Holden VE Commodore Battery Drain Issue
August 31, 2007 by Paul Maric
We have received several complaints from readers, and one of our motoring writers has encountered this particular issue with two press vehicles, so we would like to get a consensus of the severity of this problem.
From the data we have collected, this issue seems to be affecting all VE Commodore models, ranging from run of the mill Omega, right through to the top of the line HSV Grange.
The problem appears to occur when a vehicle is left for over one day without being driven, started or unlocked. When the vehicle is left in this state, a rogue component in the vehicle drains every last inch of charge from the battery, rendering it useless. The only way to alleviate the issue is to jump-start the car and depending on the model being examined, varied wait times are required to start the vehicle again due to additional components operating.
We have had reported claims relating to the following models – Omega, SS-V, Grange and Calais V.
If your VE Commodore is having a similar issue, we would appreciate if you could contact CarAdvice via the Warranty Complaints page with some details about your problem and how long your car is left alone before it drains the battery. One extreme case saw a vehicle’s battery drained after a 1-hour stint of radio operation, so results seem to vary between models.
From the affected users we have heard from so far, many have detailed the lack of retort from Holden. Those that have contacted their service departments have received below-par responses.
We appreciate your input and will hopefully be able to gauge the spread of this problem in due course. We will keep you posted with the results.
Print it: 
Holdenwoo Commondore?? is a Bommodore which is the same as a Lemmondore, so you become a Dummodore. Next time buy a vehicle that when you drive it away from the showroom floor that she never has to return again only for service intervals, otherwise what’s the point there’s enough frustration and stress in the world without having to worry about stupid car’s like you have. ULTIMATE BRAIN DRAIN…
i brought a second hand 1989 model and my battery drains . have had 4 batterys in one yeah . i will go to start car and it seems to appear flat (normally on when i have a trolley of shopping or needing to go to work). i will then need to get some one to pick me up then return to car 3 or more hours later and car works . why is this? it is becoming a hassle
Behave Klink ,I know you want toooooo!
Maybe your alternator isn’t charging the battery when your driving it? Get it checked out!
Get your workshop to do a voltage check when your engine is running first,other wise it could be discharging from numerous things not switching off when your turning the car off. Car alarms,after market stereos ……..
Yes, ummm… aah indeed. Might be cause of the following conclusions:
1. Holden
2. Car is so old it was a reject off the Flinstones cartoons
3. Refer to point 1 when unsure
Yes it is only culprit. Thanks BM as no other answer!
BM…sounds like you are handy on the workshop and tools.
Barry said… “Holdenwoo Commondore?? is a Bommodore which is the same as a Lemmondore, so you become a Dummodore”
Too right, you need to be a Dummodore to buy any Dunnydore!!!
My Calais is 12 months old and has had the battery drain issue for 10 months.
They won’t / can’t fix it, they talk to me like a child when
I complain. I take the heap in for an oil change and they charge the battery while it’s there. Last time I checked in the handbook, an 3k oil change should not also require 6 hours on the battery charger.
All of the electronics in my Calais freezes up if I dare to start the car on a cold morning, or if it has been sitting for a couple of days.
The ABS and ESP lock up and error lights / chimes come on and my ABS / ESP don’t function and the car logs low voltage codes into the error log.
Mine is for sale, I’ve owned many Holdens, I’ve now had 2x major lemons, that’s it, no more Holden for me, it’s time to find something a little better designed and more importantly, tested.
Shame though, as when it works properly my Calais is a beautiful car to drive and look at.
My Calais is 12 months old and has had the battery drain issue for 10 months.
They won’t / can’t fix it, they talk to me like a child when
I complain. I take the heap in for an oil change and they charge the battery while it’s there. Last time I checked in the handbook, an 3k oil change should not also require 6 hours on the battery charger.
All of the electronics in my Calais freezes up if I dare to start the car on a cold morning, or if it has been sitting for a couple of days.
The ABS and ESP lock up and error lights / chimes come on and my ABS / ESP don’t function and the car logs low voltage codes into the error log.
Mine is for sale, I’ve owned many Holdens, I’ve now had 2x major lemons, that’s it, no more Holden for me, it’s time to find something a little better designed and more importantly, tested.
