Car briefly losing power

kiddums

Normally my car hates being cold, so much so that if its been sitting long enough to be starting from cold it lacks power a bit for a few seconds.

Over the weekend I was installing central locking so I had the battery disconnected for a wee while.

Since then the power loss is more noticable, to the point of the car jolting for about 10-15 seconds.
When I pulled out of the estate this morning I put my foot down like I usually do and the car got up to 20mph and just started jolting. It's like the car loses the ability to pick up speed.
Now the road I pull out on to is quiet a busy road so it could be dangerous to be the random slow car pulling out in front.

The engine management light has been on for quite some time, but I've had it looked at. Its the ERG valve and a commom problem in Opels. Apparently its bypassed as it's far cheaper to do than replace.
I'm wondering what could be causing this power loss?

Hopefully someone knows something.


Oh, its an 02 1L Agila.

Buford T Justice

Faulty coil pack perhaps? Try replacing it. May cure the problem.

kiddums

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Faulty coil pack perhaps? Try replacing it. May cure the problem.

Would a coil pack be affected by the engine heating up?
Once the engine heats up a bit its fine, its just when from cold for those few seconds.
I'll see about picking up one tomorrow evening. Are they difficult to change? ie could I do it easily in the drive myself?

Buford T Justice

kiddums wrote: »

Would a coil pack be affected by the engine heating up?
Once the engine heats up a bit its fine, its just when from cold for those few seconds.
I'll see about picking up one tomorrow evening. Are they difficult to change? ie could I do it easily in the drive myself?

They're simple enough to change, but if its faulty the chugging would be constant, so not sure if its related, with the problem only being when its cold.

kiddums

Fingers McGee wrote: »

They're simple enough to change, but if its faulty the chugging would be constant, so not sure if its related, with the problem only being when its cold.

I was kinda thinking that. I had the coil pack fail in my last car in it felt completely different to this.
I'm only guessing its when its cold. It could also be the fact that the fulids would have had time to settle where they were.

If no one knows I'll just have to leave it in somewhere,. but I know there going to blame the EGR and charge me a fortune for it. I just don't have the money to waste like that.

kiddums

OK so I got the fault codes by using the pedal trick.
0340, 0179 & 9179.
0340 is the Camshaft sensor position.
0179 is the fuel composition sensor is reading an incorrect signal

I'm waiting to find out that 9179 means.

I did find out in relation to the fuel composition sensor.

As far as I know the Agila never had one of these fitted, but I do remember a spate of this issue after Tesco had a silicone problem with their petrol and the cure was to replace the O2 sensors.

I'm guessing I should get the camshaft sensor looked at anyway?

Buford T Justice

Can you explain the pedal trick? Is it specific to OPEL?

SteelyDanJalapeno

Dodgy AFM resulting in an incorrect mix of fuel and oxygen?

kiddums

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Can you explain the pedal trick? Is it specific to OPEL?

As far as I know it is.
Basically you hold the brake and accelerator and turn the key till the electrics come on.
The engine repair light will start flashing in a pattern. Count the flashes. 0=10 flashes.
So in my case it was 10 3 4 10 (2 sec gap in flashes) 10 1 7 9 (2 sec gap in flashes) 9 1 7 9 stops flashing.
If it just flashes continiously then there are no codes.
They're supposto be the same codes you get with opels tech 2 thing.

Horgan wrote: »

Dodgy AFM resulting in an incorrect mix of fuel and oxygen?

AFM?
I'm guessing that would be the air intake or fuel pump at fault so?

SteelyDanJalapeno

kiddums wrote: »

AFM?
I'm guessing that would be the air intake or fuel pump at fault so?

Air Flow Meter,

the meter could be faulty causing an incorrect mix, too lean or too rich, I had a similar problem before, it was more temperamental when cold.

kiddums

Horgan wrote: »

Air Flow Meter,

the meter could be faulty causing an incorrect mix, too lean or too rich, I had a similar problem before, it was more temperamental when cold.

I'll get that looked at to see if thats it.
Its just those few seconds when I put my foot down that its temperamental when cold. Once it passes its grand.

SteelyDanJalapeno

sounds like a common issue with them anyway, it would be worth taking it out and cleaning it with carb cleaner before replacing.

http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/showthread.php?157315-Opel-Agila-Engine-Problem-power-loss-engine-jerks

kiddums

Horgan wrote: »

sounds like a common issue with them anyway, it would be worth taking it out and cleaning it with carb cleaner before replacing.

http://www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/showthread.php?157315-Opel-Agila-Engine-Problem-power-loss-engine-jerks

LOL, I tried looking on that forum and couldn't find anything (Or much help for that matter).

I'll look about the water deflector in my local motor factors, see what they know about it.
I wonder what it looks like.

I'm not mechanically minded enough to be taking parts off the engine like that, but I'll ask a friend who should know how to do it.

kiddums

Is there anyone on here in the Donegal/Derry area with an opel fault code reader willing to help out a fellow boardsie?