Vauxhall 2.2 DTI / Saab 9-3 DiT info ?

[dieselnutjob]

Mate's 9-3 2.2 diesel has failed after only a couple of weeks ownership.

It's a 2003 new shape one.

 

Symptoms are that it's gutless and blows tons of black smoke when you accelerate, so no boost then. But it's not burning oil or making nasty noises.

 

I'm thinking one of

1. leaking boost, just need to go for a test drive and listen for hissing / farting noises of escaping air. I had this o nthe 806 and in the end had to block off both ends of the intercooler (buried in the bumper) with plugs and pump it up with a foot pump. Once I did this the leak was obvious enough to justify removing the headlights and bumper to get to it

2. EGR valve jammed open. Easiest way to diagnose if it's like a Peugeot is to find a joint in the EGR pipe and stick a piece of sardine tin to block the EGR, then go for a drive and see if the boost comes back.

3. Look for relevant error codes and replace boost solenoid.

does that sound like a reasonable process?

 

thing is I know nothing about these engine so I don't know where the EGR is or if you can block it or how hard it is to change a boost solenoid.

 

Any pics or advice appreciated

[Cavcraft]

My money is on a knackered turbo.

[Split_Pin]

I think if it was the BCS the boost would feel 'wavy'.

 

I think your first 2 ideas sound like they are worth a try.

 

VVOC.com is a useful source of info, lots of owners of this engine on there will no doubt have typed something in the past about what you are experiencing!

[dieselnutjob]

do they have a variable geometry turbo?

[tonedepear]

Is it the same old izuzu lump as the hatchback old 9-3? They used to throw out a CEL and enforced limp home mode pretty regularly when the egr needed a bit of a clean. Depends just how much black smoke there is I guess.

[dieselnutjob]

a lot

[dieselnutjob]

it seems from a bit of googling that these engines are prone to loosing vacuum which means that the ECU looses control of the turbo or the inlet throttle valve thing which then closes and starves the engine of air. So first thing is to check the entire vacuum system for loose / split vacuum pipes and joints

[Split_Pin]

Dont know what a variable geometery turbo is I'm afraid lol

 

Just been reading on VVOC and TBH a lot of what I have read does indeed indicate a dead turbo

 

Cheapest investigation first though!

[Albert Ross]

Check ALL the narrow bore vac hoses. Sometimes they melt onto the hot areas of the engine... with varying results. There's also the rubber elbows of said hoses, which split. The boost pressure sensor is either under the battery tray area or close to the NS headlamp on the radiator top bracket I think.... (It's been a while since anyone brought one in, phased out in 2004, so a bit old for main dealers....!!) Sometimes the turbo/intercooler hose assembly splits behind the OS headlamp, and you can only buy the full metal/rubber assembly new. Easiest fix is to just swap the rubber section, otherwise it's a bumper off job. Try for the big intercooler hose first.... Then flog the fecking thing before it spits the main injection pump out too. They're prone to it, and they're £1700.....! Also, the injector seals fail, and they spit oil into the fuel. This is spottable by removing the fuel filter, and if there's oil in there, the seals are needed. Also look out for perished small bore spill hoses on the injectors. They perish too. basically these are one big bag of wank waiting to fail somewhere. Get him to fick it off before it costs him dearly. And yes, I work for a Vauxhall dealer. Whatever he does, make sure he doesn't replace it with a later 1.9 model. They're even wankier.

[dieselnutjob]

I just spoke to my friend and he managed to figure it out himself. He found a split intercooler hose. Gaffer tape has temporarily improved things.