Field Service Remedies / Technical Safety Bulletins

[Robsey]

ENGINE SECTION

TSB E0001637

Petrol engines - Refuelled with diesel fuel

Models: All
Engines: All
Option: Petrol Engines

Functional Group: J - Engine
Complaint Group: 19 - Poor Engine Driveability
Trouble Code: None, P030X

Complaint:
Following complaints could happen in one or several of them:
- Piston top land broken (intake side)
- Bad engine running especially after cold start and cold drive ability
- Knocking noise (sometimes failure code P030X is set)
- Molten catalytic converter as a consequential damage
- Increased oil level (oil dilution)

Cause:
Vehicle with petrol engine refuelled with diesel fuel.

Remedy:
Picture I (see arrow) and picture II (see arrow) show the typical type of failure
(pisten top land broken).





If the described failure is detected the usage of correct fuel has to be verified.

Furthermore the fuel filler neck has to be checked for any damage.

In case of diesel refuelling on vehicles with petrol engine the whole fuel system has to be drained and rinsed.

Note: Warranty costs must not be claimed under warranty if diesel is found.

[Robsey]

ENGINE SECTION

TSB E0001678

New P&A engines with ECU - TC P0602 (44)

FunctionalGroup: J - Engine
Complaint Group: 04 - Electrical failures
Trouble Code: TC P0602 (44)

Complaint: SVS on and TC P0602 (44) stored after programming of ECU

Cause:
Engines supplied from P&A are being completed with a production ECM,
which is not usable for P&A purposes, because they are built up for the
assembly plants.

Remedy:
Please use the old ECM in case of an engine exchange.
The new ECM coming with the new engine has to be assembled to the old engine, which will be returnedBto the warranty return center or the engine core return process.

Production: Not affected

[Robsey]

ENGINE SECTION

TSB E0001716

Oil/Water Heat Exchanger - Leaky

Models: All
Engines: All Other (See options)
Option: Diesel and V6-engines

Production:
Functional Group: J - Engine
Complaint Group: 01 - Broken or Cracked
Trouble Code: None

Complaint:
Leakages/cracks on oil/water heat exchanger caused by corrosion due to
coolant liquid which was not according to Opel specification.

Cause:
Wrong coolant liquid and/or wrong mixture ratio.

Remedy:
When replacing the coolant liquid for maintanance or repair reasons, please
make sure that -
a.) the correct liquid is used,
b.) the correct mixture ratio is assured.

Correct coolant liquid and mixture ratio are included in TIS2000 Service
Instruction.

[Robsey]

ENGINE SECTION

TSB E0001826

Spark plug damage - possible causes and failure modes

Models: All
Engines: Gasoline Engines
Option: Gasoline Engines

FunctionalGroup: J - Engine
Complaint Group:
01 - Broken or Cracked,
05 - Excessive wear,
11 - Loose or Comes off,
13 - No/Poor Function,
18 - Poor Drivebility,
19 - Poor Engine Driveability,
20 - Poor Performance,
21 - Poor Startability,
22 - Smokes

Trouble Code: None

Most frequent failures
Failure mode:
- thermal overload at centre-, ground electrode, insulator foot
- broken centre-, ground electrode
- insulator foot broken
- thread damaged, wrenched

Fault causes:
- tightening torque too low
- tightening torque too high

Complaint: 1. Thermal overload (Picture I)



Cause:
Tightening torque too low (< 15 Nm) - spark plug was not correct tightened thereby the heat transfer was disturbed.
Centre, ground electrode and insulator foot are melted.

Complaint: 2. Broken centre electrodes (Picture II)



Cause:
Tightening torque too low (< 15 Nm)
- outer sealing ring thickness > 1,4 mm
- vibration marks at the terminal head.

Through vibrations the spark plug loosened and the centre electrode broke.

Complaint: 3. Broken centre- and ground electrode (Picture III)



Cause:
Tightening torque too low (< 15 Nm)
- thickness of outer sealing ring > 1,4 mm

The spark plugs loosened caused by vibrations.
Hence it follows breaking of ground- and centre electrode and break out of the insulator foot.

Complaint: 4. Insulator foot fracture (Picture IV)



Cause:
Tightening torque too high (> 35 Nm)
- outer sealing ring thickness < 1,2 mm

Compound housing/insulator loosened
Spark plug got untight.
Through shaking of the plug the spark plug has been completely destructed.

Complaint: 5. Thread wrenched



Cause:
Tightening torque too high (> 50 Nm)
- strong tracks of the spark plug
- wrench at the hexagon
- forced rupture in the thread

Subsequent damage (e.g. engine, cylinder) caused by described failures must not
be covered by warranty.

