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I'll take a wild guess at cam or crank sensor at this point ;-)
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Umph. I will have to find that test socket.
I have it in mind to remove the ECU for examination - would removing it and unplugging it cause ant problems or damage?
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>>I have it in mind to remove the ECU for examination
Why? What are you going to examine?
More often than not, faults are simple wiring faults, bad connectors and the like. There are problems with some sensors, and at the very back of the list are ECU problems, (despite folklore and panic driven mythology!) ECUs are usually very reliable, and not the place to begin your diagnosis.
Number_Cruncher
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>>I have it in mind to remove the ECU for examination Why? What are you going to examine?
This thing may have had some sort of issue whereby one night the car wouldn't start (fault light flashing) - it wouldn't,. apparently, recognise the key. The next day it was fine. A Vauxhall dealer looked at it, and said "There's nothing wrong" (£40). That particular failure hasn't happened since, but it has started to show the fault light after starting (it sometimes takes a second or two for the light to come on), since the visit to the garage. The ECU is not bolted to anything, it just dangles. I thought I'd look at the connections, and maybe take a quick glance inside the thing - I had an experience with an Astra which had a faulty diesel control unit, this was fixed by re-doing a poor (dry) joint inbside the thing. The trouble is, I don't really know much at all about modern cars, so where to start? The light doesn't always come on, and sometimes re-starting the engine makes it go off!
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I removed the ECU from my 1.0 Uno FIRE engine and upon examination about a pint of water poured out of it - half-an-hour in the oven and it worked again (for a while)
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First, get the fault codes out, as DD has suggested. This will give you a hint as to where the problem is, rather than blindly guessing. There is a memory for fault codes, you don't necessarily need to read the codes while the light is on.
You won't do any damage by disconnecting the ECU, and looking. I would have a look and see where it should bolt up, and rectify that - they shouldn't "dangle".
Hopefully, not being a Fiat, your ECU won't be full of water!, but if you are looking there anyway, it's an easy, quick, and cost-less inspection to make.
There was a specific problem with the dry joint in cetain Vauxhall diesel ECUs - I'm not aware of any common problems with Cavaliers though - the ECUs themselves are usually very reliable.
Number_Cruncher
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I would have a look and see where it should bolt up and rectify that - they shouldn't "dangle".
It seems that it should be bolted to the car, but the nuts are missing from the studs (or captive bolts, perhaps). I will have to get some new ones.
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Umph. I will have to find that test socket.
topbuzz tells you where it is. Should be in the same place as the picture of the Calibra:-
www.topbuzz.co.uk/info/fault_codes/pic006.htm
All you then need is a paperclip to short out the relevant pins to get the ECU light to flash out the fault code(s)
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 21/11/2007 at 12:36
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Whoops, just realised this is presumably the same vehicle as in this recent thread:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=56946
I'd stop the ECU dangling issue before further diagnosis.
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easy to read out the fault codes on these:- www.topbuzz.co.uk/info/fault_codes/fault_codes.htm
I assume it's an X20XEV - it's got a red "ECOTEC" straight plastic cover on the top of the engine. Is there any other way of telling whether this is the correct engine type?
If this is correct, the ECU is a Siemens Simtec 56.0/56.1. I will try and have a look at it later.
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I assume it's an X20XEV
Not sure.
The engine code *should* be stamped below the cylinder head (up to 1993), usually on a small flat surface. But after 1993 the location moved to the edge of the cylinder block, transmission side.
topbuzz.co.uk/info/engine_codes/engine_codes.htm
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The engine code
I shall look for that when it stops raining.
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Isn't the red top the older ( cosworth developed?) engine, all the X20XEVs I've owned / poked about with have the black 'ECOTEC' cover.
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Mine has a straight red "ECOTEC" cover thingy. From DD's link, it seems that Opel ones may've been black.
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easy to read out the fault codes on these:-
I have done this. Thank you for the help. Getting the plug out of the receptacle was the hardest bit (still not sure whether they *should* pop out when levered slightly with a small screwdriver).
Anyway: I got 12 12 12 92 92 92 12 12 12 92....
The bumf says "Camshaft sensor incorrect signal". Um. What the heck's *that*!
To add a note: the codes only showed with the engine stopped, ign. on. With the engine running, all was dark.
Edited by FotheringtonThomas on 22/11/2007 at 19:01
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one sure way to tell if the camsensor is to see if the car will rev above 4500 rpm it should bounce on the rev limmiter (it will only do this if the fault is present) if it revs beyound 4500 then it was a hiccup and could be an early warning that it will require a new one, the sensor is on top of the engine(ish) look at the black cover where it says ecotec there will be a wire sticking out this is the cam sensor connector that said there is a modified sensor and harness (they changed the plug to gold tags) bit of a faff solering it in to the harness come to that its a bit of a pain to change the sensor i am sure that i have posted on this subject before in this forum try a search !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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If it is the camshaft sensor, then the following *may* help:-
tinyurl.com/2rp5pd
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It seems a coincidence that the cam sensor should "go" after the ECU had been tested, also that it often works - that is, the fault light does not come on when starting. I will try cleaning it, etc.
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IIRC I've had a cam sensor replaced once on my last three X20XEVs, somewhere between 100K and 150K miles; last time I asked a pukka VX replacement was about 40 quid, maybe get one a bit cheaper from the likes of Autovaux. I would think an hour's labour from a garage.
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my light has been on for months mainly go's out after the engine warms up but cant be bothered to change it and i am a vauxhall master technician !!!!!!!!!
Edited by Webmaster on 23/11/2007 at 07:43
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Very interesting. There's a round (cross-section) "wire" that comes out from the end of the red cover. This goes along the back of the engine, where it seems to be slightly compressed by a long black plastic box which looks as though it contains other wires. After feeling along the wire to see where it goes, the fault light has only come on once or twice in a fair number of starts.
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FT, have a quick look back in that area - I *think* there are some earth connections to the cylinder head - you might have disturbed a loose connection there.
Failing that, with the engine running, and someone watching the dashboard light, have a wiggle of the wires you have described, you might find an obvious poor connection, or even a partialy broken wire (where the conductors inside are broken, but the insulation makes the wire appear OK from the outside)
Number_Cruncher
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