Is Your Zafira Going To Burst Into Flames ?

molerat

They don't seem to be making a big noise about this. Google only come up with the Auto Express link.

http://m.vauxhall.co.uk/zafiracustomeradvice.html
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/vauxhall/zafira/93176/mums-call-for-action-after-their-vauxhall-zafiras-catch-fire

One of the tell tales seems to be a not fully operating fan, a common fault on many cars.

[Deleted User]

I think this will feature on Watchdog on Thursday.

Strider590

Sounds like the usual fan spindle corrosion, which normally blows the fuse on the resistor pack. Changing the resistor pack without doing something about the fan could potentially cause a fire.... Especially if someone bodges the resistor pack instead of replacing it.

Ultimately though, it comes down to lack of maintenance. Only damp getting into the fan can cause the corrosion I mentioned and only failure to change pollen filters or clear out the windscreen scuttle of leaves/etc could cause that damp.

bigjl

I am with Strider.

Lack of maintenance and neglect is probably relevant.

My old workplace had hundred of Zafiras and I have not heard of any going on fire, which since they have been used 24/7 since 2006 onwards is no mean feat.

Abused and hammered they certainly are, but they also have maintenance checks and a service every 3k or 6weeks whichever comes first. Obviously they sometimes go over but not by much.

Let's be honest electrical issues going unnoticed or bodged is common as cars age and become little more a convenience item.

Ian011

Shame on Vauxhall for giving BBC Watchdog a premium 0844 number to promote for affected customers to call. Since 13 June 2014, usage of an 084, 087 or 09 number for this is a breach of Regulation 41 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Shame on BBC Watchdog for promoting the 0844 number without declaring the Service Charge for the number. This is a breach of the Ofcom regulations that came into force on 1 July 2015. It's also a breach of the new edition of the Broadcast Code which also came into force on the same date.

Ian011

Although the BBC Watchdog website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74
promotes the 0844 number, the Vauxhall website
http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/fleet/latest-news/2014/june/vauxhall-model-year-15-updates.html
contains the words...
'Please note that the Fleet Support Desk has changed its phone number to “Freephone” number: 0800 026 0035 (previously 0844 369 0114)'.

George_Michael

Ian011 wrote: »

Shame on Vauxhall for giving BBC Watchdog a premium 0844 number to promote for affected customers to call. Since 13 June 2014, usage of an 084, 087 or 09 number for this is a breach of Regulation 41 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

S41 of the regulations only applies to telephone helplines run by the trader.
Vauxhall are the manufacturer of the vehicles in question but the supplying garage is the trader so legally there is nothing wrong with Vauxhall only having an 0844 number.

Strider590

The safety of our customers is the number one priority. Our investigations have found that a number of incidents have occurred due to previous repairs being performed improperly or using certain non-genuine parts.

I've recently heard that there's a crazy bodge with the resistor packs to stop them repeatedly blowing, which is to effectively bypass the thermal fuse.
The idiot that spread this moronic advice should be dragged through the streets behind a Zafira and then shot, as this would undoubtedly lead to excessive current through the wiring loom and cause a fire.

bigjl

Strider590 wrote: »

I've recently heard that there's a crazy bodge with the resistor packs to stop them repeatedly blowing, which is to effectively bypass the thermal fuse.
The idiot that spread this moronic advice should be dragged through the streets behind a Zafira and then shot, as this would undoubtedly lead to excessive current through the wiring loom and cause a fire.

People failing to maintain things then wanting somebody else to pay for the result is pretty standard these days it would seem.

Jay_Tee

Strider590 wrote: »

Sounds like the usual fan spindle corrosion, which normally blows the fuse on the resistor pack. Changing the resistor pack without doing something about the fan could potentially cause a fire.... Especially if someone bodges the resistor pack instead of replacing it.

Ultimately though, it comes down to lack of maintenance. Only damp getting into the fan can cause the corrosion I mentioned and only failure to change pollen filters or clear out the windscreen scuttle of leaves/etc could cause that damp.

I'm not sure that a lack of maintenance can be the cause of this. Vehicles up to and including 2014 ones are affected. Another aspect from the Watchdog program is that only cars with manual air conditioning are affected, those with automatic air conditioning are not affected. This would seem to point more to a manufacturing issue.

bigjl

I would suspect that the Climate Control has a totally different way of controlling fan speed than the manual AirCon versions.

There seems to be a fault with the part that is bodged by some.

The only reason they have included vehicles up to 2014 is hat is the range of vehicles fitted with the part that can cause a problem in a tiny number of cars.

It isn't as though they are denying a design problem with their 2.0 Diesel engines oil pump which affects all 2.0diesels at some point as VAG have done.

The only reason it has made the press is because a fire was involved and fires are dramatic and are good for ratings.

Out of 300+ Zafiras 2005-2008 at my old work I never heard of a single one going on fire. And due to the public profile of that organisations in London if there was a vehicle fire it would make the press I guarantee it. If not the mainstream TV media it would make local papers.