Comments on: Holden VE Commodore Battery Drain Issue

By: Craig

Craig — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:22:26 +0000

I have an 08 SV6. Had no idea that this sort of thing was happening until yesterday. Got in the car and it wouldn’t even kick over. The dash and instrumentation lit up though. Came back the next day and now everything is completely dead. The only thing I’ve done different was start it two more times than usual that day… now battling to get the battery out. Ill take it to a auto electrician tomorrow and have the battery tested. Ive heard that Holden have been using a few second rate batteries of late, with even the slightest drop in volatge or current causing the cars not to start. Shall see what this battery test shows up.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:24:38 +0000

I have a 2009 VE International, no problems with the battery, but this is the second time in 4 weeks the check engine light has gone on and it has gone into limp mode.. typical on a sunday so towed home and will be off to dealer again tomorrow. Last time it was a faulty injector. Bet it is the same this time has anyone else had this problem.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:05:44 +0000

i Had the same problem on my VE SSV Ute last week 4 times in 4 days ,i then went into the menu section of dash computer and in the lighting section i disabled the the timer on the lighting from 30 sec to disabled and so far so good for the last 3 days

By: Rhys

Rhys — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:59:19 +0000

Hi Giys, This issue with Ve Commodore’s just hity home with me tonight. I have just arrived home from a few days away, and Yep. You guested it. It was Dead as a Doddo.

I too at first thought it was simply a flat remote battery. Grabbed my wife’s key to find that they didnt work either. RAQC call later to find out from him after jump start, that yes common fault. I will be talking to holden tomorrow. However from your comments, i dont expect any support from them. Perhpas a great issue to bring to the media’s attention.

By: Kenny B

Kenny B — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:54:34 +0000

We have started switching the radio off manualy radio before switching off the ignition, and have had no battery drain issues ever since. Went Overseas for 12 days and on return the car started no problem. Worth a try for other Calais/Commodore owners etc with the same battery drain issues, as it helped restore my faith a little.

By: Nige

Nige — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:05:50 +0000

I have a 2008 40th anniversary E series 1 HSV GTS and guess what the same problem…off to nissan i go

By: Jeff Topping

Jeff Topping — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:51:33 +0000

Have an SV6 I got in March from Brisbane Holden dealer. Had done 15000 k and belonged to Holden factory staff. Got a warning saying “battery saver mode” a few times lately but not all the time. Owner’s manual says very little usefull stuff about that.Car was left idle for two days over weekend, battery completely flat.Does anyone know what that whining electrical noise is that goes for about 3 seconds after you lock car? Its been getting louder.

By: grant

grant — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:23:40 +0000

Jack R
JUMP START YOUR CAR AND THEN YOU HAVE FULL CONTROL,If you didnt already know there are jump starting terminals under the bonnet,Iknow the battery isnt there but there are terminals to do it

By: batteryboy

batteryboy — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:17:08 +0000

Jack R,

Open the car with your key (the old fashioned way), open back door, pull down centre seat and there is a yellow boot release on the left hand side as you are facing the back of the car.

Hope this helps

By: Jack R

Jack R — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:12:48 +0000

How do I get into the Boot to replace the battery of oiur VE with NO power

By: Gary Leo

Gary Leo — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:02:58 +0000

I have a Holden Berlina and when I loaded my CD stacker while the car was in the standby position. I then tried to start the car and found that the battery was flat I had to call out the road service to jump star the car it stated immediately and when the battery was checked it appears to be fully charged. Can it be the CD player draining the battery or is it because I have not driven the car for 2 days

By: grant

grant — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:41:13 +0000

revised if i turn on the radio after removing keys it stays on for one hour

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:54:04 +0000

I’d put my money on some computer/software problem that some lazy bugger in the factory didn’t pick up. Example… Systems stay on when the door is locked or a ‘lock door’ command stuck in a continuous cycle. The possibilites are endless with computer glitches.

By: Boof

Boof — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:57:54 +0000

000

By: Grant

Grant — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:25:25 +0000

I think they have fixed it if it was the radio issue,my brand new sv6 turns off the radio as soon as door is opened no matter what position the key is in when radio turned on,find it hard to believe that it wasnt always that way with a car that cost well over a billion $ to develop?!

By: Kenny B

Kenny B — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:42:23 +0000

I purchased a 07 VE Calais international, and also encountered the battery drain problem after 3 days of ownership, very disappointing. What I worked out is that if you turn the radio or CD on without the ignition key in the accessory position, the CD will keep playing draining the battery, even if the car has been switched off and locked.
If however you turn the radio/CD on with the ignition key in the accessory position, the audio system will shutdown when you open the door or lock the car.
Most Jap cars I have owned will let you listen to the radio etc without a key in the ignition, but the radio has a timer that will shut the system off after 30 minutes or so, it seems with the Holden this is not the case.
I have not had any issues since, touch wood as I would have to dismantle half the back end of the car just to change the battery.
It’s a great car though.

By: Bart van Kooten

Bart van Kooten — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:58:48 +0000

my 08 VE SS V had the battery drain problem back in july. Took it to the dealer who did a re-flash and charged the battery overnight. Since then it’s been ok until middle of last week when it happened again.

I sent customer service an email with Choice magazine, Motor & Whee magazine copied in and got reply back from them the next day telling me the usual stuff about the dealer needing to diagnose the problem etc. Now this morning it’s happened again and i’ve sent them another email telling them to pick the car up themselves and that i want a load car while they fix mine.
Will wait and see what happens but frankly i am amazed and incredibly disappointed that this is even happening. I switched from Ford to Holden because of rubbish customer service and now it’s happening with this car.

By: Frances

Frances — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:34:48 +0000

Just purchased a Oct 2007 VE SV6, same problem, Bit concerned after one night. Its hard when you cant rely on a battery because we left the key in the igition for an hour while we were cleaning it and listening to the radio. Not impressed at having to jump start it and defintely not impressed with the thought that it now has to be something that is considered everytime I go to start the car. Used to be a big fan of holden, something so simple shouldnt be enough to put people off. Quiet disappointing

By: charles

charles — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:10:08 +0000

One would have thought that your electrician – any auto electrician – is able to pin-point the leak in 5 minutes.

By: Damo

Damo — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:10:39 +0000

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?