I have a zaffira and the exhaust management light has come on basically it has no power upto 2000 rpm then it just goes as normal, but today came home and it started cutting out and making a right noise and after about 5 starts and cut outs managed to get it up the ave,its booked in for next wednesday but wondered if anyone had any ideas

Exhaust recirculation valve? Most likely anyway. Happened to my Alfa and it feels like there’s no power at all. Took an age to get up to speed on the motorway.

Is that the erg valve?? Having problems with the tranny at the mo regarding that one!

Have a look on the zaffra owners club or vvoc is a good site for vax.

Yes he means the erg valve. On the vax you can blank them off not sure about yours.
If you can get it off soak it in petrol the should clean the crap out of it.

Had about 3 new egr valves already, just started it and it starts then just dies

They mentioned it could be the egr valve that’s stuck seems to be a common fault on these, I’m a way i am hoping that’s what it is, typical though planned on going up to lakes tomorrow with mrs, anyway looks like I will have to go out on bike again 🙂

Do you know if your Zafira has a Diesel Particulate Filter fitted on the exhaust? If you have and you’ve had a few EGR valves already, it could be the Particulate Filter (DPF) clogging up! When they clog up, the excess back pressure is enough to slightly blow open the EGR valve, hence bringing up an EGR fault code! If it is completly blocked, it will not start, and sadly the DPF will need replacing (Expensive!) Although, it may be worth asking around various Vauxhall dealers, as there’s a new flushing kit available to garages, to clean out the DPF! Sold by Wurth!
(Vauxhall main dealer technician here..lol!)

wi11 – you sound like a seriously handy person to have on board!

Bookmarked 😉

Am I gonna get a queue of poorly Vauxhalls outside my house?…lol!…I do wheel building too!!

Can’t you just clean the EGR with clutch fluid or something to get it working again? I’ve got an astra with the same engine and it has no DPF, but thing its because it sneaks under the emissions limit due to its size. i could be talking rubbish though.

Actually, yes you can strip it down! I haven’t done one in a while so bare with me (without pics too!) theres a ring of torx bolts (T25 maybe, 4 if I remember correct), halfway down the valve, separate them. Then at the connector end of the valve you need to drill a small hole, say about 3mm, just enough to get a small drift in! Tap a drift down it to push the internals out, they’ll just be a small piston and a small spring that comes out! Give it all a scrub with degreaser, rebuild, bung the hole and give it a go!

Just checked…if you Google ‘z19 egr valve’ and select images, you’ll see quite a few pics of people stripping them to clean!!

Wi11 could do with you as my next door neighbour, had some problems with the egr valve since about 18000 miles it’s now got 68 on, I am certain it had a new dpf under warranty but will have to look back. Someone mentioned about blanking the egr valve off, can this be done and what are the consequences of doing this, I am at my wits end with the egr valve, quite like the car apart from that, one mechanic even said to me at vauxhall that vauxhall are aware of the problem but haven’t done anything about it

“…it has no power upto 2000 rpm then it just goes as normal..”

What engine is it: 8valve or 16valve?
If it is a 150 bhp 16v engine, then it sounds like a problem with manifold swirl flaps.
Fiat engine….

Yes it’s the 150bhp and the fiat engine

erg valve could be a possiblety but on my mates mums zaferia I change the exhaust and the problem was fixed, if you use your car as a town car and do lots of small journeys then the exhaust back box gets clogged, best way to test this theory is disconnect the back box from the engine side some where under the car at the back and start and test revs.

Loads of info regarding cleaning of egr valves on various vauxhall/astra owners forums. There are even step by step photo how too’s as well. The DPF also needs regular caning to keep it clean, either that or get a bypass kit fitted and the DPF clean cycle turned off in the engine management.

Stupid badly designed emissions controls systems.

Thanks for all your help on this.

Surely obstruction in the exhaust would get worse at higher revs? You’d notice much lower power at top revs I reckon.