Right,

I know they are ****, but unfortunately the old man didnt know this, he just thought it was a VX, not a ****ty french thing.


So, the timing chain snapped, (common fault) along with the injectors siezing.

SOOOOO fastforward 4 grand later and an engine rebuild. Had all new valves etc, and a head rebuild.

Its still done less than the 1k miles the garage said to bring it back in, 2 days after the rebuild it wouldnt start, assumed flat battery as in garage for 2 months.

Today 600miles later, it wont start, and when it finally does start it is knocking its **** off.

Its coming from the top end, and wont start at all when hot.

When cold it does eventually start after about 30-40secs. It then has a very loud knocking noise coming from the top end that changes with engine revs.

So it is engine/belt related.

Personally, with the not starting and loud knocking noise, im of the impression it has dropped a valve, giving poor compression, causing the lack of start and the knocking as it is hitting the piston, which as you rev the engine the piston moving faster creates more knocks as it hits the valve.

Any other ideas lads before i go and rip the garage a new one?

 

What age and mileage was the Vivaro when the engine went pop?

 

VW Transporter... ;-)

 

60k miles 61 plate.



Transporters are horrible drove a few and hated them, Toyota Hiace is where ill be heading, or a new transit custom.

 

That's strange because most think they are the best vans to drive by miles. I suspect you've only driven the 80ps bare van version.

Our California (based on a Caravelle) 180 4motion goes well and is very comfortable on big trips.

I've recently driven a 102 Kombi and a 140 Caravelle and both were also decent vans.

 

Ive driven everything from the 80 to the sportline, and hated all of them.

I have to say i find them really uncomfy in most specs (the sportline was okay, but not the best)

I also refuse to pay that amount of money for a work van, it is ridiculous amounts of money for something that I am just going to destroy. I drive big miles, with big loads, and I dont **** around with how I get there either.

I have owned or driven pretty much every van ever made, and the Hiace blows them all out of the water. did 150k miles in 2 years on it, over loaded every single day, and spent all its life at 90mph on the motorway and never missed a beat.

The other van that I liked was the old fiat doblo, which went like stink! But isnt big enough.

Although I am liking the look of new the transit custom, never really been into transits but it looks nice.

Thats by-the-by though, just wanted to see if anyone else had any similar problems lol!

 

Did 612 miles in a day in ours; arrived fresh as a daisy. Sportlines are just expensively chavved 180s with poor ride quality.

I've also driven pretty much every type of van; the Vivaro isn't bad but that's a lot of issues for such a young, mid mileage one.

Only LDVs are true shockers. Utterly dismal.

 

We quite reguarly do more than 1k miles in a day such is our trade, and with the amount we have in the van, and the speeds we try and do it at, just means our vans get destroyed lol

 

Used to use them when I did Geotechnical engineering. The vans, Defenders and Hiluxes got utterly battered. Even the Hiluxes died after a few years.

 

Yeah, thats the thing, nothing is meant to last anymore

Well its just been picked up on the back of a truck and I shall be going to tear them a new one tomorrow morning!

AA man came out and agreed with me that it sounds like it has dropped a valve

 

I need a van now . . just landed a job in civil engineering that includes site visits . Dont really fancy using the type r so am looking for a kangoo sized van on the cheap

 

I think you can get a 4x4 Kangoo? Whatever you get, it'll get hammered!

 

doing what Roy?

dont get french, they are ****e, I also run a combo and it has been faultless for 89k miles of overloaded hard abuse!

 

I've just had a vivaro repaired fella...... Foooooking sheds.

On revs it sounded like the crank was fubared....tick over spot on.
Turned out the timing was out , the pistons was hitting the valves.
Fortunately it caused no damage

All in all though in 3 years it's had a clutch ,gearbox rebuild ,new fuel pump , 2 alternators , vacuum pump......and it's always on the run up to winter

Piles of ****e

Now that's all said ...........anyone want to buy a nice white vivaro

 

I literally want a sub 1k workhorse I can kill on motorways and quarries as thats where it will live

 

I know some people who did that after Uni. The pay was gash IIRC.

 

I think if it were just one valve dropped (so poor compression on one cylinder) you wouldn't have the starting problem.

 

My Traffic sport he been faultless, just approaching 45k( 60 plate)

 

Understatement. What I thought was useful with my degree was actually near minimum wage slogging. Quite enjoyed some of it though.

The word "Sport" should be banned from all vans.

 

You did Geology at uni then? That's what I did. I went into the oilfield equivalent of geotechnical work which was mud-logging; an utter ****e job, but I knew nothing about the world of work when I was in my early 20's.

 

Nope, I did Materials Engineering at Swansea. About the only similarity was he word "Engineering" :brick wall I did a LOT of mud digging, logging, soakaways, soil compaction tests and my favourite, sieving stacks of mud samples…!

On the plus side, I got to drive 4x4s to their absolute limits. If I got stuck, there was always a JCB to pull me out…

 

A combo or an old doblo, trust me, anything french will not survive that environment and wont be a pleasent place to be for a long time