5 speed auto vz sv6

[holiday2]

hi
i was just wandering with the 5 speed auto how can you tell how much oil is in the gear box.
i was told that you never have to change the oil or filter.
could that be true because i know with the other commodores you have to change the oil and filter.
the oil cant last for ever can it.
thanks.
also what type of pressure do you run your tyres at
29 seems to low.
thanks

[Boonz]

30 psi is the pressure they are inflated too when being serviced but its up to you and the main use of the car. hard tyres for highway driving and a bit softer for around town or dirt

[Sammy]

it is my personal opinion that there is no oil known to man that can last that long if it were mine and the factory didn't change it i would be looking for other opinions thats for sure.

as for the tyres, have a look inside the drivers front door, there is a sticker which lists the type of tyre and the inflation recommendation. From memory the SV6 wheels which are the same as on my S Ute recommend about 30 psi and thats what i've always put in them ... but like Boona15 says if you have a load in the car or depending on the surface you might want to look at pressures, i know my ute recommends more in the rear tyres for loads and towing etc.

[malscar]

I'm with you sammy. To me the oil must get dirty with minuscule particles from the transmission wearing. According to the service book, at the 150k service they replace fluid and filter. No other services. If you look at the engine, you don't have a dipstick (other than behind the wheel), so you can't top it up anyway.

Tyre pressures are 29psi normal and 32psi under load. Again I'm with both sammy and boona15 and run mine a bit higher. Usually 31psi.

[Alloytec]

Not many more KM's then the VX/VY series cars

they change there fluid/strainer/gasket at 110,000km's

[Toa]

Do the sv6 auto box's have no tranny fluid level dipstick?

Sounds alot like the falcon boxs with no dipstick.

The service at 150,000K may become a "replacement" service.

How many kays does the warranty cover? 100,000 maybe?

Non-servicable box's are a bit dodgy.

This is going to be interesting.

[stew7700]

yep you cant check the level it is "Sealed For life" as the manual says. But yeh they do schedual an oil and filter change for it.

[holden#1]

in regards to air pressure, i run 36psi, gives a firmer ride. as has been said, depends what sort of driving you're up to. interestingly, tyre manufacturers always suggest higher pressures than the car manufacturer. an slightly underinflated tyre will give a fair percentage of the population the illusion of a smooth ride. i'm refering to the standard RE92's here. (205 65 R15). just another thing, commodores are still running 15'' wheels (stock executives) all the falcons are runnin 16'' rims. falcons been 16'' since AU S2. in some of the reviews of the VZ they reckon 15'''s are getting a bit ancient. wonder why Holden doesn't get it's act together in this regard??? would make the standard exec handle a bit better.

[BobT]

I asked Bridgstone. For the 45 series 17" RE030 Potenzas they recommend 250 kpa. Also, because they are non-directional, they recommend rotating them left to right at 5,000 km intervals. That evens out the heal toe wear.

I initially ran at the Holden recommended 200 kpa. They were smooth and quiet but I found the edges were wearing. At 250 kpa they just slightly more noisy and hard but handle great. So far at 9,000 km they seem to be wearing very flat. Time will tell.

[Sammy]

16" chasers, that would be the go hey for all the people out there that use them!!

thats an interesting thought you have there BobT, i too run 200kpa in my tyres and i actually only just thought this afternoon that the edges are wearing more than the centre of the wheel .... having said that i almost 90% of the time corner hard and also have just over 25,000km's on my tyres ......

with regards to the rotating of the wheels, are you saying left front to right front and vice versa or left front to right rear ? i was thinking of rotating mine fronts to rears to get more even wear but if i can change sides i'll be going left front the right rear i think

[Boonz]

this is the way to do it "properly" lol.....dont mind the roughness

[Alloytec]

If anyone remembers the late model Holden Jackaroo's with the auto, they are a sealed unit aswell (no dipstick)

ill have to take a good look at one next week for yas to see if fluid level can be checked

[Sammy]

thats an unreal pic boona

[BobT]

Yep, you got it Sammy. Right front to left rear. Apparently the tyre blocks wear into a wedge shape if they rotate the same way too much. I'm only going on what Bridgestone advise for these particular tyres.

[scott.waldon]

this is the way to do it "properly" lol.....dont mind the roughness

Nice job, lol, atleast people can see what theve gotta do.

[malscar]

If we had a real spare and not a 15" chaser, you could do that with all 5 like we did years ago.

[Boonz]

ohhh its not good to have a stockie when your on your P's with a v8 hense why i ahve 5 rims im glad you like my scribbles lol

[ginnsynz]

Hi

I asked about the sealed gearbox when i got mine serviced and apparently there is a special machine which checks the oil level and will also replace the oil. Looks similar to one of those blood pumping machines which drain and replace at the same time...

I had my oil changed at 50000km, but i am just a bit like that, i service my SV6 every 10000km anyway, and use synthetic oil. Has fixed a small valvetrain clatter i used to get when cold that Holden could not find a reason for.

Cheers
Ginnsy

[vy-346]

Really, synthetic oil fixed that rattle at cold start did it? What viscosity oil.... Mine does it intermittantly.

[ginnsynz]

It's Mobil 1, i think it is 10W-50. Holden dealer said synthetic oil voids warranty, guys at Mobil both said they recommend only Mobil 1 and why would HSV use it if it was rubbish, guy at Holden said anything of "reputable manufacture and minimum 10W-30 was ok including synthetic.....

[Sammy]

i find it hard to believe that using synthetic oil in a new car can void the warranty

[steen]

A number of things:

Motor Oil: 10W30 Mobil 1 full synthetic was the spec for the LY7 (HFV6). The 07 revised specs now list 10W30 mineral oil. You'll have no probs with full synthetic.

Transmission Fluid: The 5L40 (M82) is clean room assembled & filled with Dexron III at the factory to avoid contamination. It's sealed "for life". 1st scheduled service is 150k. I'd do it sooner. I'd be happier with the revised Dexron VI for 150k service intervals. With regular use, no towing, etc, there won't be probs. If contemplating a tranny service, I'd ask for a sample of your old fluid. If it smells like burnt fish&chips, it's time for a change...

Tyre Pressure: With 235/45R17 tyres you should consider >34PSI. Bridestone recommend 38-40PSI. On good sealed roads, 30PSI will be fine & result in a smoother ride albeit with increased tyre wear & increased fuel consumption. The risk with low pressures on low profile tyres is that if you hit eg a pothole, you may damage your rim.