No fire in the hole!!!!

[roces]

I really love my vs v6, so much so that right now i actually feel heart-broken and lost. I brought jess (my vs) three and a half months ago, she came with 260,000 km's on the clock so i drive nice and easy, practically i wet nurse her. Last friday things went south, i'd been driving jess for about an hour and everything's all good. I pull up at the shop and turn her off, i come back out start her and as i drive off i feel a real sluggish and un-responsive motor then next minute jess dies! Try to start her again and she just coughs and farts and dies again. I've swapped out the coil packs and had a new crank angle sensor fitted but still no starting. What the hells goin on with my car, please any advice or help would be very greatly appreciated.

[Wombles]

Hows the fuel? When did the filteer get changed?

[F l a k]

Poor Jess lol

Maybe the fuel pump?

[roces]

Im guessing the fuel is good, not sure what the condition of the fuel filter is. Thought maybe the fuel pump but when i leave jess overnight she'll start for me in the morning and run for about half hour then when i turn her off she refuses to start again. Can the fuel pump just pack it in then go good again the next morning?

[F l a k]

When the fuel pump died in mine it just wouldn't go again at all. Checked the ignition leads? Battery voltage? I'm not really sure what could cause it, sorry.

[roces]

Battery is good maybe ignition leads need changing. Thanks Flak

[ephect]

Let's start with the simple things, check ur error codes, to see if anything has been logged.. We may have something to work from.. If nothing, we go from there..

[roces]

If i check for error codes will that delete any memory? Just thinking incase i eventually need to take it to a dealer for repairs.

[ephect]

Nar, checking codes is exactly that, checking. if u disconnect the battery, that will clear the codes, which u may need to do if something is logged and the issue is then resolved. U clear the codes to make sure that issue is fixed and not still logging codes

[roces]

Car has been to the mechanic, he got it to fire but after running it for 15 mins turned it off and wouldn't fire again, just cranking. If i leave the car and come back to it after a few hours it starts but after running it a while and turning it off its hard to start again, it fires up only to run a few seconds sounding like crap and stalling. Car is going into the holden dealers tomorrow and hopefully they can fix her.

[ephect]

I'm thinking, possible loom issue, heat is causing massive resistance, affecting coil packs/dfi module.

Any error codes?

[roces]

Didnt check for codes, im not that flash mechanic wise so i left it. A dude at the garage reckons it may have something to do with the MAP sensor??? Will find out codes tomorrow and see if the dealer mechanic is worth he's salt. cheers mate

[aceventura]

Not worth his salt if he thinks your VS has a map sensor

[roces]

There's no MAP on a vs commodore?

[Wombles]

Its supposed to be MAF.

[SWE11L]

Holden are going to rape you...

[Bourbonated]

Holden are going to rape you...

Not true all the time.. The Holden dealer in my town is actually cheaper than all of the other mechanics around. This happened to my brothers car awhile back, turned out to be the MAF sensor as well. But his car had too many problems to start with, so it may not be that for you.

[SWE11L]

Not true all the time.. The Holden dealer in my town is actually cheaper than all of the other mechanics around.

Good to know, I wish they were all like that. I took my VL and VS to one here in Sydney years ago and for the VL they tried charging me more than what I paid for the car (which was a decent price back in 99) and put in the wrong injectors and tried to charge me twice for labour! A few years later thinking I was doing the right thing I took the VS in when I first got it and walked out $2500 poorer, never again!

Sorry I don't have any useful info for you roces

[roces]

Well im not sure what the mechanics on about then. Tryin to dribble something about a MAP sensor and this bloke is charging me $125 an hour labour to try an fix me car!

[monkeys437]

Well im not sure what the mechanics on about then. Tryin to dribble something about a MAP sensor and this bloke is charging me $125 an hour labour to try an fix me car!

Good luck with the car mate, but its really not a good move to get work on a VS done at a holden dealer. Most local mechanics will charge 50% less on labour, less on parts, and often have more experience fixing common issues on older cars like our beloved commys. I think Holden dealers charge a rediculous amount for hours of diagnostic work which a better mechanic could diagnose in 2 seconds. The fact that he's waffling on about a MAP sensor sorta confirms this

[roces]

Thanks monkey. Its bull mate i tell ya, 2 holden mechanics lookin at it this morning and between both of em' they cant figure out whats goin on. Even now my car starts and runs for 30 mins but as soon as i turn it off it wont start again, just cranking. The holden dealer quoted me 3 hours labour at $125 an hour to replace the fuel pump (which they suspect it is, on account of only registering 10 psi on the fuel line while car is cranking) but stuff their labour costs, i dont have a spare $375 to pay em'. Im gunna try and replace the pump me-self, im just really hoping it is the fuel pump causing all this strife.

[ephect]

roces, now is a good time to check your error codes to see if anything has been logged. yes i keep going on about it but is so easy to do.
did they plug in a device in the cabin? i would hope Holden did a check..

[roces]

Yeah ephect the holden mechanic checked for error codes but none registered. So with no codes to go on im pre stuffed. The holden dude said a buggered fuel pump wont show up when checking for codes. Is that true?

[monkeys437]

Look mate, ive never changed a fuel pump but ive changed a diff in a VS and spent a couple hours with my head next to the fuel pump. I would say that there is no way in hell a fuel pump take 3 hours for a mechanic with a hoist to change. Id be shocked if it took an hour.

Please anyone feel free to correct me if im wrong

[Bourbonated]

Yeah ephect the holden mechanic checked for error codes but none registered. So with no codes to go on im pre stuffed. The holden dude said a buggered fuel pump wont show up when checking for codes. Is that true?

This is true. If you are going to change it yourself, I must stress to you the importance of the hose inside the tank that runs into the swell pot.. Make sure you have something holding onto this while you are doing your pump replacement so it doesn't fall back inside the tank, if it does you'll be up shit creek. If you aren't really confident in attempting it yourself, you are probably better off getting somebody to do it for you.

Look mate, ive never changed a fuel pump but ive changed a diff in a VS and spent a couple hours with my head next to the fuel pump. I would say that there is no way in hell a fuel pump take 3 hours for a mechanic with a hoist to change. Id be shocked if it took an hour.

Please anyone feel free to correct me if im wrong

It took me 4 hours in a car park with only my scissor jack to do mine.. So 3 hours on a hoist is complete bullshit.