HMC architecte britannique

[Marm Toastsmith]

12 hours ago, HMC said:

DVLA news and maybe a helpful hint.

I only got a ragged bit of the old new keeper supplement with the migrane. I Was ready to fill out a v62 cross my fingers, chuck it in the post and hunker down for a 4 week wait for a V5. I looked at the complete v5 I’ve got for the vectra. I noticed the document reference numbers on the main bit and the new keeper supplement were identical but for a single extra digit on the new keeper bit.

Optimistically I thought I’d try putting it through online that I was the new keeper by dropping the first digit on the new keeper supplement bit. I tried and it seems to have gone through- so I should have the new v5 in about 4 working days rather than 4 weeks- quite a difference!

 May be worth trying if you either end up with a less than complete v5 or begin to suspect the former keeper has lost their bit of the v5 down the back of the sofa during a snooze.

Yeah, that works, did it with the CR-V which only came with a new keeper’s supplement. Megane looks nice btw, top purchasing as always.

[HMC]

Vectra c woes!

1.  I own one 

2. After a motorway blast the EML came on and it went into (I think) limp mode, I flicked the ignition and the EML and limp mode disappeared but now it idles roughly and has a part throttle hesitancy/jerking and about 1500-2000rpm.  It feels like it’s on all 4 in general but with an occasional miss. It’s akso started loosing coolant but in this weather unsure if it’s just a hose weep. It’s not overheating. Ideas from the AS hive mind?!

[HMC]

PS it’s an early 1.8 so it’s an ecotec Z18XE. It’s days are looking numbered!!!

[New POD]

What codes are stored? 

That's your first place to start. 

[Bren]

Diagnostic before anything.

[New POD]

2 minutes ago, Bren said:

Diagnostic before anything.

From the symptoms I'm betting on the following. 

A. SHIT OLD SPARK PLUGS

B. Coil pack on its way out

C. Crank position sensor.

 

Loosing coolant is irrelevant in my humble Vauxhall related experience. Every Vauxhall I've had with head gasket failure, ran fine as long as it didn't loose all the coolant. 

 

 

[HMC]

New plugs and new coil pack (see prev page) after dropping onto 3 cylinders and read the codes - replaced the coil pack (no change ) then the plugs and all was fine- 3 weeks ago - replacement bits are good quality. The current symptoms are different to those last time. I’ll check the stored codes tomorrow.

[SiC]

Read codes! Not sure how true this is, but may be useful:

Press and hold brake and throttle pedals down, turn the ignition on, DO NOT start the engine. EML light will start to flash (car with a spanner) Carefully count the flashes, codes will be in groups of 4 and 10 flashes = 0 and 1 to 9 flashes = 1 to 9

Unless diagnosed (which should really include reading live data) it'll just be guessing. 

However if I was guessing, I wonder if MAF, crank/cam sensor or air leak. 

[Split_Pin]

All of the above what he said. I lived with an albeit reliable Z18XE for 13 years. Pedal test then head straight for the MAF. Don't buy a cheap pattern one!

[New POD]

Yeah. You can read codes on the omega like that. Fucking impossible to count quick enough. 

[Heidel_Kakao]

1 minute ago, New POD said:

Yeah. You can read codes on the omega like that. Fucking impossible to count quick enough. 

Film it on your phone or other device and play it back at a slower speed.

[HMC]

OK- leak traced to the radiator, quite a bad one! And stored codes on my Christmas cracker diagnostic tool...

[HMC]

Just offloaded this on gumtree. A smiley transit beavertail came and hauled it away- although I did explain it’s running and drivable. If I’m going to have something flakey as a banger it may as well be interesting with it (watch this space)

[Split_Pin]

First looks like a VVT solenoid (it must have been the later Z18xe) and the second is no communication with CANBUS, which I know nothing about as I've never owned a Vauxhall new enough to have that wiring loom system.

Good move I'd say.

[HMC]

Brought to you by GUMTREE- add 100 odd quid from the disease ridden vectra sale, head into deepest Cornwall......

 

And off to collect something more interesting and just as flakey as the departed vectra C

(note- not the LDV- been there, done that)

[HMC]

En route to new chod-

 

Cornish lay by- wind farm, truckers and dash at twilight by Mégane 

[Matty]

On 9/25/2019 at 8:21 AM, Cavcraft said:

 

 

I'd have registered that Volvo in someone from the C(o)untryside Alliance's name and address than left it on a main road in London somewhere.  Nothing more than they deserve.  

Preferably with something in it that makes a ticking noise

(Obviously not an actual bomb)

[theshadow]

cornish pasty

[HMC]

[sporty-shite]

6 minutes ago, HMC said:

Alfa 156?

[clayts450]

Is it a  SsangYong Rexton ?

[gadgetgricey]

Punto or Panda?

[HMC]

Flakey yet also sexy. Even the dials.

[Six-cylinder]

Absolutely lovely!

We have his and hers 156 because they are the car of choice so often!

[HMC]

Thanks! It’s a 1.8 twinspark. Always fancied an estate and always regretted not going ahead with the breadvan sportwagon (when he originally sold it) also came close to buying a blue JTD sportwagon from bramz last year which was lovely but needing big TLC, and I briefly owned your saloon. This one has 4 weeks MOT and a few crusty bits on the floorpan. I’m sure it’s charms will convince me to give it TLC. It says benzina on the fuel gauge,   I’m sold!

Ive given up trying* to find another v6 sportwagon for sensible money so after extensive research**  bought this

*didnt try hard

**A quick gumtree search and a phone chat to suss out the seller

[HMC]

The vendor had owned this for 9 years and replaced it with a less leggy 159 (sort of in shot)

[Bren]

Looks nice. Do you have a welder?

[HMC]

I did have, but sold it when I got out of my old house during a divorce, as I also no longer have a garage. My local railway arch place will be doing it assuming I have it done. 

The chap part exchanged a mk1 megane for it in 2010 (looking at the invoice) which is also what I arrived in to collect it.

[clayts450]

156 Sportswagons are fit, well bought Sir

As noted in Retro Cars, the floorpans rot for fun.

[Crackers]

Nice buy.

Brave pill well and truly swallowed, I trust?