blotto_otto
03-02-2008, 04:46 PM
A common fault when starting from cold is When putting the car into Drive or Reverse, it engages heavily with a clunk and then registers Automatic Gearbox on the mid and goes into a very restricted Limp mode.
One way to prevent this is letting the car warm up for 10+ minutes but downside is if you have to stop/park etc and move into Reverse, fault comes up again and when trying to start, the engine will not turn, either in P or N.
Below is a guide and only took me about 1 hour in total. Pictures are not a vectra but almost exactly the same.
Tools required:
10mm Spanner/Socket
13mm Spanner/Socket
22mm deepset Socket
Adjustable wrench
Rubber mallet/ small hammer
You can see the selector switch just right of the head
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/selector.jpg
The switch enlarged, showing bolts. On the vectra, this is under the battery tray which needs to be taken off (after taking the battery out), 6 13mm bolts and jobs a good un (watch out on your hands on the left hand bolt seat, it is quite sharp and will happily gouge chunks of skin off you so what i did was bend it upwards then tap it down after i finished.
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/selectorbolts.jpg
Now showing the number of bolts to take off to get the switch off.
Now, Haynes says to put the box in Neutral. Bolt number 2 is also connected to the gearbox dipstick which you need to pull upwards. Done gently and with a bit of wiggling, its comes off quite easily.
Break out your 13mm Socket or spanner. Then, carefully undo the nut marked "1" in the pic, and lift that selector link off the pivot and under that one is a 22mm nut which ideally, you need a deep seat socket as its quite difficult with anything else. Make sure you keep hold of the locking washer and rubber washer that are under the 22mm bolt and then finally, undo the remaining bolt.
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/switchnonuts.jpg
Next thing to deal with is the multiplug. Lift up the red safety toggle thingy, you may need to cut a couple of cable ties, plug is also held on by a steel clip which needs a bit of 'help' releasing the plug.
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/plug.jpg
After all thats been done and you have gently wiggled the unit out of place (sometimes, a gentle tap to loosen it up works well, did for me) knuckles have been caught and a couple of ciggies/coffees later, you will end up with this
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/switchoff.jpg
Fitting is an exact reversal of the above and below is a pre drive check list:
Reconnect the battery, if disconnected
Handbrake firmly on.
Put the selector in Park
Turn the key to position 2, but DO NOT start the engine.
Move the selector slowly through all gears..does the Auto Gearbox warning come on? If it does, the switch may not be your issue. Mine doesn't anymore. Hurrah!
Now put the selector into reverse.
Get out and check your reversing lights have come on.
Shift to any other gear/neutral/park
Get out and check your reversing lights have gone off.
Check again, to be sure.
Stick it into park, and start it up
Check you can also start it in neutral, but not in any other gear (pick somewhere with space!)
With the engine running, try shifting through from P to 1 and back a few times - should be no fault
As i said, its only about an hour to do, prices for unit vary from £200 apparently (at Vauxhall) to £20 so take your pick.
Happy driving :)
(this how to is done with pics and a bit of description from a link that was added to a thread of mine)
One way to prevent this is letting the car warm up for 10+ minutes but downside is if you have to stop/park etc and move into Reverse, fault comes up again and when trying to start, the engine will not turn, either in P or N.
Below is a guide and only took me about 1 hour in total. Pictures are not a vectra but almost exactly the same.
Tools required:
10mm Spanner/Socket
13mm Spanner/Socket
22mm deepset Socket
Adjustable wrench
Rubber mallet/ small hammer
You can see the selector switch just right of the head
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/selector.jpg
The switch enlarged, showing bolts. On the vectra, this is under the battery tray which needs to be taken off (after taking the battery out), 6 13mm bolts and jobs a good un (watch out on your hands on the left hand bolt seat, it is quite sharp and will happily gouge chunks of skin off you so what i did was bend it upwards then tap it down after i finished.
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/selectorbolts.jpg
Now showing the number of bolts to take off to get the switch off.
Now, Haynes says to put the box in Neutral. Bolt number 2 is also connected to the gearbox dipstick which you need to pull upwards. Done gently and with a bit of wiggling, its comes off quite easily.
Break out your 13mm Socket or spanner. Then, carefully undo the nut marked "1" in the pic, and lift that selector link off the pivot and under that one is a 22mm nut which ideally, you need a deep seat socket as its quite difficult with anything else. Make sure you keep hold of the locking washer and rubber washer that are under the 22mm bolt and then finally, undo the remaining bolt.
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/switchnonuts.jpg
Next thing to deal with is the multiplug. Lift up the red safety toggle thingy, you may need to cut a couple of cable ties, plug is also held on by a steel clip which needs a bit of 'help' releasing the plug.
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/plug.jpg
After all thats been done and you have gently wiggled the unit out of place (sometimes, a gentle tap to loosen it up works well, did for me) knuckles have been caught and a couple of ciggies/coffees later, you will end up with this
http://sirbendy.jemjabella.co.uk/autoswitch/images/switchoff.jpg
Fitting is an exact reversal of the above and below is a pre drive check list:
Reconnect the battery, if disconnected
Handbrake firmly on.
Put the selector in Park
Turn the key to position 2, but DO NOT start the engine.
Move the selector slowly through all gears..does the Auto Gearbox warning come on? If it does, the switch may not be your issue. Mine doesn't anymore. Hurrah!
Now put the selector into reverse.
Get out and check your reversing lights have come on.
Shift to any other gear/neutral/park
Get out and check your reversing lights have gone off.
Check again, to be sure.
Stick it into park, and start it up
Check you can also start it in neutral, but not in any other gear (pick somewhere with space!)
With the engine running, try shifting through from P to 1 and back a few times - should be no fault
As i said, its only about an hour to do, prices for unit vary from £200 apparently (at Vauxhall) to £20 so take your pick.
Happy driving :)
(this how to is done with pics and a bit of description from a link that was added to a thread of mine)