z18xer vvti, problems, problems

[gstore]

hi everyone,
having some problems with my 2006 1.8 vvti sri.
i have done a lot of work to it of lately,
timing belt,
camshaft and crankshaft oil seals,
water pump and thermostat.
anyway after all this work was done she was going great then the car with the spanner light came on and it was down in power.
thought that maybe the timing had slipped a tooth so had a check and it looked the same.
went and bought the cam pulley locking tool to make sure and redone the belt and it still the same.
done the peddle test and im getting these codes=
0014 = b camshaft position
0014 = b camshaft position
0304 = cylinder 4 misfire
0170 = fuel trim malfunction (bank 1)

i also removed the vvti solnoids and done away with the wee filters but this is still happening.
just yesterday a vauxhall gay told me to remove the cat as their is just over 152k on the car to see if that had an effect and yes it did, its going a bit quicker but the light came back on after a while and the loss of power returned.
if it were just the p0304 code i would say it was the coilpack but it goes like a dream once i start it then after a while the light comes on and the power goes.
any susgestions anyone???????????????????

[ridgers84]

When were your spark plugs last done? It could possibly be the coil pack, when mine went it was inconsistent, sometimes rev'd cleanly, sometimes lost power.....

[Chris SRi]

Could be the HT leads? Have they ever been replaced?

[benny]

Don't think the vauxhall guys sexuality has got todo with your fault ! ...when you did the camseals did you use any tools ...you say you bought a cam locking tool after doing the belt and doing the seals .. ? So I take it no tools were used ?




The plug lead comment has made me chuckle for about ten min while eating my brekie .. It never fails to amaze me how people guess faults on cars .......I hope you know your car don't have plug leads !

[gstore]

fitted new plugs, fuel filter, oil and air filter yesterday, HT leads are a no go on theses models CHRIS SRI, they are electronic and have a coil pack.
Benny, your right, i ment GUY, lol.
i had no locking tool when i done the cam seals, i didnt notice till it was tool late that their is no locating pins or woodruff keys on these pulleys, i just done them by marking them with tipex.
then i bought the HEYNES manual and noticed that the cam cover needed to come off and camshafts needed to be locked using a flat bit of 4.5mm steal with 2 groves filed out of it to clear the camshaft sensor trigger lugs.
this i done when i bought the 2 peice locking tool fdor the cam pulleys,
have to say this though, when usuing the 2 peice locking tool, the timing marks would NOT line up with the line on this tool, one was slightly lower and the other slghtly higher??????????????
but when i done this the inlet cam was out by "at the most" half a tooth,
the car went a bit better then the light came on again and power loss returned.
i wish i had never done those cam seals as they were not gone as i thought and i think ive dissturbed something else in the process.

[Ben50n]

Are the cam sensors plugged in properly? Could be a bad connection?

[gstore]

im just after reading this haynes manual and its saying that on the z18xer engine the camshaft followers are not self adjusting like on the z18xe engine, they are solid and need to be checked and replaced if needed.
also that the timing can be slightly adjusted by the vvt system by use of pressurised oil in the camshaft timing belt sprockets via the 2 electro-magnetic oil control valves.
this has got me thinking,??
my car has done over 152k and ive never changed the VVT oil control valves nor checked the camshaft followers either.
think ill phone the stealers and see how much these are each.
65.40 for one.
ill think ill try these first.

[gstore]

Are the cam sensors plugged in properly? Could be a bad connection?

will chack them later today.

[benny]

You need to slack the Cam pulley bolts off so they are loose lock both cams under the cam cover with the steel plate then retime the cam pulleys useing the two peice tool retorque the cam pulleys ..... Retime the bottom to the pulleys and it will all work fine

[gstore]

hi benny,
that is exactly what i done mate, i also turned it over a few times by hand and all the marks line up.
i fitted a new vvt oil control valve to the inlet cam yesterday and a brand new coilpack today.
the eml has not came on today but it still feels like its of a cylinder,
its going ok but doesnt sound right.
im now wondering if its a blocked or faulty injector??
i wana out rule all the silly things betor i go internal.
speaking of internal, i done a compression test a while back and if im right cylinder 4 was a bit low.
just found it there, posted 3rd of march this year.
cylinder 1 = 9.5 "timing belt end"
cylinder 2 = 9.5
cylinder 3 = 9.5
cylinder 4 = 7.5
would this low compression on cylinder 4 throw up a misfire and make me loss power ?????
i dread to think what the cause of this would be if so.
piston rings, valve steam oil seals, chipped or worn valve,
im gonna cry, lol