1996 Vauxhall Tigra from UK and Ireland - Comments

Hi, I bought a tiger about a month ago I love the car, but in the last few weeks the temperature on the thermometer is going up to 100 degrees very quickly. I went to a local garage and they said it was fine as the fan was kicking in at that temperature, but I still don't think this is right. I decided to take it to a different garage and he was talking about taking out the engine I don't know anything about cars hence the reason I bought a tiara I just think having to take out the engine is a bit much for a overheating problem. I just want o see if anyone has had the same problem and if so how they went about fixing it.

Love the car its really fast.

Don't like the inside though the seat covers are awful.

I'am the owner of a vauxhall tigra aswell, all though the car does look very nice. it has been a nightmare on the mechanical side. my car was also over heating, and the mechanic who I took my car to said it was fine aslong as the fan was kicking in. A month later my whole engine fell apart, I have had to get a new engine put in which has cost me over a thousand pounds. know the car was over heating whcih caused the timing belt to snap, this happened whilst a was driving the car, so this bent all the pistons. I had no other option then to get another engine. I can't wait to sell the car!!!. not to say that all vaxuhall tigras would be like the one I bought.

Hi I have 1996 tigra, my temperature always goes up espically when in slow moving traffic, and always at drive thru mcdonalds ha ha maybe this common thing with all tigras, love mine to bits been no problems till recently, oil leak cost 300 and the seat belts still get stuck in the door or over the seat, that's all so far...

I also have the same problem, just recently my temp gage has been going haywire especially in slow moving traffic, as far as I'm aware I never used to have that problem!

I've also just had a bad oil leak, but that only cost £235 to repair. I did take to one garage and he said I needed a new engine as I had a oil leak!!! (trying his best to rip me off I think)

Overall I love my tigra, looks sporty and very sexy.

I have a 1995 tigra and my temp gauge goes up to 100 when I'm not moving which totally worryies me, but I'm told that that's normal and its just reading the degrees and not just the safe zone like other cars, but I've never seen another car that's ever done that before.

I have owned my tigra for 4 months now, mine also seems to run on a high temperature. I luck-ally know someone who who works for a vauxhall dealership as a technician and he has told me this is normal for tigras. will be fine as-long as you get the car serviced regularly and keep the coolant to a good level. I also love my car, but wished i'd got the 1.6 but hey ho, cheap tax :). oh yeh, the temp gauge is in F not C

Hi I had few problems with my 96 tigra normal from what I gather. Temp going up in slow traffic and seat belts always getting stuck in the passenger door, makes me laugh though its embarrassing at times. Mine recently had oil leak cost of 300 since then been OK, touch wood. I would like to know if anyone has any ides where to get some car mats from every set I buy get all scrunched up in drivers bit no matter what I do.

By the way when you clean an wax the tigra she looks top tottie or what?

Just for anyone interested, the temperate raising to 100 degrees in traffic is to do with the thermostat. My thermostat had become extremely rusty, so much so that the spring loaded mechanism designed to release the pressure in the engine wouldn't move and just kept on building more and more pressure within the engine. This then stopped the flow of water and temperature build up (this is why it looks like there is still water in the bottle). A good indicator is if the water becomes a very muddy bright orange rusty colour, that's caused because of the rust running around the engine.

I had several issues prior to this which I believe to be related. Firstly the head gasket blew, several pipes around the engine split, causing steam to spew out the sides of the car (a lack of heating is a good sign to when one of these is about to go), and finally fluctuating temperature gauge noticeable especially when sitting at a traffic light.

I am now faced with several cracks running through the head cylinder because of the pressure that built up within the engine when the thermostat didn't release. When the RAC guy ripped the thermostat out and allowed the water to flow through the engine properly, because of the cracks and the now free flowing water, water got into the engine and seized it up.

A word of advice to all Tigra owners, take it to the local garage and ask them to check on the thermostat. They don't really seem to check on it too much. They are relatively cheap to replace and can cost you a lot more if you don't.

I hope this is helpful to whoever still has a Tigra.

