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[TD]

The second Vx HBV I fitted is still holding coolant after 200 miles - long may it continue.
I see on e-bay a wide range of HBVs on offer, priced from £16 (more then Vx) down to £3
 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saab-9-5-Opel-Astra-Corsa-Vectra-Omega-Cavalier-Heater-Control-Valve-90566947-/262421638836?hash=item3d198c6eb4:g:ohQAAOSwT5tWHiIj.
It's hard to believe that there are numerous outfits making fake items, I suspect one or 2 firms in China have been maKing HBVs for a while and are shifting old stock. The above £3 offering is old style with the vacuum pipe unshrouded, while the item I bought from Vx recently has a shrouded pipe. But which to buy? Were not the older ones more reliable?

That £3 HBV is in China! and if you look at the delivery time....it could take up to 2 months to turn up! 
Don't think id be buying one of those!

Yes, I had noticed; but £3 including postage! I am a patient man, I am tempted to buy a few for stock. I could buy 5 for the price of 1 genuine Vx valve, and they might be OK.

They probably come from the same line as the genuine ones... which apparently doesn't inspire confidence... besides what happens if your current one fails a week after ordering...

I return the 2 failed valves to Drive Vauxhall Bristol and get 2 more.
I have bought 2 valves from China and I am advised they are marked as despatched. I will let you know when they arrive.

I hope they have been dispatched and are ok 

But that's an old ebay trick......so you cannot cancel the order 

[spanish_lad]

is there actually any difference in them? from VX to the "chinese" ones? alot of the parts are coming from there now anyways 

[aaronjb]

is there actually any difference in them? from VX to the "chinese" ones? alot of the parts are coming from there now anyways 

If from the same factory then the difference between branded and not is that branded tend to have some form of quality control while unbranded work on the principle of "If it fits in the box, it ships"..

If from different factories then the copy is often made with zero regard for materials used and it's made on the basis of "If it looks the same, it ships"

[spanish_lad]

fair play.. so they are crappy then 

[terry paget]

The second Vx HBV I fitted is still holding coolant after 200 miles - long may it continue.
I see on e-bay a wide range of HBVs on offer, priced from £16 (more then Vx) down to £3
 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saab-9-5-Opel-Astra-Corsa-Vectra-Omega-Cavalier-Heater-Control-Valve-90566947-/262421638836?hash=item3d198c6eb4:g:ohQAAOSwT5tWHiIj.
It's hard to believe that there are numerous outfits making fake items, I suspect one or 2 firms in China have been maKing HBVs for a while and are shifting old stock. The above £3 offering is old style with the vacuum pipe unshrouded, while the item I bought from Vx recently has a shrouded pipe. But which to buy? Were not the older ones more reliable?

That £3 HBV is in China! and if you look at the delivery time....it could take up to 2 months to turn up! 
Don't think id be buying one of those!

Yes, I had noticed; but £3 including postage! I am a patient man, I am tempted to buy a few for stock. I could buy 5 for the price of 1 genuine Vx valve, and they might be OK.

They probably come from the same line as the genuine ones... which apparently doesn't inspire confidence... besides what happens if your current one fails a week after ordering...

I return the 2 failed valves to Drive Vauxhall Bristol and get 2 more.
I have bought 2 valves from China and I am advised they are marked as despatched. I will let you know when they arrive.

Arrived midday today, not bad, eh? They look all right, I suppose I should test one; trouble is I am currently testing one from from Drive Vauxhall Bristol, now having covered 400 miles and not leaking yet, after its fellow purchase leaked on fitting.

[Kevin Wood]

I now have a Meyle and a Febi replacement from AGP. Both look decent enough quality, indistinguishable from the original GM part that came off my car.. We'll see.

[TD]

The second Vx HBV I fitted is still holding coolant after 200 miles - long may it continue.
I see on e-bay a wide range of HBVs on offer, priced from £16 (more then Vx) down to £3
 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saab-9-5-Opel-Astra-Corsa-Vectra-Omega-Cavalier-Heater-Control-Valve-90566947-/262421638836?hash=item3d198c6eb4:g:ohQAAOSwT5tWHiIj.
It's hard to believe that there are numerous outfits making fake items, I suspect one or 2 firms in China have been maKing HBVs for a while and are shifting old stock. The above £3 offering is old style with the vacuum pipe unshrouded, while the item I bought from Vx recently has a shrouded pipe. But which to buy? Were not the older ones more reliable?

