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16

General Car Chat / How do I assemble the Dremel chuck?

« on: 30 November 2020, 17:49:27 »

I forget how to insert a tool in the Dremel chuck. the nut at the end of the chuck has a square hole in the end too small to get the tool holder through. What am I doing wrong?

17

General Car Chat / TSB withdraw free AA membership on Platinum account

« on: 26 November 2020, 16:08:40 »

For decades I have enjoyed AA membership with my TSB Platinum account as long as I maintained a certain balance, Lloyds did it too. The account came with a £20 per month fee, waived if I maintained a certain balance. Now they are withdrawing the waiver. Do any other banks offer free AA membership?

18

General Car Chat / Re: P0115 Engine temp circuit malfunction

« on: 22 November 2020, 18:57:38 »

Thanks for all advice. Answering your questions:

Astra has no temperature gauge. Catherine did not comment on the fans running from start up, but she would not have noticed.

She cannot read live data on her basic reader. I can on mine, but the car is not here.

Google Maps reckons it is 143 or 153 miles from Midsomer Norton to Enfield.

My wife has ruled that I must not drive there while under lockdown. When I had 6 Senators or 6 Omegas I would drive the spare one to Enfield when Catherine's car misbehaved. Now I run Astras and Merivas they are less reliable and I am older.

Are we all agreed that the fault is the thermostat, as IanSoutham believes? It makes sense to me. I have changed two on Merivas, not a big job. I don't know garages in Enfield, Catherine fancies Greenfox. Should I send her there, with instructions to change the thermostat, or ask them to diagnose the fault and rectify it, suggesting thermostat?

19

General Car Chat / Re: P0115 Engine temp circuit malfunction

« on: 22 November 2020, 16:25:49 »

an overfueling issue could kill the cat ,a thermostat issue could take out the headgasket or worse
"warning lights are for a reason .not just till christmas"   

You infer I should send her to a local garage without delay. Some warning lights, e.g. emissions provoked, are just advisory, and go out after 25 or so engine restarts. I have known them for 20 years on many Senators and Omegas.

20

General Car Chat / Re: P0115 Engine temp circuit malfunction

« on: 22 November 2020, 15:48:08 »

Thank you gentlemen. The car is still running. I hoped on receiving the first phone call that the car would bring daughter home near Christmas, when I could repair it, but on Friday when it struggled to start I worried. From what you say it should still run until Christmas without intervention. Do you agree? Otherwise I should advise her to take it to a local garage.

21

General Car Chat / P0115 Engine temp circuit malfunction

« on: 22 November 2020, 11:27:40 »

2008 Astra 1.6 petrol manual saloon

Daughter has now found the diagnostic socket on her Astra, and the above fault code has been displayed.
It first appeared last Monday, with no apparent car problems. She used the car in the week, on Friday evening it started hesitantly, cranking slowly but starting eventually, she got it home and rang me. This morning she found the socket, and got the above fault. The engine did start this morning.

Before I expected either dying battery or failed alternator, not so sure now. I am in Somerset under lockdown, she is in Enfield, 120 miles away.

Please advise.

22

General Car Chat / Re: Where is diagnostic socket on Astra?

« on: 21 November 2020, 15:04:22 »

Keep this for future reference, Terry


http://www.hickleys.com/external/socketlocation_service.php

Excellent site

23

General Car Chat / Re: Where is diagnostic socket on Astra?

« on: 21 November 2020, 11:11:00 »

Found it. Thanks to all.

24

General Car Chat / Where is diagnostic socket on Astra?

« on: 21 November 2020, 10:00:21 »

Astra 2006 petrol manual 1.6
Daughter's car has a warning light on, amber, pic of engine block, doesn't start too well. I told her to plug in her diagnoser, she says where. I have looked in son's Astra, have removed gear lever surround and ash tray, still cannot see it.

25

General Car Chat / Re: Clean Bill Of Health

« on: 13 November 2020, 16:30:41 »

Congratulations.! My many Omegas failed eventually on rusty sills and emissions.

 I think many testers fail to use their discretion sensibly, and fail cars on minor items which should only be advised (advisories), and some testers who hate to let a car through without comment at all. I have known cars with half a dozen advisories one year pass the following year without comment elsewhere.

26

General Car Chat / Re: How to fix Terry Pagets Vectra...

« on: 05 November 2020, 16:10:58 »

The hoses from the thermostat are connected the same way as on my other Vectra. Both pipes to the matrix get hot, which suggests the matrix gets hot too. The car has aircon fitted (no longer functioning). I suspect the flaps which mix the air from aircon and heater matrix are misbehaving. The recirculating air valve servo motor and linkage seem to be OK. I am out of my depth here.
Meanwhile all my three Astras have passed their MOT tests, so this wretched car is a spare. At a pinch concentrated winter screenwash, aerosol deicer and a pair of gloves, would make it useable for local runs.

27

General Car Chat / Re: How to fix Terry Pagets Vectra...

« on: 30 October 2020, 09:46:09 »

Standard basic aircon then

Try this (presuming fan working as intended)...

https://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showthread.php?200313-Heater-not-getting-hot-just-blowing-cold-air

Glovebox removal is only 4/5 torx screws iirc

this thread from the Vectra C forum concludes that if both pipes are hot then the matrix is not blocked, and the fault lies with the flaps inside. My pink lever certainly moves as I turn the temperature knob, engine running, but this has no effect on the heater output.

28

General Car Chat / Re: How to fix Terry Pagets Vectra...

« on: 30 October 2020, 09:39:12 »

I have just checked; from a cold engine start, as coolant temperature reaches 190 after 9 minutes idling, both pipes to the heater are equally hot. I cannot imagine what went wrong when I changed the 'O' rings in the oil cooler section that could cause the failure of the heater.

29

General Car Chat / Re: How to fix Terry Pagets Vectra...

« on: 29 October 2020, 21:39:26 »

Obviously something happened in the course of fixing the oil cooler.

Any plugs left in?

Fascinating theory, Doc. I thought the pipe from thermostat to water pump went via the 'T' connection to the oil cooler, then on to the water pump. There was a pipe from the water pump direct to the heater matrix, then it went to the thermostat, then either to the oil cooler or the radiator. Am I confused? I can see this might be my problem.

30

General Car Chat / Re: How to fix Terry Pagets Vectra...

« on: 29 October 2020, 20:38:15 »

I meant the oil cooler connections

The coolant connections to the oil cooler had to be right, one end to the thermostat and the other to the water pump. I used new 'O' rings, possibly with  a lick of grease, and the seal is still holding coolant.