VT Commodore issues - help!

[devilly]

tps it could be the throttle position sensor, i think this is the thing that opens and closes the butterfly on the throttle.try putting some clean engine oil onto the iac and see if it makes any difference if it does make a difference then buy a new one,when i get in my car if it don't start the first time ,i lock the car and unlock it.after i nolathane the whole front of the car it is now a pleasure to drive

 

[notthekingswood]

make sure hte sway bar link pin washers are the correct way around, the hould be the opposite of what seems right so there is more movement while turning, google it
slow to start can be low battery voltage or worn starter sucking too much voltage, do a bettery test, volts should be 12.6+ then not drop below 10.0v on start up, my VX track car does this when its about 12.5 volts but if its been charging on the trickle charger and is about 12.8v it starts easy first time
also the revs dropping could be dirty throttle body, happened with mine also and once clean its idled fine

 

[gm1961]

Hi All

Sounds like a lot of general wear and tear.

Fuel pressure low or filter dirty will give you that cold start problem, just turn the key and wait until you count to 5 or 10 , then crank the car if it starts better you know the car was low on fuel in the injection system, letting it prime up costs noting but a small amount of time.

As for driving problems, yeah well do the usuall
check for fault codes in the computer
check oxygen sensor
time to change spark plugs ??
clean throttle body , easy enough with a can of throttle body cleaner and a few rags
battery at 12v is low , try recharge battery overnight or try cold staring the car with jumper leads on another car and sue a volt meter to see if it has improved - some modern car electronics will not work properly unless full 12v on all sensors are working - if the battery has gne flat by accident ( eg leaving lights one thats ok ) but iof the battery goes flat repeatedly for no reason check alternator / regulator if they are fine then you need a new battery

Front end noises the car will have to go on a hoist and look for damage / wear

regards
george

 

[nabed4t]

Hey guys, thanks heaps for the input.

I have changed the sway bar link pins with no change to the sound coming from the LHS wheel. I did notice that the top inside aspect of the front tyres are rubbing on strut mounts, is this a normal thing? I am using VZ SS 18" rims.

I am going to change the tension rod dampeners and lower control arm bushes next weekend - a question regarding the bolts/nuts on the lower control arm holding the tension rod onto the arm and the other two on the knuckle and attaching the arm to the body, do you need to replace these or can you reuse them?

 

[gm1961]

Hi All

VZ SS 18" rims.

^^ thats you problem the offset is slightly wrong and with wide tyres they rub , use correct rims or go skinny tyre , i cant recall the size but there is a size that fits ok

 

[nabed4t]

One problem fixed. Replacing the lower control arm bushes (the ones where the radius rod connects and where the control arm attaches to the k frame) and the caster bush has eliminated the knocking sound. Although now going over bumps there is a new rattle since fitting the new Ultima struts. One thing I did notice when fitting the new struts is that the bump stops are HUGE! Comparing them to the ones I removed and to the pics in the service manual they are massive. They made it very difficult to tighten the top nut onto the shock. If I push the car up and down there is a bit of movement through the top strut mount under the bonnet. I will have a look at this when I replace the crap dust boots that came with the Ultima shocks (they clamp onto the bump stop not the spring seat) with the OE styles ones off ebay as the boot keeps coming off the bump stop. I will also check I got the washers the right way around. Oh, the local Holden dealer wanted $40 each for the dust boots and $37 for the bump stops!

Just wondering if anyone has had any issues with aftermarket bump stops being too long?

I'm still having issues with the car struggling to start, I had the battery tested, the voltage is fine but they said the alternator is struggling to charge the battery even though it's less than 3 years old.

With the scrubbing issue I haven't been able to diagnose, I'm wondering if the rotor could be the issues, I'm going to swap the left and right rotor and see if the problem moves.

Cheers guys I'll message back my findings, have a Merry Christmas!

Dan

 

[nabed4t]

Hi All

VZ SS 18" rims.

^^ thats you problem the offset is slightly wrong and with wide tyres they rub , use correct rims or go skinny tyre , i cant recall the size but there is a size that fits ok

I replaced the 18" with my stock VT S 16" rims and the scrubbing is still there although they don't rub the strut, when I change the tyers I'll see if I can get thinners tyers for the 18".

Cheers.

 

[nabed4t]

Hey Guys,

One thing I've been meaning to ask - When installing the ultima shocks I had a lot of trouble tightening the top nut onto the top of the shock to lock it into place in the engine bay, the main problem being that I don't have any spanners that fit the top of the shock (not the nut, the actual top of the shock). Regardless of metric or imperial there is NO size that fits, 11mm is the closest but has A LOT of slop and it slips, rounding the top of the shock. I don't imagine they would require Whitworth spanners?
Due to not being able to tighten the shocks adequately the shocks move up and down when driving along making a knocking sound. Has any one had this problem? I was under the impression that the top of the shock was 10mm, I think that's what the Monroe ones I replaces were.
I have emailed onlineautoparts.com.au and I am awaiting a response.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Co-Pilot]

Might be worth a look but is your radiator overflow tank stable, if loose it could knock on bumps, also check bumper, wheel arch plastic liner or driving / fog lights, maybe these items just need a tighten, or maybe bonett needs adjusting / tightening. Silly things I know but worth picking the low fruit on the tree first so to speak before looking for harder stuff, you might be surprised, I know I have on occasion. Good Luck

 

[Co-Pilot]

Also check your aerial unit might be bouncing around too!