VZ Fuel Gauge Problem

[steane]

It is not just an issue with VZ S utes. We have two one tonner VZ's in Ballarat and both have same problem as well as my personnal VZ S.

The only thing remarkably accurate about them is that they all show as empty with 0 kms left for distance to empty and they all only take about 47-50litres to fill.

The one tonner has a 68 litre tank the S pack a 70 litre tank.

Holden I am sure are very aware of this issue. The dealer I go to has admitted as much as well as the chap I know who is a mechanic for one of the dealers.

I'm going to see how my car goes over the weekend since the float arm adjustment and recalibration and I'll let you all know. So far the fuel gauge isnt doing its usual nose dive so It's looking positive.

On a brighter note the dealer was good enough to fix my front end noises (tighten some swaybar bolts), replace some balancer bolts as part of a recall... and order in a new spare wheel winch assembly as the ratchet was stuffed (i wasnt even aware of this), so they seem to have done a reasonably thorough check...

 

[steane]

Well, it looks as though the float arm re-adjustment and recalibration have worked. I can't verify the accuracy as yet but the fuel gauge seems vastly more accurate along with the klms to empty readout.
I am heading off on a road trip at the end of this week and will really be able to try it out and see how accurate it is. I'll post the results during the week starting 25/04.
But, as I said, so far a vast improvement over how it was.

 

[Utester]

Keen to read your report when you return.

 

[Boeing777]

Well I took mine back and they said "oh we reprogrammed the gauge but not the engine control unit" , so they did that, and it was no help still only 350k from a reported full tank, so it goes in Tuesday again and they have ordered me a new fuel sender unit, hopefully that will fix the problem once and for all.

No hope for a loan car tho, if I want the loan car I'd have to wait till the end of May :b: , so the courtesy bus will have to do. Its such a pitty that Holden's are such great cars in looks and performance, cause the service departments (I've been everywhere in brissy) really can let the brand name down.

 

[RKZ234]

Well I took mine back and they said "oh we reprogrammed the gauge but not the engine control unit" , so they did that, and it was no help still only 350k from a reported full tank, so it goes in Tuesday again and they have ordered me a new fuel sender unit, hopefully that will fix the problem once and for all.

No hope for a loan car tho, if I want the loan car I'd have to wait till the end of May :b: , so the courtesy bus will have to do. Its such a pitty that Holden's are such great cars in looks and performance, cause the service departments (I've been everywhere in brissy) really can let the brand name down.

I fully understand the expectation of a loan car whilst warranty work being conducted, but why should a dealership bear the cost of supplying one? The dealership is already being paid a pittance to do the warranty work as it is. Just ask your service manager next time you put the vehicle in for warranty work, how much time Holden allow them to diagnose & fix the fuel probelm. 1 hour and that's it! No exceptions. So if it isn't fixed in an hour, the dealer is working on the vehicle for nothing. This is precisely why we get our vehicles back with unresolved issues. They work on it for the time Holden is willing to pay for, hand the car back and then we take it back to the dealer again and they try something else to fix the problem. Each repeated presentation is another 1 hour they get paid to fix it, rather than just working on the car for the necessary amount of time in the first place!! The dealers in the vast majority of cases aren't the problem. Holden and their screwed up Warranty Payment System is the real issue.

 

[Boeing777]

I fully understand the expectation of a loan car whilst warranty work being conducted, but why should a dealership bear the cost of supplying one? The dealership is already being paid a pittance to do the warranty work as it is. Just ask your service manager next time you put the vehicle in for warranty work, how much time Holden allow them to diagnose & fix the fuel probelm. 1 hour and that's it! No exceptions. So if it isn't fixed in an hour, the dealer is working on the vehicle for nothing. This is precisely why we get our vehicles back with unresolved issues. They work on it for the time Holden is willing to pay for, hand the car back and then we take it back to the dealer again and they try something else to fix the problem. Each repeated presentation is another 1 hour they get paid to fix it, rather than just working on the car for the necessary amount of time in the first place!! The dealers in the vast majority of cases aren't the problem. Holden and their screwed up Warranty Payment System is the real issue.

Well thats an issue the dealers need to take up with Holden, it shouldn't be passed on to the customer - and I wouldn't say the dealers get paid a pittance, I've paid the dealers prices for out of warranty work and its not the cheapest but I think you get what you pay for so I use them.

I'm sure theres things they can do to absorb the cost of loan cars anyway, if my car was six months old I wouldn't expect a loan car in a hurry, but considering they knew about the problem less than a week after I took delivery (and got screwed around with the delivery dates), and they've also had 3 chances to fix the problem. I pay nearly $40K for a car, I'd expect some kind of good service in return, and I hardly think their profit margin on the cars is a pittance!!!

 

[old mans ute]

I have told my dealer to ring me when they think they know how to solve the problem. I bought my ute to drive it; not to park it at the dealers.

I understand the economics and the commercial politics in the warranty service but as a customer I don't really care about that or who I bought the car from Holden or the dealer.

They knew about this problem in Sep 04. Is it really that hard to fix. I suggest that that someone in the chain just doesn't care. Apart from a VY Belina I bought cheap to use as a trade in on the VZ, my last Holden was a VB SLE. 25 years between Holdens and it looks like it might be 25 years before I buy another one. That depends on whether I pass the licence medical at 85.

