Loosing the will with my VXR8, might sell
Discussion
As above,
Love the car to bits, only had it since jan this year but it’s driving me mad.
Constantly chasing stuff and wondering what’s next?
To date I’ve done oil and filter
New rear abs sensors
Water pump
MAF sensor
Alternator
New Toyo proxes on rear ( fronts have loads of tread)
Stuck HSV plate on it
Rare fog light grills
Lowered and mapped (R/R print @ 437.3 bhp
It’s got loads of potential and looks mint but can’t get away from the constant niggles
I can drive it for a week without issue then suddenly the stability control off flags up followed not long after by engine management light.
None of this effects running or performance, then 2-3 days later nothing flashes up.
I’ve had it at my local garage must be a dozen times now and all it shows is oxygens running lean ( showing o2 sensor fault)
What gets me is how it comes then goes. I’ve had the codes cleared more time than I remember.
Trouble is it’s my daily, got a works van for the work commute so not used a lot, but I just don’t have the time to get it to a specialist.
Getting to the stage where I’m thinking sell
Love the car to bits, only had it since jan this year but it’s driving me mad.
Constantly chasing stuff and wondering what’s next?
To date I’ve done oil and filter
New rear abs sensors
Water pump
MAF sensor
Alternator
New Toyo proxes on rear ( fronts have loads of tread)
Stuck HSV plate on it
Rare fog light grills
Lowered and mapped (R/R print @ 437.3 bhp
It’s got loads of potential and looks mint but can’t get away from the constant niggles
I can drive it for a week without issue then suddenly the stability control off flags up followed not long after by engine management light.
None of this effects running or performance, then 2-3 days later nothing flashes up.
I’ve had it at my local garage must be a dozen times now and all it shows is oxygens running lean ( showing o2 sensor fault)
What gets me is how it comes then goes. I’ve had the codes cleared more time than I remember.
Trouble is it’s my daily, got a works van for the work commute so not used a lot, but I just don’t have the time to get it to a specialist.
Getting to the stage where I’m thinking sell
Am in the same boat man.
It’s like dating a super model that sings like an angel but she won’t go to the shops or impress your family or friends when yi really wanti show her off. Fkn sucks man. But sometimes yi just want to stare at it then listen to the roar. Family and friends come n go but there won’t be anymore big ozy beauty’s round the next corner. What else’s would you even buy to replace that? Last thing yi wanti goin do is put another run of the mill German on the road 😅. That’s my thoughts any way. Good luck brother.
It’s like dating a super model that sings like an angel but she won’t go to the shops or impress your family or friends when yi really wanti show her off. Fkn sucks man. But sometimes yi just want to stare at it then listen to the roar. Family and friends come n go but there won’t be anymore big ozy beauty’s round the next corner. What else’s would you even buy to replace that? Last thing yi wanti goin do is put another run of the mill German on the road 😅. That’s my thoughts any way. Good luck brother.
Sounds like you have had a rough first couple of months with the car, I understand your frustration and wanting to sell it...
But keep in mind, just about everybody that sells their Aussie V8 eventually suffers from some form of sellers remorse. There is nothing like these cars out there (nothing that could be a direct 1:1 replacement at least)
So before selling, I'd suggest you take a day off and drive her to a specialist like Walkinshaw Performance or MWPerformance, as a last resort.
Since you reported none of the faults affect driveability, I'd even suggest you get up early and take the scenic route to and from the garage. Enjoy the car and try to make the most of that day.
And if a specialist can't help you, you've tried everything you could possibly try.
Keep your head up, mate
But keep in mind, just about everybody that sells their Aussie V8 eventually suffers from some form of sellers remorse. There is nothing like these cars out there (nothing that could be a direct 1:1 replacement at least)
So before selling, I'd suggest you take a day off and drive her to a specialist like Walkinshaw Performance or MWPerformance, as a last resort.
Since you reported none of the faults affect driveability, I'd even suggest you get up early and take the scenic route to and from the garage. Enjoy the car and try to make the most of that day.
And if a specialist can't help you, you've tried everything you could possibly try.
Keep your head up, mate
Try a new battery , if it’s electric issues a battery getting old can cause loads of issues , the other non electric bits can be normal wear and tear , what mileage is the car on , i had a ac belt jump take out the front oil seal that was a bit of a pig to do , then the sump gasket started seeping , one of those frustrating things , all sorted now and enjoying the car again , o2 sensors if they are going only get from a good supplier or they wont work properly , cars like to make us work hard , i bought a forester sti , two little jobs a driveshaft gator took a whole day to do as would not play ball , a loose pipe on the turbo again a simple job , 9 hours later all sorted
Since you have had fault codes come and go as well as having them cleared I suspect (as pointed out) a battery as your likely problem. If that is the case the fault codes that do show up are likely to be false.
