Newbie in need of help please...Update-it's the chain....

zorro

Hi all, just registered on here 😃
My g/f owns a Vectra Sri150 (01) thats started having problems and i'm not a vauxhall man so i'm completely puzzled...

It's recently (last 2-3 days) started running really badly, the 2.2 engine feels like a 1.0ltr... no power low down, juddiery etc...it's not too bad once you get to like 60-70mph but not great...feels like it's on 80 cigs a day.

Now the backbox rattles like hell so there are obviously some baffles loose, could these be blocking the system? as it feels like a good cough and the car would be good again...

Any other obvious things to look for please?

Cheers in advance
Chris

liam_mcf

had a similair problem recently, my engine was shaking like mad making the exhaust system rattle. No power at all.

Turned out it was the coil pack! Worth a check mate.

Andy

hi and welcome to the site.

yeah check the simple things first like plugs and coil pack and go from there.

zorro

Thanks for the replies so far..it's really appreciated 🙂

Coil Pack - so who are the best for Vauxhall spares?...

Cheers

Andy

theres a few places you can try online

LMF
Autovaux

are the best 2 that spring to mind.

the coil pack is quite dear so try the plugs first then if its still the same then look for a coil pack on ebay or something.

batcho

could be egr but coil pack most probs. notsure.gif

Andy

might be worth trying an egr cheater from vocky

zorro

Right.. fitted new plugs and 2nd hand coil pack...
Went for a quick spin and yipeee it runs great.

Came back from work, started car and it didnt feel too good, got about 10 yards down the road and it virtually cut out,almost struggling to go.
So i switched off the engine and it wont start now.
The engine turns but thats it...

Any more ideas please? 🙁

Thanks
Chris

zorro

Another update..

Called the RAC out last night, after 2 hours he concluded it's either the Coolant Temp Sensor or the CAT.... he got a fault showing the coolant sensor was reading -40deg c :roll: but couldnt read any more as vx put a block on how much his lappy could read??..

Anyhow he got it started in the end. Turned out it's now overfueling and flooding the engine.....

So, looks like it's gonna have to go to vx to go on their diagnostic machine.....

This sound a common problem?... could it be anything to do with a hissing/sucking noise coming from around the power steering pump area???

Chris

vocky

a faulty air intake sensor or coolant sensor will cause over fuelling, so go with the coolant sensor as that's what the RAC guy found in the codes

zorro

Well ive just been to the garage and the car wont start at all now(or so they say).
Theyve replaced the coolant sensor and nothing.
They've confirmed it's overfueling.
He's now saying theyve tried every avenue other than the ECU..Which i'm not too convinced about tbh...

Anymore suggestions?

Thanks
Chris

vocky

it's very difficult to diagnose when a non-runner, but it might be the ecu, there was one on ebay the other day notsure.gif

here it is, very cheap too 😃

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VECTRA-B-2-2-PETROL-TRANSPONDER-KEY-CHIP-ECU-2001-Z22SE_W0QQitemZ320115823138QQihZ011QQcategoryZ10404QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

zorro

Not being someone too technical with ECU's....

Is that one on ebay a full ECU? I'd heard they needed reprogramming or something and cost lots of cash? :?
Anyone else had ECU failure?
Only i dont want to be forking out all that cash without confirming that's what it is.... :cry:

Chris

vocky

I can't advise the actual fault, but paying a garage £650 to replace your ecu is a bit steep :shock:

the ebay item is complete 🙂

key chip, transponder and ecu - all matched and can simply be fitted as a set, no programming required 😃

noticed there is another set on there too, same price 🙂

zorro

Well i now think it's one of two things..
1) Timing chain stretched and/or snapped - (going to ask the garage to inspect and quote to do them as they needed doing anyway at 61k!)
2) ECU playing up - but i'll try the Timing Chain route first...

Thoughts?

Cheers

vocky

oh bugger, I forgot about the chain :cry:

I too would also get it checked first 🙁

zorro

Well finally got to the bottom of this....it was the chain 🙁

Looks like when it first started running rough the chain had already stretched and jumped a tooth....then when it stopped starting the chain had jumped another and thrown the timing way out..fortunately at tick over.
The chain hasnt snapped,just stretched....
Initial inspection shows no damage :shock: .
I'll know more tomorow.

Chris

JohnnyN

You might just be lucky if you can call it that? Hope it all turns okay mate.

;-)

vocky

you might be lucky if it's just jumped teeth, but the only way to tell is a compression check once the new chain is fitted dunno..

zorro

Well the compression test before fitting (ie now) shows very high compression(150) so fingers crossed...

Chris