The 1.9CDTI engine is actually made by Fiat.

Edited 9 December, 200916 yr by Browny_37

The 1.9CDTI engine is actually made by Fiat.

...Might explain it then.

He said hes had some engines which were knackered due to the waterpump failing causing cambelt to detach = foobared engine.

I've not heard of that problem, then again i've not really looked into the the reliability of the engine. I focused more on the N/A and Turbo petrol engines at the time of vauxhall ownership.

I've heard some engines suffer from what i think they are called swirlflaps, which seem to fail every now and then.

They are called Thurlow Engineering who also have a Vauxhall dealership and yes the Warranty is supported by Vauxhall.

It's Thurlby...

...Might explain it then.

He said hes had some engines which were knackered due to the waterpump failing causing cambelt to detach = foobared engine.

Alfa Romeo/Fiat actually invented common rail and speaking as someone who has owned one Fiat or another for the last 15 years they have always been fine cars

Actually, they are made under license and unit for unit they are probably more reliable than the PD. Bear in mind the same engines are run in Alfa's and Saabs (There is a lot of volume there...) and in some models are sold with 170bhp out of the box and even if you do have grief your not going to have any problems getting bits or doing the work. I know two people who have had them and they have been brilliant, only moving on to get bigger family cars. I would have had one except for the bloody awful Astra interior.

Edited 10 December, 200916 yr by Decron

Just seen my first on of these in the flesh tonight! Only noticed it because it had 888 in the reg lol

Be very careful with VX CDTi engines, they aren't very reliable and it's normally a £600+ fix

The engine itself is a cracker, it is so flexible and goes like S off a Shovel, the 150 version does 0-60 in about 8 secs iirc, but the engine is a joint venture with Fiat, and we all know what that means don't we.

Be very careful with VX CDTi engines, they aren't very reliable and it's normally a £600+ fix

The engine itself is a cracker, it is so flexible and goes like S off a Shovel, the 150 version does 0-60 in about 8 secs iirc, but the engine is a joint venture with Fiat, and we all know what that means don't we.

I've not found them to be especially quick tbh, even one I know to be mapped

I miss the revviness of a petrol but a beefy turbodiesel like this is a real boon drving on road as all that torque and instantly available shove gets you out of trouble smartish and you can drive in a more relaxed fashion. I remember evo ratng this car quite highly too. An individual piece of kit but for that money it would be a Type R or Golf GTI i'm afraid.

my mate at work has a vectra cdti 150 mapped and says its fast but it still has an italian engine. thought the engine was a lancia engine not a fiat one

Yea it's basically a FIAT Mulitjet engine: nothing wrong with 'em though good engine!

Yea it's basically a FIAT Mulitjet engine: nothing wrong with 'em though good engine!

indeed, mine was mapped at 4k and is now at 90k, and i've had no problems at all, totally reliable, still feels like new, original turbo/clutch ect, just a service every 18k. And not that fast? anyone who has attended a meet with me will testify to the speed of the little Fiat although, granted my car is much lighter than the likes of a vectra/astra ect and vauxhall use all their own ancilleries gearboxes flywheels ect.

can anyone say torque steer? :p

can anyone say torque steer? :p

To be fair, thats the case with any FWD car over 150bhp, especially tractors with their monster torque.

The benefits of the 888 weren't just the power & torque figures, it's the fact that (at the time of release) for the same, or less, money of a comparable Petrol 'Hot Hatch', you were getting a similarly powered, higher torqued, more economical car, but one with a properly sorted Chassis, prepped and set up by 888 Racing/Engineering, who ran and prepared the Vauxhall BTCC Cars at the time, so as standard kit you were seeing Uprated Shocks and Springs incorporating a 30mm Drop, 18" Team Dynamics Lightweight Wheels, TOYO Proxes T1-R Tyres and Grooved 335mm Discs with 888 Branded Alcon 4-Pot Calipers.