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Nov 24, 2016 13:17:29 GMT
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The X20XEV is one of the worst engines I have come across, now I look after my cars but I had 3 XEVs and none were high mileage, but they continuously spat cam and crank sensors, drank oil and tapped like a goodun. The Z18XE in my current one feels really eager compared to it.
Also couple that with using chocolate F18 gearboxes in prefacelift ones, I spat 2 diffs (one was on a 36k car) and I don't drive aggressively. My mate also spat a couple. The facelift cable change F23 is stronger, but let down by a sloppy linkage in my experience. I'm a knob for buying so many but they really are cheap as chips now and make a very good family wagon, parts are very cheap and freely available so when I killed one I just stripped it, and stuck it all on another as I stuck with the better the devil you know philosophy. With suspension work they do handle well as well, but I'm 25 going on 70 so don't drive hard enough to need to change stuff now.
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Nov 24, 2016 22:24:05 GMT
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My 95 Cav has an X20XEV, 146000 miles in, it uses no oil or water and only rattles slightly on startup when it hasn't run for a month or so. It's not had a crank or cam sensor in my ownership (10 years now) Automatic, so I can't say much about the gearbox. But i've never changed a box in any of my manual Cavs (all have been 2 litre cars and not driven kindly)
There are a lot of other things I don't like about the Vectra compared to the Cav, the suspension and clutch were just 2 of them. Another strong contender is the feel, as you rightly say Darren, the Vectra carries a lot more weight with no more power but it lost the WILLINGNESS of the Cav, the feeling that it WANTED to go faster all the time. And Mr Cleland (God bless him) drove Cavaliers very fast, until there were no more Cavaliers and he had to make do with the Vectra. I've only had one Vectra B, a high mile 2000my 2 litre manual diesel estate. Not the best advert for the breed, I will freely admit, but it was everything I hate, gutless, wooden, gearchange like stirring porridge, lacklustre handling, going rotten. I only bought it cos it was dirt cheap, put a couple of tyres and a fresh ticket on it and shifted it ASAP. The new owner seems happy enough though, maybe his standards are lower (or he's never had a Cav) he HAD just scrapped a 2001 Mundano estate that the tinworms had eaten!
Steve
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taurus
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,084
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Nov 25, 2016 12:21:10 GMT
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Interesting read. I had a Cavalier with a X20XEV. Apart from annual problems with the idle bypass it didn't give me any trouble as such, but despite 5k oil changes using Mobil 1 by 75k it was using oil and not sounding good.
By chance I traded it for a facelift Vectra with a Z22SE engine. I saw the Cavalier about two months later sounding like a bag of spanners in a washing machine.
The Z22SE proved to be 100% bullet proof, despite their reputation for eating timing chains. I did 150k in the Vectra and apart from the usual service items the only thing it needed was a set of rose bushes.
(I still have a new set of febi/bilstein rose bushes and the extractor tool on the workbench if anyone needs a set.)
Will the Vectra ever be retro? It will be old but much as mine was the most reliable car I've ever had it had no soul at all. So no - I don't think so.
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Last Edit: Nov 25, 2016 12:21:34 GMT by taurus
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Nov 25, 2016 18:05:44 GMT
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I've a lovely 98 SRI 140 in Polar Sea Blue, genuine 36k with full history from the day it was bought, I think they're a good looking car and drive reasonably modern. Parts availability is still very good from both dealers and aftermarket. Decent spec ones will be where the Vauxhall bods will be looking within the next couple of years, as said before GSI's and SRI's. We ran all shapes of Vectras in work, both armoured and regular alongside Cavaliers, Mondeos and Sierras. They all had hard lives - Cavaliers drove well with the x20xev but were a bit small inside, Mondeos not quick enough (all 2.0 zetec) but sierras and vectras ended up favourite. Wouldn't thank you for a chain driven Vectra - they were a bit soft in daily use and abuse - although sharper than the x20.
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Last Edit: Nov 25, 2016 18:10:18 GMT by cortez
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Nov 25, 2016 18:11:06 GMT
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Interesting read. I had a Cavalier with a X20XEV. Apart from annual problems with the idle bypass it didn't give me any trouble as such, but despite 5k oil changes using Mobil 1 by 75k it was using oil and not sounding good. By chance I traded it for a facelift Vectra with a Z22SE engine. I saw the Cavalier about two months later sounding like a bag of spanners in a washing machine. The Z22SE proved to be 100% bullet proof, despite their reputation for eating timing chains. I did 150k in the Vectra and apart from the usual service items the only thing it needed was a set of rose bushes. (I still have a new set of febi/bilstein rose bushes and the extractor tool on the workbench if anyone needs a set.) Will the Vectra ever be retro? It will be old but much as mine was the most reliable car I've ever had it had no soul at all. So no - I don't think so. You obviously spoilt the Cav by putting too good an oil in it! Mine gets changed with whatever is cheap at the factors, every year or 6k miles whichever comes first. Maybe the autobox helps even if I DO use sport mode rather a lot. Or maybe I have the only good one they ever made! I must admit I thought long and hard before committing to a 16valver, I always had 8v ones up to then, unbreakable motor! Ah yes the idle bypass! Mine used to play up a bit, but only in the middle of summer or when stinking hot in traffic. Which was a PITA with the auto! Mostly just cleaned it out about April and it would last till the weather cooled. Then I got a second hand one off a scrap 1.8 Vectra, it's been fine since. The Vectra's appetite for those rose bushes is why I hate the rear suspension design! I've only ever once changed the beam bushes on a Cav and that was a hard worked MkII Estate that was heading for 300k miles, which I thought was fair enough! Have some pics for listening to my rantings! Steve
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