help with vauxhall vectra....

red_eye

wannabemillionaire wrote: »

hi guys hope iv posted this in the right place!

i could really do with a bit of advice. i have a 2001 vauxhall vectra and 3 weeks ago the engine management light came on and the car started to become very bumpy and lose power. we got a mobile mechanic to come out who did a diognostic test that said there was a problem with 'injector 3' he replaced that and we thought all would be fine. the next day we went to use it , aftr driving for 10 mins it began to do it again. he came back out at the end of the week and said he just needed to reset the 'brain' of the car, the went to use it 30 mins after hed gone and it did it again! wev since took it to another mechanic (because the other one switched his phone off and wouldnt respond to ne of our voicmails :eek: )who said it could possibibly need new spark plugs or a new coil, wev replaced both and it is STILL doing it!!!
im really at the end of my tether! any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Rachael

me thinking camshaft position sensor

red_eye

wannabemillionaire wrote: »

we got the second hand parts as we were told that a single injector would cost £120 brand new and a coil would be about £100. and we just cant afford that, though your probably right, they may not cost that much but i don't know much about cars, hence why i have come here for some advice. we've had a diagnostic done at 2 separate places and both came up the same so i don't think that the diagnostics what is at fault. have had the parts checked now and they are all working fine, so still in search of an answer....?

tbh they both could be checked very easy with out diagnostics although you would need to clear the fault codes. Decent diagnostics have built in oscilloscopes and multimeter so the waveforms of the injectors can be tested to find the faulty. I reckon the mechanic you used does not know how to use his equipment.

look for a mechanic on the good garage shceam http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/ or ATA accredited http://www.automotivetechnician.org.uk/

mikey72

red_eye wrote: »

me thinking camshaft position sensor

It would show as a totally different code, as would the crank sensor.

red_eye

mikey72 wrote: »

It would show as a totally different code, as would the crank sensor.

but the mechanic op used was a numpty and some how got codes for injector and coil pack unless the op knows what the codes were

mikey72

injector and coil pack fault codes are often shown together, or the ecu can show one when it's actually the other,
Crank and cam sensors usually do read true.

vax2002

What tests did this mechanic do before connecting the code reader ?
Here is a handy IDIOTS guide to using a obdii code reader.
A= Alternator, check voltage for over/ under voltage
B= Battery, check battery is retaining and accepting charge and all cells are correct.
C= Current, check all earth points with an impedance meter between the fault sensor area and the battery such as bulkheads, engine blocks, by pass and re-check impedance
D = Diagnostics, Now connect the diagnostics meter if ABC are correct.

vax2002

You need to find a mechanic with TECH 2 vauxhall software, it reads the Codes and then access a database of most common faults that cause that code and fixes that have worked.

djs2303

You dont need to go to vauxhall to get the car read properly. Many companies (Like Snap-on) have all the keys/codes that read the ECU's on various cars. You need to first get all codes deleted from the ECU's Stored Memory. Then you are starting from scratch, once a fault occurs, you can tackle that problem. If the injector is down, you need to get the correct one for that engine. alot of cars have colour-coded tabs on the injector, if you have got a different coloured tab, it wont work!

Price up for new ones...its alot easier, and almost guaranteed to work. Look for a auto-supplies like Andrew Page not a halfords or other street corner motor factors These get their parts from the main auto-factors and just add their cut on top.

The other thing to check, is the HT leads, if one of these have gone down, then this could cause the engine to be running lumpy, Test by using a electrically insulated pair of pliers, have the engine running and pull each HT lead from the Spark Plug, if the engine stalls, or changes then that lead is working ok, if nothing happens, that that lead could also be faulty.

A regular problem with Vectra's is the idle air control valve, which is located after the air box, just as it goes to the induction system.

As said before though, get it diagnosed by someone who knows what they are doing, and save yourself money rather then chasing what you think could be wrong with it. a diagnostics costs £25-£45 and if they cant find the fault, they shouldnt charge you.

vax2002

The better software can calculate multiple codes and in what order they present and then link in to a database of known faults caused by the sequence.
Just reading codes and swapping bits will lead you in circles.

just a point, if this is the older vectra, take the spark plug cover off and pull a lead one at a time and just check the plug holes are not full of oil, they dont half throw some wobbler's when one fills with oil.

liam8282

I would register at https://www.vectra-c.com and ask on their. They are extremely helpful.

I have a Vectra, and they have helped me a lot since I got my car.

You can read the fault codes yourself, but they won't be much help if you don't know much about cars:

Here is a list of fault codes: http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19442

How to read fault codes: http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81742

If anything, at least it will save you paying for anymore diagnostic tests.