 

[RKZ234]

Well thats an issue the dealers need to take up with Holden, it shouldn't be passed on to the customer - and I wouldn't say the dealers get paid a pittance, I've paid the dealers prices for out of warranty work and its not the cheapest but I think you get what you pay for so I use them.

I'm sure theres things they can do to absorb the cost of loan cars anyway, if my car was six months old I wouldn't expect a loan car in a hurry, but considering they knew about the problem less than a week after I took delivery (and got screwed around with the delivery dates), and they've also had 3 chances to fix the problem. I pay nearly $40K for a car, I'd expect some kind of good service in return, and I hardly think their profit margin on the cars is a pittance!!!

It's only passed onto the customer, because Holden likes to make dealers "the meat in the sandwich." Holden makes a product with defects and then leaves it up to dealers (resellers) to placate the end consumer.

Again I pose the question, why should a dealer absorb any of the cost of providing a loan vehicle? Did the Dealer manufacture our faulty cars? No. Is it the dealers Warranty? No. So, why should a dealer wear any expense whatsoever associated with providing anything in relation to a customer's faulty vehicle, except for the parts and (below market rate) labour costs that Holden inadequately reimburses them for.

The real issue is Holden's lack of committment to the product they manufacture and lack of accountability for providing sufficient Customer Service. The CUSTOMER should be addressing these issues with HOLDEN, not the unfortunate dealer.

As for dealers being paid a pittance by Holden, THEY ARE. Don't confuse the price we have to pay the dealer with the price Holden is willing to pay the dealer. The two figures are worlds apart. The dealer charges you and I about $70 an hour for labour for out of warranty work, but Holden only pays the dealer about $20 an hour!

You are also making the assumption that Holden have advised the dealers 1. What exactly is causing the problem and 2. That there is a relacement part to fix the problem. Did you ever think that sometimes the dealers are kept in the dark too?? It happens.

As for profit margin in the car, that is dependant on how well you did or didn't haggle and or shop around before purchasing.

Just because you paid $100,000 for a new "ABC123" vehicle and I bargained down to $90,000 for the same car, doesn't make your car more valuable than mine. You just paid more for yours.

 

[Boeing777]

Holden makes a product with defects and then leaves it up to dealers (resellers) to placate the end consumer.

...

So, why should a dealer wear any expense whatsoever associated with providing anything in relation to a customer's faulty vehicle, except for the parts and (below market rate) labour costs that Holden inadequately reimburses them for.

The real issue is Holden's lack of committment to the product they manufacture and lack of accountability for providing sufficient Customer Service. The CUSTOMER should be addressing these issues with HOLDEN, not the unfortunate dealer.

.

Well if its so bad being a Holden dealer I'm surprised there are any at all! The fact of the matter is whenever I've had a problem the dealer can't solve to my satisfaction, I've taken it up with Holden in writing, and have always had a great response, they even paid for a new timing kit for my old Vectra that was 18 months out of warranty, simply because the dealer told me 'those parts shouldn't fail'. I also addressed a problem with the seals on the VY Headlights discolouring to which the dealer said they won't do anything, Holden authorised the replacement of the headlights after a quick phone call, and then called me back 3 months later to make sure the problem hadn't re-occured!

Your respect for Holden as a company also surprises me, considering you're on a Holden-oriented forum and appear to drive 2 Commodores! Maybe you should invest in a Falcon??

As for the profit margin in the cars, I'm sure they didn't lose money on the deal despite the haggling, and in highly competitive market that they're in, any profit is good profit.

It shouldn't matter if they're getting paid $20 or $60 an hour, if they're in business they should be providing quality service, and have respect for customers and all that jazz, its the only way you get ahead in business. Even tho on paper a loan car may seem like a loss, in terms of customer satisfaction, personal recommendations, and return business, its worth its weight in gold, at very least as important as advertising.

Just think, if there were 2 service centres next to each other that provided the same quality work, one of them gets you a loan car when you need it, the other one doesn't offer them...which one do you use?

 

[old mans ute]

Well said Dave

I have had a loan car from the dealer. When I picked up my ute at 5.30pm on the first day the black beauty looked fabulous.

The dealer took me through pre delivery, showed me where the steering wheel was etc (which was pretty illuminating as I was trading in a VY Berlina which had the steering wheel and most other things in exactly the same place).

Checked the ute for dings and scratches, found none and happily drove home.

Wanted to show off my new toy to my envious children and proudly opened the hard tonneau cover to find that the cargo area hard liner that I had paid for was missing.

Rang the dealer first thing next morning. It was a "handwriting error", they ordered the liner and agreed to fit it next day.

My Berlina trade was on the lot (at $9000 above my trade in price) and "I" suggested that I take the Berlina for the day to which they agreed. At that price needless to say the Berlina is still there.

Maybe there is a God after all and he (she) could suggest to the dealer that I get the use of the Berlina each time they play with my fuel gauge issue.

Just as an aside, my 1990 Cressida spent three days in the Toyota hospital just 200 metres from my Holden dealer. They loaned me a car for the three days, apologising that their workshop was too busy to fix my car any sooner.

Interesting because at work we now have a black VZ ute with a dubious fuel gauge and have just ordered a new 4 litre dual cab Hilux.

With cars becoming much of a muchness these days... and pricing being pretty competitive between dealers these days... the dealer customer relationship is often what makes the difference when it comes to repeat business.

Although we are 160kms from Sydney, we continue to buy our Berlinas from Suttons City because they wash and quick detail the cars for free at each service.

Little things mean a lot... even little fuel gauges