If you haven't already done so get the battery and alternator load tested first, Also check the earth leads for corrosion before you spend anymore cash.
Failing all that you have to book the car into VXR8 specialst for further investigation as opposed to throwing new parts at it on the off chance of fixing it.
You mentioned in your post you don't use your car every day, that may be part of the problem as there will be some constant battery drain over a period of time. The fact that the car starts up doesn't mean all of the battery cells are OK.
A battery conditioner which monitors and charges the battery might be worth looking at.
If you haven't already done so get the battery and alternator load tested first, Also check the earth leads for corrosion before you spend anymore cash.
Failing all that you have to book the car into VXR8 specialst for further investigation as opposed to throwing new parts at it on the off chance of fixing it.
You mentioned in your post you don't use your car every day, that may be part of the problem as there will be some constant battery drain over a period of time. The fact that the car starts up doesn't mean all of the battery cells are OK.
A battery conditioner which monitors and charges the battery might be worth looking at.
Thanks for the advice guys.
Tbh I’ve had the battery drop tested and it’s fine. I’ve had the car checked over re corrosion around the earths. Mechanic says all good getting 14+ volts all round the car, door check straps etc so don’t think earthing is an issue. Just had new alternator fitted couple of weeks ago.
Is there any way in which a test can be applied to o2 sensors to see if they faulty?
Re stability control keep bing bonging to say it’s turned off, I spoke to mwp when I first got the car and had both rear abs sensors replaced. I was told that very, very rarely the piece of loom that runs across the back axel can suffer a broken wire?
Not sure if there’s a test that can be done re that.
I’ve spent well over a grand in 6 months so need to be spending wisely buying right first time.
Tbh I’ve had the battery drop tested and it’s fine. I’ve had the car checked over re corrosion around the earths. Mechanic says all good getting 14+ volts all round the car, door check straps etc so don’t think earthing is an issue. Just had new alternator fitted couple of weeks ago.
Is there any way in which a test can be applied to o2 sensors to see if they faulty?
Re stability control keep bing bonging to say it’s turned off, I spoke to mwp when I first got the car and had both rear abs sensors replaced. I was told that very, very rarely the piece of loom that runs across the back axel can suffer a broken wire?
Not sure if there’s a test that can be done re that.
I’ve spent well over a grand in 6 months so need to be spending wisely buying right first time.
Any half competent mechanic should be able to see if the O2 sensors are reading and behaving as expected.
Even a basic scan tool with live data should give a good indication as to whether they're reading as expected when driving etc and/or combined with gas analyser or wideband readings.
No doubt there will be plenty of videos on youtube describing tests. It's just an engine, same as any other engine.
Even a basic scan tool with live data should give a good indication as to whether they're reading as expected when driving etc and/or combined with gas analyser or wideband readings.
No doubt there will be plenty of videos on youtube describing tests. It's just an engine, same as any other engine.
Sold my Red VXR8 about 3 years ago.
Was lowered, worsted exhaust, black stripe on bonnet. Loved it. The sound, bloody lovely, popping and banging..!!!!
Replaced with a C63 AMG.
Even now, I’m thinking, if I ever saw it for sale again, would seriously consider buying it back.
It was a weekend toy, loved it.
Even said recently to the garage I sold it back to, keep your eyes open in case you see it.
Never had any issues with it, only regular servicing etc.
Was lowered, worsted exhaust, black stripe on bonnet. Loved it. The sound, bloody lovely, popping and banging..!!!!
Replaced with a C63 AMG.
Even now, I’m thinking, if I ever saw it for sale again, would seriously consider buying it back.
It was a weekend toy, loved it.
Even said recently to the garage I sold it back to, keep your eyes open in case you see it.
Never had any issues with it, only regular servicing etc.
SeanR8Davis said:
To date I’ve done oil and filter
New rear abs sensors
Water pump
MAF sensor
Alternator
New Toyo proxes on rear ( fronts have loads of tread)
Stuck HSV plate on it
Rare fog light grills
Lowered and mapped (R/R print @ 437.3 bhp
It’s got loads of potential and looks mint but can’t get away from the constant niggles
To be fair all cars need oil/filter changes, those other items you have replaced are generally parts that wont need replacing again for quite a while , even the water pump is a few years & £100 quid item, the alternator i doubt you will need to replace again. New rear abs sensors
Water pump
MAF sensor
Alternator
New Toyo proxes on rear ( fronts have loads of tread)
Stuck HSV plate on it
Rare fog light grills
Lowered and mapped (R/R print @ 437.3 bhp
It’s got loads of potential and looks mint but can’t get away from the constant niggles
If the lambda sensors are the originals and (perhaps) the combination of the map is enough to upset them, I'd consider replacing them to rule them out, these should be considered consumables.
