£1000 Vectra SRI daily shed
Discussion
Defcon5 said:
I got a 2007 Vectra 1.8 SRI in 2016 to tide me over. Was on 80k at the time.
Last week it hit 140k, as I still have it. Utterly reliable, huge, long term average of 36mpg (it does school runs twice a day etc) but will do 50mpg on a run to the coast etc.
If it died tomorrow I’d just go get another one exactly the same.
Good to know! The SRI spec is the best compromise also I think, still looks presentable being quite an old car now, saw a lower spec Vectra this morning, and it looked considerably more dated compared to the SRI cosmetics.Last week it hit 140k, as I still have it. Utterly reliable, huge, long term average of 36mpg (it does school runs twice a day etc) but will do 50mpg on a run to the coast etc.
If it died tomorrow I’d just go get another one exactly the same.
The 1.8's do seem reliable, and have heard this over and over again, nice not to worry about the usual diesel things.
shalmaneser said:
No, standard SRI cloth I believe, pleasant enough though.So rest day for the Vectra, with me at home today, thought would do a filter service, air and cabin, cabin filter is the most easiest thing I have ever replaced, so well done Vauxhall on that, take note you supposedly more superior cars!!!
Removed all the crap from the rain channels and drain plug in front of the filter, no build up there.
Booked in for oil (too messy for me, been there done that) and timing belt/tensioners next (again surprisingly cheap item in comparison to other cars to replace).
127,000 miles
Just ticked over 127k, so done about 800 miles in the Veccy since purchased. MPG averaging around 48mpg combined, with a few local errands and long distance driving, pretty good considering the price of unleaded at moment!
Nice bit of dirt patina going on, looks better abit grubby.
Pretty happy with it tbh, just does exactly what it needs to do, very overlooked car I feel, outshined by the Germans unfairly I think, driving a 3 series also, back to back some days, I do like driving this Vectra.
Few long haul trips next week for work, so happy to jump in this and crack on.
Week after next is cambelt and oil service, get it up on the ramps and have a look, I know the exhaust is blowing at little.
Just ticked over 127k, so done about 800 miles in the Veccy since purchased. MPG averaging around 48mpg combined, with a few local errands and long distance driving, pretty good considering the price of unleaded at moment!
Nice bit of dirt patina going on, looks better abit grubby.
Pretty happy with it tbh, just does exactly what it needs to do, very overlooked car I feel, outshined by the Germans unfairly I think, driving a 3 series also, back to back some days, I do like driving this Vectra.
Few long haul trips next week for work, so happy to jump in this and crack on.
Week after next is cambelt and oil service, get it up on the ramps and have a look, I know the exhaust is blowing at little.
whytheory said:
Still can't believe you picked this up for a grand, bit jealous tbh!
Finding someone who is jealous of my a Vectra, means alot 
Joking aside, yeah it was abit of a bargain in all honesty, it's the bodywork in my mind that made it dip this low, it's rather ratty up close, but I don't see that when I'm driving it.
Working from home now this week, so it will most likely be parked up for a few days, did Worcester - Cheshire and back yesterday, all in its stride.
It is a little rattly at idle and start up, heard this can be common with VVT engines (could be the cam solenoids or something, I did top the oil up) it's in next week with my mate for its cambelt, no EML is showing so not too fussed at the moment, drives great so it can rattle as much as it wants, beauty of shed motoring, he can take a look to see if it's anything remotely important that needs a slight bit of worry
At the end of the day, I'm certainly not worrying about a £1k Vectra
if it goes and stops all is well.Exhaust is blowing also, so it does sound a little council...so this needs rectifying immediately!! As this is quite embarrassing, as people must think I've added an exhaust!!! Yikes!
Edited by 757 on Thursday 21st April 11:24
So, little update.
The car has never had a timing belt!! As far as my mechanic says, it's the original belt, wow! 127,000+ miles on the original belt and tensioners.
The fuel filter was changed, again original item and was so badly rusted on it took alot longer ramp time to get it off!
