Insignia engine problem

[evoivboy]

Looking for some views on our car

It went in to a Vauxhall dealer with rough starting problems, they said it would need a regen £250 so I said go ahead, it was Friday, they rang back and said it's not solved it and the next step is to check the injectors which have to be sent off £150

On Tuesday I rang them to ask how it's going, injectors are back today, they ring back later that day to say it hasn't fixed it and the seals could be the problem so sourcing those to fit,

They rang back Thursday to say not solved it, the cam belt is lose and could be that with the timing pin and the cam belt is due anyway,
would be £907! I said ok go ahead

Heard nothing until yesterday saying it's not solved it again!
The technician thinks as the belt was lose it could be internal damage and would need to strip to look, but then might not know with naked eye, £700 to just strip
This is a 2012 2L 80k miles diesel worth around £3000 (or was)

Would you put any more money into it?

Thanks

[samoht]

I wouldn't spend any more money on it at that Vauxhall dealer, they seem to be taking the opportunity to change random parts at your expense, and the 'internal damage' sounds like even more of an opportunity to do some "internal damage" to your wallet.

Either take it to an independent specialist who's knowledgeable about those engines, or call it quits I guess. But probably worth taking it to a well-recommended indy and asking them what they think - they may recognise the symptoms and be able to offer a fix, rather than throwing random parts at it. Or they may say 'that's scrap', in which case at least you've had a second opinion.

[anonymous-user]

It appears that trying to run an old car while not knowing anything about cars is 100% an invitation to get your trousers pulled down.

If I had a 2012 Insignia that developed an issue I'd take it to a scrap yard before I took it to a main dealer, clueless robbing tts. Go and get the car and take it to a proper garage nearby. It's probably a £12 glow plug

[pigeyman]

evoivboy said:

It went in to a Vauxhall dealer with rough starting problems, they said it would need a regen £250 so I said go ahead

lol

evoivboy said:

would be £907! I said ok go ahead

lol

evoivboy said:

£700 to just strip

There's your problem. Well actually your real problem is owning an Insignia in the first place but whatever.

evoivboy said:

Would you put any more money into it?

No. And it's pretty much commonplace to never take anything back to a Vauxhall main dealer for something so much as a light bulb. It's probably written in the Bible somewhere. Assuming you've actually got any money left, take it to a reputable independent specialist and ask them to have a look. They'll either be able to fix it, or it won't be cost effective and they suggest you get rid. Which I hope they do.

[anonymous-user]

Fair point - if it starts and runs and doesn't have any warning lights you could cash in on the silly prices and get rid of it at WBAC. It won't have to do a cold start and you won't have to own an Insignia anymore

[evoivboy]

stickleback123 said:

Fair point - if it starts and runs and doesn't have any warning lights you could cash in on the silly prices and get rid of it at WBAC. It won't have to do a cold start and you won't have to own an Insignia anymore

yep, I think that's what we will do

Thanks all for your views

[p4cks]

pigeyman said:

stuff

You come across as a bit of a bellend in that post... especially considering that a Saab is a Vectra, the Insignias older brother

Edited by p4cks on Thursday 20th January 18:04

[anonymous-user]

p4cks said:

pigeyman said:

stuff

You come across as a bit of a bellend in that post... especially considering that a Saab is a Vectra, the Insignias older brother

Edited by p4cks on Thursday 20th January 18:04

I'm with pigeyman on this. Easy to call someone a bellend while sat in your bedroom with your PJ's on.

[NMNeil]

evoivboy said:

Looking for some views on our car

It went in to a Vauxhall dealer with rough starting problems, they said it would need a regen £250 so I said go ahead, it was Friday, they rang back and said it's not solved it and the next step is to check the injectors which have to be sent off £150

On Tuesday I rang them to ask how it's going, injectors are back today, they ring back later that day to say it hasn't fixed it and the seals could be the problem so sourcing those to fit,

They rang back Thursday to say not solved it, the cam belt is lose and could be that with the timing pin and the cam belt is due anyway,
would be £907! I said ok go ahead

Heard nothing until yesterday saying it's not solved it again!
The technician thinks as the belt was lose it could be internal damage and would need to strip to look, but then might not know with naked eye, £700 to just strip
This is a 2012 2L 80k miles diesel worth around £3000 (or was)

Would you put any more money into it?

Thanks

It seems that the dealer doesn't employ technicians who can actually diagnose a problem, but instead just have parts hangers who rely on guesswork.

[pigeyman]

p4cks said:

especially considering that a Saab is a Vectra, the Insignias older brother

Ah you're one of those people.

edit: a bellend

Edited by pigeyman on Thursday 20th January 18:25

[stevemcs]

£907 for a cambelt. .... we have just charged less than £400 for supply and fit.

