

I'm done with Holden for good too. My next lease is a Ford G6ET.

What, you seriously think a Ford will be any better? Go to the Ford forums and you will see endless complaints of shoddy quality, poor reliability and extremely negative dealership experiences, many of which are far worse than the issues you have been experiencing.

[Gee]

What, you seriously think a Ford will be any better? Go to the Ford forums and you will see endless complaints of shoddy quality, poor reliability and extremely negative dealership experiences, many of which are far worse than the issues you have been experiencing.

Perhaps because the Holden he's paying serious bikkies for is a POS, how could it be worse. Fair dinkum, how hard is it to understand the blokes thoughts.


Same with me. I'm fed up having it in the workshop all the time and it coming out with either the problem not fixed OR having one prob fixed then a week later another one arises.

I'm done with Holden for good too. My next lease is a Ford G6ET.

Nobody reasonable could blame you after the repeated issues - you;ve probably copped a lemon unlike others but its not like Holden fixed that for you.

I think the G6ET is a nice looking device too - shame there's no comparable V8 option to the LS but the turbo is a sweet engine too.

[EvokeWM]

What, you seriously think a Ford will be any better?

Well I doubt it can get any worse than what I've experienced with the Caprice (which remember is supposed to be Holden's flagship product that competes with BMW 5 and 7 series). In 35 years of owning vehicles, I've never had a vehicle as bad as this in reliability nor a manufacturer unable to fix the problems.

[skip100]

I'd prefer it if the switch could in fact be left in the full OFF position, especially as it seems that I have to have the key in the accessories position in order to have the sunroof stay open when the engine is not running.



Sorry - I'm wrong again. The sunroof can be left open by simply pressing the knob quickly after turning off the ignition.

I think I am now starting to get the suspension clunking over bumps. I'm noticing a bit of it when driving very slowly over rough roads.

Greg.

[Caprice270]

Hi guys, my Nov '06 Caprice has now done 9,000km of deep inner city driving and I must say, it is holding together very well. Its disappointing that there are some lemons out there, because it is truely a beautiful vehicle and has lived up to all my expectations and then some.

It has even done Calder Park runs, where I would squeeze 20-30 runs out of it on one night, many within 5 minutes of each other, and never a single problem.

[skip100]

For those with tyre pressure monitoring problems, it may help to go into Engineering Mode and look at the pressure readouts. I am still getting an intermittent "Tyre Pressure System Fault" error, and today I tried re-starting the car in Eng. Mode with this error present, to see what was going on - one of the pressure readouts (drivers rear, last value in the list) was bogus: 148psi. I'm going to take this information to the dealer.

Greg.

[gen111]

hi, its a holden after all. get use to it,i gave up long time ago.

[skip100]

My "tyre pressure system fault" errors seem to be ALWAYS caused by the rear wheels. It's usually the offside, but is sometimes the nearside.

I photographed the dash display with the faults present, and the dealer has agreed to replace both sensors. It'll be interesting to see whether this fixes it.

Since it's always the rears (so far), I'm wondering whether JUST PERHAPS there is some issue with the signal strength. I.e, maybe the receiver is in the front of the car, and the signal reception from the rear sensors isn't quite good enough. Just a thought. Anyway, I'll see how I go with the new sensors.

Greg.

[PeterS]

My "tyre pressure system fault" errors seem to be ALWAYS caused by the rear wheels. It's usually the offside, but is sometimes the nearside.

I photographed the dash display with the faults present, and the dealer has agreed to replace both sensors. It'll be interesting to see whether this fixes it.

Since it's always the rears (so far), I'm wondering whether JUST PERHAPS there is some issue with the signal strength. I.e, maybe the receiver is in the front of the car, and the signal reception from the rear sensors isn't quite good enough. Just a thought. Anyway, I'll see how I go with the new sensors.

Greg.

My WM has been in multiple times for this fault.
After waiting 6 weeks for the parts to come in, I have had my rear LH sensor changed, then I had the same fault again within the hour. I give up.

Cheers,

[hdj105]

Since it's always the rears (so far), I'm wondering whether JUST PERHAPS there is some issue with the signal strength. I.e, maybe the receiver is in the front of the car, and the signal reception from the rear sensors isn't quite good enough. Just a thought. Anyway, I'll see how I go with the new sensors.

Greg.

