Holden Barina Spark 2014

Holden Barina Spark 2014 Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Holden Barina Spark here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• How many doors are on a 2021 Holden Barina Spark?

  I’m not sure about other markets around the world, but the Barina Spark sold in Australia between 2010 and 2015 was a five-door hatchback. That is; it had four doors and a lift-up tailgate (hatchback) that is considered the fifth door.

  At first glance, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Spark is, in fact, a three-door car, but that’s because the South Korean designers (the car is actually a Daewoo with Holden badges) styled it to look that way by hiding the rear door handles high up in the car’s C-pillar. So until you look carefully and spot the rear handles, it could pass as a three-door. The idea is that it looks like a sporty three-door but has the practicality of a five-door.

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• My 2013 Holden Barina Spark is having trouble starting after a short time turned off

  Diagnosing starting faults often requires a mechanic familiar with a particular make and model who will know where to start looking, as there are literally hundreds of causes for behaviour like this. An auto electrician can also be your best friend at a time like this.

  However, as a very rough guide, the problem could be to do with something in the engine bay getting hot and not allowing the engine to restart. The symptoms bear this out; no hot start, but play resumes once things have been allowed to cool over time. Suspicions would be drawn to the ignition system, and a dodgy spark plug, distributor, ignition lead or coil-pack can easily create this sort of problem. In fact, the coil-packs on your car would be a very good place to start looking, as they have a reputation for cracking and putting a stop to things, especially when they’re hot.

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• Why is the clutch in my 2013 Holden Barina Spark making a clicking noise?

  A sharp clicking noise from under the dashboard when you press or release the clutch is almost certainly going to be down to a sticky or dry clutch-pedal pivot. It could also be the clutch cable itself, but for the 2013 model year, Holden switched to a hydraulic clutch for the Barina, so that rules out a cable noise. But I’ll stick with the theory that something connected to the clutch pedal is either sticking or dragging against something under there are causing the noise; there’s a fair bit going on under the dash of a modern car. A few minutes with a torch, a keen ear and a can of penetrating fluid might yield a good result.

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• How do I know if I need to change the gearbox in my 2011 Holden Barina Spark?

  Your problem could be a gear-selection issue within the gearbox or the selector linkages, but it’s also very likely to be a clutch problem instead. Many people think that the first sign of a worn clutch is one that slips when you accelerate. And in many cases, that’s so. But sometimes, you can have a clutch that wears differently and, in that case, an early symptom can be difficulty in selecting gears from a standing start as the clutch refuses to disengage completely. As the problem progresses, you might find it difficult even to select higher gears once you’re moving.

  A workshop should be able to diagnose what’s going on, but we definitely wouldn’t be rushing out to replace the gearbox when a much simpler, cheaper clutch replacement might very possibly put things right.

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