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  1. robgm

    Clear Service message with OBD2

    Thankyou that worked.
  2. robgm

    Clear Service message with OBD2

    I have the message "Service 195,000km" on my dash. I have an OBD2 (cheap $30 wifi one off eBay) and use the free iOS app called "Car Scanner" (incidentally this is a great free app that reads the codes, shows metrics, etc). It has an option to clear the Service message but says "use at own...
  3. robgm

    Powertrain codes P0700 and P1621

    Actually, the wife took my main key by accident on Friday just when i was leaving for camp weekend. So i had to use the spare key. Once i got to camp I didn’t use the car until drive back on Sunday. Now i’m using the main key, after a few start/stops, the error on dashboard has gone. Phew...
  4. robgm

    Powertrain codes P0700 and P1621

    Yesterday i drove back from a camp, only about 45 minutes away. I stopped the car to drop off some people. After about 15 minutes i started it again. Check powertrain message came up, and then reduced performance message. Power felt lower for a while. I managed to drive home and power felt...
  5. robgm

    Door latch replacement

    The plastic has broken on the passenger front door latch. Who would have thought it’s important because sometimes the door doesn’t close fully! I saw on eBay replacement “door latch plates”, set of 4 for $80. Aftermarket. Anyone used these? Are they better than using electrical tape?
  6. robgm

    snapped a stud!! (radius rod plate)

    10 years later....So...i've now done the same thing on a 2005 VZ - just realised this thread is for older model VT-VX. Bloody Haynes manual had a confusing torque settings "Tension rod nuts Front 140 to 155", "Hydraulic strut damper nuts 20 to 26", anyway it confused a noob like me. Common...
  7. robgm

    Radius rod missing washer

    I've recently replaced the bushes in my lower control arms, and also replaced the front castor rod bushes (the ones with 4 small nuts, around big centre nut, that rod goes into). When i replaced the front castor rod bushes i noticed there was a washer on only one side rod. Is that normal - was...
  8. robgm

    Rear suspension bushes

    I think doing the front can have a big difference - is it worth doing the rear? Would failed rear bushings lead to uneven tyre wear?
  9. robgm

    Rear suspension bushes

    I see a lot of info (here and youtube) about front suspension bushes replacement, like lower control arms and radius rod, but not much about the rear. I'm going to do my front bushes. I would think the rears probably also need doing (2005 VZ 220,000km), which ones need to be done on the rear...
  10. robgm

    VZ O2 sensor Replacement

    I finally did my sensors... 1.5 years later after posting in this thread... in my 2005 VZ there are 2 (i bought genuine GM from Holden). I bought an O2 sensor socket set (7PCS 1/2"Drive Oxygen Sensor / Lambda Sensor Socket Set), you need this to make your life easier. The passenger side is...
  11. robgm

    Using oil and fuel

    I just tried again. I'm jacking up one corner only, the drivers-side front. I couldn't reach up to even touch it this time..i think i need to jack up higher. Is this the correct side to do it.....underneath the drivers side?
  12. robgm

    Using oil and fuel

    Cheers - you must have done a few....originally i played with it for 5 mins and gave up....finding howto in this forum explaining to drop the trans. I'll practice on the easy one, passenger side. Then i'll take off the plenum, and PCV bits and pieces, and clean out the oil. Hope the engines...
  13. robgm

    Using oil and fuel

    How do i unplug? I can feel it with my hand but not enough space to unplug because the plug has catch i think so need to be able to push that in to release. Is this the procedure, break the clip that holds the plug to gearbox?.... "Well nobody really gives you any good advice on how to change...
  14. robgm

    Using oil and fuel

    Opps, i meant the sensor plug is on top of the transmission....need to drop the trans to unplug it. You're right, my Acclaim 3.6L 2004 has only 2 sensors.
  15. robgm

    Using oil and fuel

    So my Commodore VZ has 210,000km on the clock. Recently, under load, i heard this spinning up sound coming from the engine for a few days. This has stopped. But now the fuel usage has gone up by about 1L/100km. Also using oil - i have top up every few weeks. I checked under the engine top...
  16. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    The brakes seem fine. What happens if i don't bed them in? My driving style is not too hard on the brakes, i'm not racing around town. Also, i put a thin layer of high heat anti-seize grease (Copper Eze) on the hubs before i fitted the rotors - is that okay? In an effort to make it easier to...
  17. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    Do i need to bed in these new rotors (i put new front and rear rotors on.....the pads are Bendix Ultra Premium SCA specials, all round only 6 months old - used on the previous original rotors, which then warped i guess, and gave me steering wobble under braking)....do i need to do this crazy...
  18. robgm

