First problem ever with my 98 Vectra Dti this morning.
After a good run yesterday it simply wouldn?t start this morning in the drive. The engine was spinning over well but with no signs of even beginning to fire.
Eventually for the first time I called on my breakdown service and Green Flag arrived in 50 minutes and immediately suspected a fuel problem.
He was correct and after bleeding the Vectra finally fired up and ran smoothly. We discussed what might have caused it and he suggested a new filter even though the present one was changed 4000 miles ago.
I mentioned that I had heard of trouble with the bleed off pipes but he wasn?t aware of it and said mine was the first he had ever had to attend.
Anyway two hours after he had left the car was reluctant to start and took some churning over before firing. Tried this evening and again it wouldn?t start and eventually I topped up the filter with diesel as the level was slightly down and eventually got it running but knowing that it ain?t going to go in the morning.
There was a post from Vectra a while ago who had similar problems and cured it eventually by having the spill off pipes replaced and they only cost £6.00 and 15 minutes to replace.
Looking at these pipes they disappear under the camshaft cover so I presume this has to be removed.
Has anyone out there had experience of changing them. Does the cover have to come off and is there any other likely reason for my problem?
alvin
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Leak off pipes are common on these. Fuel drains back to the tank overnight, which means you have to crank it for ever in the morning to get it to start. Replacing them is not difficult.
Does the glow plug warning lamp work? (Orange picture of a heating coil.) If not, the chances are the glow plug relay has failed. A large aluminium finned relay on or around the n/s inner wing. Don't put a 12 volt direct supply to the glow plugs on these as they are reduced voltage glow plugs, and you will burn them out.
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No there\'s no problem with the glowplugs railroad. In fact they don\'t operate on the Vectra until the temperature drops below 3c.
It looks as if the camshaft cover has to be removed to replace these pipes. Am I correct and does this present any difficulties.
alvin
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Update.. The Vectra wouldn?t start the next morning so off to the Vauxhall main dealer.
Called at the workshop firstly and had a word with one of the mechanics and asked if it would be the spill pipes needing replacement. Unlikely he said, it?s almost certainly the injector seals, which need replacing. It?s a 4-hour job at £56.65 per hour plus vat.
Round to the stores and bought a length of new rubber spill pipe which cost me £10.00 for one metre.
It is now a different type of rubber pipe, the existing is a rough textured one and the new type is a solid rubber.
The storeman added his twopennorth and said, ?it?s your injector seals mate we do them all the time here. Ask the service manager next door? which I duly did. Told him my problem and again he made the same diagnosis and asked if I wanted to book it in.
The same night I called at a friend who is a mechanic with a large company who run a large fleet of Vectra DTI for their reps.
His diagnosis was that it would almost certain to be the spill pipes. ?In nine out of ten cases we find this is the problem and you won?t see them leaking either?.
He called the next night and replaced them in ten minutes after first checking that a very tiny spring in the filter head was in place. Apparently this spring is there as a safety measure in the event of a roll over and it would shut the fuel off from the filter. Sometimes this spring can get knocked out while changing the fuel filter. Also cleaned a sensor in the manifold, which he says is always blocked and it was.
He then said these cars are a devil to start and this is the method they use. He drained part of the fuel from the filter and replaced it with Fortes additive. Removed the air cleaner top and while I spun the engine over he injected a spray can of the modern equivalent of Kigas.
The engine fired up after only a few seconds and he said he was confident it would be cured.
As predicted the car fired up instantly the next morning. Discussing why Vauxhall instantly go for the injector seals as the fault he said his company worked inwards starting with the easiest possibility first and moving on. He thought possibly Vauxhall do the seals and would automatically replace the pipes but not consider this was what cured the fault.
Anyway he certainly knew these cars even to the extent where he went straight to a torx bolt down near the fanbelt which he says always come loose and they have had one drop into the belt and cause damage. Sure enough it was only finger tight.
Hope this may help someone with similar problems in the future.
alvin
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Hi alvin
Thanks for the great detail above!
I too found the loose torx bolt, just removed with my fingers.
My question is where abouts in the manifold is the sensor that your mechanic cleaned?
I've changed my spill back pipes but my car (2ltr Dti Vectra) still "almost" stalls every morning immediately after it starts.
Cheers
Carl
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Carl, If you have an Haynes manual it is on Fuel and exhaust systems on page 4B.7 and is called a boost pressure sensor.
If you don?t have the book.. standing in front of the engine it is just underneath the plastic cover directly in line with the last C in ECOTEC. Towards you.
Don?t recall how he took it off but did it in seconds and pointed out a tiny hole which he says always gets blocked. This was indeed blocked and he blew it through and replaced it very quickly.
Exactly what it does I have no idea but he said it was routine maintenance to carry this out on their vehicles.
alvin
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Great , thanks for the info.
I do have a Haynes manual so I'll have a look.
Cheers
Carl
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