Glowplugs tend to put the "engine service rrequired" message on the dash - no engine light just that warning. Glow plugs are either standard, 3 standard and one pressure sensor type or if really unlucky 4 pressure sensor glow plugs. Your looking around £129 plus VAT each if its the pressure type.

If the timing was out it would usually struggle to start but put in cam position faults.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I wouldn't use that dealer again ever.

They are supposed to know what they are doing and have worked on that engine for years.

Not guessing.

They either don't know what they are doing or they they don't care and it's standard procedure to run up a bill on purpose knowing what the true issue is.

They have a code reader for a start and it's not a wildly exotic hand built engine on a limited build run.

[p4cks]

I was referring to the slagging off of the OP's car choice; poor form IMO

[pigeyman]

p4cks said:

I was referring to the slagging off of the OP's car choice; poor form IMO

I answered his question with useful information. Some of which, unfortunately, is that diesel powered Insignia's are st cars. What's your problem?

[stevieturbo]

evoivboy said:

Looking for some views on our car

It went in to a Vauxhall dealer with rough starting problems, they said it would need a regen £250 so I said go ahead, it was Friday, they rang back and said it's not solved it and the next step is to check the injectors which have to be sent off £150

On Tuesday I rang them to ask how it's going, injectors are back today, they ring back later that day to say it hasn't fixed it and the seals could be the problem so sourcing those to fit,

They rang back Thursday to say not solved it, the cam belt is lose and could be that with the timing pin and the cam belt is due anyway,
would be £907! I said ok go ahead

Heard nothing until yesterday saying it's not solved it again!
The technician thinks as the belt was lose it could be internal damage and would need to strip to look, but then might not know with naked eye, £700 to just strip
This is a 2012 2L 80k miles diesel worth around £3000 (or was)

Would you put any more money into it?

Thanks

Once again, in competent dealers/garages firing the parts cannon on a customer at huge expense !!!

I know it's incredibly difficult, but you need to find a competent garage.

And pigeyman is correct. How so many garages get away with this st is unreal.

[NMNeil]

Can you get a copy of the error codes that the garage pulled from the ECM?
Here in the US the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia is marketed as the Buick Regal, and this article explains the reduced power issue, and some of it's causes for GM cars.
https://www.carparts.com/blog/what-triggers-reduce...

[Sheepshanks]

evoivboy said:

Looking for some views on our car

It went in to a Vauxhall dealer with rough starting problems, they said it would need a regen £250 so I said go ahead, it was Friday, they rang back and said it's not solved it and the next step is to check the injectors which have to be sent off £150

On Tuesday I rang them to ask how it's going, injectors are back today, they ring back later that day to say it hasn't fixed it and the seals could be the problem so sourcing those to fit,

They rang back Thursday to say not solved it, the cam belt is lose and could be that with the timing pin and the cam belt is due anyway,
would be £907! I said ok go ahead

Heard nothing until yesterday saying it's not solved it again!
The technician thinks as the belt was lose it could be internal damage and would need to strip to look, but then might not know with naked eye, £700 to just strip
This is a 2012 2L 80k miles diesel worth around £3000 (or was)

Would you put any more money into it?

Thanks

I wouldn’t be paying those bills without a massive fight (if necessary). They're supposed to be experts and they can’t take well over a grand off you for absolutely nothing. Speak to the service manager, or even the dealer general manager.

[evoivboy]

NMNeil said:

Can you get a copy of the error codes that the garage pulled from the ECM?
Here in the US the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia is marketed as the Buick Regal, and this article explains the reduced power issue, and some of it's causes for GM cars.
https://www.carparts.com/blog/what-triggers-reduce...

there are no codes

[stevemcs]

What exactly is it doing, is it only when cold, every time it’s started …

[stevieturbo]

Sheepshanks said:

I wouldn’t be paying those bills without a massive fight (if necessary). They're supposed to be experts and they can’t take well over a grand off you for absolutely nothing. Speak to the service manager, or even the dealer general manager.

The dealers will then use the excuse....oh, but we asked the customer for permission before the work was carried out.....and they said "they think" this is the problem...as opposed to certain.

But it is a total disgrace so many garages do this. Yes, many faults can be very very difficult to diagnose properly and be 100% confident in a diagnosis.
But most of these places just haven't got the first notion about diagnosing faults. Which is mental when as you say, they should be the experts as they have manufacturer support and tech lines being main dealers. They should have the best of everything.

Except they do not....all too often they're full of idiots who wash cars and say they're serviced etc.