242 replies to this topic

[moneyhunster]

Me too but i've spent a lot of money on the car and if this garage cant find the problem or cant fix it... or even the price is silly high then i will be selling it as i've just had trouble from the start. I feel like i've been sh** on, i graft for my money and knowning i've spent 12k on a car with problems that just seem to keep coming really gets me down

you know someone on here will snap it up when you sell it cheap then spend a few quality hours on it and end up with a clinker

[astravxr]

Engine mounts are a consumable item. Given the way you seem to like to drive a car, I'd get very used to having to replace them. Slindborg did a good guide to show how to replace them with a minimum of tools (nothing specialised) and at £50 the pair from AutoVaux (and feck only knows how much from Vauxhall), it's definitely something you should tackle yourself if money is that tight. Doing that would save at least a hundred pounds from the bill from SPS.

Take your nearside rear wheel off and closely check the ABS wiring to the sensor in the hub. May just be a simple case of re-soldering a frayed/broken wire or splicing in a length of replacement wire. Replacement hubs with the built-in sensor are again available for £60 from a motor factors (and again, massively more from a Vauxhall dealer).

I wouldnt know where to start with the engine mount, i've never done anything like that before. I've changed exhausts, swapped intercooler, changed springs, changed recirc valve and brake pads on my previous astra VXR myself but thats it. Is it easy to do? I've got a trolly track and a halfords sissor jack and probs all the tools you'd need.

If i was to take the wheel off now and have a look at the ABS sensor could you lot help me out to what im doing/looking for? I could take pictures if its easier. Is it defo the left rear side i need to be looking at?

Edited by astravxr, 11 July 2011 - 03:39 PM.

[techieboy]

You've got more than enough experience then, by the sound of it. I'd never even seen an engine mount in my life, until Slindborg replaced mine 4 years ago and then I did the same a few months ago. Look in the the Guides & Tutorials section of the forum for his guide.

[GeorgeBC]

Engine mounts are a consumable item. Given the way you seem to like to drive a car, I'd get very used to having to replace them. Slindborg did a good guide to show how to replace them with a minimum of tools (nothing specialised) and at £50 the pair from AutoVaux (and feck only knows how much from Vauxhall), it's definitely something you should tackle yourself if money is that tight. Doing that would save at least a hundred pounds from the bill from SPS.

Take your nearside rear wheel off and closely check the ABS wiring to the sensor in the hub. May just be a simple case of re-soldering a frayed/broken wire or splicing in a length of replacement wire. Replacement hubs with the built-in sensor are again available for £60 from a motor factors (and again, massively more from a Vauxhall dealer).

I wouldnt know where to start with the engine mount, i've never done anything like that before. I've changed exhausts, swapped intercooler, changed springs, changed recirc valve and brake pads on my previous astra VXR myself but thats it. Is it easy to do? I've got a trolly track and a halfords sissor jack and probs all the tools you'd need.

If i was to take the wheel off now and have a look at the ABS sensor could you lot help me out to what im doing/looking for? I could take pictures if its easier. Is it defo the left rear side i need to be looking at?

It may be obvious when you see the sensor wires, they may have been rubbing on something just have a look. As for the engine mounts use the guide that others have mentioned its step by step and lists the tools you need, it really isnt too bad a job just spray the top bolts the night before.

[techieboy]

If your ABS is showing a fault, and the speedo is also screwed, then it's highly likely to be the nearside rear ABS sensor or wiring, as that is where the ECU gets it's speed data from, for the speedo.

[astravxr]

Cheers i'll take the wheel off in about half an hour and give it a check and if i cant see anything obvious i'll take a picture and upload it. Will it be the rear left?

[astravxr]

If your ABS is showing a fault, and the speedo is also screwed, then it's highly likely to be the nearside rear ABS sensor or wiring, as that is where the ECU gets it's speed data from, for the speedo.

