Holden Camira - Common Issues

Common Issues

All Camira models suffered from some common issues. These issues are one the reasons why the car never garnered significant sales figures.

• Rust is evident in almost all sedan models underneath the rear windshield. On wagon models, rust is usually evident in the bottom of the tailgate due to the lack of water drainage.

• Models equipped with a manual transmission had a clutch firewall cracking issue, where the clutch mount would tear the firewall mounting structure. This is easily rectified or prevented early on, but advanced stages of cracking are difficult to repair due to the awkward location and welding requirement.

• On models fitted with an automatic transmission, the lockup torque converter switch malfunctions and keeps the torque converter locked in third gear when slowing down, stalling the engine upon the car coming to standstill. This is due to the poor durability of the plastic switch.

• The engine control unit is notorious for problems. Cracks in the printed circuit board will often cause the engine to stall at speed if the board bends, for instance through heat expansion.

• Engine mount breakages are known to occur, especially when driven roughly. This problem is particularly pronounced in the later fuel injection developments, which resulted in increased power and correspondingly increased stress on the Camira's rubber mounts.

• The water manifold at the back of the engine is made of hard polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and can split after many heating and cooling cycles, necessitating replacement.

• The cylinder head gasket is prone to warping, especially when driven frequently. This problem is particularly pronounced in the later fuel injection developments, with increased engine temperatures and increased stress on the Family II engine's cylinder head.