James' 1993 Cavalier LS

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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

Right, today was the day I picked up the ol' girl from her, what, 3rd round of bodywork repairs?

Anyway, anyone who has seen her up close may have noticed that the wheel arches weren't in the best condition. They have been repaired twice before and not very well either.

Off side:

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Near side:

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Near side up close:

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Also the off side sill was once again in need of attention after another not so great repair in 2012 (page 4 of this thread). It also didn't help that it had been hacked at by its most recent MOT tester.

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Well, she's been away for 3 days in the workshop and here are the results:

Off side:

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Near side:

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Off side sill:

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There has also been lots of other small stone chips and rust blisters removed from along the sills and doors.

On top of that, all four shock absorbers were replaced with the gas Monroe parts I posted above.
I initially bought gas shocks as I was really impressed with the way the V6 handled on them.
But after reading up online I was a bit apprehensive about fitting gas shocks to a car which originally had oil ones as standard.
There are lots of stories about how gas shocks will give cars which weren't designed for them as harsh ride or even raise the ride height.

I am thoroughly delighted to say that is not the case with the Cavalier. The ride is much improved over the standard oil dampers and it takes bumps in the road much better than before yet the handling has not been compromised. On the contrary it's much crisper round the corners and there is far less body roll.
In fact I'll go as far to say that I recommend everyone to just ditch the original oil ones and just get gas shocks in the future.

As you can see the ride height is just about perfect, if you are after the OE look that is:

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Needs a bit of a clean now as it's covered in dust from the workshop.

Can't think of much else to do on the ol' girl now, apart from the headlining.
I'm just going to hope the good weather holds out and enjoy driving her while I can.
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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

So the big 200K has been looming for some time now.
I was determined not to drive past this milestone just going to the shops and back with a whimper.
So I took a bit of inspiration from this thread here and decided to take a trip along one of the best roads in the South East, the A258.


First things first. She needed to be looking her best, so good scrub down was in order:

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Rather than take the boring M20 motorway to Dover, I decided to take the scenic route.
First stopping off in Rye...

At Rye train station:

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...and then taking the A259 which is also an excellent driving road and a good place for some scenic photos:

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Then half way to Dover it finally happened:

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And the Lord did grin, and people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large -- Well any way, it was full steam ahead from there to Dover and then a quick blast up the excellent but surprisingly short A258.
Deal wasn't really much to look at so a quick turn around was in order followed buy another quick blast along the A258.

At the other end I found a Castle. a harbour and a rather famous geological formation...

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Time to make use of that National Trust staff card:

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Yep, safety first:

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Time to reminisce a bit.

She's certainty come a long way since I started.

Late 2009, one of the last times I remember it being used as a proper family car, buy this point both my parents had new cars and her future looked bleak:

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These were taken on the 1st of September 2010, the day I finally got insurance to drive her for the first time after an agenising 6 month wait after passing my drivers test.


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Paintwork looking dull in January 2011, but the new genuine hub caps were a start of things to come:

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Me on my 20th birthday after discovering the miracle of polish:

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Looking proud after her first new coat of paint since she left the factory:

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At my first CavMK3OC meeting:

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The saga continues...
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ilovedmymantas
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by ilovedmymantas »

Congratulations on breaking the 200k milestone 8-) .
It's nice to hear of a cav that's stayed in the family , you're the next generation of enthusiast :thumb
" It's not rust. It's age-related patina " ;)

1980 vauxhall cavalier MK1 1.6L, 1982 opel manta berlinetta 1.8s, 1985 opel manta 2.0 gte, 1990 cavalier 2.0 gl ,1994 cavalier sri x20xev

-1995 cdx x20xev

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Robsey
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by Robsey »

Indeed - welcome to the "200K Plus" club.
:cheers

Nice Cav, still looking shiny and fresh. :cool

Did Lowrider Dave write your "And the Lord did grin" speech?
Sounds like his comedic delivery is rubbing off on you... ha ha.
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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

Thanks chaps.
Robsey wrote: Did Lowrider Dave write your "And the Lord did grin" speech?
Sounds like his comedic delivery is rubbing off on you... ha ha.
I only wish it was my own writing, it's a quote from Monty Python and the holy grail.
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

Earlier this month I caught wind that there may be some hidden treasure in deepest darkest Cheshire.
Crew to be exact.
At the same time Robsey was in need of a radio which I happened to have going spare.

So a plan was hatched and bright and early in the morning on Sunday 2nd of October I fired up the ol' girl for a 240 mile blast halfway across England.

Despite a later than planned departure, unusually for me, I arrived bang on time and picked up the fine wares I was seeking to complete the first half of the master plan.

After that I met a lovely chap called Rob to whom I relinquished the mighty Grundig SC303.
Before too long it was time to say farewell and set sail for home, forced to an early departure for fear of being apprehended by a perilous car park attendant.

