1998 Vauxhall Tigra Chequers from UK and Ireland - Comments

I had a CD fitted to the car when I purchased it at the Vauxhall dealership. there was an electrical fault on the connections that I had to ask then to repeatedly repair. The car went into various Network garages three times.

The rear offside brake light bulb kept blowing, this was also repairs five times in the space of a year.

Faulty electrics on the drivers side electric window.

Finally, on return from my holiday a week ago, I came back to find that due to an unknown electrical fault with the car diagnosed by the fire brigade my car had burnt out. Network Q aren't interest and the dealership where I purchased the car don't seemed too worried either!

Reading the reviews I can sympathize with the person who had problems with the positioning of the front seatbelts, how many times have I trapped this in my drivers door!!!

Give me back my Peugeot 106!!!

I've recently acquired a vauxhall tigra myself, and I have found a couple of problems already, after only having the car for 2 weeks. There is a problem with the passenger side window. When I pull the tailgate down to close it, the nearside window descends about four or five inches, and then closes back up, after 3 to 4 seconds. has anybody suffered from this?

Yes, but I was told that it was to stop the windows blowing out, but now I'm not sure

I've had the car 3 months and already had an accident which was repaired because the brakes and airbags failed!

And now 2 months later it needs the erg replacing

the exhaust replacing and the tracking done

but I still love this car

but am missing my old 4*4 convertible.

I have a '99 'T' Reg Chequers Ltd Edition just done 49k miles...

Excellent car, very reliable, until last week, when the head gasket was diagnosed faulty and replaced... Is that normal on such a low mileage?

You are right, the window is supposed to lower, so that the vacuum created when closing the tailgate, does not force out the front windows.

I had same problem with passenger window going down & up, the garage I purchased it from stopped it doing this, now I'm confused whether or not I should have left it alone.

Also! does anyone have a handbook, or be-able to tell me what the orange 'helicopter' light is, this light comes on now & again?? now the engine fires up, then promptly dies, is this related?? (Sandra, Blackburn)

The orange 'helicopter' light (the picture is supposed to be of an engine, but you wouldn't necessarily guess) is the engine management system warning light. It should go out when you start the car, but may briefly come back on for a few seconds from time to time (this isn't significant).

If it stays on for more than a few seconds, the engine control unit (ECU) has recorded a problem with the engine somewhere. This may be minor or major, but it's almost certainly something to do with the engine problems you're experiencing.

Take the car to your usual mechanic or a Vauxhall dealer and ask them to read the engine management codes for you. Some Vauxhall dealers will do this free of charge if you ask them nicely. Hopefully this will work out the problem.

From Vauxhall Tigra Manual.

Immobilizer - Protects the vehicle against being stolen

by means of an electronic system which prevents the engine

being started

To activate switch off engine and turn key to position O

to deactivate turn key to position ii the engine can then

be started.

When the ignition is switched on, the control indication for the engine electronics lights up briefly. If it flashes when the ignition is on, there is a fault in the system. The engine cannot be started.

Turn key to ignition lock to o

wait approximately 2 seconds

then repeat starting procedure

If the control indicator continues to flash consult a

Vauxhall dealership.

There could be a fault in the engine electronics if the engine electronic lights up after the engine has been started.

From Me:

If there is a fault in the engine electronics then you start paying a lot of money out.

Such as:

Checking for eml on int-engine (seems to run OK) 43.64

Carry out 80,000 mile service (sunroof stuck open - 60.00)

Total service - 262.67

Check for coolant leak, replace radiator

check for eml - no fault found - 240.19

Front crank shaft seal (leaking) whilst carrying out

headgasket repair - 70.15

Check for eml. Traced fault to

internal fault with ecu.- 272.84

90,000 mile service - 459.05

This car has cost me a lot of money. Vauxhall found no

fault for the helicopter flying and suddenly say there is a fault on the actual helicopter thing. It never found a

fault for the temperature rising constantly on the therm.

I loved the car, but now I don't suppose I'll be able to give it away.

The thing about the window going down when the tailgate is opened is mentioned in the handbook so is normal.

When I mentioned to my dealer about the engine overheating really quickly, he said that was normal for the car! It, sort of, isn't a problem as the fan cuts in and it's fine, but I really hate it doing that.

When you close the boot, the passenger side window does open, but only to let the pressure out, otherwise you'd never be able to shut the boot.

I have had my car for a year now and after a month or two it started to chug when pulling away. I changed the plugs and leads and had an oil change and engine flush. Vauxhall tell me that after all that being done it would next probably need a new coil pack on it. Has anybody else had this problem because im not sure if it will work, I know they're not expensive but would just like to know. Iv also been told it's a common problem.

I recently bought my 1998 1.4 Chequers knowing the head gasket had gone. This has been sorted but the engine is locking, I've checked the timing but that all seems fine. Can anyone give me any ideas?

I have a Tigra 2000, X-reg and no handbook. I'm not sure where to check the clutch fluid? Does anyone know? Glad to see the opening window is normal. Can I get a handbook from anywhere for that year? Thanks.