Zafira 1.9td exhaust overheating?

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Thu 10 May 2007 22:04
Zafira 1.9td exhaust overheating? - raiw
I bought a new Zafira 1.9 (120PS) diesel last year which is just due for its first service. The last few weeks I've noticed that the exhaust system occasionally seems to be running very hot, even after a fairly short run. There's the smell of very hot metal and a loud ticking noise as it cools.As well as all this the performance at slow speeds is a lot lumpier than it used to be. The symptoms look all too like those described in the 'whats bad' section of HJ's Zafira B review, although that mentioned the 150PS engine rather then the 120PS.

When I spoke to the dealer to book the service he claimed that 'Im not aware of any problems with the diesel' and 'its perfectly normal for the exhaust to run hot, even red hot' (!) Having experienced a different dealer's lies when they denied the classic Zafira (2002) problem of door straps ripping off ('We've never heard of that happening before' - several Trading Standards calls and a threatened court case miraculously jogged their memory and the doors were fixed at their expense) I'm very dubious!
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Thu 10 May 2007 22:47
Zafira 1.9td exhaust overheating? - none
I know it's nothing to do with Zafira's problem, but umpteen years ago I decoked a petrol engined Bedford bus. After the road test, the exhaust manifold was glowing red hot.
A quick (trunk call) to the nearest main dealer, and I learnt that 'they all do that'.
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Thu 10 May 2007 22:54
Zafira 1.9td exhaust overheating? - milkyjoe
i second that, exaust manifolds do glow thats their job to
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Thu 10 May 2007 23:18
Zafira 1.9td exhaust overheating? - bathtub tom
Ok, but if they regularly run that hot, they won't smell. It may be that something is burning (dripping,leaking) onto it?
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Thu 10 May 2007 23:26
Zafira 1.9td exhaust overheating? - Screwloose
raiw

Does this one have a periodically regenerating exhaust particle filter that fitted?
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Fri 11 May 2007 09:07
Zafira 1.9td exhaust overheating? - brianrh
This car will have a diesel particle filter and the symptoms are common as the following thread shows:

www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/showthread.php?s=8...4

Hope this hepls.

Brian
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Sat 12 May 2007 18:28
Zafira 1.9td exhaust overheating? - raiw
Thanks for that! An excellent link - not sure how I missed it before. Makes for some depressing reading though. If I'd known all that in advance I'd have given the diesel a miss. I've never heard or experienced any other makes suffering from those symptoms, even though it appears that the processes involved must be getting applied to most modern diesels to meet the euro4 standards. Just a pity that Vauxhall and their dealers won't admit to the issues. HJ - any chance of adding a comment to your review that sums up the post?
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