Dad just had his in for repair last week. They replaced all the tyre sensors, and a harness too. All good so far aparently.

[skip100]

I think I am now starting to get the suspension clunking over bumps. I'm noticing a bit of it when driving very slowly over rough roads.

False alarm - I had a bottle of cleaning fluid floating around in the boot (underneath, in the wheel well), which it appears was causing a bit of a rattle. The problem has now gone away completely, and I'm back to not being able to fault it.

Greg.

[EvokeWM]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the dealer suggested he turn off the tyre pressure warning system in order to stop the false alarms bugging me. Good idea so I had him do it.

All was OK for a while and now all on its own my Caprice has decided to start up with the Low Tyre Pressure Warning again. Hasn't been serviced since they turned it off so no one has turned it back on again. Very mysterious.

Also the drivers seat control panel plastic cover has decided to warp again.

[skip100]

That's very strange indeed, Evoke. :)

My tyre pressure system seems to be working ok now, after they replaced both rear sensors - no errors at all for over a week, which was unheard of before they were replaced. When I first bought the car, though, I wasn't getting any errors either.

Greg.
p.s Turning it off altogether would be a very last resort for me - the system is correctly warning me when I actually DO get a puncture - I really like this.

[CapriceMe]

What?? Nothing in the last two months, or..... Has everyone sold their WM's?? At this point, I dunno if I'm going to buy one after reading all that!

[German Statesman]

What?? Nothing in the last two months, or..... Has everyone sold their WM's?? At this point, I dunno if I'm going to buy one after reading all that!

The Free Whinge Time Bonus with Optus ran out

[CapriceMe]

:lol: very funny!!:rofl:

[EvokeWM]

I haven't been posting up the probs as it was coming to the end of the lease but here's the remaining faults with the vehicle (you asked for it !!):

• ‘Engine Fault’ warning (intermittent recurring fault). Cause -faulty o2 sensor
• Instrument failure (large X on centre display when fuel gauge falls to zero, disappears when fuel gauge returns to level reading again) – intermittent recurring fault. Cause - faulty fuel level sensor
• Brake pedal pulses on stopping. Cause - warped rotor.
• Brake calipers/pads rattle.
• Brakes grab after application then moving off (clunk heard and felt). New pads fitted to fix.
• Clunking from front area (again) over rough road surface. Cause - dealer found broken engine mount and replaced it but it still clunks & rattles over bumps. This problem has been with the vehicle for 2 years and the dealer has never been able to fix it despite numerous times in the workshop and replacing steering racks, shocks, stabiliser bar D-rubbers, engine mounts and tightening everything they could find to tighten at the front end.
• Engine belts/pulleys noisy – loudest when engine cold
• Driver's seat control panel warps again. Fix - drill hole & cable tie to under seat frame.
• LED side turn indicator strip cracks again and water enters. Fix - couldn't be bothered having it fixed again as it was end of lease.
• 12v power outlet in boot keeps dropping out of panel. Fix - no fix.
• Engine burning oil - about 1 litre every 2,000kms.


Vehicle has now gone off to auction as it was end of lease. Pity the person who buys this lemon.

Glad to see the last of it and the Holden dealer who couldn't fix many of the problems. Worst vehicle I have ever owned in 30 years of driving.

[AusCalais]

Very interesting (and amusing) thread.

I have had my July 07 Caprice 6.0L since Dec 07 when I drove it home from Brisbane to Canberra. It had been a dealer principal car and had 4000km on clock.

I found this thread when I Googled the broken washer bottle issue, which my dealer service guy told me today was a known issue.... they regularly split in the early days of VE/WM until supplier changed the plastic used.

I too am getting TPMS warnings... this came up after I had to replace a tyre (the TPMS did it's job, but the lady was in a hurry, silenced the warning and continued to drive on a deflating tyre, which was then too damaged to repair for the original nail in the tread). Dealer says there was a rear tyre a bit low and they also 'recalibrated' the system. I will watch it closely, I had inflated all tyres to 40psi earlier this week.

One of the station buttons on the radio was intermittent so the radio fascia was replaced.... then volume control didn't work on the new fascia! Hadn't got out of dealer's yard when I found that. This was replaced today after about 4+months wait for part and finding the time to get it in for the change.

