Corsa-B.uk - Vauxhall, Opel and Holden Corsa B Owners Club

I've had nothing but problems with my girlfreinds car recently - 1999 1.0 12v

The most recent problem however is when the engines been running for bout an hour everytime the engine idles the oil pressure light and eml light start to flicker on and off together as it ticks over at lights etc. If i just give it a tiny bit of revs and take the idle speed up a fraction they go out.

My first thought was could it be oil pump - not being driven round fast enough as the engine idles or maybe just oil pressure switch - however i've changed this recently?

Oh also . . . handbrake cables snapped, any easy way to check which one has gone without whippin the drums off?

Any ideas anyone?

Cheers John

urrmmm first thing i would have said was oil sensor but if you have changed it then it cant be that, you sure you have enough oil in it and it cant be the oil pump spinning fast enough as thats on the cambelt so your engine wouldnt be running, and as for your handbrake just get underneath and pull on the cables but when your ordering them make sure you make note on which one you need, as ones long and ones short.

sounds daft but check your oil? ecotec's love it, but the pressure switches are a common fault with them, and for how mutch the cables cos its worth buying all brandnew and giving the guiders on the rear beam a good fettle

cheers for quick replies.

ive checked the oil and its actually slightly above max . . . i know this is not good but i've not let any out yet just really getting to the end of my patience with this motor.

just noticed i think ive nicked the wire on oil pressure switch from where ive changed timing chain - reason i didnt mention timing chain being changed is this fault was happening quite a while before. i know these switches are quite notorious for breaking just wondering if it could have gone again - its not a genuine vaux.

was thinking pump cause of the lights going out when i increase the revs just a tiny bit

the pressure switch work on a switched earth so if it the wire was broken it wouldent come on, i dont really think there is much quality difference between a spurious one and a genuine but there not over expensive to change if its a faulty unit

octane41 wrote:was thinking pump cause of the lights going out when i increase the revs just a tiny bit

when i have had any oil light issues its been the switch apart from the xe that died a death

yeah i know there only cheap so i'll be gettin one anyway just so its somet to rule out if it doesnt sort it.

engine seems to be running totally fine just think its somet that shouldnt be ignored.

after my 2nd sensor on the xe i just ignored it i thought it was a dodgy sensor that i was getting off my supplier but sadly it wasnt after the big poooof on the m62

haha bita bad luck, and thats when you wiped your bearings and crank i guess,

me being ignorant a driving like a c**k probably, number 3 rod ended up doing a disapering act so i now need a crank ive got the rest

just had iot out then and a loud ticking has developed which increases with engine speed.

sounds like its coming from a valve on inlet cam??

they are a very rattley engine but its mainly the timing chain tensioners that are the culprit with there infamous durability you could fit a new one from vaux and 500 mile down the road it decides to weaken and let the chain rattle, but then again it could be a lifter you never know i would try some fresh oil maybe a thicker grade or a bottle of whyns stop smoke

aye i know it was the hydraulic tensioner that had gone on it so i changed the whole thing while i had it apart.
i put 15w40 part synthetic instead of 10w40 cause of it bein a bit rattly. gonna just try gettin a new oil pressure switch for the price they cost anyway.
oh and had a look at handbrake today and its passenger side thats snapped, i think thats the short one?
cheers for the help guys.

no short one is the drivers side mate, and i forgot to mention about the eml whoever has done work on this car of before you has got to have wired it to the oil light for it to come on and on simutaniously