SiC Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I fancied a Vel Satis, Signum or Saab with this engine until I Googled them. However my stepdads Signum 150 was fine until the inlet swirl flaps jammed (common fault) and he decided to part chop it for a Focus - apparently the swirl flaps is a massive job that involves removing the cambelt amongst other things. There are a lot of "quick fixes" on t'internet but it looks as if they are only a short term fix. This looks like a good deal to me I did a quick fix with number plate screw covers on my Saab 9-3 with that engine. Worked fine for another 25k odd, until it was written off by being rear-ended. I wouldn't hesitate doing that quick fix again. Except now there are bit better engineered solutions you can buy that gluing on number plate caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMC Rebel Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Mr Bollox on the ebay tat thread, taking about diesel v6 Vectras - Mr_Bo11ox, on 05 Sept 2016 - 11:36 PM, said: must say, I can see the appeal of these, I bet they can pull the gable end out of a house yet look as miserable as a Little Chef waitress. Lacquer Peel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 15, 2016 Author Share Posted October 15, 2016 Headed down to our caravan in north wales - with car loaded up handling was a bit "wooly". Much better with air in the tyres.Had bulb failure light on dash saying n/s indictor and stop light. Changed bulbs but issue persists - if I move the wire the bulbs work so I have a shit connection. Also, I have forgotten how truly fucking appalling vec C headlights are - thry are like a MK V cortina. A HID kit beckons... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 That will make them dazzling and terrible I suppose Barry Cade and tooSavvy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
406V6 Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 Also, I have forgotten how truly fucking appalling vec C headlights are - thry are like a MK V cortina. A HID kit beckons...Have you considered Osram Night Breaker Bulbs ? They made a worthwhile improvement to my 406 for not much more dosh than a regular bulb from a decent brand. tooSavvy, loserone and oldcars 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 16, 2016 Author Share Posted October 16, 2016 I will try anything as the standard lights are like yankee candles - whichever GM engineer signed them off as being fit for purpose should be shot with their own turds - driving on unlit roads at night is truly buttock clenching. After dong 100 miles of mixed motoring it seems a good car that needs some lurve - you can tell by the mismatched rubber the last owner lost interest with the car. I have to go to Bury tomorrow to pick up the replacement wheels - if the ride becomes as shit as the headlights they will be getting moved on. Laseraligningfoofooflanges 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 I'm surprised the Elite spec didn't come with factory HIDs? On my Saab 9-3 (another GM product), the factory light height adjustment was way too low. I cranked it up a good few turns and sent it into my local MOT place to double check it wasn't too high. Passed just fine. Maybe just worth cranking it up a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overrun Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 Nice. Looking forward to seeing this on the Snowflakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 I fitted Osram Nightbreakers to the Rover of Doom. They've made a hell of a difference. I can nearly see where I'm going in the dark now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 17, 2016 Author Share Posted October 17, 2016 I fitted Osram Nightbreakers to the Rover of Doom. They've made a hell of a difference. I can nearly see where I'm going in the dark now.My other half was in the passenger seat - several times I had to ask her if she could see where we were going..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 20, 2016 Author Share Posted October 20, 2016 A diagnostic on the car has shown no faults - spanner light went out and normal service resumed. I bought some turbo/dpf cleaner that you add to your fuel - car has been driven enthusiastically to our caravan with no problems. Stevebrookman, oldcars, The Moog and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 What diagnostics tool did you use? An op-com? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 20, 2016 Author Share Posted October 20, 2016 No idea - I took it to the garage I use.I also called the local vauxhall specialist - he told me he could do a diagnostic check for £48 but if there were issues with the fuel pump he would'nt be touching it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Get a op-com. Knockoffs are cheap enough now (genuine are silly money). Find an old windows XP laptop and install it on that. It'll quickly pay for itself. Bren 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselnutjob Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Am I correct thinking that these engines are terrible in a Saab but mysteriously ok in a Vectra? If so then why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 21, 2016 Author Share Posted October 21, 2016 I believe it is the way they are installed in a saab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 21, 2016 Author Share Posted October 21, 2016 A set of blue 55W bulbs were purchased. Today I fitted them.Access is a PITA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 21, 2016 Author Share Posted October 21, 2016 A set of blue 55W bulbs were purchased. Today I fitted them.Access is a PITA.The