1999 Vauxhall Zafira Elegance from UK and Ireland - Comments

Update from zafira.owner@hotmail.co.uk - My car is back from the dealer after another three days. They finally found that the problem with my car was the fuel pressure sensor, which they have now replaced. They cleaned this sensor last May when they cleaned the air inlet manifold and that temporarily solved the problem until the autumn. The service receptionist alluded to the fact that the engine management system goes into a protective "limp" mode when a fault is detected. He advised that many faults could trigger this, so the car losing power is not diagnostic of any particular fault. At the end of the day the car has been to the garage garage five times with this loss of power. The fault pressure only showed up on the last diagnostic test. Previous fault codes had been non-specific and hence non-diagnostic. The limit on the electronic transmission ("limp" mode) to protect the engine is clearly producing an additional significant risk if people are suddenly losing power at speed on the motorway. I wonder whether General Motors need to rethink this?

I have a 53 plate 2.0DTi with 90K on the clock and the engine light has just started to come on. My wife has experienced loss of power once on the motorway and it is quite intermittent. This is the first fault I have had with the car. It is due for a service so I will be asking for the EGR to be cleaned I found the following posting on another site.

Quote from site...

The most likely thing on the 2 DTI is the EGR valve located at the font of the engine, it gets gunged up with carbon and sticks causing the light to come on.

Easy fix!!

Clamp off the 2 small water pies leading in to it and remove pipes.

Remove the wiring plug from the end.

Then remove the two torx bolts holding it on and carefully remove unit.

You will see the plunger valve stem covered in hard carbon deposits.

Scrape off and clean in paraffin of similar, be very careful not to get any liquid into the plug socket.

Once cleaned refit and see if that has cured it.

This is a very common fault, I've done lots of these.

I'm going to give this a go will post a report.

Update from Mexico: Got the Zafira back from the dealer several days ago, turns out that the high pressure fuel pump on the side of the engine (not the one inside the gas tank) was the problem, not the computer. The mechanics figured that there was not enough gas pressure on acceleration and then somehow the electronic transmission is limited to 1st or 2nd gear to protect it. So it is a new twist on the many versions as to why the engine management light comes on and there is a loss in power. The car now runs fine, no warning light and no problems with any of the sensors.

Got a 2.0 dti Vauxhall Zafira. Was driving it this morning when all of a sudden the engine management came on and a sudden loss of power occurred. Have been told it could EGR valve or air flow meter?? Help!!!

Re: comment on 12 February. Does the fault only occur when traveling at high speed (above 50mph) under load or at low speed? If it only happens at speed under load then two other possible causes are (1) faulty fuel pressure sensor, or (2) fuel pump (see recent comments above). Let us know how you get on and what the solution is. [zafira.owner@hotmail.co.uk.]

Brought a Zafira second hand a couple of weeks ago. 1.6 W reg. Always loved vauxhall so was pleased when we we were able to buy one in our budget.

The car drives OK... no lights on dash... but the car seems to be lacking in ooomph... revs seem high too (when bringing clutch up mainly). Could it be something basic like spark plugs... or is it a hidden.. expensive problem!!

The other morning too it chugged when starting. Temp gauge stays cold for ages too?. If you can help... let us know... just hate going into garages not having any idea, as they can tell me it's anything and I'd believe them!!

Have a 53 plate Zafira - 1.6 Club. Only done 27000 miles. Love the car, but has now developed the dreaded 'chugging' and loss of power fault that others report.

With mine however, I can 'predict' when it's going to happen. Always starts chugging after about 45 minutes driving, usually at speed (40 - 60mph) and can be solved by giving the engine loads of revs or changing down a gear and giving it the beans.

It always starts chugging when I'm doing a constant speed and it's ALWAYS about 50mph.

However, if I decelerate to pull over during the chugging, or depress the clutch allowing the car to revert to idle revs, the car always stalls, and I have to wait 10 minutes to get it to start. It's almost like there is no fuel in it. It ticks over when trying to start, but nothing solves it, but waiting for 10 minutes.

Can anyone please advise?

Many Thanks.

I've got a 03 plate 1.6 Zafira with around 40,000 miles. Uses a lot of oil and begins to, as someone else put it, 'chug' especially in 3rd/4th gear. Soon after, when braking and changing down gear all the lights come on and the engine stalls.