Also, the oil filter was completely collapsed, and was physically stuck, again taking a bit of time to free and replace.
So, I think I have caught this car just in time, by the sounds of it.
He confirmed the cams are rattly a little, but suspected the oil filter didn't help matters, so see how it goes after it's clean bill, if it chucks an EML in the future I may look into cam phaser/solenoid replacements.
I supplied the wrong timing belt kit, so this had to be ordered AGAIN delaying the return of the car, only myself to blame for this unfortunately.
Hoping to remedy the "council blowy exhaust" tomorrow, guessing it's the flex
The car has never had a timing belt!! As far as my mechanic says, it's the original belt, wow! 127,000+ miles on the original belt and tensioners.
The fuel filter was changed, again original item and was so badly rusted on it took alot longer ramp time to get it off!
Also, the oil filter was completely collapsed, and was physically stuck, again taking a bit of time to free and replace.
So, I think I have caught this car just in time, by the sounds of it.
He confirmed the cams are rattly a little, but suspected the oil filter didn't help matters, so see how it goes after it's clean bill, if it chucks an EML in the future I may look into cam phaser/solenoid replacements.
I supplied the wrong timing belt kit, so this had to be ordered AGAIN delaying the return of the car, only myself to blame for this unfortunately.
Hoping to remedy the "council blowy exhaust" tomorrow, guessing it's the flex
Cheers. Yeah I am pretty happy with it.
So, the rattle was coming from the cams, but now we have sorted the completely squashed/collapsed oil filter, it has almost completely eliminated it, so the oil pressure must of been incorrect and starving the cams, VVT runs/works off oil pressure I believe.
Exhaust has a massive hole in the back box section, so off to the scrappers to see if I can find one to fit off a breaking Vectra, bit of time before the MOT in Sept' to find and fit one.
So, the rattle was coming from the cams, but now we have sorted the completely squashed/collapsed oil filter, it has almost completely eliminated it, so the oil pressure must of been incorrect and starving the cams, VVT runs/works off oil pressure I believe.
Exhaust has a massive hole in the back box section, so off to the scrappers to see if I can find one to fit off a breaking Vectra, bit of time before the MOT in Sept' to find and fit one.
xcseventy said:
Always thought these in petrol form would make a great cheap motor, and this looks a good example. Very impressed with that cambelt at 127k!
Yeah didn't really want to play cambelt roulette, it did cross my mind tbh, as it's a shed and cba sticking too much into it, but, it still needs to be somewhat reliable as my work hack, the belt was very cracked so was very much overdue when I inspected it.Stupidly cheap, stupidly unfashionable (why it's cheap), flying under the radar petrol car, just what I was after - hopefully will give me at least a couple of years out of it.
757 said:
Exhaust has a massive hole in the back box section, so off to the scrappers to see if I can find one to fit off a breaking Vectra, bit of time before the MOT in Sept' to find and fit one.
IMHO, you should change that box sooner rather than later, because it will pay itself in smaller petrol consumption, not to mention less noise. ST565NP said:
757 said:
Exhaust has a massive hole in the back box section, so off to the scrappers to see if I can find one to fit off a breaking Vectra, bit of time before the MOT in Sept' to find and fit one.
IMHO, you should change that box sooner rather than later, because it will pay itself in smaller petrol consumption, not to mention less noise. Thought I would try a VX field remedy to try and stop some of this rattle when warm or knocky'ness, pinpointed the knocks to the VVT solenoids, so removed one of these (the easy one for now) see what's what, slightly dirty, and removed the little filters supposedly the remedy could help oil the cams better.
Front one was ok, but the exhaust side was a bugger and didn't have the correct tool to get into the space, will save that more the next time.
Let see how it goes, if at all any improvement, I may in the end replace these solenoids for fresh ones, if these are little noisy.
Front one was ok, but the exhaust side was a bugger and didn't have the correct tool to get into the space, will save that more the next time.
Let see how it goes, if at all any improvement, I may in the end replace these solenoids for fresh ones, if these are little noisy.
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