Opel Utility rev problem on cold start

TheChamp said:
Yes, and I ask that you check it again even if it's new because they do come faulty from the shop sometimes, especially when it's the non OEM variety.

I don't know if I am the only one but I don't get a lot of confidence from your current mechanic, I am just thinking with so many things replaced and he still cannot pinpoint the problem maybe he is not the right person for the job.

Try look for someone with experience in Opel, there is just something that tells me your current guy is missing something, it just doesn't make sense to me, those cars do have their issues but when they work they work, when they don't they don't, they are not really troublesome cars with baffling electronic problems.
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Okay. I will certainly bow to your experience.

Would you mind expanding on what/how I should check specifically? This is not my area of expertise but I do not mind learning/trying anything.

I had to google before how to check my alternator, and did so.

It's not clear to me what I should do here.
 
Wolfeh said:
Okay. I will certainly bow to your experience.

Would you mind expanding on what/how I should check specifically? This is not my area of expertise but I do not mind learning/trying anything.

I had to google before how to check my alternator, and did so.

It's not clear to me what I should do here.
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Don't bow to my experience, I don't have much, but what I have learnt over the years is that sometimes it's just basic knowledge, logic and common sense you need. Because one will always feel inadequate because you are not experienced enough, people sometimes overthink a basic issue and think it's something complicated.

You said your pump checks out and pressure was tested, injectors replaced as well as the fuel relay, so let's have confidence in that and assume everything is fine.

Now for the spark, start the car and when it's running you will need to remove each of the HT leads and notice how it affects the engine, sometimes the coil is working but not 100%, get gloves some properly insulated plier for this, they are not called high tension leads for nothing.

You will have to rule everything out on the spark issue all the way to the soak plug itself. I just hope your guy did not do some funny bridging stuff on the wires that only himself understands.

Go through all the sensors and check if there are no corroded or cut wires, sometime LS it happens that with bad handling some of the wires snaps.

Check the vacuum hoses for cracks, there must be something, there can't be a mystery of a car that was working fine the previous day and all of a sudden there's a baffling issue that cannot be solved. Do that ecu resetting thing suggested. If everything fails then it's time to look for an expert.
 
TheChamp said:
Don't bow to my experience, I don't have much, but what I have learnt over the years is that sometimes it's just basic knowledge, logic and common sense you need. Because one will always feel inadequate because you are not experienced enough, people sometimes overthink a basic issue and think it's something complicated.

You said your pump checks out and pressure was tested, injectors replaced as well as the fuel relay, so let's have confidence in that and assume everything is fine.

Now for the spark, start the car and when it's running you will need to remove each of the HT leads and notice how it affects the engine, sometimes the coil is working but not 100%, get gloves some properly insulated plier for this, they are not called high tension leads for nothing.

You will have to rule everything out on the spark issue all the way to the soak plug itself. I just hope your guy did not do some funny bridging stuff on the wires that only himself understands.

Go through all the sensors and check if there are no corroded or cut wires, sometime LS it happens that with bad handling some of the wires snaps.

Check the vacuum hoses for cracks, there must be something, there can't be a mystery of a car that was working fine the previous day and all of a sudden there's a baffling issue that cannot be solved. Do that ecu resetting thing suggested. If everything fails then it's time to look for an expert.
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Hi

No I believe everything is stock, no funny bridges. Will check what it does.

I did check the spark before taking it to the mechanic, which led to the shocking (lol) discovery of the leaky plug (all replaced).

I will check the wiring myself, for each sensor, from end to end.

The vacuum hoses have been checked, but I will recheck those.
 
Resetting the ECU did not help.

I have checked but found no vacuum leaks.

I also did not find any broken cables or earthing problems, though I do believe my inspection was not thorough enough, yet.

A question.

I believe my piston rings to be worn, due to soaking of the plugs. Is it possible that this could be the cause of the problem? The problem disappears when the car has idled for a few minutes, which intuitively tells me that heat resolves the issue.

I had previously thought that this might be an electrical issue, with for example the fuel relay being damaged, but achieving better connection once heated up.

Having now essentially exhausted all options in regard to sensors, relays, etc, I am shifting focus to the engine itself, where heat obviously causes expansion.
 
Wolfeh said:
Resetting the ECU did not help.

I have checked but found no vacuum leaks.

I also did not find any broken cables or earthing problems, though I do believe my inspection was not thorough enough, yet.

A question.