After an uneventful journey home, I inspected my newly acquired spoils.

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5 years I had been looking for a full set of these and finally they are mine, all mine!

before:

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After:

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Ahem, anyway.

The next exciting thing that happened this month was going up to London to pick up the eBay bargain of the century:

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Yep that's 1 full hatchback worth of spares there. Everything from alternators and starter motors to brake pads and head gaskets and even an intake manifold. All for just £55.
Came from a guy who has owned 5 mk3 Cavs, all 2.0i. So there is allot off good stuff there I can put to good use keeping my fleet going.
Sadly he's selling his last two Cavs as he needs a car with air con for his frequent trips to Spain.
I said I would advertise them on here as he would like them to go to a good home.

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=15776

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=15777


The photos in this update are a bit mismatched as I've used 3 different cameras. My old point and shoot Canon, my phone and my new Nikon D5300 which I'm slowly getting to grips with. Here are a few scenic shots I took the other day. Tell me what you think but go easy on me as these are some of the first photos I've taken playing around with manual settings. Enjoy! :cheers


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cavalier1990
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by cavalier1990 »

Very well detailed car that James, looks good!
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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

First of all I thought I'd apologise in advance and give a quick warning that this post is going to be extremely pic heavy. I defiantly got carried away using my new camera.

It all started on black Friday when AutoVaux was having a 10% sale on everything.
'Good opportunity to get some bits and bobs' I thought, 'The LS needs a coolant change, I'll do it myself, it'll be easy, right?'

Next thing I knew this arrived in the post:

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'Why not replace the thermostat while I'm at it, how about the temp sensor, and the other temp sensor and...'

Needless to say another large order was placed with Genuine Parts Search.

Then it was time to get stuck in:

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I started by removing the bottom radiator hose to drain the old coolant:

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This about 4 years old and wasn't in the best condition.

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I think blue and red coolant had been mixed at some point so I decided to flush the system with the garden hose. First the radiator:

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And then the engine:


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I did that until the water coming out ran clear:

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The first of the new parts to go in was the ECU's coolant sensor.
This was tarnished but probably still ok:

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Fitted:

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The second part to be replaced (and probably the only one that actually needed doing) was the thermostat:

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While I was removing the bolts however, disaster struck. :wall
The first bolt came out fine, but the next two sheered right off. More on this later:

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The old part was a GM branded so I would guess it's the original from the factory. As you can see it was stuck open:

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New GM stat and temperature gauge sensor:

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As the bolts had sheered I decided not to fit the GM stat as I knew I would have to take it off again in the future. Luckily I had a part made by Wahler in my spares. I fitted this with the one bolt left and some gasket sealant:

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Next was the temp gauge sensor. This too was dirty but not in bad shape; it actually came up quite nicely after I cleaned it so I've kept it along with all the other sensors I've replaced in my spares just in case. Once again I think this was the original:


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New and old:

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New one fitted with a good amount of copper grease:

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Only thing left to do was to refill the system and hope for the best:

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Luckily, after borrowing some of the V6's electricity, she fired up with no leaks:

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The next morning I checked the strength of the coolant which was bang on:

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Next thing on the agenda was the power steering fluid which had a nasty smell to it and had turned pretty dark:

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Old fluid drained from the system and new Dexron VI for comparison:

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Much healthier colour:

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GM Distributor and rotor next. I've actually had this distributor ready to go on for ages. I think I posted it up in this WIP somewhere when I got it:

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Removing the torx bolts with the right equipment:

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The old arm didn't look too bad but the distributor on the other hand was ready to be replaced:

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The old distributor cover had some kind of yellowish lacquer on it which was flaking off:

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A good scraping session was in order:

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The result of which was a limited success.
New dizzy and rotor fitted and put back together:

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To stop any leaks I had to tighten up the jubilee clips on the top radiator hose really tightly, far too tight for comfort. The hose was also looking a bit tired:

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So yet another order was placed for a new hose.
I also got a gasket for the thermostat housing, the one between it and the engine, as I knew this would have to come off to get the old bolts out and would inevitably need replacing:

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Last thing was some gaskets for the thermostat itself as the genuine stat didn't come with one and some clips for the top radiator hose. You know, the ones which always snap what you try to take them out: :x

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While I was getting all these lovely GM parts, I picked up some stuff for my other cavs to.

Full set of the earlier rubber mudflaps and sealed, yes sealed, old style first aid kit: :)

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Best before 2004. :?
it'll be fine don't worry about it! :D

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The final job I had to trust to the professionals; a cambelt and water pump change and to drill out the old bolts.
This was a particularly bitter pill to swallow as the cambelt was only changed in 2013, less than 10.000 miles ago.