I also had an intermittent problem with the warnings of 'Check Engine' and 'Trac Cntrl Off' when in the drive-thru at McDonalds and KFC.... I put this down to a sensor overheating as the car idled in the queue. It usually reset pretty quickly... however it reappeared (Check Engine) last Easter when I was in a Melbourne McD drive-thru and wouldn't clear. Holden Roadside Assistance (RACV) guy said it was a known fault.... the alarm radio systems they use at McDs and KFC stuff up the electronics in many cars (some cars have to be towed away from the area before they will re-start). He did a reset and it hasn't returned since, even though I've been in a few drive-throughs since!

I did some driving on a rough country road and had a rear parking sensor drop out into the inside of the bumper, shutting down the entire parking sensor system. Dealer fixed that.

Like others say, the glove box is difficult to close.

Other than that it's a great car and I still love driving it, now up to 21,000 km.

[Excellent]

Very interesting (and amusing) thread.

I also had an intermittent problem with the warnings of 'Check Engine' and 'Trac Cntrl Off' when in the drive-thru at McDonalds and KFC.... I put this down to a sensor overheating as the car idled in the queue. It usually reset pretty quickly... however it reappeared (Check Engine) last Easter when I was in a Melbourne McD drive-thru and wouldn't clear. Holden Roadside Assistance (RACV) guy said it was a known fault.... the alarm radio systems they use at McDs and KFC stuff up the electronics in many cars (some cars have to be towed away from the area before they will re-start). He did a reset and it hasn't returned since, even though I've been in a few drive-throughs since!

Other than that it's a great car and I still love driving it, now up to 21,000 km.

Wow, is that really so? :confused:

Good to know you are still a happy camper. :)

[WM1206CAPRICE]

Obviously a late reply but I also own a WM Caprice purchased Feb 2007 built Dec 2006.

I have had 2 years of absolute grief with this car (if you can call it a car). Almost all of your problems and a few more have appeared in my car and many remain unresolved to this day. Constant return trips to the dealer with long lists of faults have left me with a service history that is laughable. I now go to the dealer knowing that my warranty issues will remain unresolved whilst the dealer is happy to charge me to service the car!

Some of the issues that HOLDEN CANNOT FIX are:

Suspension: Rear shocks were faulty from day 1. Dealer claimed that springs were faulty. Waited for new springs to be ordered in. Springs replaced, noises still remained. Discovered that shocks faulty, waited for shocks to be ordered in. Complained that rear of car bottomed out all the time, especially when towing my boat. After repeatedly being told that suspension had been checked (months) I parked next to the dealers own Caprice and they found that THE WRONG SPRINGS had been fitted to my car. Waited for parts to be ordered. Suspension was still rubbish on the car and felt that car was unsafe when towing my boat (the main reason for buying a large car) so I ended up replacing the springs with Walkinshaw Performance Springs and the shocks/struts with Pedders Sport Riders (All at my cost). The control and ride are much better and the lower ride height looks sensational with my 20's. Suspension bumps and clunks are still there and it seems that the dealer must be deaf because everyone else hears the noises but the dealer!! I am also of the opinion that the fact that the rear tyres were shot after 25k may be as a result of the ongoing suspension issues. Not a cheap fix either at $700 Each !!

Rain sensing wipers - have not worked correctly since new. Turn on in bright sunlight and blades get chewed out by wiping a dry screen. No free replacements from Holden so far, also no fix to the problem !

Tyre pressure monitors - what a joke. I don't know who's tyres they monitor but I don't think they're mine. Shows either low pressure or system fault at least once a day and now i just ignore it. I wonder how much I paid for this feature when i bought the car?

Engine Misses under load especially when in Active Select. Complaint since new. I have had various staff along for a drive straight after they told me it wasn't there when they drove it alone, only to have it miraculously reappear. Last comment from the service manager was that he could get every 6.0 ltr engine to miss under low revs.

Constant current drain. Cannot use radio or DVD whilst engine is not running or the battery will go flat. Can't even have the radio on whilst washing the car or it won't start again! this complaint has been an issue from the first day I picked the car up, drove home and then had to call Holden Assist when the car would not start later that evening.

There are many, many more faults that have been addressed, more or less, during the past 2 years, however the unresolved issues above and the pitifully poor build quality leave me embarrassed to admit to owning Holden's flagship vehicle.

