Any Mechanics or MNers whose DP/DH are a Mechanic????? I could do with some advice!!!

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Our vauxhall corsa has been a nightmare for years. It's pretty old now L reg. For at least the last 5 years it has been mysteriously stalling on and off. It always has done when overheating OR, bizarrely if too many 'things' are on in the car (heater, headlights etc - yes I know it sounds bizarre - DP thought so too until he started driving it).

It is DEFINITELY not a battery problem. It seems almost like a fuel supply problem, however, when we completely removed the engine immobiliser a couple of months ago the problem disappeared for a month or two. (I had often felt that the immobiliser played a part in it because the immobiliser would kick in straight away when the engine died - unlike when you simply turn the engine off it gives you 20 seconds 'grace').

So, it seems like an electrical fuel supply problem.

Our problem is money. We cant afford to get it to a mechanic. (Certainly cant afford to buy a new car). It is only insured for about £500 - its worth is probably less now though...... We need to keep this car - DP works 25 miles away.

Secondly, there arent such things as "scrap" yards anymore either. DP thinks he knows which part we need, but, how on earth do we go about getting a cheap "reconditioned" one?

Any advice at all please? We are desperate.... DP broke down 28 times during his 25 mile journey yesterday.... He was half an hour late for work.

you could ask a small independent garage if they could get the part or just ask their advice, there's quite a big scrap yard round here

My dh has bought car parts from ebay - have you tried there?

if you google scrap yards therte are several online cos who supply reconditioned stuff.

Have you checked your yellow pages - there are still lots of car breakers around

Thank you for the replies so far....

First of all - DP just rang me. Says that the car has just completely died on him. He has been trying for nearly an hour to get it started and he is stuck halfway between home and halfway between the childminder's.

Childminder has got to hang on to the DC's for another hour (they were supposed to be picked up at 4.30-5ish). My Dad is going to get them, but, unusually my mum is at the dentist 9 miles away and he has to fight through rush hour first and take her home (she's having major work done), and then go get them. I cant leave work - not for another hour at least anyway, which is pretty pointless really.

DP in the meantime is still stuck miles away....

Ebay may be an idea but he's not sure about what part he needs exactly. Local garages are not 'enquiry' friendly tbh. They wont give advice because they want your money. Understandable.

DP's understanding was that scrap yards were 'outlawed' due to environmental damage (oil etc leaking into water table/soil), so they had to fit special tanks for cars to go in, be broken apart bit by bit etc. MUCH more expensive a job so not worth them selling bits off so cheaply as they used to...apparently. Im hoping someone can correct DP on this though????

car spare finder website.

I will see if there's any other useful inf out there.

btw you don't have comprehensive insurance do you? It's just not worth it with a car that old.

used parts directory

ufindus list of breakers.

I think they do still exist!

what a pain for you and dh.

Are there any 'man with a van' type mechanics round your way? The ones that come to you and fix the problem. When I had an old car I used to use one an he was really cheap.

Thanks Jan.

No, insurance is 3rd party only. The problem with that is, if he leaves the car where it is overnight it will be stripped by the morning.

I will look at the breakers yard stuff.

Iota....we really, really cant afford a mechanic. DP can do the fitting of the part himself, but, its finding the part, and, confirming the diagnosis so that its not a waste of money buying a part that doesnt solve the problem.

There definitely are still scrap yards around - just think they call themselves something else now. We've got all sorts from our local one and saved a fortune.

Defnitely scrap yards around - it's a booming trade at the moment as the price of scrap metal has rocketed. They tend to be based in industrial estates - try looking for scrap metal merchants or car and commercial vehicle dismantlers.

Hi
Just seen this. My dp is a mechanic so will ask him to have a look at your post when he gets in this evening! He actually works on Fords but also looks after various people's cars, inc. vauxhalls. Whereabouts are you?

we had a problem smilar to this on our old L reg car some years back.

It turned out to be the ignition module.

It was an intermitton problem. somedays the car could be ok and others it'd break down or die on us completely!!

Hope this helps.