I have just bought a 1995 1.6i tigra and have had numerous problems with electrical faults on the engine! it has been a nightmare so far! shame as its my first car! the latest problem is the engine electrical fault light comes on and then power in the car seems to reduce. the car seems sluggish and like its about to die and then all of a sudden a surge of power shoots the car forward and it jumps along for a short while. it then reverts back to feeling like its dying and the process happens all over again!

A lot of money has just been spent fixing a previous problem and I'm worried that this is going to cost a bit as well... which to be honest wouldn't be worth it as the car is only worth about £1600!

Help please!!!

Sounds like one of the engine management sensors needs replacing. You need to take your car to a garage and they will have to plug in a diagnostic machine to find out which sensor to replace.

I have had 2 tigras in the last 3 and a half years and I have only ever had a few problems which were just simple things all theses cars need is a good service as and when and a good hard drive from time to time sounds like you have a problem with your lambda sensor they are always going on any vauxhall and make you car run like yours on eBay they are about £30, I got one works a treat vauxhall ones are about £80 hope this helps.

Maybe someone can help me, I bought a 1998 r reg tigra 1.4 from a garage on mon 8th oct 07, and had it one day before I had problems, on the day I got the car the fan kicked in straight away, and now doesn't, on the first day of having it I drove 12 miles in rush hour and the temperature was getting very high, then when the car had been sat in the car park I noticed the passenger floor was soaking wet, I was recommended to use K-seal as it appeared we had a small hole in the heating matrix, that didn't work so we paid 100 quid for a new one to be fitted, then as that was being fitted the garage said that the car is overheating, and when I looked at the water bottle it was violently bubbling out every minute or so, they did a block test which indicated that the head gasket was gone, I spoke to the garage I got the car from, he took the car back, then called to say the thermostat had gone and that he had replaced it, after getting the car back the fan wasn't kicking in until over 100, now vauxhaul have said the fan should kick in at 93ish, and the water bottle was still overflowing with boiling water, he then had the car back again, and has changed the head gasket, the water pump, cambelt etc and apparently had the head skimmed (although he has no recipets for any of it that he can show me) the car is still overheating had the car sat there running for 6 minutes and the temp had already gone up to 97, the fan is not kicking in at all, and is still pressurising up, now after all this work done to the car what the hell can it be? coz no one seems to have a clue lol pls help? all advise welcome.

Please check your fan switch cross a wire across the two plugs and the fans will work all times as your fan switch is not working it will also show the orange management light on in the car once you change switch light will go out, if the car is running hot at 100 that is fine please check lambert senseor and also speedo sensor you have 4 in all you need to check, if you have meggar probs best thing to do is put engine block in the water which costs a tenner and all probs with head blowing will go away and the managment light will go out for atleast 5months as I work for vauxhall I would know, hope the tips help guys and girls.

Hi I have 1998 tigra and the temperature was always over heating. Recently I was leaving uni and my engine just went... I towed it to the garage and said I think my cam belt had gone and could they have a look and tell me what damage had been done and give me a quote. To my surprise they said they had looked at it and yes the cam belt had gone as they bought a cam belt kit and it broke and something else to do with some bolts that got stuck. so they said they wanted 173 pounds for looking at it and another 600 for the repairs. I'm gutted!! can they charge me that amount of money (£173) even though I only asked for a quote for repairing it. Please help as I want to get my car back and get someone else to do repair.

Hi can anyone help. We live in the Caribbean and just bought a 1997 Tigra from a lady who brought it in from Europe a few years ago. The car always running over 100 on the temperature gauge and when we put the air conditioner on, the engine heats up into the red zone and eventually the air stops cooling all together. The previous owner said she had the thermostat replaced and the Mechanic at the garage think its OK, but I am worried the car is going to break down on us and we can’t use the AC in our very hot and humid climate. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?

I have had numerous problems with my Tigra due to not having it serviced regularly! My car has got me far and the fan always kicked in. Look after it and it gets you far. I love my car!!!