Good luck to all those that have parted with cars that they loved (mine was a 2002 CV8 Monaro) and a wad of cash, in the deluded hope that their new Caprice was going to deliver the same level of excitement and satisfaction as their past vehicle, only to come to the stark realisation that they have in deed bought a pig.

p.s. Resale value is rubbish as well. It's hard to even give them away !!

25 years of proud Holden ownership ends with this one !!

[Sluggy]

Wow, this IS a tale of woe! I was wondering what I would replace my beloved WK Stato with (no problems besides a rear door handle loosened up inside and made the door hard to open), I guess a WM is off the list.

To tell you truth, I prefer the looks of the WK/L to the WM, the longer boot looks more 'traditional' if you know what I mean. I'm sure the WM is a better car to drive, but I love my WK to bits. :love2:

I guess a WL Grange might be the shot, eh? Not for a couple more years yet tho.

Cheers, SLuggy

[dcholden]

All depends - for the handful of people who have had problems with ones listed here there is probably hundreds out there without issue. I also understand that they have sorted a lot of the issues in MY 9.5. I too loved my WK, but once you have driven a WM the difference is just incomparable and its hard to go back. I guess its just the luck of the game - like everything else in life.

[ricky89]

I have a NOV 07 Wm Caprice 6.0 V8. It is a great car and gets lots of attention from drivers always staring. The only problem I have had with the car is the sound system (been replaced as mechanical error was displaying) other than that is it such a nice car to drive and look at heaps better than the last one! I think the first made one’s have a few issues but I haven’t and hope no to have any more problems with the car. It is very well priced for all the features it has in it.

[skip100]

Finally, the front end clunking started to occur. It wasn't very bad, but I decided to have it fixed. Seemed to start at about 50,000. (car has done over 60,000 now) My symptoms seem to be the same as Evoke's - the problem was most noticable going slowly over rough roads - even very small surface abberations could cause the clunking.

The dealer said something about replacing sway bars and bushings, and that the new parts had been revised. I've heard from another HC driver that the main culprit is the "D-rubbers".

It's back like new now - fingers crossed.

Greg.
p.s I appear to have two accounts - I am "skip100" in earlier replies. Sorry about that - I had no idea I had done that.

[skip100]

Spoke to soon. I could hear a single "clunk" during tight corners. They replaced more stuff - link rods, plus they said the isolation washers for the springs were on recall so they replaced them too. That seemed to be ok for while but it's gone back in again because two black snakey looking things have snapped off the front arms and they are scraping along the ground when I go over bumps. They look important. It's amazing how good the car feels to drive despite this serious problem.
There's been two dealers involved in all this mainly due to my need to keep the car on the road as much as possible.

Greg.

[EvokeWM]

Spoke to soon. I could hear a single "clunk" during tight corners. They replaced more stuff - link rods, plus they said the isolation washers for the springs were on recall so they replaced them too. That seemed to be ok for while but it's gone back in again because two black snakey looking things have snapped off the front arms and they are scraping along the ground when I go over bumps. They look important. It's amazing how good the car feels to drive despite this serious problem.
There's been two dealers involved in all this mainly due to my need to keep the car on the road as much as possible.

Greg.

Good luck. Despite all the replacements they did on the front suspension and the sway bar D rubbers plus the engine mount replacements and steering rack replacement (etc, etc), the annoying clunking was there to the day I returned it to the lease company.

Yes there may be lots of trouble free Caprices out there but that doesn't help those who have the dud ones.

I can accept there are probs with any new model but it was the indifferent attitude to fixing problems on Holden's flagship model that was really disappointing. I won't be getting another Holden ever again after 2 years of pain with the Caprice.

[cookie_ssv]

yea just make sure the rubber isolators get fitted between the strut and the bottom of the coil, get them to lube the d rubbers and replace the link rods from stab bar to strut, the early pre oct 07 i think had noisy engine mounts also when going over bumps they made noise, revised mounts are now avail.

had a caprice about a month ago was noisey as hell sounded like the front end was going to fall out.. the strut mounts were also sagged to the shit as they do.. replace all the above and its quiet like new again..

[Excellent]

yea just make sure the rubber isolators get fitted between the strut and the bottom of the coil, get them to lube the d rubbers and replace the link rods from stab bar to strut, the early pre oct 07 i think had noisy engine mounts also when going over bumps they made noise, revised mounts are now avail.

had a caprice about a month ago was noisey as hell sounded like the front end was going to fall out.. the strut mounts were also sagged to the shit as they do.. replace all the above and its quiet like new again..

