SpannerLight-Itis

**limpmodeblues** · 30th December 2006, 05:59

Had lots of intermittent problems on my 2.2DTI with the spanner light coming on at lowish revs when accelerating in 4th or 5th. It's done it since I got the car at 20k miles. Seems to do it only with a hot engine and only when it feels like it with just me driving it. Putting a trailer on the back of the car with just over a ton of sound equipment in it guarantees the damn spanner and limp mode when changing from 3rd to 4th unless I rev it very high in 3rd first, so it's triggered at high load/low revs. Stoppng and restarting the engine always cures it. The Vx dealer could never find a fault code when the car was under warranty. Have replaced the Mass Airflow sensor (and crankshaft sensor when it started stalling at idle, which cured that fault). I've just been reading posts about the turbo to intercooler pipe splitting, so if it ever stops raining, I'll check that out. Any other ideas which don't involve spending more than the car is worth at a Vx dealer? The fault has happened so many times that I'm a master at quickly stopping and restarting the engine on the move!

**limpmodeblues** · 3rd January 2007, 22:41

Checked out the turbo hoses today. No problems there, but I noticed that the engine cover had worn right through the white nylon vacuum pipe that goes to a unit on top of the injector pump. It seems to come from the turbo unit via a junction near the fuel filter. This could well have been causing problems! Cut back the pipe and fitted a piece of larger tube over it to protect it in future and refitted. Got a long run in the car tomorrow, so we'll see what happens...
I remember my Vx dealer finding an other worn through vac pipe at the rear of the engine 18 months ago, so keep a good eye on yer pipes lads!

**limpmodeblues** · 5th January 2007, 15:20

Repairing the vacuum pipe seems to have fixed it - so far!

**coogsyrsv** · 28th January 2007, 23:14

sorry could you explain to me where exactly the pipe is, as this has happened to me on few occasions, stop starting on the move is what i had been doing, but its been a few months now since its happened, but also ben a while since ive been on the road where it would of usually happened, 3rd to 4th gear at low revs, about to approach the bottome of a steap hill, spanner came on then off n on engine to resolve it, must have a look at this pipe your talking about, thanks...any more info on it would be great...

**limpmodeblues** · 30th January 2007, 01:47

Hi, In order to check the pipe that failed on my car, remove the plastic cover at the top of the engine (3 Torx socket bolts). You will see the thin nylon pipe (it was white on my car) running under where the plastic cover was, going into a unit which is the injector pump. It had been touching the plastic cover, which had worn right through it.
If that's ok, follow the pipe right back around the engine to the turbo area. My dealer once found it had worn through there too. Make sure the turbo is cold before you do this!
If all the pipes are ok, check the posts on this site regarding checking the turbo hoses and cleaning the Mass Airflow sensor.
I replaced the Mass Airflow sensor on my car. That was the actual cause of the spanner light and all was fine until the thin vacuum pipe wore through. Now it's all ok!
I got the new Mass Airflow sensor from vauxhallpartswarehouse on Ebay at a very cheap price for the genuine replacement Bosch part.
Hope this all helps!
Regards,
Gordon.

**pete mc** · 31st January 2007, 22:21

Hi ya, I had same prob on 53 plate signum 2.2dti limp mode when pulling away in 4th/5th gear no codes stored dealers were useless finally managed to get it to dealer in limp mode and fault evident think it was code 0123.
anyway after many dealer trips and no solution i left it at dealers and told em they were'nt getting their courtesy car back until they had sorted it!
did the trick apparently vauxhall central tech dept said it was turbo, so after they tried to get me to pay to which they were told very unpolitely to go play with themselves they replaced turbo 3 days before network q warranty ran out!! apparently its to do with the vanes sticking in the variable vane turbo!

**limpmodeblues** · 9th March 2007, 20:16

Thanks for replying. Seems like there are many causes of this problem. I still get it occasionally if I fill up with BP Diesel, but Shell diesel doesn't seem to cause the problem.....very strange!