odd happenings

[scoobydan]

Right so to start with I'm new to the whole vaux life as my name suggests but sayin that I do like my new toy "she all comfy and quiet" but went to start her this morn and she was lumpy and powerless from tickover to about 3000 rpm but smoothed out after 5 mins of just sitting on tickover.
So waited 10 mins checked oil only to find it was empty took about 2L and finally touched just above min so went off to buy more oil when I came back she was off the max ( I poured in about 500ml then waited 5 mins and repeated. This accounts for the 2L I put in ) so my question is the oil thing normal and anyone know y she lumpy?
So i seem to have waffled a bit but the best way I can explain it
Cheers for any advice Dan
Oh Ye and she is a 2003 2.2 sxi petrol

[John LE]

Did you know that the oil should be checked 5 minutes after switching the car off (at full temperature)?

[scoobydan]

Read it somewhere on a forum might have been this one it was when i bought the car. Is that right or should it have been cold ?

[John LE]

No no it should be done hot. Just trying to narrow things down a bit

[Johnsdutton]

Oil should be checked at operating temp, as John said.

[m8internet]

Yes, when cold the level is typically just above the maximum (and some owners are known to panic, visit dealership only to have it confirmed the level is correct)

What sort of mileage is it on?
When was the last service?

Finally, don't sit for long periods on idle whilst allowing the engine to warm up
Instead just gently drive (up to 60% throttle and no more than 5000rpm on petrol) until the engine temperature starts to move, then you can give it beans

Try the above and compare

It is highly unusual for the revs to sit at 3000rpm on idle, so clearly something wrong there
Normally this would put the engine into safemode, so clearly this is mechanical rather than electrical
Keep your eye on this over the next 10 or so engine starts
It may simply be from the engine having sat out of use for the last few months (without knowing the vehicle history)
There is a program in the petrol engines that raises revs on cold idle, where moisture is detected in the system, usually caused by long term storage of cars outside and especially during winter
I had this happen on my previous Vectra B, after I didn't use it over one entire winter, the dealership advised me that it would clear after starting the engine about 5 more times, which it did

[scoobydan]

Slight confusion it ticks over lovely at just under 1000 but when reved or under load lumpy sort of miss firing till 3k having said all this it does seem to be getting better although is this just highlighting an under lying prob or am I just being parinoid due to not having much luck with her so far.
She is at 86000 miles and I have no previous history
I've had her about 6 weeks and no engine probe till now