Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

Sat 29 Aug 2015 21:40

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - torsie1000

I had a new DPF and EGR valve fitted last week. Now the car is puffing white smoke - not continuously but enough to be noticable and a fault code of P1180 which I believe to be Fuel Delivery Malfunction. Could anyone spread some light on this? There was no smoke before it went into the garage to have the DPF done. After spending £900 on the last repair I really cannot afford another one.

Edited by torsie1000 on 29/08/2015 at 21:42

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Sat 29 Aug 2015 23:00

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - hardway

Fuel filter heater,

so either a faulty heater element or faulty wiring.

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Sat 29 Aug 2015 23:40

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - elekie&a/c doctor

This fault code does indeed relate to fuel filter heater.possibly wiring or connection problem.May have been caused when the exhaust has been fitted as it is located at the rear of engine bay.However,this is unlikely to cause white smoke.This is an indication of unburnt diesel .Can I ask the question,why was the dpf renewed?Was this the result of another underlying problem?

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 00:20

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - torsie1000

The White smoke appears when engine is warm but like I said not constant. There is a hot burning kind of smell coming from the back car and the engine appears to be overly hot for quite a while after engine turned off.

The engine management light came on and car went into limp home mode. Fault code indicated DPF - local garage replaced it as told me a forced regen could only last for a very short time. After he replaced it he told me EGR valve was faulty which had caused the DPF to fail so had that replaced too - Ouch! I'm beginning to wonder if I'm being ripped off as it always seems to go in with one problem and come out with several others.

Edited by torsie1000 on 30/08/2015 at 00:31

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 10:46

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - Railroad.

Why a faulty EGR valve would cause a diesel particulate filter to become faulty is beyond me, and white smoke in the exhaust would either be due to unburned fuel, or if it's actually water vapour a loss of coolant. Are you having to top up the coolant, and have you noticed any loss?

Since a Diesel engine is compression ignition, unburned fuel would most likely be accompanied by a misfire or uneven running, due to a loss of compression on one cylinder. Excessive fuel delivery or a restricted air flow would cause black smoke, not white.

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 11:38

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - elekie&a/c doctor

Agreed,loolks like another case of incorrect diagnosis with the garage trying to dig themselves out of a hole at your expense.Dpfs are not particularly troublesome on these,however there is a flexible pressure sense pipe that often splits and cause issues with the dpf system as a whole.

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 12:11

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - torsie1000

So could this current problem with the smoke etc have been caused by something the garage has done/not done? I'm seriously wondering if I should just take it to the warranty recommended garage instead.

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 13:15

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - Railroad.

My suspicion would be either a blown cylinder head gasket or even a cracked cylinder head. A trick you could try is to carefully loosen the coolant pressure cap with the engine hot when you have parked it up and not going to use the car again that day. Now obviously take care to avoid personal injury and loosen the cap very slowly to gradually release the pressure. When the pressure is fully released re tighten the cap and leave the car overnight. If you find the next morning there is no white smoke or water vapour then it's very likely the cylinder head is cracked. If it's just the same then it's not that.

The reason for this is that if the head was cracked coolant could be drawn into the cylinder as the engine cools and the pressure in the cooling system reduces. This would then explain the white smoke (water vapour). As the engine warms up the crack would close up as the alloy head expands. By releasing the pressure before the engine cools coolant would be much less likely to be drawn through the open crack, if one exists.

You should be able to tell the difference between smoke and water vapour. Smoke would not easily disperse into the air whereas water vapour would.

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 13:44

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - torsie1000

Thanks for that - will give it a try.

I have just checked the oil which looks black with no sign of contamination and the coolant looks clear (well pink!) and at the right level. However the car runs quite roughly and does smell - I haven't taken it out for a drive, just turned engine on.

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 14:15

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - Railroad.

If you discover that the head is cracked I would not despair. I have used a product called Irontite Ceramic Motor Seal. The product is drawn into any cracks and porous areas by capillary action and sets hard making a permanent repair. I have used it a couple of times and it has worked for me. One work of advice though. Read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly. And also bear in mind that careless use will make a mess because the product hardens, and is very difficult to clean up if spill it. You will need to drain the cooling system and flush out the antifreeze prior to adding the product. You need to run the engine normally for a few days with water in the cooling system to allow the product to circulate and work. You then drain the system again and leave overnight for the product to harden. This means you cannot do this job during the cold winter months, so now would be the ideal time to do it. After the repair has been made you can re-antifreeze.

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 14:51

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - elekie&a/c doctor

Doubt if it a head gasket fault if the oil and water look ok.Running lumpy with white smoke tends to suggest a faulty injector(s).Excess fuel ?

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 15:11

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - Railroad.

Depends where the head gasket has gone. If it's across a coolant way and a cylinder there's no reason why oil and coolant should be mixed, but that would definitely be cause for a misfire and water vapour from the exhaust.

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 15:18

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - elekie&a/c doctor

I would defo agree with that.Just a bit concerned that the op stated the problem has emerged since the dpf and egr replaced.

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Sun 30 Aug 2015 16:55

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - torsie1000

it is rough until it's been driven and warmed up. Would that indicate Glow plugs? Wish I'd known the 1.9 cdti had so many problems. Have spent over £3k on it in the past 2 years. New water pump, thermostat, battery, alternator plus the usual brakes, tyres etc. It's just a money pit!

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Sun 13 Sep 2015 13:50

Vauxhall Zafira - Fault code P1180 - torsie1000

Ok, car went into garage. He said no loss of oil or coolant, only fault code was the 118004 which was there previously. He said not to worry about that code because the fuel heater is only needed when it's cold and some engines don't even have one!?!?! It smokes every 6/7 days then stops. Engine runs a bit rough and a bit noisy but not excessively. I'm ready to throw the towel in with this car but I have no choice as still on finance. I'm not able to do any work on it myself.

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