Vauxhall Vectra B facelift (1999 - 2002) - 00 2.0 16v Stalling - cutting out | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

Sat 11 Apr 2009 15:16

00 2.0 16v Stalling - cutting out - RichardASmith123

Hi Honest John,

Seeking your help. I have a year 2000 Vauxhall Vectra LS 2litre 16v petrol manual. The engine cuts out intermittently. This happens more frequently on warmer days, and has become more frequent of recent - many times each journey. However on other days it doesn't cut out at all ! I am concerned due to safety since I lose power steering and transport two small children.

- Cut out happens when foot is off the gas and clutch not engaged - eg. when static at lights, or when changing gear, particularly at slow speeds.
- Another sympton observed is that sometimes when stationary at lights, the revs will suddenly jump up for a couple of seconds and then return to normal idle.
- Also observed is on occasional journeys, the engine warning light will come on for limited periods of say 30 secs to 2 minutes. This does not always happen though.
- When this problem first appeared I took the car to a garage who ran diagnostic test by plugging into the ECU, and they found no fault.
- I've checked hoses and breather tubes - no leaks observed currently.

Could this be anything to do with a Mass Airflow Sensor ? I welcome any suggestions to get to the bottom of this problem.

{edited to include make of car, and to make use of the full width of the text box, and not just 2 thirds of it.}

Edited by Pugugly on 12/04/2009 at 22:55

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Sat 11 Apr 2009 18:20

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - SpamCan61 {P}

Not sure what engine you have, 1.8 or 2.0? If it's a newer style drive by wire 1.8 then my first port of call would be getting the throttle valve body / stepper motor assembly cleaned out. If it's the older style X20XEV 2litre then this sounds like a classic case of sticky idle air control valve needing cleaning out.

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Sun 12 Apr 2009 14:49

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - RichardASmith123

Yes, it's the X20 XEV 2l engine.
Today I replaced the fuel filter and the Mass Ariflow Sensor. Still same symptons - surging and stalling. Sounds like an ignition/electrical issue do you think ?

Will take a look into your suggestion for sticky idle air control valve, thanks. Welcome any other suggestions. There has been a lot of talk in the forum regarding Astras (I have a Vectra) referring to similar symptons being tied down to the EGR valve, which I have located. Could it be anything to do with this and the software version in the ECU ? What is the test for the EGU ? Perhaps this is a red herring.

Thanks,
Richard

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Sun 12 Apr 2009 14:56

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - SpamCan61 {P}

Check out the IACV / ISCV before doing anything else. I've run X20XEVs over 30K per year for years without EGR issues.

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Sun 12 Apr 2009 21:13

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - kpm197

yup second the iacv (idle air control valve). its that cylinder on the side of the throttle body. take it off and spray inside the two holes and keep going until you get all the dirty stuff out. spray it with brake or carb cleaner (dunno about wd40, dont see why it wont work). might be worth getting a new gasket for it from vauxhall (cost a pound or similar). lots of people on vectra forums will tell you about the iacv and hunting idle, cutting out etc.

Edited by kpm197 on 12/04/2009 at 21:14

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Sun 12 Apr 2009 22:16

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - Dynamic Dave

Assuming this is the same engine, see the following how2:

tinyurl.com/ecotecidlevalve

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Sun 12 Apr 2009 22:24

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - SpamCan61 {P}

Cheers DD, couldn't find that link, that's an X20XEV by the looks of it.

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Sun 12 Apr 2009 23:11

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - topbloke

the reason these gum up is due to blocked breathers, well worth haveing a search i have posted loads of times on how to do this,Regards TB

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Mon 13 Apr 2009 01:04

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - Dynamic Dave

Cheers DD couldn't find that link

He quite often changes the URL. When he does I do a search on VxOn for one of his posts so that I can find the most recent URL in his signature. Thing is, I can never remember his full username. Even now it escapes me. I *think* it's Andy something.