Shame though, as when it works properly my Calais is a beautiful car to drive and look at.
My Calais is 12 months old and has had the battery drain issue for 10 months.
They won’t / can’t fix it, they talk to me like a child when
I complain. I take the heap in for an oil change and they charge the battery while it’s there. Last time I checked in the handbook, an 3k oil change should not also require 6 hours on the battery charger.
All of the electronics in my Calais freezes up if I dare to start the car on a cold morning, or if it has been sitting for a couple of days.
The ABS and ESP lock up and error lights / chimes come on and my ABS / ESP don’t function and the car logs low voltage codes into the error log.
Mine is for sale, I’ve owned many Holdens, I’ve now had 2x major lemons, that’s it, no more Holden for me, it’s time to find something a little better designed and more importantly, tested.
Shame though, as when it works properly my Calais is a beautiful car to drive and look at.
vz or ve?take it to an auto elecrician not holden they dont care, it might cost 1 2 hundred you wont be able to sell if the problem is still there.take it to ford for a trade in im sure they take it.You might loose a few grand but holdens sell well and hold there value on the aus market.go fairmont ghia for luxury, or xr6 for sporty.
What state you in? i can point ya in the right direction.
I really do not understand why so many wankers get on here and bag Holdens for god’s sake ,every car has it’s problems otherwise the car manafactures would go broke due to know spare part sales or purchase of the new models with improved technology…
I wonder which one of you wankers that are bagging Holden’s can tell me what Model Ford ,Mazda,Kia,Nissan,Toyota,Mitsubishi,Subaru never had any faults with them ,I bet you’d be a bit confused about that one now wouldn’t you ….
Seriously grow up and leave this site to the people that need genuine advice about cars not read on and get a shit load of comments from people that probably dont even know how to change a set of wiper blades ..
I have been working on cars for a very long time and I can tell you they all have faults minor or major……
WOW!!! you’re calling everyone wanker’s, we pick on this subject because they are poorly built, have a look around do a search on google you will find genuine issues mainly centering Holden VE these day’s, always walking up #@$% creek, when a car company from Australia governed by GM can spend 1 billion dollar on lemons, surely to god they could give us a product that only needs service intervals not unschedueled visit to the dealer’s mechanic shop….
I remmember vividly Holden tosser’s would pick on Falcons door handles falling off the body, a fairly minor problem, I think the worst Ford model was EA Falcon, can you remmember some of Holden’s range engines would fall apart being unsatisfactory including the VL sourced with Nissin skyline internals the parts were expensive to replace and if you didn’t use quality fluids the alloy heads would suffer….overall and over the years even up until today Ford has produced a better product with less funds…seriously lol..
mate in case you didnt notice this is a post related to people discussing problems with their commodores
I know how to change a wiper blade on a VE ……replace the whole arm! That will be $52.00 thankyou!
Well pointed out Andrew M
I didn’t know that about the wiper blade/arm. Are we moving even further into a “throw away” society?
Someone has mentioned on the site before cause I was complaining that 2 wiper blades for my car cost $22 each from BMW! The oil filter was only $14.00
Wheelnut might know !
yeah ive heard that too BM
A possible reason for the price difference of two reasonalby basic automotive items such as an oil filter and wiper blades could be because There are a number of cars which can accept the same model Oil Filter.. which makes it similar to a one size fits all situation and therefore; basic trhow away filters are pretty cheap
However wipers are an area where designers can show a bit of flair.
I mean some cars have the standard double arm action as on Commodore and Falcon.. some cars have wipers which are hinged on the outer corners of the windscreen and sweep out from the centre as on the Mazda MPV [I think]
and others particularly euro sportscars have the single arm
Therefore the blades can be different lengths and the fittings can also be different some simply snap on some have a slide-lock and some its easier to replace the whole arm.. and its because their is so much variation in such a simple item that increases production costs > the price
The other reason of course could be because it’s for a BMW
I suggest however don’t use the “sports” models with two blades on the one arm.. if a gumnut or little rock gets caught in between the two blades it will scratch the crap out of your windscreen.
Hope this info helps
For examle some cars have the normal uniform double arm action as on Commodore and Falcon
some cars have a left right action where the arms are hinges on the outer left and right of the windscreen
Has HOLDEN fixed the problem yet?
