Zaf 2.2

yoblet

Hi everyone. I have lurked here for some time but recently signed up to buy an EGR cheater from the shop.

I own a 2002 Zafira Elegance 2.2 Automatic and mostly do my own servicing on it. Recent jobs have included EGR valve removal which cured a lumpy idle when hot (thanks forum), new exhaust, 4 new tyres, aux belt and tensioner which was flapping around (god that was tight for space), handbrake cable end boots (frozen water in cables) and electrical repairs to rear door loom.

Next job is to fit new disks and pads all round - just standard ones as it never goes fast enough to need anything else.
My only non-vital mod was to fit a de-badged grille - I simply never liked the V for Vauxhall one.

A couple of questions then for you - I know it's a people-shifter but it could do with being slightly firmer and lower - any suspension mods recommended?
And the automatic gearbox. What was I thinking? It is woefully bad. Can anything better be fitted whether auto or manual?

Thanks in advance, Terry.

astra22bertoneauto

There are a few options for the suspension. 1 slightly wider tyres and/or go a size bigger on the rims. Bilstein dampers with some springs. I found a decent trip to the tracking place helps with handling too.

As for the gearbox; what do you mean by its woefully bad?

vocky

Hello and welcome to the site cheers..

Matt

Hello and welcome to the forum. :thumbup:

yoblet

astra22bertoneauto said:

As for the gearbox; what do you mean by its woefully bad?

Hi, thanks for the warm welcome. My problem with the auto box is that it only has 4 gears and that that its gear selection when trying to accelerate a bit harder than normal is not great. The result is that you spend a lot of time at either lower or higher revs than you would have chosen yourself in a manual. The "S" button holds onto gears way past the point where they have run out of steam revs-wise.

That said it is fine around town and sedate driving. It just fails to deliver a good driving experience when driving more spiritedly.

The fact that the latest automatic boxes have 7 or 8 gears suggests that 4 was never ideal, but that's where costs and technology was 10 years ago.

Interested to hear from other auto owners as to their gearbox opinions.

astra22bertoneauto

OK start a new thread in the correct section and ill give you a few pointers/options to make it better.

Welcome to the forum too :thumbup: