Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[dave the builder]

IF z16xep twinport engine then yes ,water pump is aux belt driven 
(2nd pulley up on the left in this pic)

You can have a feel of the water pump bearing when you have the aux belt off to grease the roller bearing on the tensioner , mark belt direction first 

[terry paget]

This car is nearly MOT ready. However, when I bought it (last Saturday) the engine management light was on, and this was listed as an MOT failure matter. After Webby the Bear kindly told me where to find the OBD2 socket I plugged in my simple code reader, read the code (lean mixture bank 1) , cancelled it, and the light has stayed off ever since. Today I plugged in my laptop diagnostic device, and read live data. Code P0621-04 came up as a fault code, Generator Lamp "L" Control Circuit Malfunction. O2 sensor 1 was switching RICH/LEAN/RICH /LEAN satisfactorily, but O2 sensor 2 was steady on LEAN. Engine light remains off. My worry is it will come again.

What should I do?

[TheBoy]

Bank 1 (because it only has 1 bank) Sensor 2 should always read Lean.  Its Bank 1 Sensor 1 that should flick Rich/Lean at about 1s intervals.

[dave the builder]

Today I plugged in my laptop diagnostic device, and read live data. Code P0621-04 came up as a fault code, Generator Lamp "L" Control Circuit Malfunction.

 My worry is it will come again.

What should I do?

Is the fault code stored or present ?
if you clear the code ,does it come back on ?
in live data , what is battery voltage ?
with the engine running, what voltage is at the battery using a volt meter ?
does the battery light on dash light when you first turn the key (before engine crank/run) and go off ,and stay off engine running ?

as you can't test drive ,put your code reader in the car and if need be, reset EML if it comes on as you pull up for mot 

[terry paget]

I presume stored. When cleared it stays cleared.
In live data, battery voltage is 14-3-14.4 volts
Voltmeter reads 14.33
Battery light comes on initially, goes off on engine starrt and stays off.

Good tip, will do so.

[dave the builder]

I presume stored. When cleared it stays cleared.
In live data, battery voltage is 14-3-14.4 volts
Voltmeter reads 14.33
Battery light comes on initially, goes off on engine starrt and stays off.

Good tip, will do so.

I wouldn't worry then about  po621 unless it comes back then
all sounds good 

[terry paget]

MOT tomorrow. I only have one fog tail light coming on, offside. Is this correct or have I a dead bulb?

[Andy B]

... Is this correct or ..

Probably ..... loads of cars seem to just have the offside rear fog these . Is there even somewhere to fit a bulb on the near side?

[henryd]

MOT tomorrow. I only have one fog tail light coming on, offside. Is this correct or have I a dead bulb?

You only need the offside foglamp (rear) for the mot Terry so dont worry about that

[Doctor Gollum]

MOT tomorrow. I only have one fog tail light coming on, offside. Is this correct or have I a dead bulb?

Astra H, this is correct. There may be a bulb fitted to the other side, as the light ecu uses these if the brake light bulbs fail... Certainly the case on the Vectra C.
You only need one fog light as long as it's on the centre line or to the right of it

[Andy B]

....
 as the light ecu uses these if the brake light bulbs fail... Certainly the case on the Vectra C.
 .....

And my Merc 

[ajsphead]

This car is nearly MOT ready. However, when I bought it (last Saturday) the engine management light was on, and this was listed as an MOT failure matter. After Webby the Bear kindly told me where to find the OBD2 socket I plugged in my simple code reader, read the code (lean mixture bank 1) , cancelled it, and the light has stayed off ever since. Today I plugged in my laptop diagnostic device, and read live data. Code P0621-04 came up as a fault code, Generator Lamp "L" Control Circuit Malfunction. O2 sensor 1 was switching RICH/LEAN/RICH /LEAN satisfactorily, but O2 sensor 2 was steady on LEAN. Engine light remains off. My worry is it will come again.

What should I do?

Terry, sorry I have come to this conversation a bit late. Your Z16XEP fault will keep re-occurring. In somewhere between 60 and 100 miles P0170-2 will show. It's a common fault i have just sorted on mine. The EGR recirculation channels in the intake manifold where it butts the cylinder head become blocked preventing the gas from entering the manifold. The ECU discovers this and finds it cannot enrich the mixture to accommodate it in the warm up cycle and throws the code.

Solution, take it to bits, about 2 hrs work, clean it and put it all back together again. You might also find some muppet has blocked off the EGR channel from the valve. If so this will have the same effect. Having done this, if the fault re-occurs then the EGR is not functioning correctly.

[terry paget]

This car comes with an amazing service history. Since 2014 it has had one owner. She appears to have changed what was necessary to keep it going and get it through MOT tests, but never changed the oil. She did change the cambelt, tensioners and water pump on purchase, and has since then changed droplinks, plugs, fuel pump, crank sensor, steering joints and tyres as required. The oil was seriously black. I ran the engine for 10 minutes to warm up the oil, then drained it for 3 hours. I changed the oil filter and put in new Trade Club 5W30 oil. Checking the level, the oil on the dip stick was still black. Oh dear.

When I changed the oil last Wednesday in my other Astra, after oil change the dip stick showed clean oil.

I wonder how long this engine will last?

Not long I fear. Took car for MOT this morning, it struggled on emissions, then began to rattle. Tester stiopped the engine, asked me what he should do. I said skip emissons, do the rest of the test. He drove the car onto the rollers for the brake test, the engine stopped and would not restart. It appeared to have seized. We agreed it should be allowed to cool down. I rang my son for a lift home.

[ajsphead]

If the engine had seized I'd expect it to give a series of fault codes. It could just be a blocked fuel filter or a failed fuel pump/fuse. Or, if it hasn't been serviced properly the spark plugs could be so far gone there's no electrode left.

The rattle might be nothing to do with it. Early twinport engines had rubber edged flaps in the first stage of the intake manifold. The rubber wears away and people think the engine is rattling. It's not. A later version, same pt number different serial number is the revised version which is fine.

Don't give up too soon, might be a simple fix.

[terry paget]

I went to collect it 4 hours latre, with a tow rope and an Omega estate. It started, but rattled once it got warm, and wanted to stall. I managed to drive it the 2 miles home, by which the low oil pressure light was on, along with several other warning lights. I guess the engine is wrecked.