Well that's been a few interesting days. My youngest boy's Astra Estate (2007 1.6 VVT Z16XER engine) failed it's MOT on emissions - rich. He uses this vehicle as his business "van" and is getting very naughty about letting me service it or do regular maintenance. "Dad I'm just so busy just now, maybe next Tuesday"? But it never happens. consequently I only tend to see it when something goes wrong. (He does at least get the engine oil and filter changed regularly by whichever Fast Fit organization will do it on an offer while he waits). So I'm not that surprised it failed as I haven't had my hands on it for over a year and it only just scraped through last year. I was about to go out (roughly an hour's drive) to collect and bring it back to my house when he rang to say his friend, who owns a small "one man and his dog" type garage, is going to fix it for him if he does some free work for him - wrapping a van I believe. Sounds great, and I don't need to freeze my n***s off in the driveway messing about with it.
Within a day he was back on the 'Phone to me saying that the VVT inlet pulley (and to a lesser extent the exhaust one too) needed to be replaced. Well I've been telling you it's needed them since they started "clacking" on startup more than a year ago son! Ok Dad, but they're going to be around £400 to £450 or more by the time he buys a cam belt kit too and we still don't know why it's running too rich? Can you see if you can find them cheaper? So I found out the retail on the inlet pulley is £194.00. Exhaust £234.00. and Cambelt kit £124.00 (Vauxhall recommended retail). I know I should be able to buy a quality belt kit for a lot less than that, maybe £70ish? but where to get the pulleys? Then I remembered Autovaux, adverts for which I've seen in various publications. I gave them a ring and was very impressed by their helpful advice and decided to order from them when they quoted me prices - genuine GM parts. Exhaust pulley £75.00. Inlet pulley £75.00 and belt kit £75.00. Really, all £75.00? maybe something strange here, but decided at that price to take a chance on it. Ordered at 13.20 hrs that day, arrived just after 13.00 hrs next day - free delivery - all present and correct including the 2 big pulley bolts and the fixing bolts for the timing kit, which I hadn't asked for and they didn't make any charge for.
So folks, take a look at their site. Although their name would seem to indicate they are heavily into Vauxhall/GM parts, they seem to also do generic service parts for other makes too. Following this positive experience I'm going to take a closer look at their website.
What's also very interesting (well I find it interesting anyway) is that the ecu is throwing up miss fire codes. I think I very briefly mentioned this in another post somewhere but can't remember where. I find this interesting because our wee 8 valve Fire engines can throw miss fire codes when the ecu gets "upset" about the relationship between the cam and crank sensors (usually means a "Phonic Wheel Relearn" procedure is needed). Well, with the VVT pulleys being scuppered on the Astra's engine it means the cam position sensor is sending the ecu a signal it's not expecting because the cam is "jiggling" about - due to the pulleys - which it is interpreting as a miss fire - just like our wee Fiats do! Interesting isn't it?
I dropped the parts out at the garage yesterday and spent a pleasant hour at my boy's house being "silly" with our new grandson (now about 12 weeks old). Work is due to start on the Astra today. So far about the only thing known about the emissions failure is that the o2 sensor is not switching and is sitting "high" at around 0.9 volts. Thankfully this engine doesn't have an egr. Maybe a vacuum leak? I'd be interested to see the fuel trims but must keep my nose out so as not to annoy. (I don't know this garage - the fellow seems very nice though and there's an immaculate '67 Cortina 1600E sitting outside the workshop! So he may be a man after my own heart. Just hope he's better with the diagnostic gear than me!
Within a day he was back on the 'Phone to me saying that the VVT inlet pulley (and to a lesser extent the exhaust one too) needed to be replaced. Well I've been telling you it's needed them since they started "clacking" on startup more than a year ago son! Ok Dad, but they're going to be around £400 to £450 or more by the time he buys a cam belt kit too and we still don't know why it's running too rich? Can you see if you can find them cheaper? So I found out the retail on the inlet pulley is £194.00. Exhaust £234.00. and Cambelt kit £124.00 (Vauxhall recommended retail). I know I should be able to buy a quality belt kit for a lot less than that, maybe £70ish? but where to get the pulleys? Then I remembered Autovaux, adverts for which I've seen in various publications. I gave them a ring and was very impressed by their helpful advice and decided to order from them when they quoted me prices - genuine GM parts. Exhaust pulley £75.00. Inlet pulley £75.00 and belt kit £75.00. Really, all £75.00? maybe something strange here, but decided at that price to take a chance on it. Ordered at 13.20 hrs that day, arrived just after 13.00 hrs next day - free delivery - all present and correct including the 2 big pulley bolts and the fixing bolts for the timing kit, which I hadn't asked for and they didn't make any charge for.
So folks, take a look at their site. Although their name would seem to indicate they are heavily into Vauxhall/GM parts, they seem to also do generic service parts for other makes too. Following this positive experience I'm going to take a closer look at their website.
What's also very interesting (well I find it interesting anyway) is that the ecu is throwing up miss fire codes. I think I very briefly mentioned this in another post somewhere but can't remember where. I find this interesting because our wee 8 valve Fire engines can throw miss fire codes when the ecu gets "upset" about the relationship between the cam and crank sensors (usually means a "Phonic Wheel Relearn" procedure is needed). Well, with the VVT pulleys being scuppered on the Astra's engine it means the cam position sensor is sending the ecu a signal it's not expecting because the cam is "jiggling" about - due to the pulleys - which it is interpreting as a miss fire - just like our wee Fiats do! Interesting isn't it?
I dropped the parts out at the garage yesterday and spent a pleasant hour at my boy's house being "silly" with our new grandson (now about 12 weeks old). Work is due to start on the Astra today. So far about the only thing known about the emissions failure is that the o2 sensor is not switching and is sitting "high" at around 0.9 volts. Thankfully this engine doesn't have an egr. Maybe a vacuum leak? I'd be interested to see the fuel trims but must keep my nose out so as not to annoy. (I don't know this garage - the fellow seems very nice though and there's an immaculate '67 Cortina 1600E sitting outside the workshop! So he may be a man after my own heart. Just hope he's better with the diagnostic gear than me!