GM stat installed with all 3 bolts and new radiator hose:

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Final job was too fit the hose clips. As I was doing this I noticed the smaller of the two rubber strips on the top of the radiator grill was missing:

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So a quick turn around back to the garage was in order.
Thankfully they still had it and it was returned to it's proper place before tucking the old girl away, saga finally over...


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...Or is it: :D

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chrisash86
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by chrisash86 »

A superb job James. For a novice like me theses posts are fantastic , when you changed the power steering fluid is it just a case of draining the fluid from the bottle in the engine bay by undoing the hose that it attaches to or is it a little more complicated ?
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Great update James with a load of NOS. I would clean up that spade connector for temp gauge sensor though.
Lowrider Dave.

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Robsey
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by Robsey »

lowrider dave wrote: I would clean up that spade connector for temp gauge sensor though.
Or solder on a new one, because it will be nigh on impossible to clean it up properly.
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by Envoy CDX »

Rather well done James, though in fairness, cam belt recommendations 40k, or 4 years whichever comes in first - so don't feel too badly about that bitter pill.

Though next one, we'll have to try and get you to tackle that one yourself hmmm? :thumb
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Robsey
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by Robsey »

I suppose it is a time or confidence thing Gary.
There are certain jobs that each one of us would farm out for peace of mind or convenience.

Regarding belt changes.
I think the recommendation is every 36k miles.
Where possible I do mine ever 32k.
New water pump and tensioner every 64k.
(Every 2nd belt change).

Good diligence there James.
I wish I was as proactive as you.
Sadly my track record is to fix things when running problems occur.
"I must do better :no "
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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

chrisash86 wrote:A superb job James. For a novice like me theses posts are fantastic , when you changed the power steering fluid is it just a case of draining the fluid from the bottle in the engine bay by undoing the hose that it attaches to or is it a little more complicated ?
Thank you. :thumb
When I started this WIP I wrote all my posts like mini how2's as a guide for people like me who were getting into doing maintenance themselves for the first time. I still write with an eye towards the novice, glad it's been of some help.

With the power steering fluid I removed the bottom hose on the reservoir and just let as much drain out as possible. You can also remove the top hose after this and start the engine and turn the wheel, that will pump out the last bit from the system.
I didn't do this however as it puts allot of strain on the pump.

lowrider dave wrote:Great update James with a load of NOS. I would clean up that spade connector for temp gauge sensor though.
Thanks Dave.
I was going to clean the connector but I couldn't find my little wire brush at the time, I'll get round to it at some point.

Envoy CDX wrote:Rather well done James, though in fairness, cam belt recommendations 40k, or 4 years whichever comes in first - so don't feel too badly about that bitter pill.

Though next one, we'll have to try and get you to tackle that one yourself hmmm? :thumb
Honestly I think I will. I must get a proper tool kit together first though.

Robsey wrote:Good diligence there James.
I wish I was as proactive as you.
Sadly my track record is to fix things when running problems occur.
"I must do better :no "
Thanks Rob.
Most of it is just finding the time to do things. I'm fortunate enough to have a job that allows me the lot's of time in the afternoon to tinker about.
Beyond the basics my mechanical skills are limited. I wish I could do more myself sometimes.
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ilovedmymantas
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by ilovedmymantas »

James McGrath wrote:
chrisash86 wrote:A superb job James. For a novice like me theses posts are fantastic , when you changed the power steering fluid is it just a case of draining the fluid from the bottle in the engine bay by undoing the hose that it attaches to or is it a little more complicated ?
With the power steering fluid I removed the bottom hose to the reservoir and just let as much drain out as possible. You can also remove the top hose after this and start the engine and turn the wheel, that will pump out the last bit from the system.
I didn't do this however as it puts allot of strain on the pump.
Would emptying the reservoir via bottom hose as said, re-connecting and filling with fresh steering fluid then disconnecting the top hose to the reservoir to flush old fluid through be good practice ? Like an oil-change flush
" It's not rust. It's age-related patina " ;)

1980 vauxhall cavalier MK1 1.6L, 1982 opel manta berlinetta 1.8s, 1985 opel manta 2.0 gte, 1990 cavalier 2.0 gl ,1994 cavalier sri x20xev

-1995 cdx x20xev

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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by dycie »

nice little motor coming along mate. keep at it.
She doesn't do many miles to the gallon but she does loads of smiles to the mile.
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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

ilovedmymantas wrote:Would emptying the reservoir via bottom hose as said, re-connecting and filling with fresh steering fluid then disconnecting the top hose to the reservoir to flush old fluid through be good practice ? Like an oil-change flush
Yes that would be the best thing actually.
However it's a bit tricky unless you have someone to help you as the fluid will not flow through the system unless the engine is on and you turn the steering wheel.
So you really need someone to turn the week and someone to top up the reservoir and make sure it doesn't run dry.

dycie wrote:nice little motor coming along mate. keep at it.
Thanks, it's taken a while but I'm getting there. :)
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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

I thought it was time I posted this up here.

