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Author: Subject: Vectra Tin Top
joneh

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:33 PM Reply With Quote
Vectra Tin Top

Hi all,

Been a while but my build is about to start!

In the meantime, i have a tin top question regarding my 03 vectra c 1.8 ls petrol: I have the spanner/car warning light that comes on every so often, then goes off. I bought a code reader off fleabay but it shows no codes. Paper clip test doesn't work either. Anyone got any ideas? I'm told it could be an MOT failure, although as far as I can see doesn't effect the car in any way. ( other than getting on my nerves )

Thanks for any help!

Jon

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jacko

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:42 PM Reply With Quote
Is it service time light ?
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AndyGT

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:43 PM Reply With Quote
ABS Light and Airbag lights are failures but "spanner light"?

Never heard of that before!!!





nothing is impossible
everything is possible

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joneh

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:46 PM Reply With Quote
Hi,

It's an image of a car with a spanner through it. It's not the service light, that's "insp".

Cheers
Jon

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joneh

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:47 PM Reply With Quote
Hi,

It's an image of a car with a spanner through it. It's not the service light, that's "insp".

Cheers
Jon

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iank

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:50 PM Reply With Quote
This one?

http://www.askthemechanic.co.uk/warning-lights/vauxhall-spanner-light.html





--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous

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britishtrident

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:51 PM Reply With Quote
Press the trip reset button on the dash at the same time press the brake pedal then switch on the ignition, keep brake and trip pressed for 10 to 12 seconds.





[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
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joneh

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:51 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by iank
This one?

http://www.askthemechanic.co.uk/warning-lights/vauxhall-spanner-light.html


Yup, that's the one

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joneh

posted on 6/6/13 at 07:56 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Press the trip reset button on the dash at the same time press the brake pedal then switch on the ignition, keep brake and trip pressed for 10 to 12 seconds.


Thanks, but it's not the service light.

Jon

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number-1

posted on 6/6/13 at 08:10 PM Reply With Quote
You can get an OBD reader that looks like a big usb stick. You plug it in and it records any fault codes as you drive it over x amount of days/ hours The OBD reader you have will draw a blank unless the faults present when its tested. Ive had the EML come on my megane dci and it kept going out for a few weeks until last week it stayed on. The EGR valve was screwed

Heres a link to one, its a bit pricey but no doubt ebay etc will have cheaper ones

http://www.amazon.co.uk/CAR-DATA-RECORDER-OBD-DATALOGGER/dp/B005T5NE4A

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Slimy38

posted on 6/6/13 at 08:34 PM Reply With Quote
Erm, aren't OBDII codes meant to be stored until they're reset? My mates Astra had an intermittent light, a brief session with Torque and a Bluetooth reader showed all sorts of problems, even though the light was off.

The paper clip test may not have worked as they stopped it at some point after the turn of the century (although I can't remember when). And cheap fault code readers can be just as troublesome. Are you able to test the reader on someone else's car?

Edit: By the way, torque I believe can do datalogging, so that may be a cheaper alternative to the above suggestion.

[Edited on 6/6/13 by Slimy38]

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joneh

posted on 6/6/13 at 08:50 PM Reply With Quote
Hi

I've tried a different code reader which works fine on other cars, this also reported no faults. I've also driven around until the light came back on, rescanned and still no codes show!

Jon

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ian locostzx9rc2

posted on 6/6/13 at 09:11 PM Reply With Quote
check all your lights are working[all bulbs] as a spanner light can come on if you have a faulty bulb...aswell
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cliftyhanger

posted on 6/6/13 at 09:28 PM Reply With Quote
on our zafira of the same age, press accelerator and brake pedals down, turn on the ignition. Count th eflashes of the lamp, 10=0, 1=1 and so on. Come in batches of 4.
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number-1

posted on 7/6/13 at 12:15 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
Erm, aren't OBDII codes meant to be stored until they're reset?


Some cars do and some dont. From what the OP said it appears he's doesnt. My megane was the same. No faults stored until the EML was on.

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rallyingden

posted on 7/6/13 at 08:09 AM Reply With Quote
Some mionor codes reset themselves or on the turn off / on of the ignition, like cruise control discrepancy between set and actual speeds. Other more serious ones will cause the engine to go into limp home mode. You say its not affecting your engine so I suspect its a minor. Try to take note of when it comes on eg cold starting, warm starting Etc.

The cheap code readers off ebay dont always work, invest in a little better one or look at OPCOM software for laptop.

RD

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joneh

posted on 7/6/13 at 08:20 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
on our zafira of the same age, press accelerator and brake pedals down, turn on the ignition. Count th eflashes of the lamp, 10=0, 1=1 and so on. Come in batches of 4.


Thanks!

That worked, shows 1481 which I believe is:

P1481 Fan Relay 1 Circuit High C-34
P1481 Fan Relay 1 Signal Low / Open Circuit C-34

Any fix suggestions before I hit google or replace a relay?

Ta,
Jon

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joneh

posted on 2/2/14 at 07:12 PM Reply With Quote
Digging up an old thread here as the problem is still there - the fault codes are P1481 and P0710. I've replaced the cooling relay module with no joy, it seemed to work for about three days now the light comes back on. What's the next step?

question 2; The P0710 code came on once in November, which I cleared using my eBay £15 code reader. The code no longer shows on this but if I do the pedal test, the code still shows, any ideas?

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geoff shep

posted on 2/2/14 at 09:20 PM Reply With Quote
Have a look in here, someone will know that answers. I don't think there is a list of fault codes though.

http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/forum.php

Manual says this:

Control indicator A for engine elec tronics
Illuminates for a few seconds after the
ignition is switched on.
If it illuminates when the engine is running,
there is a fault in engine or transmission
electronics. The electronic system switches
to an emergency running p rogramme. Fuel
consumption may be increased and the
driveability of the vehicle may be impaired.

quote:

check all your lights are working[all bulbs] as a spanner light can come on if you have a faulty bulb...aswell



There is a separate bulb failure light.






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joneh

posted on 3/2/14 at 08:14 PM Reply With Quote
Thanks, searched through and found a few suggestions
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jacko

posted on 3/2/14 at 09:14 PM Reply With Quote
Crank or cam shaft sensor it sounds like what happened on my vectra but mine was a 1.9 diesel
I fitted a new cam first and it was the crank one
If this helps
Jacko
Sorry i got it wrong the engine was a 2L petrol not diesel
Jacko

[Edited on 3/2/14 by jacko]

[Edited on 4/2/14 by jacko]

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joneh

posted on 3/2/14 at 09:45 PM Reply With Quote
Getting my posts muddled up, thanks will take a look at these as well.

Cheers
Jon

[Edited on 3/2/14 by joneh]

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