main beam bulbs should be held in place by a wire clip - both were missing which points to the ham - fistedness of whoever was there previously.I removed both of these - they still worked but were as much use as a pot noodle in a drought. No wonder lights were shit.Also I have wet vac'd the interior to get rid of the smell of dog. Tomorrow the seats will be treated to leather cleaner. oldcars and Stevebrookman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillock Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Am I correct thinking that these engines are terrible in a Saab but mysteriously ok in a Vectra? If so then why?In the Saab, the exhaust and cat heat the sump which fucks the oil up apparently. Must be routed differently in the Vectra. Stevebrookman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 Thought that was the petrol saabs that had that issue Barry Cade and SiC 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 22, 2016 Author Share Posted October 22, 2016 New bulbs are slightly better - but not enough. A HID kit beckons.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 I'm sure you've checked but if there are no clips holding the bulbs in place then they may not be positioned over the reflectors correctly, which would affect light output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overrun Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 What condition are the headlight lenses in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted October 23, 2016 Author Share Posted October 23, 2016 They look ok. As for the missing clips - my mistake. They simply push in according to the handbook - no clips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantingYoof Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 FWIW, Snr Yoof's Signum with the same engine, mated to a pretty decent 5spd autobox, has been the pinnacle of reliability and dependability. It's gone from around 30k to 95k in over six years without failing an MOT for anything remotely serious, and irritatingly continues to be reliable and dependable despite only doing two or three mile journeys into town and back while cold and generally being used as a workhorse. It even passed its last MOT in early October without an issue which was mightly annoying as I'm trying to get him to flog it and get a simpler petrol auto for simply doing tip runs and being a workhorse on the grounds that it'll likely be more reliable and less likely to break, and my argument is quite rightly now falling on deaf ears. I think being a pre-DPF '05 plate is helping. I think the worse thing it ever did was snap a front spring while parked up with the engine off. But that's par for the course for a large, heavy, FWD vehicle with a boat anchor 3.0 six cylinder diesel engine. Well, it isn't, but in the grand scheme of things, a snapped spring is better than a gearbox sharting itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 FWIW, Snr Yoof's Signum with the same engine, mated to a pretty decent 5spd autobox, has been the pinnacle of reliability and dependability. <snip>Well, it isn't, but in the grand scheme of things, a snapped spring is better than a gearbox sharting itself.Another glorious AW55 automatic box equipped vehicle! rantingYoof 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantingYoof Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Thing is, I've done some research on the sorts of motors that would be a potential replacement for the Signum. Essentially, massive estate automatics. The obvious one is a V70, but yeah - the more I read about buying a ten or twelve year old auto box attached to one of those the less I'm inclined to recommend one. A Mondeo estate (Mk3) is also quite a feasible option but apparently the autoboxes on those aren't brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Thing is, I've done some research on the sorts of motors that would be a potential replacement for the Signum. Essentially, massive estate automatics. The obvious one is a V70, but yeah - the more I read about buying a ten or twelve year old auto box attached to one of those the less I'm inclined to recommend one. A Mondeo estate (Mk3) is also quite a feasible option but apparently the autoboxes on those aren't brilliant.Only because Volvo never specified an oil change interval on their AW55 box equipped cars and we're "sealed for life". If you get a lowish miles one, with reasonable fluid, a ATF flush should sort it. Replacement valve bodies aren't that expensive now either - around £350. However the Volvo valve bodies are a lot more work to change than the AW55 equipped Saabs. On Volvos it's a partial subframe drop. Saab just has a couple of intake pipes in the way. Most Volvo specialists will be well versed in changing them though and should be able to give accurate quotes. Just budget it into the running budget. Or of course there is the Saab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren Posted November 4, 2016 Author Share Posted November 4, 2016 The biggest caliper evah - Looks like what is used on the VXR. Now fitted and bled out - need to take it for a run. AMC Rebel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMC Rebel Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Am I correct thinking that these engines are terrible in a Saab but mysteriously ok in a Vectra? If so then why?Dunno about that - what are they like in the Vel Satis? I nearly bought one once but bailed out when I found it had zero service history (it was a dealer sale and only about 4 years old at the time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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