I love this car - but sometimes I think it wants me to hate it!

[Skylarking]

Well hmmmmm..... this thread just went DEEP!!!!!

...wait, is that a rabbit hole i see???

C’mon Alice, you know that rabbit hole is enticing

 

[VS 5.0]

Well hmmmmm..... this thread just went DEEP!!!!!

...wait, is that a rabbit hole i see???

Welcome to the world of JC.

Where any thread can go in any direction at any time.

 

[carcollector]

Well hmmmmm..... this thread just went DEEP!!!!!

...wait, is that a rabbit hole i see???

Heh heh. Climbing out of the rabbit hole, time for an update. The transmission was replaced with a brand new one on 25/10/23, and appears to be driving fine.

The warranty ran out on 31/10/23........

PS: I am aware of my rights for statutory warranty and that high value items must be "fit for purpose". I'll be keeping a close eye on things for a while yet.

 

[Skylarking]

The transmission was replaced with a brand new one on 25/10/23, and appears to be driving fine.

The warranty ran out on 31/10/23........

By new, I assume you mean a second hand unit given the (31/10/23 - 31/10/23) 6 day warranty.

If you meant new = unused stock in a box, I’d assume it would have had a minimum of 12m voluntary warranty, if not longer

 

[me_like_fuelBurners]

By new, I assume you mean a second hand unit given the (31/10/23 - 31/10/23) 6 day warranty.

If you meant new = unused stock in a box, I’d assume it would have had a minimum of 12m voluntary warranty, if not longer

Agreed.... just because the 5 year new car warranty ran out, anything replaced with a 'new' unit will come with its own fresh warranty!! (like @Skylarking said, 12 months minimum under Aussie law - and I reckon you could argue the full 5 year warranty applies from date of replacement)

 

[carcollector]

By new, I assume you mean a second hand unit given the (31/10/23 - 31/10/23) 6 day warranty.

If you meant new = unused stock in a box, I’d assume it would have had a minimum of 12m voluntary warranty, if not longer

New Transmission. Peter Page Holden is tied up with Lions Den genuine Holden Parts - the new trans came from their warehouse in Adelaide.

 

[Skylarking]

New Transmission. Peter Page Holden is tied up with Lions Den genuine Holden Parts - the new trans came from their warehouse in Adelaide.

I think I misread your post re the 6 day warranty. On second reading, I now take it the transmission failed 6 days before the vehicle warranty ran out

As for the new transmission, what do they say is the voluntary (factory) warranty duration?

I’d expect to be able to make any warranty claim (ACL or factory) you‘d need the lines flushed clean before a new TC and cooler are installed along with the new transmission. Did the change those items (do the whole kit and caboodle)?

Just to ensure longevity, if at all possible, I‘d do a precautionary trans fluid and filter change @ 500 or 1000kms even though the dealer would say it’s not needed

 

[VT2Commie]

.........Just to ensure longevity, if at all possible, I‘d do a precautionary trans fluid and filter change @ 500 or 1000kms even though the dealer would say it’s not needed

Yes, as the left over partly drained dyno test tranmission fluid will be full of moisture for sure. Dexron 6 is hygroscopic, ie absorbes moisture. The box could have been sitting for years in storage. They are after all european hand-me-downs.

 

[Skylarking]

Yes, as the left over partly drained dyno test tranmission fluid will be full of moisture for sure. Dexron 6 is hygroscopic, ie absorbes moisture. The box could have been sitting for years in storage. They are after all european hand-me-downs.

Didn’t know Dexron VI trans fluid was hygroscopic but wiki seems to indicate it was a problem back in the day of Dexron IID fluid and no longer an issue with the later stuff.

Having said that, clean fluid is definitely paramount for long transmission life while coolant contaminated fluid from say a radiator trans fluid heat exchange leak isn't conducive to long transmission life

But in this case, it’s a new transmission which I thought were boxed dry and needed a full fill of new fluid on install, so not so relevant. Used boxes on the other hand are a different beast and in some cases can simply be buying someone else’s problem, caveat emptor

 

[Craig ZB]

We have a 2018 Calais V V6 AWD hatch in Darkmoon blue. Beautiful car to drive, optioned way above anything else in its price range, awesome colour, pampered all of its life so far, but we have a slightly fractured relationship. It has only done around 77,000 km, but in that time, it suffered the usual A/C hose leak (fixed at around 40,000 km), the thermostat started to fail at around 70,000 km (now replaced), the HUD died at 77,000 km (now working after the Holden Dealer investigated it, but they don't know what was wrong with it), and a noise we have been chasing in the driveline looks to be the auto trans, so it is booked in next week to have the 9 speed auto replaced.