Great post cookie_ssv. :goodjob:

It sounds like EvokeWM encountered repeatedly poor dealer service which soured his Holden ownership experience. I wonder how many more satisfied owners there'd be if the service side backed up the product.

[Xenon]

Damn, after reading this thread I'm reconsidering my purchase of a WM. I was thinking of buying second hand via auction, but it seems there is a fair chance I could get a lemon. Then again, in the price range that I am looking at ($30k-ish) I'll be looking at one that has done between 50,000-100,000kms so maybe the problems will have been sorted by then...

The only other option I have is to get a 2004/05 WL caprice, but I test drove one the other day (done 89k) and was slightly underwhelmed with noisy steering/brakes. This may have been because of the lowered suspension and 20" rims though. Also not too sure that I like the shape, but I might be persuaded for the right price.

Damn, after reading this thread I'm reconsidering my purchase of a WM. I was thinking of buying second hand via auction, but it seems there is a fair chance I could get a lemon. Then again, in the price range that I am looking at ($30k-ish) I'll be looking at one that has done between 50,000-100,000kms so maybe the problems will have been sorted by then...

The only other option I have is to get a 2004/05 WL caprice, but I test drove one the other day (done 89k) and was slightly underwhelmed with noisy steering/brakes. This may have been because of the lowered suspension and 20" rims though. Also not too sure that I like the shape, but I might be persuaded for the right price.

[CLUBRED]

yea just make sure the rubber isolators get fitted between the strut and the bottom of the coil, get them to lube the d rubbers and replace the link rods from stab bar to strut, the early pre oct 07 i think had noisy engine mounts also when going over bumps they made noise, revised mounts are now avail.

Sounds like what I've just had done, I should scan the invoice as it has the TL number.

Everything on this page was attempted by another dealer, some more than once which tells me that some places just don't want to fix your car, just screw Holden:

http://users.tpg.com.au/cmr05e//hinvjuly09.jpg

I still want job 1 looked at again...

Oh, and ignore #9, its supposed to say doesn't creep forward in drive unlike a friend of mine's does, just wanted it looked at.

[Speedy Gonzales]

9 issues on an RO, classic Holden quality at its best :)

[Excellent]

9 issues on an RO, classic Holden quality at its best :)

Good to know the owner notices these issues as I'm sure the same issues would appear on other makes as well. They seem to be minor issues but could be quite irritating.

What would make you happy?

[CLUBRED]

9 issues on an RO, classic Holden quality at its best :)

Haha, mate, that's only page 1...

[skip100]

The things that I mentioned earlier that had come away from the struts were the link rods. An independent mechanic I showed the car to said it's a bad design - the link rods are too low to the ground and he's concerned that bumps might damage them.

The "clunk" during corners which appeared after having replaced the D-rubbers turned out to be a bad engine mount, they reckon. Both engine mounts have now been replaced, and the car feels and sounds like new again.
I know zip about engine mounts, but I would have thought that four mounts would be required for a big heavy engine - are there really only two?
Another HC driver said his have gone twice so far. (160,000km)

Yes, they have installed the rubber isolation washers/bushes/whatever for the front springs.

Greg.

[skip100]

Unfortunately I still have a problem, and it's proving difficult to fix. This problem didn't exist before the D-Rubbers and engine mounts etc were replaced.

It makes a throbbing, humming sound, which is audible in the speed range of approximately 50 to 70kph. It's not loud, but it's loud enough for me to feel uneasy with paying clients in the car. The frequency that the humming "throbs" is approximately 2 times per second when travelling at 70kph. I think it's loudest at 70, but rapidly diminishes above this speed. No problems at all on the freeway.

My service supervisor said that they've done all they can, and that he "gives up", but he'll get the service manager to give me a call. Looks like I'll be calling Customer Support.

I'm astonished at their response, given that I bought the car brand new, and have paid through the nose for dealer servicing.

Greg.



Another HC driver said his have gone twice so far. (160,000km)



Correction: I bumped into this driver again, and he said his engine mounts have only gone once, not twice. It was the harmonic balancer that has gone twice.

Greg.