In relation to the battery drain issue. A mate of mine has replaced the battery in his VE SS with a “dry cell” batery – like the ones you see powering those custom in car entertainmnet systems – usually found in haymarket hot rods.. the stereo is has more power than the owner has IQ
He did it not because his car had the problem but he wanted to try and prevent it.. and so far it seems to have worked.. So if your VE is affected I suggest you contact your nearest reputable Car Audio Retailler – who is a CAE member [Not Strathfield]
yes wheelnut the common and continual use of parts for a long time will see the price of parts fall.
i was only comparing that new years eve actually when i was staying down at a mates place and he had the bonnet of his VL ans VS popped ans sitting side by side doing a few little “fix ups” (it seems to be a daily thing fixing stuff on the VS though, what a troublesome car)
oil filters was one thing that came up and it reminded me of how long ford has been using the Z9 oil filter.
does anyone know how long they have been using it? i think they were around before the motorvehicle ha ha ha ha
but anyway the Z9 is certainly one of the cheapest.
also we were trying to track how many changes the commy has had. im guessing 3 when you include the VL am i right wheelnut?
also i had to buy a radiator cap for mine a few weeks back and as you cast over the little book they have (cause i couldnt remember what psi the falcon uses i thought it was 120psi but felt better to check) it was found that every damn falcon uses the same cap.
whats a dry cell battery worth by the way? im guessing not cheap.
had to buy one the other day for the other halves car and it was $160 for the ricer. lucky repco had 20%off.
im sure my battery was cheaper than that for the falcon and i got the absolute ducks nuts of batteries.
once again i suppose that comes back to how many vehicles can use the same battery aswell
In terms of appearance of the commodore there has been 5 changes
VB-VK: [even though the VK differed slightly from the VH with its rear 1/4 window.. its still pretty much the same]
VL: was a one off which still looks modern 20 years on
VN-VS: same overall body just differnet head tail lights
VT-VZ: ditto
VE:
ha ha ha yes i do know a bit about the commys you would be surprised.
i actually meant how many oil filter model changes ha ha ha
just re read my question and i suppose it wasnt specific
I’m guessing 3 or 4 in the 6cyl models.
202
nissan6
buick ecotec
alloytec
Yep I agree on the filter even though I doubt it would be used on anything else though! Its made in Austria so you would think it would also cost more! The blades however didn’t even come in any BMW packaging!!!!! So could have been
anything! Should have gone to Auto One but I hate squeaky wipers!
You have a Optima or a CAT racing Battery AndrewM!!! We had a Cat Racing one that lasted around 3 years in the Yellow car…..was a great battery!
The original battery in my AU lasted almost 7 years. I was very happy with that.
7 years…………wholly crap! I thought 2-3 was it normally!
A cousin I rarely see anymore got 12 years in a, geez what was it, Excel or Accent.
WHAT??????????
I have never had a battery that lasted more than 4 years, must be my bad luck.
Yeah, I don’t know how he got 12. I thought 7 was great until he told me that.
A mate had a RHD converted Trans-Am for a while, had an alarm and stereo fitted, and it kept crapping batteries every few months, had to jump start it EVERY time. Never resolved the alarm/stereo issue (if that was the prob) and so got rid of it.
Oh all those Commodore buyers, when will they ever learn?
Correct; In terms of oil filters it’s 3 [due to the gradual increase in engine capacity - obviously..2.2 > 6.0]
I stopped reading at the part where holden gets hand outs…. name one person in australia who doesnt at one point in their life, MORE to the point… Weather or not holden get hand outs is off the fricken topic.
to thos people saying such things as “when wil lthey ever learn” – Al Juraj
Define what htere is to learn, I owned a BF falcon and a VE omega, I had some battery issues with my VE but gees its a better car to drive, its more comfortable, it feels safer and it certainly has value for money… I brought my BF for 28grand privately and sold it 6 months later and I couldnt give it away, only got $12,000 for it. im selling my omega now for a ssv and though i brought it at a dealer fer 32k i think getting the 28500 i have been offered is fair gain for a 2 year old vehicle – dont you?
