Question 1

The steering wheel in my 2017 Holden Captiva 2.4 shakes when stationary.

Accepted Answer

This sounds like a fairly simple case of the engine setting up a harmonic vibration through the car. It’s not an uncommon thing and diesels are worse than petrol engines purely because they vibrate more, particularly at idle. By revving the engine slightly, you’re changing the frequency of the engine’s vibrations and moving them out of synch with what’s called the 'natural frequency’ of the rest of the car. Why does it manifest at the steering column? Because the column is a long, flexible (in a micro sense) shaft that is far more prone to picking up vibrations than a short, more solid part of the car. Why is it happening now all of a sudden? Probably because there’s some wear in the car somewhere. Your call to change the engine mounts was a good one as these can wear and cause this very problem. But, equally, the wear could be in the exhaust system or one of the points where it attaches to the car, a heat shield, the torque converter, or maybe even a piece of the car’s sheet metal that has come loose and is moving slightly. The quickest fix is to bump the idle one or two hundred rpm and see if that moves the engine out of the vibration zone at idle.

Question 2

Is my 2001 Holden Calais a good swap for a Captiva?

Accepted Answer

Let’s get something straight right from the off: The Holden Calais and Holden Captiva are not close family members. While the Calais was an Australian-engineered and built car, the Captiva is a rebadged Daewoo and not a very good one at that. So don’t be tricked into thinking that because they both have a Holden badge and a V6 engine, that they’re peas from a pod. The reality is the Captiva has an absolutely dreadful reputation in the trade for poor build quality and sketchy reliability. Most mechanics wouldn’t travel 500 metres to look at one, let alone 500 kilometres. I’d take a 231,000km Calais over any Captiva, old or new, any day. Holden actually sold a lot of Captivas back in the day, mainly on price alone. But many who bought them then stood and watched as they things fell apart and soon began to cost plenty in repair bills. Doubtless there will be some out there who own and love their Captiva, but the reality is that these cars are best left well alone.

Question 3

Why am I losing boost in my 2010 Holden Captiva?

Accepted Answer

There’s a variety of ways a turbocharged engine can lose boost. You might have a problem with the intercooler or even something simple like a dirty air filter. Don’t rule out a fuel supply problem which is causing the computer to reduce boost to account for a lack of fuel. But one thing that has been noted in these cars is a cracked or broken boost pipe. If that happens, the boost will be lost to the atmosphere before it can get to the engine. Black smoke from the exhaust is a common accompaniment to this problem.

Question 4

When should I replace rear diff oil in my 2016 Holden Captiva?

Accepted Answer

Holden’s own service schedule for this model Captiva doesn’t specify a change interval for the differential oil. Instead, it recommends the oil be changed when required according to how the car is behaving. Which would suggest that your car is, indeed, ready for new differential oil. As far as the scan goes, be sure not to confuse a sticking or non-engaging rear differential with the same behaviour from the centre differential. These are both technically differentials, but have vastly different roles to play. In the case of an electronically operated differential, the clutches can sometimes be replaced separately, but in any case, you need to go deep inside the differential, so while your mechanic is in there, have them check out the whole unit.

Question 5

Can I get a replacement ABS module for a 2015 Holden Captiva?

Accepted Answer

No, it shouldn’t be difficult at all. Plenty of online advertisers list the ABS module for this vehicle, including second-hand, reconditioned and brand new examples. Prices range from a few hundred dollars for a second-hand unit (that might have the same problems as the one you already have) to about $1300 for a reconditioned unit and up to $3000 for a brand new module. Despite its patchy reputation, the Captiva sold well for holden (mainly on price) so there’s plenty of knowledge and spare parts out there for them in the repair industry. Don’t forget to try traditional auto parts stores, either, as these can sometimes be a better bet than an online seller, particularly if you need the part in a hurry.

Question 6

Why is my 2010 Holden Captiva SUV blowing smoke and using more fuel?

Accepted Answer

This is not an unknown problem with the diesel Captiva. The root of the problem is probably within the fuel system which is over-fuelling the engine. You need to check the fuel-pump pressure as well as make sure all the relevant filters and clean and there are no leaks anywhere in the system. Even then, the actual cause is most often worn out fuel injectors which need to be either reconditioned or replaced. Conventional wisdom suggests that reconditioned injectors will last about half as long as brand new ones before needing attention again. That said, reconditioned injectors are cheaper to buy. Worn out or dirty injectors have been by far the most common cause of diesel over-fuelling, and the problem is not confined to the Holden Captiva.

Question 7

Radio not working in my 2017 Holden Captiva seven-seat SUV

Accepted Answer

What’s probably happened is that the battery of the vehicle has been disconnected as part of the repair process (perhaps there was some welding done, or the workshop disconnected the battery while waiting for parts to arrive). In the process, the radio’s stored stations have been lost. This is a pretty common problem in most cars that have had their battery disconnected for any length of time, and it requires you to retune the radio to store your favourite stations. If the stereo unit is the one that came with the car from the factory, the owner’s manual should detail how to store your stations, but if the stereo is an aftermarket one, you’ll need to find the instruction sheet, or just wing it until you work out the process. In some vehicles, you’ll also need to find the radio’s security code and key that in before the unit will even switch on.

Question 8

My 2015 Holden Captiva makes a knocking sound

Accepted Answer

What you haven’t told me is whether your car is a petrol or diesel Captiva. The two engines have very different ways of operating and both can make very different noises depending on what’s going on with them. Diesel engines often have a fair bit of fuel pump noise which can increase as the car travels more kilometres and the pump develops a bit of wear. But whichever engine we’re dealing with, if the noise is at idle, then you’d really want to check the engine’s oil pressure. Oil pressure is lowest at idle, and low oil pressure can cause noises from the hydraulic lifters and even the engine’s crankshaft and pistons. Neither of those are what you want to hear, though, as they suggests some fairly major internal wear or damage.

Question 9

The indicator has stopped working on my Holden Captiva 2014 turbo-diesel

Accepted Answer

There’s a very real chance that in getting the headlight globe out and a new one in, you’ve somehow managed to bump the indicator light fitting and, perhaps, dislodged a wire or displaced an earthing point. The lights on the Captiva are housed in a cluster, so it can be a bit tight for space in there. So give the indicator globe a wiggle and see if that restores things. If not, you need to look a bit deeper and start checking fuses. But if the rest of the indicators are working properly, it’s most likely that you’ve knocked a wire off or something similar. Either that or the indicator globe has chosen that exact moment to blow. It sounds unlikely, but it’s definitely possible.

Question 10

Wheels of 2017 Holden Captiva feel like they're snatching

Accepted Answer

This sounds like a problem with the rear or centre differential not working properly. When a car turns a corner, the various wheels must turn at different speeds (because they travel through different arcs). The differentials use a complex series of gears allow this to happen, but if they’re not all working properly, there’s a chance that the individual wheels are not able to turn at the correct speed. When that happens, the tyres have to skip and spin. Either that, or something like an axle or drive-shaft will snap. The rear differential allows the two rear wheels to turn at different speeds, while the centre differential (which an all-wheel-drive car has) allows the front and rear wheels to turn at different speeds and maintain harmony. Being all-wheel-drive, your Captiva also has a front differential, but since you’re feeling the rear wheels skipping and skating, the front differential is probably not the cause. Which leaves the rear or centre differential. Differentials can fail for a variety of reasons, including excess heat build-up or a lack of the correct type of lubricating oil. It’s entirely possible a seal has failed, allowing the oil out and letting the differential run dry to the point where it’s now damaged. But don’t ignore the simple things like a biding rear brake or poorly adjusted park-brake.

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