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[SparticusMK2]

After handing over the money to the garage to fit a cam belt kit etc

The mechanic explained to me the small fan motor that comes on; on cold start was a fan thats blows warm air through the exhaust system........ Is that right?

[Marks DTM Calib]

No quite (which is not surprising from a mechanic).

The engine has an air injection system that blows air (not warm, just ambient temperature) into the exhaust manifolds for approx 1 minute during startup.

The fan is actualy a dirty great big snail blower mounted under the passenger wing.

The idea is that as the air enters the exhauts manifold that any un-burnt fuel from the warm up cycle instantly ignites and wamrs the cats faster....

WIth age, the blowers can get noisey and end up sounding like a jet engine, they can simply be un-plugged and forgotten baout as they are not needed for MOT tests etc.

[davlad22]

Whilst we're on the subject of startups, have any 2.2 diesel owners noticed the electronic fuel preheater fitted to some cars(?) now that we've come into the cold weather???

When ambient temperature below 5 degrees, this kicks into life and to be quite honest, isn't the most discreet feature on the car!!!.....it emits plumes of white smoke right across the street which smells distinctly, of fuel I suppose! Can be quite embarrassing, especially when drawing up at the fuel station as the attendant thinks the car is still switched on and shouts a stern warning over the tannoy  :-? Everybody else just thinks the car is on fire  

Left it overnight at our dealer who, in the morning invited all the mechanics to check it and sure enough it did the business, but none of them had seen anything like that. Apparently, after some checks, it's common on cars in Scandinavia and suchlike where the weather is cold, it supposedly aids buning of the fuel and makes it more efficient  :-/ Anybody???

[Marks DTM Calib]

Ow yes, I know of it.....shouldn't be chucking that much smoke out though.

When I get chance, I will do a bit of research.

[davlad22]

Ey, you're a star mate   Yes, it does rather throw out some smoke, just under the front bumper on the drivers side, there is an air duct where it is thrown out, at quite hight pressure.

They weren't sure whether it was fitted to all the 2.2's (tis on the CD) so will check the elite also. As mentioned, perhaps more common on continental cars? Not a big deal, just quite embarrassing and stinky though  

[SparticusMK2]

WIth age, the blowers can get noisey and end up sounding like a jet engine, they can simply be un-plugged and forgotten baout as they are not needed for MOT tests etc.

Mine does sound like a jet engine and the mechanic recommended changing it as the "bearings" of the motor has gone  :-/

Is it worth changing it?.........or just unplug it?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Just unplug it, no need to change it.

[SparticusMK2]

Just unplug it, no need to change it.

Cheers! That'll make the wife happy; i'll have more money for Xmas  

[mkaminski100]

My friend had the same problem with his 2.2 diesel. He went to 3 or 4 Vx garages but there wasn’t anybody who could help him. One mechanic told him that it's for Scandinavian markets and wasn’t even an option elsewhere.
I changed my fan few weeks ago. Old one was completely rusted, but because it' riveted, there was no way do fix it. I've dismantled it (using drill and hammer). Water was coming inside due to its position (under the bumper). It has a paper filter which just doesn’t work after year or two and crumbles when moved. Also, don't buy a fan from Vectra or Astra - looks the same but the nozzle doesn’t fit. It is very quiet now, but I'm not sure if I still need it.
Xauxhall decided not to install this system in late Vectras B (98 onwards). The manifold doesn’t have any holes. Do you know why these were still being installed in Omegas?

[Marks DTM Calib]

The disapeared from the Vectra when the 2.6 engine arrived.....which is when they also went from the Omega to.

[RichardH]

I experienced this plume of smoke for the first time this morning and did not know what was going on.  I thought my brakes were smoking!  Temperarure was -2 or -3 so I assume this is why it happened as I have never noticed it before.

Regards,
Richard

[mkaminski100]

Mark. I had a Vectra (early 99) without and my Omega (Nov 99) still has it. Or maybe new engines (2.2) were without it.

[EddieX]

This air pump buisiness is driven by Euro 2 & 3 legislation.

Euro 2 (1996 - 2000) ignores emisions during the first 30 seconds after starting. So some manufacturers fitted air injection pumps and ran the fueling extra rich imediately after start up,effectively lighting a bonfire in the cat. It warms the cat. up nice and quick but you get about 7 mpg for the first 45 seconds or so.

When Euro 3 came in (2000) the 30 second rule was dropped, then we had drive by wire and lambda sensors before and after the cat. This allowed the ECU to control emissions much more accurately.

Hope this does not give you all "anoraknophobia"

Eddie.

[mkaminski100]

That gives me more idea about this system and now I know that it can be switched off without any problem. I have spent whole evening to fit this thing and I could just unplug it... Is it just fan or can I unplug the valve and not have a fault code?
BTW. Vectra without this system does only have one lambda...

[Marks DTM Calib]

Vectra has a totaly different 2.2 engine....

The valve needs to be left connected so as to not throw a fault code. The easiest thing to do is reach under the passenger front wheel arch and unplug the motor.....make sure its the motor that you unplug an not the horns