It was a quick improvised video to mark the moment she went over 200,000 miles.
I delayed posting it as it was only shot quickly on my phone and I thought it was a bit naff. I've had a couple of nice comments on it now though so what the hell, here it is.
I apologise for the rubbish commentary in advance.



Link



I'd like to do more videos like this. Maybe of events and club meets and expand our club you tube channel. (Yes we have our own YouTube channel)
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ilovedmymantas
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by ilovedmymantas »

Nice video James.
Nothing naff at all :thumb
" It's not rust. It's age-related patina " ;)

1980 vauxhall cavalier MK1 1.6L, 1982 opel manta berlinetta 1.8s, 1985 opel manta 2.0 gte, 1990 cavalier 2.0 gl ,1994 cavalier sri x20xev

-1995 cdx x20xev

---------------
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by Steven715 »

I thought the commentary was very good! I get nervous doing videos like that :o please keep doing them as love videos like this :)
1995 (N) Cavalier 2.0 16V CDX
X20XVE Engine
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Robsey
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by Robsey »

A good informative video clearly annunciated.
Looking and sounding absolutely marvelous.

You need to prepare for the 250,000 mark now.
That was the milestone I always aimed for.

As long as nobody expects me to do videos with commentary. I hate the sound of my own voice.
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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

Had a bit of a scare the other day when I took it for a run.
After a few miles the EML light came on, thought it was a bit odd so I pulled over and checked under the bonnet.
To my horror I found there was hardly any coolant in the header tank. :o
Being out in the sticks away from any sources of water I had no option but to try and limp home.

Thankfully when I did get home I found it wasn't as bad as I feared and there was just enough coolant in the system to keep everything running.
I found a very slow leak from the bottom radiator hose. Probably just a few drops a day but enough to drain the tank in the month or so since I last checked.
All it needed was a couple of extra turns of the jubilee clip and the leak was stopped.
The leak isn't what caused the EML to come on but it's a good thing it did otherwise I wouldn't have noticed it.

Now about that EML light.
A quick paperclip test came back with code 35 - Idle Control Valve Stepper Motor
I thought the ICV may just need a clean but listening to it with the ignition on I noticed a whining noise as if the motor was stuck.
I removed it and it didn't seem that dirty, certainty not enough to impair its function.
Indeed, cleaning it didn't help, in fact it made it worse. Now the engine wouldn't idle at all, instead it would immediately stall unless the accelerator was held down.

New ICV time I think.
I was quite surprised at how expensive these things are.
There are 2 part numbers for this 17112023 seems to be the older one and 17112031 is newer, they cost £78.72 and £85.43 respectively. :shock:

Looking at the original part there aren't any identifying numbers and it isn't GM branded. This normally means it's a generic part for lots of vehicles.
With this in mind I bought a part made by Delphi for £25 instead.

When it arrived it looked identical to the old one.
New part on the right:

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They are both stamped with the same numbers, made in Mexico and have all the same seam lines.
So I'm guessing that Delphi are the original manufacturer for this part.

Anyway, the part is now fitted.
Thought it was a bit odd but it wouldn't idle properly (idled at about 2800rpm) until I disconnected the battery in order to reset the ECU.
After that it idled perfectly at 900 rpm.

I have a feeling this has been on the way out for a very long time. Probably since before I was driving it, maybe even earlier, as I've always known it to be quite slow for the revs to come down after revving. Normally dropping to 1200rpm or so and then slowly going down to 900rpm.
I think I mentioned it at some point in this WIP.
Anyway, this long standing problem has now gone and the revs quickly drop straight back down to 900. :cheers
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by Mk3alan »

I changed my rad a couple of years ago as it was leaking from the top hose area anyway, I pressure tested the old one just to see exactly where it was coming from - but it didn't, held pressure for ever!
It must have been the top hose clip because I put it back on and all was fine!

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James McGrath
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by James McGrath »

Yeah, the leak was my own fault.
Must have not tightened it up enough when I flushed the coolant in December. D'oh!
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Re: James' 1993 Cavalier LS

Post by cavalier1990 »

Just changed that ICV valve on mine as well James. I decided to have a look at it and thought it was seized up or something as it wouldn't move in or out too easily. I started to realise that this might be the way it is if it was like a stepper motor as you said. So I then started thinking I'd broke it or pulled it off it's normal setting. Put it back in and as like you said too it wouldn't idle but I held it for a bit then it would idle not too bad.

Figured I'd get a new one anyway and put it in. It seemed to take a wee while for the ECU to "learn" the new sensor but is now ticking over nicely. Doesn't seem to do that high revs when coasting to a stop business either.
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