FYI for everybody who actually cares about their VE take it to your holden service demand a new ignition barrel…. that is the culprate.
OMFG! I paid $88,000 for a new E-Series LS3 HSV GTS in Oct ‘08 and immediately noticed and reported digital instrument cluster issues. The battery died on the GTS before I took delivery and it took a day to recharge it.
20 days after delivery I ran over some broken windscreen glass remnants on the road and two shards pierced the bridgestone tyre and by time I stopped the vehicle 150 meters down the road to investigate the wheel noise,
I had destroyed the $1,000 tyre and following
bridgestone’s argument against replacement or part reimbursement they will never see a cent from me again!
Yesterday the car was towed back to the dealership after another battery discharge. The day before that I’d called the dealership complaining of two more issues that seemingly manifested after I drove away from the 3,000km “checkup” service on Monday.
I freely admit I’ve had professional and expensive
installation of alarm upgrades and audio equipment between taking delivery of the vehicle and now but it should be noted that the battery discharged whilst sitting at the dealership before I took delivery and the pre-delivery digital instrument cluster issue, now confirmed, awaits a replacement part and issues are mounting since the “checkup”.
I’m also going to boldly proclaim that the rwkw has decreased 10-25% since the “checkup” service and I’m somewhat concerned the tachometer is churning 4,000rpm to
propel the vehicle along at 40kmph.
Haha! This baby has an agreed insurance value of $105,000 and that’s a conservative estimate. To be perfectly frank I’m concerned that I may not be able to start this vehicle in the morning.
I live for this shit and by hell or high water somebody is going to pay if these mounting issues are not resolved before I even consider getting a headache!
Look! If you’re a wuss buy something else or otherwise HTFU and enjoy the ride!
Holden’s are Sh*t all i have heard is problems with them, really you get what you pay for the are cheap and nasty. Cut a long story short BMW s*it all over Holdens :)
In October 2006 I took delivery of VE SV6. The very first weekend in the garage – battery went flat. Took it to Holden numerous times and they always claimed everything was fine.
After calling Holden Assist (RACV) for the 5th time to jump start me in mid-2007, I was advised by the RACV guy that BCM needed re-programming as Holden have now finally found the fix. Went to dealership and they did their magic. For the next 6 months everything was fine and I thoght the problem went away. Well – I was wrong. Left the car at airport for 2 nights and couldn’t even unlock it when I came back from Brisbane. Over the following 12 months I had to jump start the car another 3-4 times. In addition to this, in 2 years I had the car, I had numerous dash cluster/Air Con/Radio resest mid driving :(
In November 2008 I replaced SV6 for the brand new Calais-V Sportwagon. I had thought the problems would have been fixed by now (My SV6 was one of the first off the production line) and again – I was wrong. First flat battery I got in Calais-V was in December. My wife just had to be jump started again yesterday :(
I have a friend at work with early 2008 Calais and he had flat battery 2 times.
These bloody things are LEMONS! Great cars to drive – if/once they start (what a shame).
Since the new Commodore is not coming out until 2012, and based on their current track record with not fixing the fault, there is no way in hell that I’m ordering another Commodore next time I’m out of lease in 2010.
It’ll have to be some Euro based or Japanese car. Maybe Ford releases some decent wagon that looks as good as Holden Sportwagon!?
Had Holdens all my life but this did it for me…
We have a VE Commodore that we purchased in April 2008.
Earlier this year we had a flat battery. We took the car to the Holden Dealer, the service department kept the car overnight to fix the issue. Last week, while on holidays, the car’s battery died again. The RAC mechanic who came to jump start our car told us that he starts at least five VE Commodores a day.
The piece of cramp is back for an overnight visit at the Holden Dealer so they can “fix” the issue again.
I honestly don’t care what the problem is with these cars I just want ours fixed or I don’t want it at all.
my mates EF falcon has a R&J battery fitted in it and still goin after 7 years. Best batteries out there. Holden must be using duracels or energizers. What a joke by holden
I have an october 2008 SSV sportswagon and have numerous times had a flat battery yesterday being the worst left the car with the keys in the ignition but nothing on had driven 150k day before went out to move the car into the garage and found its as dead as no interior lights or dash lights haven’t approached the dealer yet but i will post information if i have any joy finding out the problem.
