Engine warning light on

[chrisash86]

My engine warning light keeps coming on my red top any ideas what it could be I.e a sensor etc?

[James McGrath]

Could be a faulty O2 sensor.

Has your fuel economy been getting worse at all?

You can always do a paperclip test.
Have a look at our How2:
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=630

[Robsey]

A dying O2 / Oxygen / Lambda sensor does throw an intermittent engine fault code.
This puts the engine light on and off intermittently.

I so -this would give a stored code 13.

Do a paper clip test to find the actual logged fault.

[chrisash86]

Cheers boys . Where does the code show up on?

[Robsey]

It is all explained here.

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=630

[Robsey]

Here is a post from my diagnostics forum.

It has a link to the Gunson EML flash code tool testing manual.

A useful guide for testing the fuel injected vehicles in the Vauxhall range.

The full user guide for the Gunson G4153 Vauxhall Fault Code Reader.
With ALL flash codes...
With basic sensor checking procedures at the back...

Look Here

Ignore the part where it says switch the unit on for three seconds and off for five - this is utter rubbish.

Also a code 11111 does not refer to Vauxhalls, but a different vehicle make.

Just bridge pins A & B, and then turn on the ignition...
The fault codes will cycle in an endless loop.
(Each code will be flashed up 3 times before moving onto the next)
Code 1 - 2 = the start or end of the test sequence.... the codes will then start all over again - and so on.
Not the 1.8SV and some others as these do not have an EML / MIL light.

[L449]

Hi, I need a code reader for my 1.8i , I have looked on ebay but can not find a 10 pin connector . Do you know where I can get one from. Cheers

[Cavalier342]

Hey, you can do the diagnosis test with a simple paper clip, by shorting out two pins (A and B) in the diagnostic plug in the rear nearside corner of the engine bay, behind the strut mount. Unplug the fat rectangular plug and you will see the A B C D E F G H.. letters in very small print on there.

http://www.topbuzz.co.uk/info/fault_cod ... _codes.htm
//Some useful info on there\\

If you need any help just ask.

[James McGrath]

Yep, the paperclip test is the easiest (and cheapest) way of doing it.
It's very easy too.

If you do get stuck or want something a bit more in depth, I have a Tech 1a unit which is the original Vauxhall diagnostics unit for Cavaliers and similarly aged models.
I know it's a long way for you to come to East Sussex but I'm always happy to put club member’s cars on it and help out.

[Robsey]

Just to confirm what James and Andrei have said.

The paperclip test is your friend.

All diagnostic testers found on the internet will be totally useless.
They are all 16 pin EOBD devices, that would read only some 1996 onward cars and all 2001 onward cars.

The 10 pin to 16 pin adapter is available but pretty useless, because the interface firmware and software is incompatible with the 10 pin ALDL cars.

The only hardware / software that will work with the Cavalier is the AutoScanner Opel-Scanner device.
But it would require the EOBD 16 pin to ALDL adapter loom.

The only place on the internet that will supply a working AutoScanner is an Israel based company on ebay.

But - going back to the start, for diagnostics, just do the paper-clip test.
It is free and easy.

[ilovedmymantas]

Agreed

The paperclip test has never let me down over the years - It's so simple.
I did think about buying a scanner but for me it's too much information, I just want the car running right!

I found this : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LATEST-2012- ... 3434494605

Is this no good?

[Robsey]

In simple terms - nope!

Only Tech 1 and 1a...

Now for the technical bit...

Referring to your link.
OpCom / VauxCom is only good for cars between 2004 and 2012 where full CAN (controller area networking) is used.

It quotes from 1996 onward, but vehicles that still use KWP (key word protocol) diagnostics can suffer badly with invalid programming and diagnostic errors.
The worst affected are those that use both KWP and CAN, such as early Vectra-C upto 2004.

After 2012, even Tech 2 becomes less effective, relying on GlobalTIS / TIS2Web and MDi interfacing.

Retrurning to OpCom / VauxCom.

(Warning Geek Info Overload!!)

It is a mine-field as to what sellers profess to what these units can / will do.

There are about 20 software versions, same number of firmware versions and about seven types or hardware.

Then you have "china clone", eastern European "HQ" version and the original version.

All run the softwares differently, or use injected "boot loaders" to get around original device security.

There is a forum for these devices in the UK. (I am one of the admin's there) and it confuses the poop out of me.

A brilliant powerful and fast device, but requires the correct combination of firmware, hardware and software for specific vehicles and model years.
Oh and in the correct hands!!

[Robsey]

The OpCom / VauxCom device closest resembles a Tech 2 unit.

The nearest device to Tech 1 is AutoScanner.

It will do diagnostics and clear fault codes, but no programming.

Tech 1 is very slow, but is purpose made for the older cars.

Here is a thread I wrote on AutoScanner.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=16576

[ilovedmymantas]

Apologies for my tardiness, lot going on at the moment

Thanks for the info, overload for me

This is the bit that tempted me- Prior to 1996, requires a 10 pin - OBD II adapters that are also supplied

I think I'm more suited to the paperclip after all!

[Robsey]

I would not call it tardiness.
Not many people are on here all the time like the proverbial work's cat.

Sorry about the info overload.

For most people, a straight yes or no is great,
but sometimes people want to know why.
I am one of those people.

Believe me though....
I am totally clueless about how "kwp" and "can" work, or how they are constructed.

I only know from trial and error (many errors), inquisitiveness and experience what does and does not work on my family vehicles.

But returning to the topic.
On the pre-96 cars, I always say
"The paperclip test is your friend - it is free and easy"