Dp just got home and has read op. He says it could be a number of things, but thinks it is most likely a thermostat, but might be an alternator if having too many things switched on is affecting it.
He says does the cooling fan cut in when it happens? Is there any water in cooling system?
He thinks the car is probably too old but it might be doing it because of some sort of safety device to protect the engine.
He also asks what part are you thinking of replacing and where are you as he might know of places that sell reconditioned parts near you.
We are off out later tonight but will chck back a couple of tiems before we leave, and when we get back (won't be out late as I'm pg and will be falling asleep in my dinner by about 9pm!)

OH thank you redclover!!! and your dp.

DP has gone to bed but I will ask him in the morning. He mentioned having a look at the carburetter earlier, and checking the fuel pump or fuel management systems.

We are in North London.

Dp says make sure the car has got a carburetta (sp!) and not a central fuel injection (CFI) as these apparently look the same? It's very important to know apparently.
He says it's not the fuel pump or the car wouldn't start in the first place. If it's the fuel management system you will need to to check the power control module and the input and output sensors...
So, hopefully it's the carburetter! It will 'just need cleaning out': Clean out the fuel jets and accelorator diaphragm and check it's not split or perforated. Set up idle speed control (idle speed screw and CO screw (ie fuelling screw)).
Is the car automatic or manual choke? If auto, check coil is releasing, if manual check flaps are working.
Now, if it CFI It will be one of three things: an air leak, the stepper motor or throttle positioning sensor. To check what it could be you need to find out if the car hunts while it's idle (ie on the rpm dial thing does it kind of surge a bit when you have switched it on but arent revving it? It will do this repeatedly).
Sorry it's a long message hope some of this helps! Feel free to email meI'm redclover79 at yahoo dotcom!

THat was really helpful redclover - has given DP some real food for thought. He wants me to mention the following to see what your DP says, if he wouldnt mind:

DP says it looks like a CFI - he says it makes 'sense' to him. But he says he has checked that when the engine 'dies', fuel is not being injected at the top of the 'carburetter' (but its not really a carburetter).

He says it IS hunting on idle. He initially thought it may be the choke but there is an electronic choke module but he cant see any 'flap', just the acceleration flap.

Overheating seems to be a 'bluff' because the engine isnt actually getting hot, but, if the needle starts to move up (to the the first marker of the guage) then thats when it dies. He has crosswired the fan so that it runs as soon as the ignition is switched on, which enables the car to come back to life alot sooner after it 'dies', but it doesnt prevent it happening, or happening again. Without cross-wiring the fan, it will take 15 minutes or so to come back to life (rather than 5 mins with cross-wiring).

He says its doing is &%$ %$%&&& head in!!! Because it makes no sense and defies logic!!!

He says he has a basic knowledge of older manual engines because his dad used to be a mechanic, but anything newer than D or E reg or cars with Central Computer Management he doesnt really know much of.

Any help would be greatly accepted. Thank you and your DP!!!!

vvvqv has he tried some of the car websites? some of the forum there have alot of advice?

no, he hasnt. If they are anything like MN, I'll never see him again

haha yes he would! i got seduced by one the other week, whilst i was looking to fix my windscreen squirter

Hi
Sorry not checked in, had massive pc problems and havent been online all weekend! Will get dp to read your post tomorrow as he's gone to bed!

Okay - no problem. Much appreciated.

Hi, dp says vauxhall might be different, but if this was on a ford he would check the stepper motor.
What did you mean by first marker (first red marker on temp. gauge?)
He also thinks it sounds like it is oveheating due to the difference in recovery time since it's been cross wired.
Does the car get hotair into it (i.e. do heaters work?)
Check the oil, if it is white or gungey it's the head gasket.
Could be a closed thermostat?
Hunting could be due to an air leak.
He also says it sounds like more than one problem. The running problem sounds like a different problem to the overheating one.
Dp has given loads of possibles cos usually he can just hook the car up to a computer!

Thank you.

DP says that it starts to overheat at the very first cold marker.

Yes, hot air blows through the car.

After spinning around the Octane coding plug today it hasnt stalled today.

But, after finally investing in a Haynes manual today he thinks it may be a problem with the heat sensor which is telling the fuel pump relay to shut down unnecessarily. Does that seem viable?