Holden Caprice Problems

The HSVi plate on your car suggests it was ordered with some off-line upgrades when it was bought new. This was pretty common among those buying brand-new Holdens but for budget or company-policy reasons, couldn’t stretch to an actual HSV. The modifications were done by a sister company to HSV, called HSVindividual but the modifications themselves weren’t necessarily that same ones found on a HSV vehicle. In fact, many of the mods were pretty pedestrian, including cargo-liners for utes and even roo-bars for Holden models.

Other common modifications included sunroofs and bigger wheels and tyres and although nobody seems to have a list of what codes meant what modifications, any code that starts with `EW’ seems to relates to alloy wheels. So I’d imagine the EWT relates to that. As for FAT, I can’t find any reference to it on any information source; perhaps it has something to do with the Automatic Transmission?

It sounds awfully like your car’s body computer is at fault here, Leslie. The body computer is the brain that talks to the keys and then commands the doors to unlock and the immobiliser to disarm so the engine can start. This unit also controls things like the power windows, interior lighting, and even the intermittent windscreen wipers. It also talks to the engine control module, and without that conversation happening properly, the engine won’t start. The problem is that the body computer can develop faults with some of these functions while others work perfectly, making diagnosis even trickier.

If it is on the blink, a faulty body computer can have all sorts of effects including doors that won’t lock or unlock, and can even cause the doors to lock momentarily before magically unlocking again the minute your back is turned.

I have also heard of keys becoming worn out with age and use, and if the car requires the key to be in very close proximity to unlock doors, the key could be at fault, too. The other possibility is that an aftermarket alarm system is interfering with the car’s standard functions.

If you really love the Caprice keep it. Even with some repairs it will not cost as much as a baby car and that gives you that enjoyment.

By my reckoning it would take you around three years to recoup the cost. That's based on an installation cost of $4500 before the government grant of $1500, and regular unleaded petrol costing $1.40 and LPG 60 cents per litre.

The codes relate to options fitted to the car by Holden By Design, the arm of HSV that designs and installs options on regular production Holden models. It’s now called HSVi. In this case we were able to find out that FWF is the code for the 19 x 8-inch Supersport alloy wheels and FAF is the code for the fifth, or spare wheel.

THERE'S no problem installing an LPG system on the Gen III V8 as you have in your car. The sequential injection system is the best. You lose virtually no performance with the system as it generally automatically switches across to petrol when driven hard and the fuel demand from the engine climbs.