[skip100]

Re: the humming/throbbing, a (paying) client commented, completely unprompted, that it sounds like I have a bad wheel bearing. I went back to my dealer (for the third time) with this information, but all they did was do a quick road test, in which they couldn't reproduce the problem, so they gave the car back to me. (in fairness, I hadn't booked the car in, and they were busy). On the first two occasions, though, the car had been formally booked in, and they had the car for the whole day on both occasions. The problem isn't really all that hard to reproduce, so I'm dissatisfied with their support.

Anyway, I then got impatient, and took the car to an independent mechanic. The problem occurred straight away, and they agreed that it sounded like a bad wheel bearing, and within 10 minutes of having it up on the hoist they were certain.

Despite the car still being under warranty, I'm paying for the mechanic to fix the problem. It's a rather expensive part due to the ABS sensors being integrated into the bearing, but I'm paying for it anyway. (hopefully Holden will at least partly reimburse me but I'm not going to fret about it if they don't)

Just on a more positive note, the same passenger had initially commented how "tight" the car felt, and asked whether it was a new car. I think this is due to the new D-rubbers and other suspension work the dealer had done earlier. So it's not all bad news.

Also, I really do feel that Sydney's roads are EXTREMELY punishing on my car. I've noticed that there have been more road repairs recently, but I still don't think they're keeping up.

Greg.

[skip100]

Update: it was indeed the wheel bearing. The part didn't cost nearly as much as the mechanic thought it would. Also, the dealer had told me it was a "big job" to replace, however my mechanic did it in under an hour.

Greg.

[AussieAdamWM]

Wow , lots of people having trouble out there real shame... I can relate to some thats for sure.

I am really happy with my WM Caprice but have had few of the issues mentioned in this post -

• The Tyre Sensors I gave up on after the second visit to Holden and still randomly getting the error - you can actually go into the computers Trip setup and turn this annoying error off, you'll never see it again and no more annoying chime on startup

• Mech. Error on headunit - I got that one - but Holden had no issue replacing the headunit for me - it really is a great head unit though BOSE in the caprice it does it all Sat Nav , Multizone DVD ( Had it reprogrammed to view while driving ) 6 stacker with MP3 compatibility is awesome - 6 disks of MP3 is a crap load of songs, the browsing menu and song full titles on the display is great.

• Clunking front suspension - resolved though like someone else mentioned I have had 20's fitted along with new King Springs and Monroe GT shocks everything is tight and the ride is awesome.

• Today the rear ash tray while cleaning I opened it and the damn thing would'nt close ...

Other then that they the only issues I have had thus far.... I love the car !!

[skip100]

I still like mine a lot too, despite my whinging. It's going really well at the moment. I'm trying out yet another dealer at the moment and I'm quietly confident. (two other HC drivers have recommended them)

It could be my imagination (it probably is) but it seems to have gotten even faster after the 60000 service - I can't help wondering whether there was a firmware upgrade to the ECU or something.

I'm making the most of this car while it lasts - with the way things are going I reckon it's highly unlikely I'll ever have a car with a huge engine like this again.

Greg.

[skip100]

Here's an interesting one: often, when I stop the car and open the door, the accessories do not turn off. It's supposed to turn off the accessories as soon as the door is opened, if the ignition is off. Lately, I've noticed that sometimes the radio stays on, even after the key has been REMOVED and the car locked! Naturally, this wouldn't be good for the battery. Usually, if I close the door and open it again, the radio turns off, but just now, it refused to turn off, even after multiple goes. Yes, if I press the power button on the dash it does turn off, but the screen stays on, which means the system hasn't actually turned off completely. I suppose this could be just a defective door position sensor.

Another problem is that in hot weather, it's sometimes EXTREMELY sluggish when taking off from a standstill.

75000km/18 months.

Greg.

[Peter B - CV8]

Here's an interesting one: often, when I stop the car and open the door, the accessories do not turn off. It's supposed to turn off the accessories as soon as the door is opened, if the ignition is off. Lately, I've noticed that sometimes the radio stays on, even after the key has been REMOVED and the car locked! Naturally, this wouldn't be good for the battery. Usually, if I close the door and open it again, the radio turns off, but just now, it refused to turn off, even after multiple goes. Yes, if I press the power button on the dash it does turn off, but the screen stays on, which means the system hasn't actually turned off completely. I suppose this could be just a defective door position sensor.

Another problem is that in hot weather, it's sometimes EXTREMELY sluggish when taking off from a standstill.