I believe my piston rings to be worn, due to soaking of the plugs. Is it possible that this could be the cause of the problem? The problem disappears when the car has idled for a few minutes, which intuitively tells me that heat resolves the issue.

I had previously thought that this might be an electrical issue, with for example the fuel relay being damaged, but achieving better connection once heated up.

Having now essentially exhausted all options in regard to sensors, relays, etc, I am shifting focus to the engine itself, where heat obviously causes expansion.
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Have your engine compression-tested for a bad/blown head gasket.

ETA: Could also be a cylinder head issue (warped/cracked/corroded)
 
Supervan II said:
Have your engine compression-tested for a bad/blown head gasket.

ETA: Could also be a cylinder head issue (warped/cracked/corroded)
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The compression was tested during the initial troubleshooting phase, and it was fine. I am not sure however if that was done at cold start, or once the engine was already hot.
 
Wolfeh said:
The compression was tested during the initial troubleshooting phase, and it was fine. I am not sure however if that was done at cold start, or once the engine was already hot.
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Some pointers:

What I experienced with a car I once had (1979 VW Golf LS 1100cc):
On start-up car would idle roughly, until the engine warmed up, and then I could drive normally - turned out that the head was warped and eventually it blew a section of the gasket out entirely. No fuel/exhaust gas smells.

On another car with a rough idle and misfire (1986 Jetta CLi 1800cc):
Exhaust manifold was leaking, but the knuckle joint was broken, not the gaskets - replaced with an after-market (Wildcat) branch manifold). Exhaust fumes could be noticed when driving.

On yet another car with a rough idle and misfire (2000 Daewoo Matiz 800cc):
Replaced coil, HT leads, rotor (check yours!) and all plugs - just needed an ECU reset and everything was fine, BUT I had to do EXACTLY as explained, no shortcuts! No smells present.

BTW: Where are you located?
 
TheChamp said:
What are the plugs soaked in, oil or fuel?
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Oil

I wanted to check them just now, since they have been replaced recently, but it seems the new ones are too big for my spark plug wrench, so can't remove them, right now.
 
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TheChamp said:
Another red flag there, of course assuming the wrench is the one he has been using all along.
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And the spark plugs fitted are the correct ones for his specific engine and gapped accordingly.

I would remove each one individually, clean and re-insert, and then start the engine (each time after refitting a plug) to see which plug is the most likely culprit.
 
My Corsa has bad rings on one or two of the cylinders, I have no idle or running issues at all, but it smokes on startup sometimes and it makes high sump compression when its cold, the breather spits oil into the intake gumming up sensors after it.

What mine looks like:
 
I have actually been using non-standard plugs for a while.

Two and three pin ones to see if that helps with the oil as a temporary solution.

I was strongly considering having the engine redone, when this issue popped up, which I wanted to resolve first before making such a big expense.

Supposedly the ones in now are the correct ones as specified by the manufacturer.

I mean to go buy the bigger wrench this morning.
 
ArmatageShanks said:
My Corsa has bad rings on one or two of the cylinders, I have no idle or running issues at all, but it smokes on startup sometimes and it makes high sump compression when its cold, the breather spits oil into the intake gumming up sensors after it.

What mine looks like:
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Will examine mine with that in mind, thanks.
 
Supervan II said:
And the spark plugs fitted are the correct ones for his specific engine and gapped accordingly.

I would remove each one individually, clean and re-insert, and then start the engine (each time after refitting a plug) to see which plug is the most likely culprit.
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I have tried multiple different clean plug sets and it made no difference. It was one of the things I tried before taking it to the mechanic.
 
ArmatageShanks said:
My Corsa has bad rings on one or two of the cylinders, I have no idle or running issues at all, but it smokes on startup sometimes and it makes high sump compression when its cold, the breather spits oil into the intake gumming up sensors after it.

What mine looks like:
Click to expand...
For all the bad reps they get around here, the Corsa must have one of the most reliable engines ever made, I have seen plenty Tazzes smoking all over the place even when they don't have high mileage at all.

I have nothing but respect for that 8V engine.
 
TheChamp said:
For all the bad reps they get around here, the Corsa must have one of the most reliable engines ever made, I have seen plenty Tazzes smoking all over the place even when they don't have high mileage at all.

I have nothing but respect for that 8V engine.
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Agreed, a testament to how good it is its been in continuous production since 1987.

en.wikipedia.org

GM Family 1 engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
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