Holden Commodore: Eaton M90 supercharger snout bearings and nylon coupler wear (L67 supercharged 3.8 V6)
Eaton M90 supercharger snout bearings and nylon coupler wear (L67 supercharged 3.8 V6) is a common engine fault on the Holden Commodore on the 1996–2004 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $900 to $2,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 51 documented faults on the Holden Commodore.
- Vehicle
- Holden Commodore
- Engine
- 3.8L / 2.5L / 2.8L / 3.0L / 3.2L / 3.5L / 3.6L / 4.3L
- Years
- 1996–2004
- Fuel
- petrol
- System
- Engine
What you are looking at
No photograph available
What goes wrong
The supercharged V6 offered in Commodore, Berlina and Calais models from the VS onwards drives its Eaton M90 blower through a nose housing, the snout, which carries its own small oil charge and a nylon isolator coupler. The snout oil is a service item that almost nobody changes, so the bearings dry out and the coupler teeth wear, giving a rattle at idle and a rising whine or grinding note under acceleration. Left alone the snout can seize or the coupler can strip, which takes the belt drive with it and can leave you stranded. Rebuild kits and exchange units are readily available in New Zealand and Australia, so it is a routine fix rather than a disaster - but it is not cheap, and a noisy blower is a genuine bargaining point.
What you would notice
- Rattle or clatter from the top of the engine at idle that changes when you blip the throttle
- Rising whine or howl from the supercharger under acceleration
- Grinding or graunching from the front of the blower
- Belt squeal, or a drive belt that keeps shredding
- Loss of boost and noticeably flat acceleration
How to check it
Where to look. On top of the engine in the vee between the cylinder banks - the blower and its nose housing sit under the plastic engine cover at the front of the intake.
Open the bonnet with the engine idling and listen from directly above the supercharger, which sits in the vee on top of the engine under the intake, because a light steady whine is normal but a rattle or clatter is not. Have the seller blip the throttle while you listen for the noise changing. Then drive it and accelerate hard from about 2,000 rpm: the whine should rise smoothly with the revs rather than turning into a howl or a grinding note. Look at the drive belt for shredded edges and check the pulley grooves for fresh black belt dust. Ask the seller when the supercharger snout oil was last changed and whether the blower has ever been rebuilt, and ask to see the invoice. If a workshop inspection is possible: have a specialist check the snout for input shaft play and inspect the coupler and the snout oil condition before you buy.
What it costs to put right
$900 to $2,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.
Ask the seller
- “When was the supercharger snout oil last changed?”
- “Has the supercharger ever been rebuilt or replaced?”
- “Does it rattle from the top of the engine when cold?”
- “How often has the drive belt been replaced?”
Now check the Holden Commodore you are actually looking at
Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.
Where this comes from
- Mace Engineering Group (Australia and New Zealand) - 'Mace snout bearing set to suit Holden L67 supercharged 3.8L V6' and its M90 rebuild service package
- Jon Bond Performance '1996-2004 Holden Commodore L67 M90' supercharger rebuild programme
- RevHigh exchange Eaton M90 supercharger listing for Holden Commodore L67 3.8L V6 Supercharged VS VU VT VX VY
- ZZPerformance supercharger snout bearing kit technical notes
Holden Commodore buyer questions
Is eaton m90 supercharger snout bearings and nylon coupler wear (l67 supercharged 3.8 v6) serious on a Holden Commodore?
We rate it major and common on the Holden Commodore. The supercharged V6 offered in Commodore, Berlina and Calais models from the VS onwards drives its Eaton M90 blower through a nose housing, the snout, which carries its own small oil charge and a nylon isolator coupler. The snout oil is a service item that almost nobody changes, so the bearings dry out and the coupler teeth wear, giving a rattle at idle and a rising whine or grinding note under acceleration. Left alone the snout can seize or the coupler can strip, which takes the belt drive with it and can leave you stranded. Rebuild kits and exchange units are readily available in New Zealand and Australia, so it is a routine fix rather than a disaster - but it is not cheap, and a noisy blower is a genuine bargaining point.
How much does it cost to fix on a Holden Commodore?
$900 to $2,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.
Which Holden Commodore years are affected?
Our research records this fault on the 1996–2004 Holden Commodore. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.
How do I check for it before I buy?
Open the bonnet with the engine idling and listen from directly above the supercharger, which sits in the vee on top of the engine under the intake, because a light steady whine is normal but a rattle or clatter is not. Have the seller blip the throttle while you listen for the noise changing. Then drive it and accelerate hard from about 2,000 rpm: the whine should rise smoothly with the revs rather than turning into a howl or a grinding note. Look at the drive belt for shredded edges and check the pulley grooves for fresh black belt dust. Ask the seller when the supercharger snout oil was last changed and whether the blower has ever been rebuilt, and ask to see the invoice. If a workshop inspection is possible: have a specialist check the snout for input shaft play and inspect the coupler and the snout oil condition before you buy. Look here: On top of the engine in the vee between the cylinder banks - the blower and its nose housing sit under the plastic engine cover at the front of the intake.