Zafira.....advice sought please.

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colly

Re member eR
Location
Leeds
My daughter in law had a problem with her 2014 Vauxhall Zafira in the recent cold weather.
She thought it was the electronic handbrake but realised it was the gearstick refusing to move back and forth, sideways was ok. The car did start.
The garage collected the car and told her they had replaced the glowplugs, changed the gearox oil and sprayed the box with water repellant.
The cars ok now but it seems to me that they are talking bullshit.

Maybe they are 100% correct. What's your opinion?
 

steven1988

Veteran
Location
Sheffield
Vauxhalls are known for gear box oil to go really viscous in the cold and make gear selection hard.
What the glow plugs have got to do with gear selection though thats a whole other story.
The water repellent spray could have been down to water freezing around the selectors.

I suppose you would only know by lifting the collar and inspecting the selectors and checking the gear box from underneath, to see if the plug looks like it has been removed
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
That does sound like a cable problem as I assume you will have two cables - one for side and one for back and forward. Water in the cables is a likely culprit. There's a definite point to changing the gear oil too, especially if high mileage.

If the car did start it doesn't sound like you had a glowplug problem.
 

HMS_Dave

Grand Old Lady
Glowplugs have about as much to do with gear selection as an indicator bulb... And spraying "the box" with water repellent? What box? The fuse box? I can't for the life of me think why they would spray the gearbox with water repellent. It's a Vauxhall, it will already be covered in Engine oil... There is no need to use this if they mean linkages... It's a rather poor idea. They're better off using a marine based grease like white grease which repels salt, acids, water and prevents corrosion, has a high operating temp and will last a good deal longer than any "spray on water repellent". Best leave that for Tents...
 
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biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
You can always ask for the old parts back or to be made available for inspection when you give authority to do the job.

Oil can be sent away to be analysed etc etc
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
Glowplugs have about as much to do with gear selection as an indicator bulb... And spraying "the box" with water repellent? What box? The fuse box? I can't for the life of me think why they would spray the gearbox with water repellent. It's a Vauxhall, it will already be covered in Engine oil... There is no need to use this if they mean linkages... It's a rather poor idea. They're better off using a marine based grease like white grease which repels salt, acids, water and prevents corrosion, has a high operating temp and will last a good deal longer than any "spray on water repellent". Best leave that for Tents...
It's quite unusual to find any modern car "covered in Engine oil" these days, yes a small amount but not like the old days one of the reasons is it can be a MOT failure, along with the sealants now available, gone are the cork gaskets, all rubber & silicone these days.

With regards to the grease yep better solution but what is the chance of a garage having it, but they will have a spray can of PTFE handy, on the glowplug front that may all be down to exactly what said DIL to the garage, it's not unreasonable to change them on a 2104 car, they are used these days far more than in the past, originally they were used for starting only, but now they are used in emission control especially when cold.
 

Joffey

Big Dosser
Location
Yorkshire
My daughter in law had a problem with her 2014 Vauxhall Zafira in the recent cold weather.
She thought it was the electronic handbrake but realised it was the gearstick refusing to move back and forth, sideways was ok. The car did start.
The garage collected the car and told her they had replaced the glowplugs, changed the gearox oil and sprayed the box with water repellant.
The cars ok now but it seems to me that they are talking bullshit.

Maybe they are 100% correct. What's your opinion?

I have the same problem with my FIAT van - (Vauxhall use the same van design) and had a problem with the gearbox freezing when cold in one direction. Been advised it is corrosion and a strip, clean and regrease will fix. So changing the oil and spraying with water repellant sounds a reasonable fix to me from what I know.
 
OP
OP
colly

colly

Re member eR
Location
Leeds
Thanks for your replies. :okay:
Just seemed odd to be changing glowplugs when the gearbox seemed to be stuck. I might suggest she emails them to query just what they have done. Once out of warranty it will be her that picks up the bill. With an email (assuming they respond) there will be a record of things.
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
You never mentioned warranty it could well be that the glowplugs are due as part of a scheduled maintenance scheme so as not to invalidate the warranty, only way to be sure is to ask.
 
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