The good news is that this all was and will be all covered under its 5 year warranty which ends at the end of October, but what happens after October? Please no-one mention the diff and curse it further!

I have older Holdens that have crunched out many hundreds of thousands of KM with far less issues.

PS: Maybe I should just buy a spare diff and store it, as there can't be too much else that can go wrong

Hey team,

I thought I would start this as a long term review of a 2019 LT 2.0L commodore wagon. Came from owning a 2006 Falcon XR6 which I had a lot of fun with, however had to move on from that to this, my first commodore.

Why I chose it:
-Wagon trim - trying for kids, so spacious interior mixed with decent cargo space is a win.
-Value - compared to passat/mondeo/octavias for the $$$/features the commodore seems like a really good value purchase and they are being advertised for a lot less $$$ than a VF in this ludicrous used marker.
-Safety - has all the airbags, this year has blind spot monitoring for the LT, collision detection/AEB at low speeds, front/rear sensors, rear cam - all a must after my falcon got written off in a hairy way which made me rethink safety features.
-LT - mainly due to budget reasons and wasn't willing to pay more for the higher trims as didn't really see how the extra features would be worth the $$$ (time will tell). Also my wife is on her Ps so I am restricted in VIC with the 2.0L as the V6 can't be driven by Ps.

Bought used at a dealer for $24k about a week ago, with 77k kms and was an ex police car.
-Service history excellent (as per any police car)
-Was serviced out country way (so hoping that means kms are mainly country which should offset any police thrashing??)
-Usual scuffs from police use, side of centre console, few small body blemishes, however paint seems to be in good condition, no flaking/fading, also the beloved 2nd battery in the boot (still working out whether to keep for camping trips or ditch so weight is reduced)
-Drivetrain/suspension seems to be in perfect nick, no noises, transmission changes smooth, takes bumps well
-In wagon LT trim, with tow bar (will do semi-regular towing of a cage trailer unbraked with it)

Initial impressions:
-Once you put the foot down it really takes off and pulls you back in your seat. Still haven't given it a good highway entry run yet, however I have been more than satisfied with how quick off the mark it is, so smoooooth. (9 speed vs the ol BTR 4 speed are worlds apart) Exhaust note is a bit quiet, would like it with a bit more grunt when giving it some.
-Android auto has been hit and miss, worked the first day I set it up and since it has been intermittent, still yet to try a few setting changes which are recommended to get it working. Overall the infotainment seems very basic at the LT level and I will need to get android auto working to really enjoy the car for GPS, music etc.
-Sound system is adequate, however lacking in bass. May look at putting a slimline one in the boot, or looking at whether a wheel well sub from the upper trims can be retrofitted to work in it.
-Front parking sensors seem rubbish, the range at which it starts to ping seems way too close and jumps in increments very quickly. I have driven other cars with front sensors that are so much more usable than these, will not be relying on them. It is also my first time having blind spot monitoring and I don't seem to notice them at all?? Can't comment on the AEB/collision detection system as haven't had it trigger on me....yet
-Seats are very comfortable, however no vertical adjustment for the passenger seat is an odd choice, why????
-Plenty of cargo space, already used for a few items, however will need some way of tying items down when there are only a few items in the back, there are two tie down points at the front of the cargo area, may need to add two to the rear as well (anyone have suggestions for this)

I have come up with the following main long term review points that I will use to measure how I perceive the car:
-Reliability (including maintenance costs/parts availability/component life/warranty etc.)
-Ability to haul gear (towing performance/cargo space use)
-Vehicle enjoyment (overall use of vehicle features/performance/comfort)

Hi all. I’m enjoying my ZB Calais 2018 except for some kind of issue with the suspension. At anything more than 65kph when I go over a few ripples in the tarmac, or say some tram tracks, the suspension rattles so much it feels like all four wheels are gonna come off. Anyone else experienced this?