With all these niggles dealt with you should then be in a position to enjoy the car, why else spend £££ to sell the car an let someone else benefit from it. HAVE FAITH!!!
Depending on where you are based perhaps nip down to Walksinshaw
I can empathise with your experience, I had niggles with both my Monaro and VXR8... but I persevered with both and got to a place where I could trust the car and enjoy the ownership experience..
The niggles you’re describing won’t cost too much to fix, you just need to get a decent mechanic to correctly diagnose and sort them once and for all.
If MWP are closest to you, I’ve heard good things and they’ll almost certainly get everything sorted.
The niggles you’re describing won’t cost too much to fix, you just need to get a decent mechanic to correctly diagnose and sort them once and for all.
If MWP are closest to you, I’ve heard good things and they’ll almost certainly get everything sorted.
I know it may come to that, but I can’t imagine they do a curtesy car?
Assuming not, that’s a day off work to take it, either train/taxi home or pay someone to follow me there, same again to collect, so basically 2 days wages plus travel cost x2
I’ve spoke to my mechanic today and we going to have a couple of hours on it Saturday to try and get to the bottom of it.
In relation to o2 sensors, I had read only by genuine ones from Oz. Would they be ok if the car has been mapped? Or would it need upgraded ones?
I’m not into all this tech stuff
Assuming not, that’s a day off work to take it, either train/taxi home or pay someone to follow me there, same again to collect, so basically 2 days wages plus travel cost x2
I’ve spoke to my mechanic today and we going to have a couple of hours on it Saturday to try and get to the bottom of it.
In relation to o2 sensors, I had read only by genuine ones from Oz. Would they be ok if the car has been mapped? Or would it need upgraded ones?
I’m not into all this tech stuff
SeanR8Davis said:
I know it may come to that, but I can’t imagine they do a curtesy car?
Assuming not, that’s a day off work to take it, either train/taxi home or pay someone to follow me there, same again to collect, so basically 2 days wages plus travel cost x2
I’ve spoke to my mechanic today and we going to have a couple of hours on it Saturday to try and get to the bottom of it.
In relation to o2 sensors, I had read only by genuine ones from Oz. Would they be ok if the car has been mapped? Or would it need upgraded ones?
I’m not into all this tech stuff
I feel your pain. But I've learnt its part n parcel of owning something a little different, something not mainstream or common.Assuming not, that’s a day off work to take it, either train/taxi home or pay someone to follow me there, same again to collect, so basically 2 days wages plus travel cost x2
I’ve spoke to my mechanic today and we going to have a couple of hours on it Saturday to try and get to the bottom of it.
In relation to o2 sensors, I had read only by genuine ones from Oz. Would they be ok if the car has been mapped? Or would it need upgraded ones?
I’m not into all this tech stuff
I've travelled to Newcastle and back a good handful of times in the last 2 years so AAS can work on my Monaro, its hard work and certainly adds to the cost! If Monkfish were still around, I'd have travelled there, even further.
I doubt MWP do a courtesy car, but worth an ask? They might.
Regarding the o2 sensors, yes new genuine ones will be fine. If you still have the originals they may have become sluggish or even unresponsive in certain conditions.
You’re about 3.5hrs from Neil at NWJ Autocare in Chatham, Kent. He knows these cars well and will be able to help you, and he’ll give you a courtesy car (but not right now as I’ve got it!) and he keeps parts in stock as he bought Monkfish’s stock when they closed. When my rear abs sensors were knackered I had my traction control turn itself off so that might not be as bad as you think, and as others have said once you sell you’ll regret it. I had Neil completely rebuild my first Monaro for me and it made 486.2 on Surrey Rolling Roads dyno, then I needed to scratch an itch I had for a classic yank built the same year as me so I sold it, but soon after I regretted selling my Monaro and sold the yank and bought another Monaro. The only reason I don’t have that now is I sold it to set up my own business. Matt, Mezzell on here I believe, now owns my second Monaro. You’ve done over a grand already, you may as well get it running right and enjoy it from now on. But these cars can be money pits once you start modifying them, but once sorted you won’t get anything else for the money that will compare.
Surely just replace the o2 sensor?, they do have a habit of being “intermittently faulty”. Totally different application but mine was faulty on my GTI. Sometimes it would go for a week without lighting the dashboard up then it would throw up everyday for a few days. Once swapped it never threw a fault.
vxr2010 said:
fairsparesgm on ebay au got mine quite quickly if he is still in business , they were good ones had no issues with them
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend.I've just had to use PayPal to force refund me for items that never arrived, and was also sent another part that was damaged, not in transit, and its now costing me £50 to return the part so I can use eBay/PayPal to force refund on that item.
The seller did not respond to any of my polite messages giving him opportunity to sort things out nicely.
Shame.
I can recommend www.speedspares.net
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