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1

General Car Chat / Re: Vectra petrol manual 1.8 saloon no heat

« on: 30 December 2020, 18:55:56 »

Don't forget there are three types of system...

that would imply I knew something about Vectra Cs in the first place 
which I don't 
I drove carltons for 20 years ,the "air con" was whatever air came through the rust holes DG   
just trying to help Terry out with my very limited knowledge of the basics .

Terry,
what trim level is it ? so we can work out what flaps you may have

though manually operating the flaps and testing the actuators might show what's wrong

have you tried the selector in different positions on the heater panel ? to aim the heat at something other than the screen  like the footwells. also.... did you put the trim panels  etc back round the matrix so the hot air is not just leaking out there ?

Trim level is SRI. I have tried it in many settings, now no heat anywhere.
This morning  I took out the glovebox, then it occured to me seeing all your pics of motors that the fault might be electrical so I checked all the fuses. Sadly nothing wrong there. My thanks to you and Doc G. I shall persevere.

2

General Car Chat / Re: Vectra petrol manual 1.8 saloon no heat

« on: 29 December 2020, 21:04:14 »

For 1909 above, read 2019.

3

General Car Chat / Vectra petrol manual 1.8 saloon no heat

« on: 29 December 2020, 21:02:33 »

I bought this car in June 1909 from a dealer. Looked very smart, but the heater was not good on purchase, nor even after a new thermostat and radiator. I was advised to change the heater matrix, I did so, then it gave no heat at all. Both hoses to the matrix get hot, but heater gives no heat. I bought a Vectra 1.8 estate May 2020, e-bay auction purchase, car in daily use, no faults to date.
A car with no heater is no use in the winter. I have changed heater matrix, radiator and thermostat. I gather from Haynes temperature is determined by flap valves. I presume mine do not move as they should. On removing the glovebox I can see a pink lever moving on turning the large temperature control wheel.
Question is: can I rectift the fault, so that the heater prduces heat? If so, how?

4

General Car Chat / Re: Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 17 December 2020, 20:30:15 »

I have a pair of Omega horns on a mounting. I imagine they would serve on the Astra if that were the fault. Car will arrive home on December 23rd.

5

General Car Chat / Re: Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 12 December 2020, 16:23:18 »

Catherine rang Greenfrog garage, was told car needs new horn, new Vx horn will cost £74, none in UK, 7 days from Germany. I told daughter to collect the car, bring car home at Christmas, I will look at it.

My apologies to Greenfrog garage, it was Chase Side Motors who changed the thermostat on Catherine's car and created a coolant leak, then changed the thermostat holder, then left the battery lead loose, and now want to change the horns

6

General Car Chat / Re: Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 11 December 2020, 17:12:47 »

Catherine rang Greenfrog garage, was told car needs new horn, new Vx horn will cost £74, none in UK, 7 days from Germany. I told daughter to collect the car, bring car home at Christmas, I will look at it.

7

General Car Chat / Re: Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 11 December 2020, 11:41:50 »

I will say it, this is crap advice from all, you must go through basic diag before deciding what the fault is.

You must check for volts at the horn and work back.

Diving in with 'its the CIM' is going down the road that bad mechanics do..........plus the CIM failure impacts more than just the horn (as its a connection inside that has the issue, hence why metal clips were fitted.....)

And Dave...........an earth on a car, really 

Agreed, understood, always my plan. Trouble is the car is in Enfield, 120 miles away. She put the car into a garage to cure the engine light on, they changed the thermostat, making a coolant leak, changed the thermostat holder to cure that, charged her £330, and returned the car with no horn. On my instruction she complained to the garage about the horn, and this morning the car is back with them to sort it, checking 12 volts and decent earth.
Shall I find 12 volts positive at the horn or at the horn press?

8

General Car Chat / Re: Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 10 December 2020, 19:28:07 »

I see no reason why a push button on the dash, labelled HORN, should not suffice either. There is no other fault. Or either on the centre console.

9

General Car Chat / Re: Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 10 December 2020, 17:12:52 »

This morning this car would not start. Daughter Catherine rang the RAC, when the man arrived, he opened the bonnet, and immediately spotted the fault - not connected, he said - reconnected it (battery lead presumably) engine then started. The RAC man had a quick look at the horn, but could not see any obvious fault.

She had a local garage change the thermostat recently to extinguish a warning light, I guess they left they battery lead loose.
After their repair Catherine noticed the horn did not work. She is taking the car back to them tomorrow to check the horn. It sounds horribly like the CIM, doesn't it? Browsing Amazon I have found information, and some ebay videos. I read there were recalls. On e-bay new CIMs cost £185 and used ones less. Have any members done it? Some videos change the CIM, others clean the contacts.

10

General Car Chat / Re: Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 10 December 2020, 12:58:24 »

This is the third Astra I have owned that has suffered a failed horn, seems to be a common fault. On my first Astra (died of a seized engine during MOT) a forum member kindly posted  instructions for changing changing the CIM; I began to do it on my donor car, but lost interest. Is it a big job?

11

General Car Chat / Re: Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 09 December 2020, 10:21:52 »

Astra parts car  has been scrapped. What is the CIM?
Check the basics first
ground and switched live at the horn
could just be the button or simple fault BUT the astra H has had issues with CIM failure which manifests as no horn working IIRC

some info won't be covered by any warranty now though 12 years down the line .

do you still have the astra parts car ? though the CIM (if it's the issue) would require programming ,which requires security pass 

12

General Car Chat / Astra 2008 1.6 horn failed

« on: 08 December 2020, 22:02:01 »

2008 Astra petrol 1.6 manual
Daughter's car went into a garage in London for thermomost replacement  to correct a warning light on. Thermostat is replaced, warning light is off, but she reports the horn soes not work now.
Please advise.

13

Omega General Help / Re: Crank sensor...I think?

« on: 01 December 2020, 17:35:25 »

Might be MAF (mass air flow sensor). Happened to me on a 1999 3.0 V6 manual, spent 6 months finding it. easily checked by unplugging it and seeing if it cures the fault; doing so will bring on a fault light but engine will still run. It is found plugged into the air inlet tract after the air cleaner.

14

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

« on: 30 November 2020, 21:56:24 »

That's normally used for a flexible driveshaft.

Thanks. That fits.

15

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

« on: 30 November 2020, 19:44:40 »

This thing, 10mm nut internally threaded, square hole in the hexagon end.