Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

Follow up from Alan: The early Dim Dip units including retro fit kits did have a big series resistor that dissipated between 30 and 50 watts. With the availability of high power MosFets a more elegant solution using pulse-width modulation can be used. Since MosFets have a very low on resistance diss...

I had a similar problem on my CDi. The MOT guys eventually found it. The union between the petrol pipe and the tank was very slightly loose and petrol was seeping into the outer spongy layer of the petrol pipe. Union was tightened very carefully and smell went away. When car was in motion pipe was m...

That relay noise you heard as you turned the ignition on could be the safety system for the fuel pump which only provides power to the pump when engine is turning. However to get it started it pulls in for a very short period when ignition switch turned on. This is standard on injection, may apply t...

I concur, if the wiring loom has failed near the boot hinge then very weird things happen (see my own post) my faulty loom had two broken cables and another two rubbing together. I think this is a minor design fault, cable loom gets very stiff in cold weather and the amount of cable over which the m...

That's strange because the first time it happened to us we rang the Vauxhall help line and they identified the cause straight a way. I am now on my third module so they last about 9 years. Cavalier does not have air con but is a 2 ltr CDi. Other module in the box is part of ABS braking system. I now...

My Cavalier is a 2ltr Auto CDi 1989 and the Dim Dip was definitely a factory-fitted option. However I agree that even the handbook is a little vague as to fitted or not. Was Sweden driving on the same side of the road as the UK at that time? If so then this might have been fitted so the car could be...

Typical results melted contacts, drooped elements, broken glass. Possible Cause: Malfunction of the Dim Dip subsystem. Background: many cars are fitted with a Dim Dip subsystem that operates when the sidelights are switched on and the ignition is on. The dipped beam filament of the headlight is fed ...

Depending on the amount of rain wipers park at different places. Cause: dynamic braking not operational. Wipers are being slowed simply by friction. There is significant kinetic energy in the motor rotor to dissipate. Solution: replace wiper control module. Background: The wiper motor drives what ap...

Some folks prefer to lock the doors whilst inside as a security feature. Occasionally system may unlock doors. Cause: There is a safety module located in the side panel at driver's knee height that unlocks all the doors in the event of a collision. This only works whilst the ignition is on and so ca...

This is caused by the drive belt to the power steering pump slipping when steering reaches its mechanical limit. In theory there is a mechanical blow off valve but this requires significant pressure to trigger it. Better to allow the belt to slip and remove load from more delicate parts of system. J...

Noise lasts for 3 seconds. Alternator fan belt very slightly too slack. Background: An alternator in good condition can provide well over 200 Amps of charging current to the lead acid starter battery that has been partially discharged by use of the starter motor. This represents over 3 horse power o...

Offending wiper arm can be moved to any location without any resistance. Probable cause. Miniature ball and socket pivot on wiper drive linkage has become detached. Cause: end of life wear or overload caused by attempting to move snow. Probable solution: fit new wiper linkage sub-assembly. However e...

For no apparent reason all brake lights suddenly on all time. Cause: foot slipped off brake pedal allowing pedal to fly up uncontrolled. Effect: de-calibrates brake light switch. Solution: Push brake pedal down slightly with one hand and pull stalk of brake light switch towards brake pedal until it ...

Possible cause: worn out moving contact shoe within trafficator switch. If you don't use the selective sidelight parking facility then it is possible to swop over the two contact shoes within the trafficator switch. You will see typical direct current burn marks on contact shoe. You need a clean tab...

Pulling the stalk does not result in headlamps flashing.
Probable cause: moving contact within trafficator switch has fatigued and broken.
Solution: this is not repairable. Fit new switch unit. Observe how harness hugs steering column.

Car battery goes flat overnight. No obvious hot spot to explain where the power went. Amp meter in battery lead shows a constant drain of about 1 Amp this damages modern lead acid batteries. You may need to replace battery soon. Other symptom: Windows may occasionally close unexpectedly whilst drivi...

Slight bumps in road causes central locking to randomly lock or unlock doors. One Possible cause: Worn out boot lid cable harness on saloon models. Insulation failing causing cores to touch. Verification: temporarily unplug boot lid harness from remainder of fixed harness. Connector located under pa...

Typical event: Travelling on a flat road at 50 mph with a very light accelerator. Rumbling noise that seems to be coming from nearside wheel. Wheel bearing passes MOT type backlash and wobble test. Probable cause: late detonation of fuel in exhaust manifold. Producing pulse jet type sound. Root caus...

Typical sequence: Hit a pothole and then have to brake sharply for an unexpected red light. As car comes to stop engine fades away and will not restart. Quick fix: dive under bonnet and open relay box on near side. Remove rearmost module and wave about to cool it down for at least 2 minutes. Refit a...