75000km/18 months.
Greg.


I seem to recall someone with a similar problem. It ended up being fixed by cleaning the switch contacts on the door jamb that activate the cabin/courtesy lights.

[skip100]

Thanks Peter - it'll be fixed under warranty. (this time)

Yet another one to add to the list - my radio is stuffed, and I need a new one. Dealer says it's quite a common problem. This happened today, on the way to take my car in for a service. At least it happened just BEFORE it went in, and not just after. ;^) I hope I'm not going to have to buy a new radio every 18 months when it's out of warranty.

Greg.

[skip100]

They were able to reprogram the radio to get it working again - good news. (sorry for the mis-information - they did seem quite sure that they'd have to replace the radio, at first)

Door switch replaced under warranty.

They replaced the harmonic balancer - no idea why and I left in a rush so didn't ask. (I would have thought that I'd feel vibrations if this part wasn't working properly????)

Greg.

[skip100]

Just read up on the Harmonic Balancer - apparently the timing can go out if this part has worn, so maybe this will fix my sluggish takeoffs in hot weather!

Greg.

[jrckelley]

It seems that the problem cars mentioned here were 2007 - 2008. Could I reasonably assume that 2009 onwards have less issues.

The old man just lost his ford BF Ghia V8 to a fallen tree and I sugested the caprice but the issues in the tread are a bit of a shock. (I figure the tyre pressuer sysytem will always be an issue but I can live with that being turned off.

I was also looking at 2003 BMW 745 (first of the current shape) - now theres a car that had problems at the start of its life. And you think Caprices are exsoensive to fix.

[skip100]

I'm not sure whether the recent ones are any better or not - I'm interested to know too.

re: tyre pressure monitoring, I've been having more problems. One dealer said that part of the problem is that the infrared signal doesn't always get through the window tinting. (is it really infrared??? I thought they were RF/wireless! Even if they are radio devices, I have heard that some tinting is metallic......) Another dealer said that there are two different types of sensors: one is an aftermarket part (but still approved by Holden), and the other is a genuine Holden part. I have one remaining aftermarket sensor left and I plan to replace it when I next replace the tyre. They also said that they can be damaged when changing the tyres. My problems always seem to be due to the sensors (notwithstanding the possible issue with the window tinting).

Once again, I was noticing some clunking from the front end when driving slowly over rough roads. They took it all apart and told me that whoever did the work the previous time hadn't done it properly. They said if it's not done properly the D-rubbers can wear prematurely, too. Anyway, I have brand new D-rubbers again, and once again it is driving like new - all I hear now is the deep thuds which to me sounds entirely normal.

I'm spending most of my days off going to and from the dealer. It's very frustrating and tiring.

Greg.

[julianj71]

I have an 07 caprice and absolutley love it!!!!

[F6Sunny]

We have an August 2010 build WM V6 as a HC in Melbourne. The car has suffered most of the problems mentioned in the thread but we really haven't caused much of a fuss over it, as it is a solid and so far reliable car.

We have had the following issues;

- TPM reset twice
- Engine light on intermittently, once needed code test which came up with nothing
- Steering wheel Track/Seek scroll sometimes does not work (very rarely)
- Driver's seat creaks (was mainly an issue in warmer months??)
- BlueTooth mic replaced under warranty
- Noticed moisture in fog lamps once, disappeared shortly after and has not come back?
- Auto is a bit "how you going" but from what I've read 'they are all like that', ours occasionally does a very harsh 2-3 upshift which is accompanied by a CHINK noise from tailshaft or uni's :/ (go drive a BF-FG ZF if you want a good 6 speed!)
- Folders and track titles load slowly on ICC
- Handbrake awkward and tacky
- High RPM for about 20 seconds on start up, car wants to pull away hard when you lift from the brake

I guess it's a long list but we haven't been too fussed. The car has 60,000km on it now and still smells new and rides very smoothly. I often drive it for 12 hours in a day and cover about 200-400km on a shift on average, and don't get tired of it at all.

This is all very sympathetic, and coming from a Ford man :P

[F6Sunny]

Also, last week when doing a 3 point turn I went R > D without the car fully stationary. I copped a beeping noise for about 3 minutes and could NOT turn it off even by turning the car off and removing the key. It stopped just as I was about to drive to Patterson Cheney in Vermont.

Anyone know what it would have been?

