Vauxhall Zafira Emission control light

JesseJames_2

I started it up this morning and still lumpy, the light still stays on.
However, I have someone coming to the car within the hour who has the correct tools to check the plugs, and stuff.

Any other areas to look at would be of great help?

Dunkyboy_2

My Zafira had the same problems as yours, and to cut a long story short the vauxhall specialists (don't make me laugh), didn't have a clue what to do.
They wanted to keep changing various components untill it fixed it, but i didn't have the money to spend.
Vauxhall are aware that there are serious problems with these cars, regarding flow sensors/ sticking valves/emu's, but they won't help you.
I traded it in for a

Zafira from the same garage, and got a good deal (yes really).
and.........30,000miles later yes you've guessed, the same warning light appeared on the dashboard.
Traded the car in for a galaxy.
None of this helps you, but my advice is get rid of as soon as if possible.
I know of 3 other people running around in Zafiras with the same light on the dashboard, and there are a million threads on the internet about these faults.
I would keep away from the older vauxhalls, maybe the new ones are better.

Good luck, and if you get it fixed, let us know, it may help others out..

JesseJames_2

Well my friend checked the plugs and they were all firing but the 3rd pot the plugs were wet, so it appeared it was not firing correctly on that cylinder, even though there was a spark coming from it.
He was thinking a broken valve or so.

Anyway in for a diagnostic hopefully tomorrow.

JesseJames_2

JesseJames wrote: »

Noticed it was ticking over funnily when I dropped someone off last night about a mile from my house.
By the time I got to my house the engine got lumpier and noticed that 'Emission Control Light' permanently on

Just to let the forum know I got this fixed today :j

The diagnostic test showed that it was the coil pack (the integrated block that attaches to the spark plugs).
Replaced and running good
£165 all in

Cheers

hewhoisnotintheknow

JesseJames wrote: »

Just to let the forum know I got this fixed today :j

The diagnostic test showed that it was the coil pack (the integrated block that attaches to the spark plugs).
Replaced and running good
£165 all in

Cheers

good news then

Wig

How did they diagnose it? Use a code reader or some other method?

Any idea what the code thrown out was?

Fruity1

I eventually had a new coil pack on my 03 Zafira tho that was after it started sounding seriously dodgy and went into 'emergency mode' and wouldn't go above I think it was 40mph. Mine also developed a habbit of cutting out. I'd had several code readings over about a year. I'd had EGR valves changed and the light still came on. As dunky boy says vauxhall know the prob but haven't rectified it. Having decided to get rid of it earlier this summer as my new job means I need a reliable car when I looked up the newer models etc I think its still happening. Hence I got an FRV.

JesseJames_2

Wig wrote: »

How did they diagnose it? Use a code reader or some other method?

Any idea what the code thrown out was?

Hi Wig

Sorry, I do not know exactly how, all I know is that they have a diagnostic machine to check it.
The owner said the readings for the plugs firing was all over the place, not word for word, but that's how I interpreted it.

That part of the bill to get it tested was £30 btw

The emission control light coming on was just a by product of the unspent fuel etc.

cheers

lomasonhere

I have just bought a 2001 1.6 from a car dealer and after a few miles the EMC light came on, however the car does run OK. But this car has a new MOT on it, would that fault not have shown up? Would it happen only after a few more miles since an MOT? I would have thought not. The dealer has promised to look at it, but so far after a week has not. This is a worry because I had a cavalier and one day the key would not start it and the EWL simply flashed some code. A rescue chap said the code means the keycode has been 'dropped' and the ECU may be duff too, only place for it is an 'official' garage. They agreed about the key only (after charging me for a new battery they had flattened somehow, and I would not wait for a recharge, etc) They tested it, said you need a new key and barrels, I know says I ... (I did not have the code) £30 that cost me just for the key + coding. Car would still not start. Could be emobiliser, they says, so they poke at that. NO. Could be the alarm, so they get an expert in to look at it, but simply disconnected it. No. To cut a long story short of them saying it may be this that or the other, but it was not, and them making the excuse it was too old (1994, and this was 3 years ago) for their software to understand it and that their most experienced (7 years) could not do it 'old school', after 7 months, yes, 7 months during which I was fined for letting the tax run out(!!) they decided, that, ermm, the ECU was broken, which was more or less what I had told them. And yes that fixed it. At each stage I was in the position of having to say, what the hell, surely another £20 (multiples of) will have it fixed, in the end they tried to charge me £1400, mostly labour for fruitlessly messing around with it. I said no way, I will get back to you. I traced the CEO of this major nationwide franchise and stated my case, and the labour was dropped and I just paid for the ECU, which more or less = the value of the car! They never actually reconnected the alarm either but they did give me an MOT, which had also run out (sigh). I relate this story because it is a bit of a worry that, although not the same one, that light has come on to stay on on my average mileage zafira ...

petrolhead69

It is not an emissions light, it is an onboard diagnotics engine fault light. the drivers handbook is misleading in it's wording but it says while the light is on emissions may be higher, but its not the emissions that illuminated the light, it is the fact the ecu detected a running parameter out of spec.

If you want to be forearmed before seeing a mechanic on the older ones you can flash out the code with a paperclip, with the newer ones find a cheap chinese vaux-com interface from tinternet I got one for £20odd and read the codes and you can use it to reset the engine and airbag lights. if its a 1.8 cleaning the idle control valve is a good start as they often get bunged up. some older ecotec vauxhalls also suffered wiring insulation going brittle leading to shorts and codes for senors that werent actually fault sensors. cam sensors quite a common one too, another symptom of that is not revving past 4.5k