That £3 HBV is in China! and if you look at the delivery time....it could take up to 2 months to turn up! 
Don't think id be buying one of those!

Yes, I had noticed; but £3 including postage! I am a patient man, I am tempted to buy a few for stock. I could buy 5 for the price of 1 genuine Vx valve, and they might be OK.

They probably come from the same line as the genuine ones... which apparently doesn't inspire confidence... besides what happens if your current one fails a week after ordering...

I return the 2 failed valves to Drive Vauxhall Bristol and get 2 more.
I have bought 2 valves from China and I am advised they are marked as despatched. I will let you know when they arrive.

Arrived midday today, not bad, eh? They look all right, I suppose I should test one; trouble is I am currently testing one from from Drive Vauxhall Bristol, now having covered 400 miles and not leaking yet, after its fellow purchase leaked on fitting.

That is excellent service from a seller in China  and I guess he marked the customs declaration as a 'gift' or the import duty on them was so small it wasn't worth bothering with 

[terry paget]

The second Vx HBV I fitted is still holding coolant after 200 miles - long may it continue.
I see on e-bay a wide range of HBVs on offer, priced from £16 (more then Vx) down to £3
 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saab-9-5-Opel-Astra-Corsa-Vectra-Omega-Cavalier-Heater-Control-Valve-90566947-/262421638836?hash=item3d198c6eb4:g:ohQAAOSwT5tWHiIj.
It's hard to believe that there are numerous outfits making fake items, I suspect one or 2 firms in China have been maKing HBVs for a while and are shifting old stock. The above £3 offering is old style with the vacuum pipe unshrouded, while the item I bought from Vx recently has a shrouded pipe. But which to buy? Were not the older ones more reliable?

That £3 HBV is in China! and if you look at the delivery time....it could take up to 2 months to turn up! 
Don't think id be buying one of those!

Yes, I had noticed; but £3 including postage! I am a patient man, I am tempted to buy a few for stock. I could buy 5 for the price of 1 genuine Vx valve, and they might be OK.

They probably come from the same line as the genuine ones... which apparently doesn't inspire confidence... besides what happens if your current one fails a week after ordering...

I return the 2 failed valves to Drive Vauxhall Bristol and get 2 more.
I have bought 2 valves from China and I am advised they are marked as despatched. I will let you know when they arrive.

Arrived midday today, not bad, eh? They look all right, I suppose I should test one; trouble is I am currently testing one from from Drive Vauxhall Bristol, now having covered 400 miles and not leaking yet, after its fellow purchase leaked on fitting.

That is excellent service from a seller in China  and I guess he marked the customs declaration as a 'gift' or the import duty on them was so small it wasn't worth bothering with 

Today I received an e-mail from e-bay advising me to expect delivery of this item between Wed 15 Feb and Thursday 16 March.

[TheBoy]

The second Vx HBV I fitted is still holding coolant after 200 miles - long may it continue.
I see on e-bay a wide range of HBVs on offer, priced from £16 (more then Vx) down to £3
 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saab-9-5-Opel-Astra-Corsa-Vectra-Omega-Cavalier-Heater-Control-Valve-90566947-/262421638836?hash=item3d198c6eb4:g:ohQAAOSwT5tWHiIj.
It's hard to believe that there are numerous outfits making fake items, I suspect one or 2 firms in China have been maKing HBVs for a while and are shifting old stock. The above £3 offering is old style with the vacuum pipe unshrouded, while the item I bought from Vx recently has a shrouded pipe. But which to buy? Were not the older ones more reliable?

That £3 HBV is in China! and if you look at the delivery time....it could take up to 2 months to turn up! 
Don't think id be buying one of those!

Yes, I had noticed; but £3 including postage! I am a patient man, I am tempted to buy a few for stock. I could buy 5 for the price of 1 genuine Vx valve, and they might be OK.

They probably come from the same line as the genuine ones... which apparently doesn't inspire confidence... besides what happens if your current one fails a week after ordering...

I return the 2 failed valves to Drive Vauxhall Bristol and get 2 more.
I have bought 2 valves from China and I am advised they are marked as despatched. I will let you know when they arrive.

Arrived midday today, not bad, eh? They look all right, I suppose I should test one; trouble is I am currently testing one from from Drive Vauxhall Bristol, now having covered 400 miles and not leaking yet, after its fellow purchase leaked on fitting.

That is excellent service from a seller in China  and I guess he marked the customs declaration as a 'gift' or the import duty on them was so small it wasn't worth bothering with 

Would be under the £18 threshold.