The speedo isnt always going crazy, just sometimes. Mainly when im doing under 30mph

[techieboy]

Definitely worth checking the wiring on that corner before anything else. If there's nothing obvious, maybe someone closer to you has OP-COM installed on their laptop and will be able to read the fault code, which will identify exactly which sensor has the problem. I guess the instrument pod itself could have some kind of intermittent fault which is causing the speedo to do funny things but that's a rarer fault than one of the hubs (or more likely the wiring to it) going up the swanny. Might also be worth looking under the front bonnet to see whether there's an obvious switch installed to disable the ABS that a previous owner has fitted.

[astravxr]

Definitely worth checking the wiring on that corner before anything else.

If there's nothing obvious, maybe someone closer to you has OP-COM installed on their laptop and will be able to read the fault code, which will identify exactly which sensor has the problem.

I guess the instrument pod itself could have some kind of intermittent fault which is causing the speedo to do funny things but that's a rarer fault than one of the hubs (or more likely the wiring to it) going up the swanny.

Might also be worth looking under the front bonnet to see whether there's an obvious switch installed to disable the ABS that a previous owner has fitted.

I've had a few diagnostic tests done and nothing has come up. Or is OP-COM better than this?

[slindborg]

You've got more than enough experience then, by the sound of it. I'd never even seen an engine mount in my life, until Slindborg replaced mine 4 years ago and then I did the same a few months ago. Look in the the Guides & Tutorials section of the forum for his guide.

All part of the service... and at that point in time it was to try and get more of you lot away from the slightly less dickturpin 'specialists' for the simple stuff

[smiley]

Replacement hubs with the built-in sensor are again available for £60 from a motor factors (and again, massively more from a Vauxhall dealer).

With most parts that need replacing, search on here first.
Loads of stuff you can get cheaper, if labeled astra or vectra instead of vx220.
Some of these things can be changed by members here for such a large difference compared to vauxhall that it can be worth burning a 100 or maybe 2 on fuel to get there and back.

[zimmer]

if its not got any bastard bolts on it then about 2 hours labour for the mounts.


who or what is sps? if its a vauxhall dealer then you are going to be dry raped for the parts price

He won't rape you for labour, he did my timing chain for £250 parts included, which is the cheapest I've found.

[2.2_na]

The speedo isnt always going crazy, just sometimes. Mainly when im doing under 30mph

Never then.

[astravxr]

The speedo isnt always going crazy, just sometimes. Mainly when im doing under 30mph

Never then.

Actually i've just noticed tonight that it does jump about at higher speeds but not all the time i would say every 30 seconds

[2.2_na]

Actually i've just noticed tonight that it does jump about at higher speeds but not all the time i would say every 30 seconds

Not that your speedo is something you ever need to look at on your private roads.

[slindborg]

if its not got any bastard bolts on it then about 2 hours labour for the mounts.


who or what is sps? if its a vauxhall dealer then you are going to be dry raped for the parts price

He won't rape you for labour, he did my timing chain for £250 parts included, which is the cheapest I've found.

Holy sh**, I'm taking cars to him then!!!!! its about £150 for GM parts alone! then its about 4 hours labour to do the job.
Unless of course your engine was out on a stand

[Mike (Cliffie)]

It is all easy to do AstraVXR and well worth fixing. If the speedo is dicking about and ABS is iffy then yup, rear passenger sensor. Will also make the car run like a bag of nails as the ECU needs the speed sensor to get the car to run correctly.

[TheRealVXed]

So the source of your entire issue could be down to 1 stupid and frankly almost pointless (apart from the speed reading) ABS sensor. I hate electrics.

[Deadlysub]

I hate electrics.

Couldn't agree more!

[slindborg]

I hate electrics.

Couldn't agree more!

Easy, the electronics are pretty damn robust and reliable as the OEM's cant fiddle with the BOM for those with ease.... BUT sensors on the other hand, they can be costed down and the harness can be lower quality meaning you get problems like this