I have also left the radio on for an hour and the car doesn’t start but not as dead as yesterday.
I own a 2006 VE ‘V’ Series Commodore, which I purchased new in Jan 2007.
This morning when I tried to unlock the car it refused to do so. I then unlocked the door with the key, thinking that the remote had packed it in. I then put the key in the ignition and attempted to start the vehicle only to find that the battery was as flat as a tac. Contacted the Holden dealer and was told to book the vehicle in for a battery recharge and a computer update, even though an update was done on 13/01/09 at the 30,000K service, which was to fix the battery drain problem. I’ll take it in tomorrow and see what happens. Not happy at all this is my sixth Holden. I had no such problem with the others.
The time period between battery manufacture & its delivery in a vehicle to the customer is excessive. The batteries in new vehicles are often flat while sitting in the dealers yards. They get partly charged as & when needs arise, i.e. to move the vehicle around, delivery to a customer, etc.. Battery that is flat for long periods of time (several weeks) can NEVER be charged to 100% capacity. From experience, batteries in most new vehicles sold in Australia can at best be charged to only about 50% of their capacity.
Charles,
my last car went through 4 years of service to myself before i needed to replace it
I said “most”. Lucky you.
I used to run a small company providing automotive electrical design services. More detailed answers to the battery issues can be found in the above blog.
To the smart asses out there your turn will come and I hope you will be as fustrated as I am in trying to resolve whatever issue.
My SV6 VE Ute (Battery in Cabin) is great to drive once started.
Park it for seven days and battery is totally dead and I guarantee you can set your clock by that.
It has been to the dealer three times for this issue still no fix and I still can’t work out fact from bullshit.
Over 40 years of car ownership and have never experienced regular battery problems until now.
To ensure that this will start whenever required I now make sure a battery charger is connected and operational everytime the car is garaged.
No more Holdens for me after this.
Your problem has been described a few entries ago. Invest a few dollars in battery electrolyte hygrometer (at autobarn or similar shop) and check the density in your battery. All cells must return nearly identical reading. I am sure the readings are not above 1200, indicating about 40% charge. Try & charge that battery, & you’ll discover that the density remains the same, which indicates that your battery is & will remain only 40% of its original capacity. And, sadly, you have to invest in a new battery. This new one, prior to installation, should be fully charged & density checked with the hygrometer (before & after charging). After full charge the density must be in the green field of the hygrometer. The new battery should the last for at least 3 or 4 years. More details can be found in our blog at cdpl1.blogspot.com/
Charles,
I would just like to correct a couple of points you have made.
“Invest a few dollars in battery electrolyte hygrometer (at autobarn or similar shop)”
Why anyone would want to measure the relative humidity (which is what a hygrometer measures) of a battery is beyond me. Maybe a Hydrometer(which is used to measure the specific gravity of electrolyte) would be much more useful,although,as the batteries in the VE are maintenance free calcium batteries with no access to each cell, this would be impossible.Also, if anyone wants to buy a hydrometer, I would strongly suggest you buy one from a battery specialist or solar shop(preferably GEFO brand)as the cheap glass ones sold in parts shops and the like are extremely unreliable.
“I am sure the readings are not above 1200, indicating about 40% charge. Try & charge that battery, & you’ll discover that the density remains the same, which indicates that your battery is & will remain only 40% of its original capacity.”
What a lot of rot. Batteries with a specific gravity of 1120(which is 0% capacity or 11.85volts or less)can be recharged back to (or near) 100%, depending on age and length of time it has been sitting flat.
“From experience, batteries in most new vehicles sold in Australia can at best be charged to only about 50% of their capacity.”
Not sure where you get that gem from. 50% capacity is roughly 12.2volts or 1190sg.If this was the case(depending on engine size and air temperature among other things) most cars would not get through the 12month warranty period without the need for a replacement battery.This simply is not the case.
I could go on…..maybe later.
With apology, I stand corrected about the hygrometer. Let’s wait for Fremann’s report.
I’ve worked in a dealership for a few years now, and the only time I’ve seen this flat battery problem in the VE Commodore is when people have left the keys in the ignition. For some reason this drains the battery within even just a few hours. Anyone else come to this conclusion?