A Car Diagnostics Question

[Taffycat]

I have a car-related question... well it makes a change, doesn't it just wondered whether any of you has had to have any "diagnostic" work on your cars, if so, could we compare notes please?

A warning light has just started to show up on the dashboard (it's a 3 yr old Vauxhall Zafira) and according to the handbook, it could be indicating a problem with either engine electronics, or possibly the automatic transmission. We suspect it might be the latter, due to a slight loss of power a few days ago, (which has not occurred since.) However, the light continues to glow!

The mechanic at the garage said that he would have to connect up the diagnostic equipment to find the actual problem, and that this initial test was likely to take about an hour. Does this sound right to you guys? It just sounds like quite a long time bearing in mind how quickly computers can process things, so is it that much different with car electronics does anyone know please?

Thank you for looking

 

[ChristopherP]

Get it plugged in.

What my garage do is charge 1 hours labour for this, though it wont actaully TAKE an hour.

They just charge the hours labour to cover the costs of buying the diagnostic equipment.

I don't know if your garage is the same, but once you have paid the £42.00 inc VAT (1 hours labour) you can take it back to be plugged in and get the codes as many times as you like.

I doubt it would be the transmission if its losing power... as the gears are still engaging correctly. what engine is it?

Vauxhall engines never were that reliable.

I reckon it's some kind of a sensor somewhere giving a faulty reading.

 

[V_R]

Not sure if thats good or not as my Brothers an AA mechanic so i dont have to pay!

But i reckon Chris is on the money with it being a sensor maybe?

 

[Anon_F]

Get it plugged in a.s.a.p Taffycat.

 

[Taffycat]

Hi Chris,

It's a 1.8 cc engine, Chris, and the only reason for thinking it might be the auto transmission, is that when my husband engaged D as normal the other day, the vehicle was completely sluggish, so he had to manually use the lower gears to get it moving properly. It's been really reliable over the past three years and has only done a very small mileage. (It's a Motability car, because my husband has some mobility problems.)

I was just a bit curious about why it would take so long - I suppose I expected the car to be hooked up and within about 10 minutes there would be a read-out of the report Also, the garage can't book the car in until the 21st, and to be honest I'm a wee bit concerned that it will suddenly conk-out.

Thank you for replying

 

[Taffycat]

Woops, V_R and Feckit, our paths crossed Thank you for your replies also. Yes we're anxious to get it plugged-in, as I mentioned, I'm concerned that it couldn't be booked-in more quickly

 

[ChristopherP]

Could you not take it somewhere else? Most places have diagnostic computers.

I always thought with an automatic transmission, using the lower gears would engage drive, but stop the gearbox selecting a gear higher than the manual selection...

E.g engaging "2" would put the car into "D" but only allow the car to use gears 1 and 2

UNLESS

It's something to do with the electronics in the gearbox. I will be interested to see what codes the computer throws up.

When was the car last serviced with oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter etc?

 

[Taffycat]

Could you not take it somewhere else? Most places have diagnostic computers.

I always thought with an automatic transmission, using the lower gears would engage drive, but stop the gearbox selecting a gear higher than the manual selection...

E.g engaging "2" would put the car into "D" but only allow the car to use gears 1 and 2

UNLESS

It's something to do with the electronics in the gearbox. I will be interested to see what codes the computer throws up.

When was the car last serviced with oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter etc?

Well being a Motability car, we are supposed to use the managing dealership - but we shall check with their helpline tomorrow, just in case they are willing to allow us to go elsewhere.

It was MoT'd and serviced about 6 weeks ago. It has under 5,000 miles on the clock (genuinely, because we've had it from new.)

Regarding the gears (and quoting the book )

D Drive position for normal driving conditions in 1st to 4th gear.
3 Drive position for driving conditions in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear.
2 Drive position for 1st and 2nd gear (the transmission does not shift into 3rd and 4th gear)
1 Position for maximum braking effect (the transmission does not shift beyond 1st gear.)

There are electronically controlled driving programmes such as "Sporty" (the transmission shifts at high engine speeds) there is "economy" and also a "Winter" programme.

So quite a few electronic gizmos to malfunction I guess

 

[ChristopherP]

Yeah the best bet is to ring their helpline i guess.

Chris on here (Sixtychris) may be able to shed some light, he has a motability car. Though it's a Ford Focus and not a Vauxhall.

Still, theres no harm in having it plugged in elsewhere - and not having any further work carried out. At least you know if you will be doing damage to it if you carry on driving it.

Though it doesnt sound like the car gets much use at all, averaging less than 2,000 miles a year!

edit: I would still be suprised if it was the gearbox, unless there is some kind of acceleration limiter... as long as it has a gear engaged i would have thought that it would still go as normal, with problems occuring when the car needs to change or engage gears. Thats why i would suspect a sensor or engine component.

 

[Abarbarian]

Get it plugged in.

What my garage do is charge 1 hours labour for this, though it wont actaully TAKE an hour.

They just charge the hours labour to cover the costs of buying the diagnostic equipment.

I don't know if your garage is the same, but once you have paid the £42.00 inc VAT (1 hours labour) you can take it back to be plugged in and get the codes as many times as you like.

I doubt it would be the transmission if its losing power... as the gears are still engaging correctly. what engine is it?

Vauxhall engines never were that reliable.

I reckon it's some kind of a sensor somewhere giving a faulty reading.

I have just sent my 16 year old Vauxhal Cavalier to the scrap yard , it had only done 176,000 miles . It wouild have passed its emisions test for the MOT but what with needing 2 tyres and wipers and a track rod end I decided to let it go to that great scarp yard in the sky . So I agree with you that they are not all that reliable . For the money I paid 4 years ago a whopping £295 I expected it to last at least another 4 or 5 years . Oh well never mind the £80 I got from the scrappy was spent wisely .

 

[ChristopherP]

176,000 miles...that it?

We sold a Volvo with 246,000 miles on and its still going strong!!

 

[Taffycat]

Good point regarding having it checked to ensure that no unnecessary damage is done

No, there isn't an acceleration limiter. Surprisingly, it's quite "nippy" particularly when the "sporty" mode is selected. It will be interesting to see exactly what does show up when it's tested though, because as you say, we don't do a great mileage although, having said that, the car is in use most days. It is quite "hilly" around here too... so maybe that has a bearing on things.

Abarbarian - commiserations for your sad loss and only 176,000 miles, you must be feeling very sad We had a Chevette (back in the 80s) which was a pleasure to drive, but the bodywork just gradually disintegrated! They are much better these days

 

[psd99]

Taffycat that sounds like the Engine Management Light
that shows up on my old man's car but we had been driving it for 3 years no problems except loss of power.

The car hardly moves.

Definetly get it checked out but do not be forced into changing the ECU Electronic Control Unit. Vauxhall are out to make big money on this as it costs around 1000 quid.

This engine management light can be a problem and is a recognised fault in some Vauxhalls,
could you explain what the light looks like?

it is orange and does it have a flash of lightning through it?
take a picture of it.

 

[Taffycat]

Terry rang Motability today, to see whether they were happy to let us take the car to a different garage. They're very helpful and after a few checks, they were able to establish that when we had the car MoT'd and serviced a few weeks ago......the garage had apparently only MoT'd it! So they decided that the light must be a service 'reminder' and we have been told to continue driving it until the garage appointment

However.....

Psd99, the light is an orange car-outline shape with a vertical spanner through the middle of it. It's described (in the handbook) as being the "Control Indicator for engine electronics" whereas the "service reminder" light should be the illuminated letters "Insp" ....I think another little chat will be in order tomorrow.