Engine Management Light Fix
My light started coming on a month or so ago, and the car going into limp mode, it only happened after journeying around 15 or so miles. I could clear it temporary by turning the ignition off and back on again (even on the move). My vehicle, by the way, is a 54reg Zafira 2.0 DTi Auto with 41k on the clock.
After reading many ‘threads’ about the problem, took the one from the RAC site first as it costs nothing except for a few hours work under the bonnet and a couple of aerosols of carb cleaner.
The problem is the inlet manifold becomes furred up with carbon deposits, which affects the movement of both the ERG valve and the 4 butterfly valves in the manifold.
The Fix is to strip down the inlet manifold and using carb cleaner, clean away all the carbon build up. I stripped the manifold down to the point where I could see the 4 butterfly valves and then carefully pushed in behind them screwed up pieces of rag, including the other 4 open holes, to ensure no debris entered the cylinders during the cleaning process, the rag pieces of course being removed afterwards.
Tips & Tricks
You can remove the bottom section of the manifold that contains the butterfly valve if you prefer, I didn’t, but you must replace the nuts securing it with new ones if you do.
If you’ve the later electronic ERG valve DO NOT attempt to separate it from the manifold as to try and do so will most likely result in cracking the manifold, or both. The moving parts of the valve can be cleaned with it institute.
It is recommend to replace any gaskets; however all mine came off quite cleanly, so I opted to put the old ones back with just the smallest smear of sealant on them.
On the diesel model you have to disconnect the fuel lines from each of the injectors and pull them gently backwards out of the way to remove the manifold cover. – Make sure your battery is fully charged, as on the rebuild you need to turn your engine over for up to a couple of minutes to prime the system once more. It’s recommended you do this is 30 second bursts, so not to burn out the starter motor.
Conclusion
I’ve now done around a thousand miles since cleaning the inlet manifold on my vehicle and touch wood haven’t had even a flicker from the engine management light. – Trust this may be of help to some of you. Remember, this cost nothing to do, so would suggest it’s the first avenue to try, before lashing out on expensive parts.
Branchpipe, April 2010