This apparently is the EGR valve again...

...however, I've also been told by the mechanic who 'knows' a man that the the EGR valve packing in is just a symptom. The actual problem is that the piston rings are shot. Apparently, for 1.6 zafiras at least, this is a noted problem after as little as 25,000 / 30,000 miles and is likely to cost in the order of £1,000+ to fix. Eek! Toyota next time round.

Zafira 1.8 1999 with only 40k miles

Very enlightening website. My "previously perfect" car started cutting out at low revs about a year ago. Sometimes the light comes on, sometimes not.

Been into Vauxhall and other garages on & off for the last year trying to get it resolved. I'm now declaring the car dangerous, as it has started to cut out on roundabouts, going around corners and in traffic on the motorway.

So far, it has cost a fortune in replaced parts; camshaft sensor, Throttle body, lambda sensor, mass air flow sensor.

I have also spent fortunes having the EMS checks done (often with nothing to show)

I really need to get some advice - there is very little I have not tried. Have I got any chance of Vauxhall taking this seriously? or should I bin the car now? - a shame because the car has been a perfect people carrier in every other way.

Main dealer seems to be at a loss. I would be interested in knowing the contact details for General Motors as per a previous posting.

General Motors Customer Service Number is 0845 090 2044. Let us know how you get on.

This all makes interesting reading and at least I know I am not alone in having problems. We have a 1.6 02 Zafira and It is so unreliable. EGR has been replaced about 3 times, Had the coil pack replaced and is serviced once a year. It really lacks any oomph and is extremely sluggish. Roughly once every couple of months it gives up and we need to have to have the EGR replaced. (Garage have started to clean it now). Won't take it to a Vauxhall garage as use my local one. Seems Vauxhall just dismiss this as such a common fault that Its not a problem. Yet its cost us over £1000 in the 2 years we have had the car. I can honestly say this has put me off getting another Vauxhall ever again in my life.

I've got a 51 plate zafira 1.6 club. It's an absolute nightmare.

The engine management light came on in December last year and the car was loosing all power. I took it to a garage and had the coil pack replaced.

In Feb this year the light came on again but this time had little or no effect on the running of the car. I took it to the garage and the fault codes showed the coil pack again so they replaced it again but the light wouldn't reset. Other faults showing were wiring or the ECU itself. After further diagnostics they said it was the pin inside the ECU so I needed to go to Vauxhall. I rang them and they said they needed to do their own diagnostics (at £60) and they would fix the fault it showed, which would have been the coil pack. after having 3 in a couple of months I knew it wasn't that. I also know my mechanic quite well so I trusted him when he said it wasn't the coil pack as he had tried 3!!

I decided to send the ECU off for repair. When the place I sent it to got it they couldn't find a fault with it so sent it me back. When I put it back on the light had gone out and the car was running like a dream.

However after a week the light came back on. It has gone off and come back on a couple of times since this in a three week period. When the light is on the car is a bit sluggish at slow speed and going up hills but nothing major. It's absolutely fine on long straight roads. When the light goes off it runs fine.

Does anyone have any idea what it might be or how I can get the light to stay off? I just want to get rid of the horrible thing!!

Having owned a Zafira Elegance now for 8 months, I too have experienced many of the problems mentioned. After just 2 months, had the ECU replaced (under warranty thankfully) because of lack of power. Airflow meter replaced also. Engine management light has come on several times since.

Have had total exhaust replacement and recently had lambda sensor replaced.

All was fine for 3 weeks.

Now light is on again. Engine starts but will not throttle and revs drop right down. No loss of power when up and running now, just problems getting it started.

In addition, temperature gauge rarely comes off cold.

I have always driven Vauxhall without fault, but judging by this site, Zafira owners seem to encounter similar problems.

Got a 1.6v Club on 52 plate, now has 43,000 on clock.

Replaced catalyst (just before Xmas 2007)

ECR value in july 2007

Exhaust inlet value went 2 weeks ago

Spring pack just before that

Now needs pistons done, anybody got any ideas?

wharton.a@btinternet.com

David Douglas; don't buy a Vauxhall. If you have a Zafira, GET RID ASAP; you only end up spending pounds and pounds on these heaps of JUNK.