Advice please

**cdms811** · 14th December 2008, 21:14

Driving down th A69 today at around 60 mph in 5th gear. Car judders very quickly, (rocking me forward in my seat, very similar to when I had the Oil Burner and it jumped into limp mode). Around 2 / 3 mins later Fault light (Spanner through car) comes on. I stop and restart the engine, no light on now and no sign that a fault code has been stored (ie. no coming on with ignition and going off). Its done it twice today, never before. Car is an 05 2.2 Direct SRi with 60,000 on.

Advice please

**cdms811** · 14th December 2008, 21:45

thought, i have been running the motor low on fuel, could that be a factor?

**robster23** · 14th December 2008, 21:55

Low fuel running can mean that crap from the bottom of the tank gets sucked up into the filter and create a temporary blockage. Might be contributing to the problem.

The A8 on Top Gear did the same thing (mis fire) but only when it was really on it's last drops.

Puzzle!

**mark_w** · 14th December 2008, 22:50

my first vectra. a 1996 2.0 sri did this. it happened about 3 times, the light went out on restart too. it was the camshaft sensor. kerching!!

**cdms811** · 15th December 2008, 11:12

Expensive then?

**Ste** · 15th December 2008, 11:22

Originally Posted by robster23

Low fuel running can mean that crap from the bottom of the tank gets sucked up into the filter and create a temporary blockage.

Unlikely as most cars (if not all) have a strainer in the tank pick up to prevent this. The misfire is caused by sucking up air with the fuel

**VauxVeteran** · 15th December 2008, 11:37

Originally Posted by cdms811

Expensive then?

Generally about £250 fitted at VX.

And that is how things start when it goes on the blink, you could try flushing the engine if it's due a service as sludge can block a working sensor and stop it working, hth.

**cdms811** · 15th December 2008, 14:22

Thanks VV,

Do you mean flushing as part of an oil change or something to do with the fuel system?

**VauxVeteran** · 15th December 2008, 14:24

Originally Posted by cdms811

Thanks VX,

Do you mean flushing as part of an oil change or something to do with the fuel system?

Yeah, use a VX one, it's got to do the job properly as they use them, Fortron is the name of it, pour it in a hot engine and idle for 10 mins and drain, leave it drain a while to get as much out as you can, getting the car on a tilt towards the sump plug helps.