[Robsey]

ENGINE SECTION

TSB E0001832

Diesel Engines - Usage of Gasoline instead of Diesel Fuel

Models: All
Engines: Diesel Engines
Option: Diesel Engine

Functional Group: J - Engine
Complaint Group: 07 - Foreign Material or Fluid
Trouble Code: None

Complaint:
The following failure modes can be detected (for example): bad warm start,
engine destroyed, high pressure pump blocked; tooth belt torn; valves
damaged

Cause:
Due to the use of gasoline the high pressure pump gets destroyed (lack of
lubrication) and the tooth belt will be torn. This may end up in the mentioned
damages.

Remedy:
If the described failure is detected the usage of correct fuel has to be
verified.
A diesel fuel and engine oil sample has to be analysed for gas contamination.
The test-bottles for the samples can be requested from TAC/ETAC under special part-no. S-10571-(test-bottle 500ml).
In case of gasoline refuelling on vehicles with diesel engine the whole fuel system has to be drained and rinsed.

Note: Warranty can only be claimed, if no usage of gasoline has been detected.

[Robsey]

HEATING AND AIR-CON SECTION

TSB E0000728

Engine - Overheats

Models: Cavalier 93...
Engines: 2.5 l
Option: X25XE Motronic with A /C

Group: J - Engine,
N - Electrical Equipment

Trouble code: None

Complaint:
Electrical failures, Poor Engine Driveability
Engine overheats when driving with air conditioning switched on.

Cause:
Fan motor runs at lowest speed due to failure of maxifuse (30 A).
30 A fuse is too weak.

Special part: No

Remedy:
Replace 30 A maxifuse with 40 A maxifuse.

[Robsey]

HEATING AND AIR-CON SECTION

TSB E0000746

Passengers compartment - Humming noise

Models: Cavalier 89-94
Engines: All
Option: With Air-Con

Group: D - Heating /Ventilation /Air conditioning

Trouble code: None

Complaint:
Noises or Vibrations
Humming noise from right bulkhead area in vehicles with air conditioning.

Cause:
Flow noise from AC thermostatically controlled expansion valve.

Production Solution:
Modified TXV in production as of MY 94½.

Special part: No

Remedy:
In case of complaint, install modified TXV.
Cat /Part No. 16 18 043 /(52 464 434)

[Robsey]

HEATING AND AIR-CON SECTION

TSB E0001023

Heating - Poor variability of heating

Models: Cavalier 89...
Engines: All
Option:

Group: D - Heating /Ventilation /Air conditioning

Trouble code: None

Complaint:
Hard to operate
Poor variability of heating.
After minimal movement of the control from 'cold', warm air flows.

Cause:
No fine adjustment of the mixing valve.

Production Solution:
As of CW 37 /96 a modified control panel has been fitted.

Special part: No

Remedy:
Install new control panel with geared positioning of the mixing valve.
Cat /part-No. 18 22 097 /(09 140 155)

[Robsey]

REAR AXLE AND SUSPENSION SECTION

TSB E0000878

4x4 - Internal slackness

Models: Cavalier 1989...1995
Engines: C20LET, C20NE, C20XE
Option: 4x4

FunctionalGroup: F - Rear Axle
Complaint Group: 11 - Loose or Comes off

Trouble Code: None

Complaint:
Internal slackness in the drive train.

Cause:
Wear of the front homokinetic joint (CV joint) due to high load.

Remedy:
Order special grease from P&A
Cat./Part No.19 48 876/(90 540 422)

Flll with new grease each time the CV joint is removed:

C20NE/XE with joint dia. of 86 mm 55-65g

and C20LET with dia of 94 mm 70-80 g.

[Robsey]

STEERING SECTION.

TSB E0001018

Vehicle front area - Knocking noises

Models: Cavalier 89...
Engines: All
Option: Saginaw-steering racks only.

Group: M - Steering
Trouble code: None

Complaint:
Noises or Vibrations
Knocking noises from the front of the vehicle when driving over uneven surfaces, slow driving or movement of steering when stationary

Cause:
Inner steering tie rod ball joint seized.
Saginaw-steering racks only.

Production Solution:
As of CW 25 /96 (stamp 166.6 on steering gear)improved tie rod ball (white dot) are used in production.

Special part: No

Remedy:
Replace ball joint.
All replacement parts have been improved.
Cat /part-No.16 03 199 /(26 055 219).
Please order two kits per car.