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[AndersH]

It snowed relatively heavily in Poole last night (well heavily for round here!) and this morning the car wouldn't start - it was turning ok but not starting. I did the paperclip test and nothing but 31. Anyway when I got back from work I tried again and eventually I did get it going but when I pressed down on the accelerator there was a sort of bubbling sound from the exhaust for a couple of minutes and now all seems fine. Does anyone know what may have happened and if it's a sign of any more problems to come?
Cheers!

[VX1]

Try here:

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1207565474

or try here:

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1207565474

HTH

Paul  

[AndersH]

Ah I probably didn't explain myself properly, I don't get any codes at all apart from the 31 which I believe you get anyway when the engine isn't running.
Anyway, I have had the same problem this morning and the car won't start. The one thing that seems to link these two incidents is that both times I have put petrol in quite late the night before. Any ideas?

[dbug]

Bet its crank sensor

[rikki_essex]

yup crank sensor thats exactly the same as mine was.

[AndersH]

My crank sensor went about 18 months ago and on that occasion it wasn't turning over which it is now and I was also getting fault codes. could it really be that this time?

[AndersH]

Happened again this morning - it only happens when I need to go to work! I looked through my old posts and it does seem to be behaving the same way as when my crank sensor last went (Although I had codes last time and it wouldn't ever start back then)
Has anyone ever had the crank sensor go and noticed that it was only in the mornings when it wouldn't start?!

[hoj]

See now this baffles me.
If the crank sensor "goes" as we all say then surely its "gone" and wont work at all
As with my car 5 days or so not starting then the last 6 days now all is fine starts like it should.
I dont get this at all
Am i right in saying that the crank sensor works intermittantly in other words your car wont start one minute then it will be ok the next untill the next time it decides not to work ie in a day or so or in a month or so

[snackeroo]

I'm on my 3rd crank sensor. First 2 gave only code 31. Car would start sometimes and when running gave no problems at all. But then hour or two later would fail to start.
Got two rides in with the van with big flashing lights to the dealers. Took them two weeks starting the car every day, which it did, before it finally failed and they diagnosed the crank sensor. They changed the sensor and all was well for 12 months. Then car started having intermittent starting problems again.
This time i changed it myself (not too difficult) and re-routed sensor away from exhaust and hot pipework as per guide on this forum. No problem since.
Get a Genuine VX sensor, read the forum guide and have a go yourself. Better access can be had by removing wipers and scuttle, but not essential.
Good luck.
Rod

[hoj]

Whats the bit about re-routing away from exhaust rod
so it does fail then work again when it wants
i'm amazed

[snackeroo]

I believe the sensor cable breaks down over a period of time due to the route taking it close to the hot exhaust pipe even though it has a protective heat shield conduit around it.
I think it was the easiest route to take at assembly.
There is a maintenance guide on this forum detailing how to re-route the cable across to the passenger side inner wing, and then on up to the plug at the rear top end of engine.
You can simply cut off the old plug and sensor and leave cable in original position after change-over.
And yes my intermittent starting problems went on for weeks until finally giving up all together. It was a lottery if car would start either in the morning or when i came out of work.
only the last time did i get a code 19 after doing paperclip test when engine started to stall at T/lights and junctions.
On 2nd sensor, Main dealer did not pick up any codes on their diagnotic kit until it actually failed. They had the car for nearly two weeks. They still put it back on its original route when it failed agin 12 months(just out of the waranty) later.

[Andy B]

Whats the bit about re-routing away from exhaust rod
so it does fail then work again when it wants
i'm amazed

I'll let you compare yours with mine!
Oooer!  :-?      
I let Vauxhall fleece me and had them change mine, that must've been 4 years ago now, and (touch wood) haven't had a problem since.
Mine was intermitant in its running. Sometimes it would be fine and most notably let SWMBO down right in the middle of Bury Bridge one Sat morning. I wasn't very popular that day!