[Wonky]

I guess you had no warnings come up on the dash? :confused:

[Troutman]

The seat creak thing has been discussed elsewhere.

ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=149346&highlight=VE+seat

I had a squeaky belt noise on cold start-up, which a new belt has fixed. Still have to figure out why my passenger side mirror has stopped working, probably the switch at fault.

The biggest whinge now is the front suspension rattle; my mechanic says it could be just bushes. I've heard of different people having different fixes for this same problem - someone else said new shocks fixed it - which is rather confusing. I'll post any updates here as well as my write-up on wmcaprice.com.

Also for the record, all problems I've had - and in my opinion most problems mentioned in the thread - are extremely minor blemishes on an otherwise brilliant car.

-Troutman

[LUXRYAZ]

i have a problem with sat nav not working at all anyone know why? do i need to pay?

other than that she is mint

my grange brake upgrade seems to squeek like hell though!

[toey]

its a bit of a dig i know but worth a shot.

my auto adjust headlights are no longer working which is a pain for me and other road users as the hid's are bright and i dont like getting constant flashes from oncoming traffic. so has anyone else had that issue? what was the fix?

had the cracked side indercator lense which holden have since revised the part which means that you cant pop the lense off a new one and replace the lense, you have to paint and fit the whole unit. replaced when drivers door was repaired after dead sh1t backed into it.

the cd stacker randomly has error and ejects the cds, no biggie as i use the ipod

the storage pocket below head unit is hard to close, dont use it so no biggie

front end knock over light to medium bumps, getting a bit annoying but will fix it when i lower the big girl.

all in all still love the car. great cruiser and pleanty of space. looks great in evoke and 20" supersports

[NickS]

my auto adjust headlights are no longer working which is a pain for me and other road users as the hid's are bright and i dont like getting constant flashes from oncoming traffic. so has anyone else had that issue? what was the fix

I had the same issue with the Grange mate, passenger side only, is yours both sides? When I started the car up both headlights would move up as the start of the self leveling function but only the drivers side came back down!

Anyway ... fixed under warranty by replacing the whole headlight unit ... unfortunately for you! Not sure if there is a cheaper fix ... good luck!

[toey]

cheers for that nick. yeah both of mine stopped, one day they worked then they didnt, dont move at all. thought it may of been a fuse or relay but nothing listed for it so ill have to find out if it shares a fuse with something but nothing else seems to have stopped working.

be stuffed if ill be buying two whole headlights, i guess ill have to adjust them the old fashioned way.

[toey]

found the problem. its the washer hose that goes to the light washer was disconnected. this resulted in the control module getting soaked and fried :(

now the fun begins as this hose was left off when the car went in to get my door repaired. the repairer removed the front gaurd to blend into it. to remove the gaurd the light and bar needs to be removed and when replaved they have missed hooking the hose back up. end resuld on fried module and a pissed off owner.

this just adds to a list of stuff damaged on my car by this panel shop......grrrr

[pdbee]

Just a point, the interior courtesy lights only come on when you open the door and it's dark outside. That's at the same time the headlights come on automatically. If you've accidentally hit the "doors open" courtesy switch then they won't come on at all. The only way you know you've done that is to try it in the dark or cover the sunlight sensor on the middle of the dash. If the courtesy light is off with the door open then press the "doors open" switch and see if that solves your problem.

I am having the same problem and must have somehow hit the "doors open courtesy switch"

Where is the "doors open courtesy switch"?, I cant find it, I haven't touched anything to my knowledge

I thought I was going nuts!

[mgee1975]

sway bar bushes are your cluncking probs.after market ones are different in design
good luck

[Wonky]

I am having the same problem and must have somehow hit the "doors open courtesy switch"

Where is the "doors open courtesy switch"?, I cant find it, I haven't touched anything to my knowledge

I thought I was going nuts!

I assume he means one of the two buttons on the interior lamp if it's similar to on my SSV. One turns the interior light on and off and one sets it so the interior light does or doesn't come on when you open the door (from memory the left one). Even if the Caprice interior light is different it should have similar functionality.

[Shawry.89]

[QUOTE=toey;1964934]found the problem. its the washer hose that goes to the light washer was disconnected. this resulted in the control module getting soaked and fried :(

Was it the control module or the ballast that was fried?
If it was the module, where is it located on the caprice/commodore?