Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

Another day and another completed.....Thanks Andrei

Got my new heater matrix fitted as thought the old one was passed its best and causing airlocks, to be honest on removal it wasnt too bad but worthwhile doing anyway..

My Cav despite people saying they do not get airlocks likes to do things different and have constant air locks what ever we do to it, everything refitted and car warmed up to around 95 degrees only to boil over again but think we have got it this time so will be keeping an eye on her the next few days.

Andrei also had a spare extension tank overflow to thermostat housing pipe which we quickly fitted as the inlet (pre heat) on the throttle body is well and truely blocked with something that just will not shift so for now that is sorted.

Have some pics but yet to download from my camera so will get those up once I do...

Time to log off anyway as its Topgear!!

Was the head crack tested when the gasket was done? Rare, but if you are still having problems with air building up in the matrix I would be concerned that it could have further issues.

Not sure, I know they checked for any warping etc and did a visual inspection of the head for cracks but I was told the head was fine so....

Both pipes from the matrix on testing were hot so no airlocks down there, before the change one was going cold / luke warm so suspected the issue was in the matrix and the last RAC visit I had to the car for an airlock they said Radiator and / or matrix and both have now been changed and HG done and pressure tested to be sure.

Suspect it could well be down to the pipes to be honest, they are all ancient and in need of replacing but want to put on silicone hoses when funds allow me to do so. All in all its running day to day fine and not overheating or anything so happy for the time being I guess...Just odd that is boils over when trying to get airlocks out of it at 95 degrees...

Mate... I need to have a look over your engine... you cant still be having problems.... I thinks you need to stop repairing it, save your pennies and we can drop a c20let in there

Hayward691 wrote:I thinks you need to stop repairing it, save your pennies and we can drop a c20let in there

He will have even more problems and be even more skint lol

No because he probably won't be pushing it to stage 3

Lol....Keep dreaming guys....

I wouldn't bother putting a LET in mine or anything else for that matter, if I want sumin quicker I will go buy the Astra Gsi Turbo I really want to own soon as I can afford one.

Offered a 2.0 ecotec converted mk3 Astra last week but no where to park it for one and two I am a bit brasic at the moment.

Cavalier342 wrote:No because he probably won't be pushing it to stage 3

Only got to stage 3 because everything something broke I upgraded it

This car cracks me up, then leaves me broke and crying...

Been seriously considering getting rid for something a bit newer but something about the Cavalier keeps me coming back for more so today as I believed the front pipe on the exhaust to be blowing I rolled into Bathwick Tyres around the corner from home to have it checked out, the answer...No holes, no blow but a weird metallic spanner noise on revving the engine....

Was more than ready to pay out for the manifold to be replaced or something similar but nope, not a sausage.....

Has steadily been using more fuel since its HG replacement so thinking something more serious is afoot or about to happen so I have booked the car back into my mates garage for next Monday to have the head re pressure checked and timing checked out, whilst it is there he is going to pull apart the front suspension and try to work out what is wrong with it as not steering right at all and torque steers badly even in the dry..

See what happens I guess.....

Update, we did just speak on the phone and have come to a reasonable theory of the track rod ends being suspect in the suspension/steering problems, and possibly a blocked cat, with corroded internals causing the rattle and loss of power/increased fuel consumption. I replaced the middle and rear exhaust sections for him last year, with exhaust sealant putty, so it most likely isn't there, it's safe to assume that the cat converter is blocked.

I did think the lambda sensor could be at fault as well, but it doesn't throw the EML up.


Next things on the list are track rod ends and front shock top mounts, see where it goes from there. In a straight line hopefully

Cavalier342 wrote:, see where it goes from there. In a straight line hopefully

That will make a welcome change I tell ya, bloody modified cars are a pain in the arse!!

Off to John on Monday afternoon so sure he will work it out, good lad at that kinda stuff..

Good Luck Mike; I hope that it all gets sorted for you.

Doesn't sound anything too serious easily fixed cats for these not to expensive i dont think good luck matey

jimmy wrote:Doesn't sound anything too serious easily fixed cats for these not to expensive i dont think good luck matey

Cheers Jimmy....

Nah they only about £50 on site I get my exhaust parts from but upon checking yesterday it had lunched a lot of oil and fuel consumption is sky high at the moment only doing about 300 mile to a full tank

Need to get it checked out and sending it off to the only mechanic I now use as know he does a proper job, all these high street style places are fly by night and just guessing whats wrong and thats no good to me.