    Rear 3rd brake light

    The rear centre, 3rd, brake light has fallen out of its housing into the boot. It's hanging on by the wire. The plastic bulb mount has deteriorated. It would be great if i could get a new bulb mount and i'll just wire it in. Where can i get this? (for Commodore VZ Sedan 2004).
  19. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    You were right. I remember i got lazy with the passenger side because i couldn't find the direction to tighten. I redid it tonight and now it's good. (Rear-pasngr Down to Tighten, Rear-drivers Up to Tighten). The car holds much better now. I didn't need to adjust anything at the handbrake...
  20. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    I've now replaced the front rotors a few weeks ago; the steering wheel wobble has gone so that's good. Also I kept the pads and sanded them a bit. To remove the rotors I had to use a hammer and block of wood to bang one off, the other came off more easily. I sprayed alot of penetrant through...
  21. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    600-800 grit - isn't that a bit too fine...like it wouldn't do anything? Ah, maybe that was my problem....new bendix on old discs....when previously holden serviced and put other pads on (i forget which ones). What happens if i don't bed them in - surely, over time, they will be bedded in?
  22. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    What do you recommend for similar price? Bendix General CT? Other brand, which?
  23. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    Are Bendix that bad?! What do you recommend for similar price?
  24. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    Surely the Bendix are okay. This is for a basic commodore not some SS V8. My rotors are originals so 17 years old...skimmed once, a few years ago. You sure they are still okay? I'm pretty sure most of this car needs replacing and i have replaced many parts already.....I ordered some cheap...
  25. robgm

    Replacing rotors but keeping pads

    I recently replaced my pads (with Bendix Ultra Premium). Now after a few months I have wobble, it's likely the rotors since they have never been changed. If i change my rotors can i keep these pads? Or do i need to trash the pads and buy new ones?
  26. robgm

    Rotors

    Inside the car. On my VZ it's simple rubber gator hiding the ugly metal handbrake bit, just pull it up hard. Not sure about VE. i imagine in some newer cars that is a piece of hard plastic. There's loads of info on here about this....do some searching. This thread is about my rotors :-)
  27. robgm

    Rotors

    They probably did the easiest one; at the handbrake handle itself. If you remove the gator you can simply adjust the cable there to tighten it. But once it's tightened all the way, there's nothing left to tighten, then the only choice is to do it at the wheels, each rear wheel. Obviously a...
  28. robgm

    Rotors

    i spent ages troubleshooting this - and i did have handbrake off, wheels off, whole back of car on axle stands. The rotors have prob never been removed in 18 years....Holden skimmed them at my last service there some years ago....i guess they skim without taking off rotors. I just didn't want...
  29. robgm

    Rotors

    Well, you will adjust it, and it will just revert back after a year i reckon. You will notice the hand brake has to be pulled up a lot higher. Is there anyway to stop it from slowly unadjusting? Locktite somewhere?
  30. robgm

    Rotors

    I notice when i put on handbrake the car doesn't feel that both wheels are locking the same - car lurches slightly to one side...what is that all about?! I do remember freewheeling down a hill once while in traffic jam, 5km/h, with car off, and then using handbrake to stop it - there was a loud...
  31. robgm

    Rotors

    I tried to get the rotors off in the past to check that - i couldn't do it! Since i wasn't replacing them i couldn't risk bashing too much to get them off. Once i order new set i'll then be able to whack them harder. (yes i did adjust the shoes through the small hole in rotor to loosen)
  32. robgm

    Rotors

    I saw another thread has original VZ rotor as new thicknesses... https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/vz-brake-rotor-sizes-new-machined.154150/ Looks like mine is not far off...wow, not bad for 200,000km.
  33. robgm

    Rotors

    Opps, the vernier caliper was in CM...i just updated my OP to MM. For the handbrake is there anything inside the rear rotor that i need to replace - handbrake shoes perhaps? I will check the bearings also. But i reckon 200,000km on these original rotors means time to replace...
  34. robgm

    Rotors

    Already adjusted 1 year ago, but now it's reverted back. I think the handbrake shoes are worn in the rear rotor drum?
  35. robgm

    Rotors

    210,000km on the clock, rotors never replaced. But they were skimmed 4 years ago. I change the pads all round a few months ago. Under braking there is some steering wheel wobble just started in last few weeks. I did rotate the tires yesterday. Fronts now have 2.5mm remaining, and rears now...
  36. robgm

    VZ O2 sensor Replacement

    My car is 16 years old with 190k on the clock. Accordingly it's likely the O2 sensors are gone, if not it might be worth replacing by now i guess? The fuel economy has jumped to 16L/100km. I changed the injectors couple years ago. I will do further check on the resistance and voltages. I...
  37. robgm

    VZ O2 sensor Replacement

    Here we go; now i got 'check power train' on dash. Put on OBD2 on the car and find fault codes for Sensor 1 Bank 1. I think i have only 2 sensors, and they're the 4 wire ones. (VZ LE0 175KW MAR05). Which sensors to get - it's giving me a headache? It seems it's either Ebay 2 for $40 or Bosch...
  38. robgm

    ignition barrel wont turn

    I just did my 2004 Acclaim (so the original lasted 17 years until i got stuck at Woolies for half an hour trying to turn the damn key… it was playing up for months before that). Got an original GM barrel from Holden, but not as cheap now as I’ve been seeing on this forum, at $135. It’s easy...
  39. robgm

    Brake pads

    Now it’s time for new brake pads. I would rather just get the standard Holden/GM ones but I have a feeling they’re not available anymore plus are they expensive? It’s always had service at Holden in the past, and they put on pads in Nov 2016: GM92155977 $126 Pad kit front disk brake GM19346646...
  40. robgm

    Poor fuel economy

    Stayed in the Gippsland area over the weekend (200km South East from Melbourne)...few hundred km drives...regularly doing 100km/h....got 11.0L/100km 91RON.
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