Hey guys, good to see the forum alive and kicking, haven't been here in ages!
Got a real head scratcher here that even Holden hasn't been able to diagnose.
Old man has a VE 2010 3L SIDI with 200,000 on the clock. Never had any notable issues besides usual wear items, regular fluid changes, all the usual stuff of a regular owner.
The car frequently goes on long drives and for the last few months has had an on-going issue that hasn't really gotten worse but has been fairly consistent.
After 4-5 hours of driving (mix highway/city/urban), check engine light goes on right before the engine shuts off, electrics stay on, issue mostly occurs while car is in motion at any speed/rpm. If you try to turn the car back on straight after, it dies again in about 30-60 seconds, if you leave it off for 10 minutes you can usually drive 20~km/30 minutes before it shuts off again. Leaving it off overnight allows you to drive 4-5 hours before problem occurs again.
What's been done/checked since issue started happening
- Temp gauge is fine before shut off
- Had a misfire code once (general, not cylinder specific), but since cleared the problem has occurred three times and the code hasn't returned, checked with a Software on ELM reader from Envyous and at Holden.
- Coil packs changed
- Fuel pump changed, different fuels used
- Issue cannot be replicated under any circumstances except for 4+ hours of driving - in an hour of driving have tried keeping in low/high gear while highway driving for 30-40km straight on motorway, uphill/downhill, high revs, aggressive driving, traffic.
What's been done by Holden after a day in the shop
- All modules scanned
- All grounds checked
- Wiring checked
- Spark plugs reviewed
- Cylinders inspected
Holdens notes on invoice
Sadly after a day with Holden they are pretty dumbfounded and say they don't really know how to investigate further as they can't replicate the issue and to come back if the issue recurs and pay another $250 to get it looked over.
Any help, ideas, or even a recommended mechanic in Sydney would be greatly appreciated!