Help Needed

[penfold93]

If anyone can help please let me know

About 10 Days ago my 1.9 CDTI Vaux Vectra (SRI Engine) started to lose power to the point where it would not rev below 2200 rpm (which made pulling out of junctions pretty scary) took it to the garage who diagnosed that the EGR? valves needed replacing so got it sorted and picked it up last tues (Half term here) drove it off the garage forecourt and still just as bad. Contacted them when I got home and said that it still had no power but as it was half term and had a busy weekend ahead I would try and limp it through til Mon.

By Thursday power had dropped off even more and warning lights began to flash up on the dash so limped back to the garage and said sort it. The car is only 4 yrs old and I paid for an extended warranty when I bought it 12 months ago. Gave the details to the garage and told them to contact the company and get the go ahead.

Garage couldnt contact company until Monday and the new fault was apparently the boost valve. Low and behold this isnt allegedly covered by the warranty so I authorised the garage to get the work done.

Phone call from garage this evening to say they replaced the boost valve but the car is still not right.

My question to the Goating fraternity is

A. Any ideas as to what the problem could be?

B. What come back have I got on the garage if they cannot fix it do I have to pay for work done even though it isnt fixed?

C. Should the warranty company be contacted again as this is obviously/could be a major fault can I get them to fix the car?

D. If the warranty company still wont fork out can I get my money back for a product that I was mis-sold and is actually worthless?

Its been nearly a week without wheels and has ruined my half term and the weekend and I need some ammo to go up against the pair of the, Goaters please can you help?

 

[monobrow]

Mate at work is having the same issues with his not long past 3 year old TD Astra. I remember him saying the EGR has been looked at as well as the boost valve, from what he's been ranting at in the corner of the office he's fooked off to the point of getting rid of it.

Have you looked up what the warning lights / codes mean?

 

[penfold93]

The first warning light was a car symbol with a spanner and it mentioned water in the diesel filter/Immobiliser/electrical fault/ and should that stay illuminated the car would revert to running in 'safe mode'. (which I think it has as the turbo stopped working) the second was the engine shaped light wich basically said get the car to a garage quick/damage to catalytic converter etc.

 

[pie sandwich]

I know this isn't going to help but, I had a 1.8 petrol astra, and when I can to a stop the engine would fall below idle to the point it would stall. I used some carb cleaner and it worked a treat after, The garage said I needed the idle control valve replacing, but what do they know.

You never know it could be engine not getting enough air therefore reducing power. Does it tick over fine or does it sound laboured ?

 

[penfold93]

Ticks over fine but usually you could press the accelerator and the engine would rev freely when it started you could floor it and the rev counter would creep slowly up to 2200 then the turbo would kick in and it would rev again.

Aa I was limping back to the garage the power dropped off that much that i had to drop to 3rd gear to get up the hill past WB golf course

 

[busby1971]

Contaminated Fuel

Contaminated Fuel

Could contaminated fuel got into the system?

 

[Rocket_Ronster]

My experience is with modded VWs...but a diesel is a diesel is a diesel.

The EGR valve is a useless bit of kit that is their purely to keep emissions down. When the engine is hot (think coming to a stand at traffic lights after a section of dual carriageway) then the EGR valve opens to let some of the exhaust gasses back in to the front of the engine to be burnt again. Its supposed to ease the workload on the catalytic convertor.
From a driving/MPG point of view the best thing you can do is remove the cat, and clean and isolate the EGR. It won`t affect the MOT as on diesels this is purely a smoke test and not emissions based.

So, from your initial post, i`d say the garage has tried to bluff their way through it. Much more likely is a boost problem, either knacked valve or knacked electrics.

Boost gauges are available for around £20. Might be worth seeing what boost your pulling and comparing it to a working engine, if you can.

 

[monobrow]

Few ideas here -> http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/showthread.php?179129-06-Vectra-1-9-cdti-No-power-under-2-5k

Lots more ideas plus links here -> http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72688
He got it down to "It was the Electrical Solenoid side of the EGR valve that was covered in corrosion after only Miles." but you say you've had yours changed... I guess only a diagnostic readout on the laptop jobber will tell you the fault code from the engine...

 

[Ex-Bay]

Have a look for "Honest John" in the motoring section of the Telegraph on Saturday (he has a website but I don't have the details to hand).
I mention this because I had a problem with a little Fiat and sent him an e-mail. I got a reply back real quick and very practical advice.

Worth a look, anyway.

PS. I have a '03 diesel astra and have not had many problems so far.

 

[Teh Wal]

...Garage couldnt contact company until Monday and the new fault was apparently the boost valve. Low and behold this isnt allegedly covered by the warranty so I authorised the garage to get the work done....

Well if it wasn't the boost valve then you're still covered by the warranty surely? What is it about the boost valve that takes it outside the warranty anyway? Ask the garage for the old boost valve, refit it to the car and flog the new one on Ebay.
This is what hacks me off about garages, they do a bad bit of diagnosis and bung a new part on the car which doesn't fix the fault but you've still got to fork out for the bit plus the labour hours that it took to fit! It's just plain wrong! What's to stop them putting 4 new tyres on and then saying that didn't cure it either?
Ferkin cowboys or highway robbers, all of 'em! DT_Xtremez_32:

 

[grumpyoldb]

Well if it wasn't the boost valve then you're still covered by the warranty surely? What is it about the boost valve that takes it outside the warranty anyway? Ask the garage for the old boost valve, refit it to the car and flog the new one on Ebay.
This is what hacks me off about garages, they do a bad bit of diagnosis and bung a new part on the car which doesn't fix the fault but you've still got to fork out for the bit plus the labour hours that it took to fit! It's just plain wrong! What's to stop them putting 4 new tyres on and then saying that didn't cure it either?
Ferkin cowboys or highway robbers, all of 'em! DT_Xtremez_32:

I have to agree with you there. I had a Vectra estate 1.8 petrol which developed a severe flat spot. Put your foot down and the engine almost stopped. After around what seemed like a couple of seconds it would pick up and race away.
I put it into my local Vauxhall dealer, and after a day working on it basically said no fault found. I went to pick the car up and asked for their "technician," who worked on the car to take a trip around the block with me. After a few excelleration bouts he admitted there was a fault.

They couldn't find the fault but said they would change the injector pump. I asked how much and was told £490. When I asked if it didn't cure the fault, would they remove the new pump and refit the old one, to be told, "Oh no. We can't do that. It would be 2nd hand then". These jokers cannot find a fault to save their lives but expect joe public to keep paying through the nose. They just wanted to keep replacing parts and charging me for them. Why can't they just do some basic fault finding?

I got so sick of them I ended up just trading the car in.

Sorry Penfold, but in my experience, Vauxhall dealers are crap.
Don't ever allow them to replace the rear brake linings. They insist that they have to reline the handbrake shoes at the same time. They quoted £390 for my Frontera. I bought the disc pads from my local factors..................£12. They took me 30 mins to fit.