Vauxhall Owners Club

That's amazing Andy, just goes to show what the old motors can do, and regular maintenance as well

I cannot think of any damage that can occur with that ignition setting - many years ago Ignition Coils would overheat if the power was left on and the contact breakers in the closed position and then the coil would leak oil As far as I know there should be any problem with that nowadays but it doesn't take long to flatten a battery once its left on for a while with lights and numerous other possible sources of current drain. Halfords do a fitting service if you were to buy a replacement audio setup from them along with the wiring kit and any fascia plates you would need

I have found a drivers handbook from Vauxhall on their website https://www.vauxhall.co.uk/content/dam/vauxhall/Home/PDFs/owners/owners-manuals/meriva/meriva-owners-manual-june-2012.pdf This is for the Meriva June 2012 but there is an earlier version for the model released in January 2012 (if there are any differences - which I doubt) Also, here is a link to a video guide section from Vauxhall which may be easier to see how to work these functions https://www.vauxhall.co.uk/owners/information-and-safety/how-to-videos.html

unfortunately it would be an expensive modification to equip the car with cruise control - including reprogramming control units to accept the new electronics

On most Volkswagens you have to swap a couple of wires over to get the aftermarket system to work and on the Alfa Romeo you have to join both the power and the ignition fed wires together to power the system up but that means its live all the time (e.g. when you leave the car and lock it up, etc). Thats where the switch comes in. I would only use the wires that are in place for the current audio system. Halfords sell adapter looms to fit the standard vehicle plugs and connect up to the new system

If you can find the interior cabin temperature sensor (usually on the dash area) then this may be blocked with dust, etc Try to locate it and clean around it to ensure it is correctly reading the cars interior temperature

I had the same problem on an Alfa Romeo Mito and I hardwired it to a permanent 12 volt supply. However, this is okay as long as you can switch the power down via an inline switch when then doesn't drain the battery if inadvertantly left swiched on

That's great news Andy and fuel filters are commonly overlooked on all makes and models of car, motorbike, you name it. May also be worth checking your coolant sensor and ambient air sensor (if fitted to your model) as sometimes they can give misleading information and that can affect idle speeds, etc

Yeh know what you mean, I ran Super Unleaded in my motorbikes and didn't make any difference to performance, etc. However, the Z3 (which is 25 years old now) and is in standard engine specs used to have a flat spot from about 1500 - 2500 rpm but as soon as I put the good stuff in it resolved that issue....If only I had know years ago as just put up with the running issue for so long.

Glad to hear its back to normal now Andy...good old maintenance is usually all they need sometimes. Are you running it on SuperUnleaded or just the regular Unleaded? Found my old BMW Z3 is a completely different car to drive on Super and although it costs a little more it is a much improved and smoother drive.

Thanks Andy for sharing the detailed report as it would be useful for anyone else who is experiencing the same issues. I don't think it does any harm to internally clean some components due to carbon build up and degrading seals and gaskets. I think we are yet to see how the increased Ethanol in fuel will affect the older vehicles particularly when it comes to seals and gaskets - only time will tell. Look forward to the updated reports

I would advise you pop into your local dealership parts department and get them to print out the diagram listing the individual parts for that component. Then you can order the relevant parts and also see how it all comes apart if the diagram is detailed enough. I also tend to ask parts departments if a particular parts sells a lot of - that way you can determine whether it is a known issue or not

How did you get on with it - any conclusion as to the cause ? Possibility it could be a mechanical issue but without testing that is hard to determine

that sounds more like gummed up vanes within the turbo - you could try a cleaner to see if that makes a difference - cheapest way to start and then give it an Italian Tune-up to clear the excess carbon from the engine. But if there is excess carbon on the turbo variable vanes and the plugs are contaminated with oil I would believe it may be a little more serious. A cylinder leak test would reveal if there is any wear or damage to a particular cylinder or valves - an easy test but may struggle to find a garage that has one or knows how to use it effectively to diagnose the issue

I would normally search through eBay first and see if other models such as Carlton may have same part numbers

According to this Google search, it appears it may be integrated inside the Engine ECU - worth checking hoses and electrical connections to and from the ECU

Hi AnyaMarie - welcome to the Club Good to have you onboard!

A few problems there to deal with then! - the window may be a wiring issue. If you open the door, with the ignition on and your finger on the button and slowly open and close the door at the same time and see if this triggers the window to operate. If so then it may well be the wiring coming from the A-Pillar/Bulkhead area to the drivers door (wiring inside rubber trunking breaks where door opens and closes frequently more than the other doors) The whistling sounds may well be a turbo boost hose or intercooler leak which is causing the noise

May be worth checking the level on a flat surface when the engine is cold and if still comes on then try adding some more coolant/water to bring it up near the top line (max) rather than the lower line (min). Had an issue on a Nissan Juke when it said brake fluid low - checked it looked fine, added the smallest amount of fluid to the reservoir and the light went out.

one or the other may be options for different applications - if you can't find somewhere for them both to go then replace the one with the most suitable gasket

if it is still under warranty then I would pop in to see your local dealer and see what they can do about resolving the issue

If the turbo had failed and it was drawing oil into the combustion chambers then there may be quite a bit of oil in the cylinders from that - although over a short amount of time this should disappear. Meanwhile if the plugs are oiled up this bad then the engine would be emitting quite a bit of smoke from the exhaust Maybe worth keep checking them frequently until the problem starts reducing in severity - also regularly check the engine oil level to ensure it is not losing it through some other reason. One other thing you can do is to see if the fault appears in other cylinders by swapping the plugs around and trying to replicate the results which would tell you that it is maybe a particular cylinder at fault

air conditioning generally dumps quite a bit of water under the car near to the rear of the engine. if you smell it and there is no odour, then it is the air con doing its thing - if it smells of coolant (strong chemical smell) then it may be a coolant leak which is more unlikely - if it smells of dog wee then it probably is (don't ask how i know this)

found this on a forum which may be a way forward

certainly sounds like a loose connection or short circuit to power up the radio but exactly where not sure. If the car is 2024 then it should have a warranty on it - best to take back to the dealer and get them to resolve it before it becomes a more expensive issue