Well the work goes on it seems, booked the Cav into my mates garage and Andrei kindly gave me a lift back into town for the price of a and a half...Cheaper than a taxi or the stinking buses...

Sat in the yard for 2 days to really not get anything done as by Monday lunchtime my mechanic had dropped down ill and has not been back to work, bit of a nightmare but reckons in the little time he had that nothing broken / bent but the Track Rod Ends have a small amount of play in them. Asked about the increased fuel consumption and he agrees it could be the lambda sensor going but the Cat and middle silencer are all fine so no obstructions.

To top my week off my bank has cancelled my debit card even though it didn't have an end date until November, shot away!...

Hoping to get some bits ordered this week and the car will be going back into the garage once my mechanic is well enough to do the works and I have the parts gathered up.

2 Days with a Citroen Nemo works van boy am I glad to be back in my Cavalier!!

How do they know that the cat is fine? You can't tell unless you take it apart near enough. Also be worth cleaning your MAF sensor probably, as if that has dust residue on it, it will increase mpg, and somewhat restrict the power.

Cavalier342 wrote:How do they know that the cat is fine? You can't tell unless you take it apart near enough. Also be worth cleaning your MAF sensor probably, as if that has dust residue on it, it will increase mpg, and somewhat restrict the power.

Ben took whole exhaust off mate and checked all boxes and inside Cat etc which is fine in all respects, only thing he did find is the bolts were pretty knackered between the Cat and front pipe.

They did not test the Lambda as seem to think its single wire but on all the Lambda suppliers I have looked at its 3 wire connection..

Also just realized was looking at universal lambda sensor instead of Bosch OE spec, big difference in price!!

Will have a look at MAF sensor, need to get plugs changed as well as those ones are shot....Do a mini service I reckon in next week or two....

My cars loom was built by chimps!!

Had my oil light when you turn on the ignition only working occasionally, turned off blower in car from position 1 and all of a sudden it now works every time....WTF is that about!!

Does me swede in this car at times, no one wants to pay what I want for it though so guess I am keeping it and trying to get it running right...

Anyone with TECH1 southern counties give me a shout, except Pete (dimplomaxe) as his doesnt work..

Doubt the heater fan has anything to do with the oil light, totally different things. You may well find it's either a loose bulb in the back of the instrument cluster or some sort of breakage in the wire going to the pressure switch.

Cavalier342 wrote:Doubt the heater fan has anything to do with the oil light, totally different things. You may well find it's either a loose bulb in the back of the instrument cluster or some sort of breakage in the wire going to the pressure switch.

Well, its working now and wasn't when blower was on so..........Maybe one of my amp wires lingering around there somewhere upsetting things, I dunno....

Its working anyway so hey ho.....

Turn the blower back on and see if it starts playing up again?

Cars are magical things... My old car blew a twin filiment tail bulb... If the lights were on I could remove the key and the engine would stay running... And I could drive around... Turn lights off and it cuts out... So they could be related...

Thought I would record my mileage from the last tank full of fuel on here, 1. so I don't forget it and 2. others can judge who know more about these engines than myself.

So full tank of Texaco standard 95? Ron unleaded 325 miles then fuel low light illuminated so if what Andrei told me was right that Fuel light gives 40-50 miles then looking at anything up to 375 mile to 60ish litres, so getting 30 mpg ish combined town and motorway driving which is rubbish to be honest as my bosses Jag 2.5 petrol does more than that and he drives like a loon everywhere.

Saying that though I did push past the ton mark and averaged 80mph ish most of the motorway journey from home just outside Bournemouth to Aldershot which is about 74 miles point to point, known for my lead right foot anyway and wonder if I was giving it grief early in the month too knowing me I probably was!

Have never seen 400 mile to a full tank on this car, still more economical than my old Pug 205Gti though as needed a fuel tanker following with that car although was modded.

About 8 liters is the reserve on these I believe, when the light comes on, that's give or take 50 miles of range economical driving. I know I can get 50 miles with the light on on my auto, so you should easily in a manual.

Cavalier342 wrote:About 8 liters is the reserve on these I believe, when the light comes on, that's give or take 50 miles of range economical driving. I know I can get 50 miles with the light on on my auto, so you should easily in a manual.

True true....

Just been doing some reading and across the various forums (calibra, nova conversions etc) the C20ne seems to average around 375 to the full tank so all this BS about people seeing 400 mile to a tank is absolute cr*p unless you drive like my dad does and that is just dangerous...lol

Oh btw he thinks 55 on the motorway is ok....Crazy old man