Vz trouble.

[verami]

Hi everyone! Need your help to revive my old 2005 VZ wagon with LEO engine.

How things develoved: one beautiful morning it started with a bit of a delay. I drove off and realised that the brakes are not boosted! After the car warmed up, the brake boost returned, but the car started running rough and had half the power. I drove to the repair shop where they have not found the vacuum leak, so I took the car home. Next morning it didn't start at all - turning, but not igniting at all. When the car was still running, I connected the simple EBD scanner to see the codes and there was only a cam sensor position fault. The chain did rattle a bit before, but could it be the cause of running rough and no start?

 

[Fu Manchu]

Possibly.
However if it was so bad that it caused a vacuum leak, you’d have more codes than that Minecraft discord server.

A smoke test needs to be carried out. That will absolutely find the leak. You can make a smoke tester. I posted my shitty home made version on the forum.

That workshop couldn’t find a beer in a pub. Any place worth their salt would find the cause in an hour.

So here we are. This is why I do nearly everything myself unless I have prior arrangements to have high tea with the governor general. Can’t trust that work is carried out to any standard. I wish the automotive industry had a hell of a shake up.

 

[rambunctious]

Possibly.
However if it was so bad that it caused a vacuum leak, you’d have more codes than that Minecraft discord server.

A smoke test needs to be carried out. That will absolutely find the leak. You can make a smoke tester. I posted my shitty home made version on the forum.

That workshop couldn’t find a beer in a pub. Any place worth their salt would find the cause in an hour.

So here we are. This is why I do nearly everything myself unless I have prior arrangements to have high tea with the governor general. Can’t trust that work is carried out to any standard. I wish the automotive industry had a hell of a shake up.

I agree but It is not only the automotive industry, it is right across all services.
Building industry is no different.
I won't let anyone touch my car or home and it is not only workers, it is manufacturers as well, manufacturing krap.

 

[Fu Manchu]

I agree but It is not only the automotive industry, it is right across all services.
Building industry is no different.
I won't let anyone touch my car or home and it is not only workers, it is manufacturers as well, manufacturing krap.

Oh absolutely.

 

[verami]

Ok. Some news (bad ones). The obd scanner is not connecting to the ecm anymore and the engine control relay is fried. Does that mean I need to change ECM? IS it fried too? The amazing thing is that the engine still turns over and the fuel pump engages when you turn the ignition on...

 

[verami]

Ok. Some news (bad ones). The obd scanner is not connecting to the ecm anymore and the engine control relay is fried. Does that mean I need to change ECM? IS it fried too? The amazing thing is that the engine still turns over and the fuel pump engages when you turn the ignition on...

I have swapped a fried relay with a good one with no change: engine turning over, but no spark.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Ok. Some news (bad ones). The obd scanner is not connecting to the ecm anymore and the engine control relay is fried. Does that mean I need to change ECM? IS it fried too? The amazing thing is that the engine still turns over and the fuel pump engages when you turn the ignition on...

That won’t necessarily mean the ECM is cooked. A fault in any one of the modules can cause that. Most likely is the brand of scan tool.

 

[verami]

That won’t necessarily mean the ECM is cooked. A fault in any one of the modules can cause that. Most likely is the brand of scan tool.

The scan tool is a generic bluetooth obd scanner that works through phone. It would connect to the ECM before and it would show the faults but it doesn't connect anymore.

 

[Fu Manchu]

The scan tool is a generic bluetooth obd scanner that works through phone. It would connect to the ECM before and it would show the faults but it doesn't connect anymore.

Throw it away. Good chance it’s junk.

Not connecting to an ECM is not supporting evidence of a buggered ECM.

 

[Fu Manchu]

You’re going to need better tools. Better get a bi-directional higher end scan tool. With an issue like this, spending $300-$500 (at the lower end of good scan tools) on a scan tool is going to pay for itself.

Topdon ArtiDiag or Vident 400au or Tech2 which is the best. It’s what the system was designed around.

Download the workshop manual.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uKn7wFSNkq1OIzVBRGfuQHf6OB8ihmlW

This is a great opportunity to learn a lot.

To illustrate what’s involved there are some educational channels on the Youtubes to watch that explain why what you are seeing might not be what you think. Scanner Danner, diagnose Dan and super Mario diagnostics. Also Romano’s Automotive which covers Commodore diagnostics. It’s not about the make. It’s about the systems.

There’s a lot for you to gain from this.