Holden Astra Engine Problems

Change it. Holden reduced the service interval on the Astra timing belt because of a raft of failures of the belt and tensioner. The history of failure on this model, and the potential consequences of not changing it are too dire to risk.

The new car warranty has expired so I suspect you would have no claim against Holden. It's clearly running out of fuel, and there could be a couple of reasons for that. One, it could be that the gauge is wrong and it's actually running out of fuel when the gauge is indicating that it's quarter full, or two, it could be having trouble picking up fuel in the tank when the level drops. Both possibilities need to be checked.

It is likely to be an engine sensor misbehaving intermittently. Check the crank angle sensor and its connections, or take it to a mechanic and have him run a diagnostic check on it.

The harsh reality is that parts fail and cars break down, sometimes with disastrous outcomes as in your case. As the owner of an Astra you should be aware of the problem with timing belt failures and what can happen when one does fail, it’s well documented and has been extensively reported on here at Carsguide. Most mechanics will check the water pump when replacing the timing belt because they often find them leaking and they prefer to change the pump then rather than send the customer away knowing they will be back when the pump fails. I would have expected the mechanic to check the pump when doing the belt and tensioner, and like the previous Holden dealer, change it as a precaution at least.

The water pump is usually changed because it’s found to be leaking when the mechanic strips the front cover off the engine to replace the belt. It’s not a regular service item as such, but done because it’s cheaper to do it at the same time the belt is done rather than leave it and have to replace it at a later date. The failure of a water pump is different to that of the belt, it’s usually due to leakage, which doesn’t result in catastrophic internal damage like a belt failure does.

Typically it takes about four hours to do the work and most mechanics charge around $80 per hour, so you’re looking at about $320 for the labour only.

You certainly have had a bad run with your car and I can understand your frustration. Holden's offer is not a bad deal, but if you want to take it further you could go to the ACCC, or your local state government consumer affairs people. In Victoria, that's VCAT.

Sometimes, when a car sits for an extended period of time, the oil can drain back down into the sump from the top of the engine. If that happens it can take a few seconds for the oil to be pumped back up to the top again, and in that time the lifters can rattle. I would guess that’s what it is, but if you are concerned about it have a mechanic check it.

On the basis of what you have described here it doesn’t sound as though the car is unsafe, and I wouldn’t be reluctant to drive it. I can, of course, understand that you feel frustrated at not being able to get a satisfactory explanation of the cause of the noise. I would suggest that you go back to the dealer and ask for a meeting with the service manager to discuss your concerns. Have the manager talk you through what they have found wrong with your car and what they have done to fix it, and ask them to justify to your satisfaction that it is indeed fixed. If you’re still not satisfied ask them to have a Holden factory technician assess the noise and give you a report on it. Further to that you could have an independent mechanic assess it for you.

You could use E10 ethanol blend fuel in both of your cars; you could also use regular 91 in them if you wanted.