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Mon 13 Apr 2009 09:45

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - honeybear

I had an Omega Auto with the 20 XEV engine with the same problem and went all round the houses trying to fix it until one day I replaced the idle control valve with a VX part that as I remember was about £140 and with regular cleaning out with carb cleaner (I did it every 5000 mile oil change) the car never played up again. Sometimes the easiest options can be overlooked and anyone with a basic torx set can do this job in 10 minutes.

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Mon 13 Apr 2009 11:46

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - SpamCan61 {P}

Given my habit of buying X20XEV powered Vauxhalls at around 100K and running them for as long as possible, this is a job that will always need doing once, provided the breathers are unblocked properly. The other inevitable job is replacing the cam cover gasket, the root problem is the same i.e. the breathers getting blocked.

As topbloke points out a forum search will yield loads of info on these issues.

Edited by SpamCan61 {P} on 13/04/2009 at 11:47

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Wed 15 Apr 2009 19:01

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - RichardASmith123

All,
Your advice is very much appreciated. As advised I cleaned out the idle air control valve as per 77.96.230.10/sytemsandsoftwaredevelopment/systems/...m

However, I still experience surging and stalling at idle :-/

Does anyone have any other suggestions I can try ?

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Tue 30 Jun 2009 19:17

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - Talking Hoarse

Did you ever get sorted?
Just ask as my dear old Vectra B facelift auto (2.0 16v ie X20XEV) has started, when hot, sometimes idling irregularly and occasionally stalling. When it did this a few years back the same dealer cleaned the idle air control valve, but this time they say it needs a new valve, with consequent ++ cost .... Fix is slightly delayed as they don't have the valve & gasket.
Any suggestions welcomed, ie as £200+ is a lot to pay out on a T reg car, even though it is still such a decent car etc.

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Tue 30 Jun 2009 23:20

02 2 Stalling - cutting Out - 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - topbloke

when they change the valve make sure that they have updated the software within the ecu there is software specific to which valve is fitted,Regards TB

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Sun 8 May 2011 06:20

00 2.0 16v Stalling - cutting out - Toxa007

Hello.

First of all sorry my english ill try my best:

I had the same problem and engine light always On, in my vectra b 16v 1.6 from 1996 engine code x16xel.

So, i start changing all thing as sensors, leads, plugs , egr and the problem was always coming up. So, after 3 or 4 months i was struggling with this prob. I went to a friends garage and i ask for a diagnostic check. I got very surprised. When we plug the diagnostic machine, after 15 minutes ( engine runing) just come up the temperature on the diagnostic interface, as -40 ( minus 40)! wow... obvious on the clocks my temperature gauge was showing normal. So, we just sort this very easy and quick for about £6.50 and 2 minutes. It was the Coolant sensor ( dunno exactly the name in english), but u can check this links and see what i mean. Its the blue sensor on the pictures. After change it all this problems went away. Just had to clean the Ecu errors, but the car is runing gr8 again.

Obvious this sensor was sending the wrong info to the Ecu, as it was reading -40 the engine was injecting more fuel and air then actualy need it, resulting in the crazy idle and going off all the time. I could have save much money if i had started by the cheap things.

Just check the links:

www.jvn.ind.br/astra-18-i-16v-20-i-16v-92omega-b-c...l

AND

img152.imageshack.us/img152/338/z16xeenginehr7.jpg

So simple and really easy. it works for me. Hope this help someone and again im sorry my english . Good luck

Toxa007

Edited by Toxa007 on 08/05/2011 at 06:24

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Sun 8 May 2011 08:27

00 2.0 16v Stalling - cutting out - piston power

Your English is fantastic and that is good advive above but the thread is a old one from 2009 but still of good use to many. :-)

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Sat 23 Nov 2013 00:58

00 2.0 16v Stalling - cutting out - jonny Baby

Hi you've done the expensive stuff first and missed the inexpensive fix you need to remove all the pipe work from the throttle body then release the fuel line if you then clean the under side of the throttle body it will reveal a tiny pin sized hole which will be blocked spray this with carb cleaner and give it a poke with a pin then re spray to clean out re assemble and your vectra will run like a dream :-D

This can all be achieved with a minimal tool kit and seven can of carb cleaner!!

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