Vauxhall Corsa Evo 1L 12v Engine Problem??? Please

1 post

A week ago I bought a 5 year old Corsa Evo with 27k on the clock from a trader. Took it for a test drive and all was ok. Driving it home on the motorway from buying it when I hit about 60 an orange light on the dash with what looks a bit like an engine symbol with a “z” type symbol within it came on and the car started struggling… couldn’t get over 60-70 and felt like it was juddering. After a few minutes this stopped and the car was fine. The car then sat on my drive for a week while my insurance came through and today driving to work it’s done exactly the same thing again! Thought I was going to have to pull over into the hard shoulder as it was really struggling to get over 50 mph at one point… does anyone have any idea’s or advise please? I don’t know an awful lot about cars.

From Southampton, 5 posts

hi,i have a T reg corsa sport 1.4 16v, i also have the same problem as you. i got the car nearly a year ago, it started doing the thing with the orange light which i believe is an electrics light. first the revs drop to about 750 and then shudders as if its about to stall then the orange light comes on. i took it back a few times in the 3months of my warranty, they put it on the testing ramps, took it for test drives etc but they couldnt find a prob. i was told that it couldnt be anything serious as otherwise the light would be on all the time, and so not to worry about it. easier said than done right?! i have been trying to find out what is wrong with it, i have even asked the AA when i called them out to install a new battery, but no luck..he said it could have been where my battery was getting low...but ive had a new battery installed now and a few days later the dreaded orange light is back. Could you do me a favour please?..if you have managed to find out what is wrong with your car then could you let me know please. also if you had to have anything done then how much did it cost? please reply, id be really gratefull! thanks. From Emma.

From Leeds, 4 posts

I have a corsa 1L 12v at 'T' reg. The light has come on a few times manily on the motor way but there was no noticable drop in power/performance. I have wondered what this light is too. I have no handbook with my car for some reason, is there anything in your handbook which tells you what it means?



I once asked a mate who has the same car as me at W reg, he said he looked in his hand book and it said it was the just an engine rev limiter light thats nothing to worry about!



However I didnt really believe him because all the times the light has come on I have not over reved the car at all!



I have always though it was a electrical fault simbol maybe something to do with the engine managment system.



There must be away to find out what it means as vauxhall/opel made the car so they must know what it means just finding that out!

From Southampton, 5 posts

Originally posted by richard123456 on 6 Jun 2006 11:48 AM
hi! thank you for replying to my question!

i have a handbook, it says that the light means an electrical fault and to get the car checked. when i took it for its mot a few weeks ago the light came on just as i got to the garage so i showed them, they restarted the car and the light as everytime b4 didnt come back on. they said not to worry as it cant be anything serious otherwise the light would stay on all the time. my car passed the mot though so thats good! i know someone that had a corsa and had exactly the same problem, he said it took them ages to find what it was. they had even done loads of electrical tests on his car too. i have also had these done on mine which showed nothing!?!!?!?!?!

eventually they found what was wrong with his and it cost between 200 - 300 pounds to fix. his dad knows what it was so hes going to ask him next time he sees him.

From Leeds, 4 posts

I'm sure ull get it sorted.



I'm just going to ignore it, hasnt caused me any problems yet, will raise the issue at the next service/mot worse case the car breaks down, big deal!



I appriciate if you could yet know what your mates dad says about the fault, email me at richard_fowler3@hotmail.com if you remember.

2 posts

hi i have a 99 corsa breeze, the first time i took it on motorway it juddered and lost power i couldnt get over 50mph. the engine management light came on and stayed on for a couple of mins (the orangey light on the dash). It went off so i ignored it (manual says if it flickers on and off its ok, its only when it remains on at all times its a problem)... but again the other day it did it again in 3rd gear - it pulls back and the revs drop, light came on again. I changed down to 2nd and the light went off and it went back to normal speed, can't keep happening to me though - the car behind me nearly hit my backside!! please can someone help? the more u press ur foot on the accelator, the slower it goes

From Notts, 1 post

Hi, I have exactly the same problem with my 1998 corsa 1.0. Though i agree that it's not a massive problem as the light does not stay on continuoualy and i have been driving my car in this state for over a year now, it is a real pain in the neck, esp. on those long journeys up the motor way. You tend to get no where fast. When i first encountered the problem and took my car to a vauxhall dealer I got the throttle valve changed. This worked, but only for a year and then the problem started again. Vauxhall at the time also suggested a problem with the ECU(?) but as that was a very expensive fix (£700+) they tried the throttle valve option first. As I can't afford to get it fixed I must admit I have just been driving my car around anyway and it doesn't seem to have any major detrimental effect. So far, anyway.

2 posts

Well i got my corsa checked out at my local auto electrian - it turns out the loss in power was down to a sensor. I had to replace the air mass meter - cost me £140 (part and labour). and the problem has vanished. very happy person

7 posts

Originally posted by babyxtina on 5 Jul 2006 9:17 PM
Well i got my corsa checked out at my local auto electrian - it turns out the loss in power was down to a sensor. I had to replace the air mass meter - cost me £140 (part and labour). and the problem has vanished. very happy person



as above the majority of cases can be solved by getting a new air mass meter, common fault. fixed mine.

From Worcester, 4 posts

I posted my question (See main page) before I saw this thread.



Has anyone got any more info on the fault? I have no loss of power at all when the light comes on at around 70mph.



The light doesn't come on at at speeds below 70.