Vectra Diesel Starting Problems... | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

Sat 7 Sep 2002 21:07

Vectra Diesel Starting Problems... - Cyrill666 {P}

Hi,

I have a 1999 2.0 Vectra Diesel with 92k on the clock. I've only owned the car for a couple of weeks and it's been absolutely fine... right up until this morning.

The car started first time as usual, but ran very roughly for about 5 seconds, then cut out. It then took 3 or 4 minutes of turning over to get it to run again - once started it ran very smoothly, no change from the previous two weeks. Starting from warm/hot is also fine. Leave the car for a couple of hours and your right back to square one. During the turning over there's initially a small amount of white smoke from the exhaust, and the engine doesn't fire at all for a good 2 minutes.

I'm wondering if there's a fuel starvation problem? or maybe air getting into the system? Any ideas?

Kind regards,
Cyrill

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Sat 7 Sep 2002 22:22

Vectra Diesel Starting Problems... - Cyrill666 {P}

... one other thing, I've read in other posts about a manual fuel 'primer' on some models of diesel engine, does anybody know if the '99 Vectra Di has one, and if so, where it's located?

Kind regards,
Cyrill

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Sat 7 Sep 2002 22:46

Vectra Diesel Starting Problems... - wemyss

This is apparently a common problem with the vectra 2.0 diesel.
It has been raised on this site before and is something to do with the return fuel pipe connections from the injectors.
I was also once chatting to one of the mechanics at the Vauxhall main dealers in Ashbourne.
Asking if they had experienced any problems with this engine he described this as the only one.
However it isn't apparently as simple as putting a spanner on it according to the posts on this site.
Make a search of the archives and you should find it.
alvin

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Mon 9 Sep 2002 11:27

Vectra Diesel Starting Problems... - Cyrill666 {P}

Hi,

Well, I had a friend (who happens to be a very good diesel mechanic fortunately) around yesterday and he almost immediately noticed a problem with the return fuel pipe connection at (or near) the fuel pump. He dismantled said connection, cleaned the whole thing up and reassembled, at the moment the problem is completely resolved!

So... thank you very much for your time... you were spot on!

Kind regards,
Cyrill.

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Sun 31 Dec 2006 15:39

Vectra Diesel Starting Problems... - magnotman

I have read the remarks about earlier Vectras and wonder if I have the same on my 2004 Opel Vectra (I live in France).

Normally it is kept in the garage under the house where the temperature rarely falls below 10 deg. C.

I have experienced just on incidence of its failure to start there.

Over the last few months, after being left outside at temperatures varying from 10 to minus 6, it has stubbornly refused to start. On one occasion, I was towed to bump-start and after quite a number of turns it fired up.

When running, it is abosolutely fine.

On another occasion, I have mechanics out who, after talking to an Opel dealer took the fuel filter apart and 'replaced the seal'. Shortly after that it staggered into life.

At the next cold attempt (4-days later at minu 6) it failed to start.

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