The fault relates to the power steering fluid pipe leaking flammable power steering fluid onto the diesel particulate filter – which  is arguably the hottest part of the exhaust system.

Vauxhall have also identified a fault in some other Insignia models, which  could also  result in fire.

Watchdog were able to obtain a Vauxhall  ’Technical Service Bulletin’ which Vauxhall had distributed internally to mechanics. The bulletin was dated October 2011 and referred to the pipe that carries the power steering fluid. The report states that the power steering pressure pipe might crack/leak. The remedy suggested by the bulletin was to replace the Power Steering Pressure Pipe and Clip. The cause of the problem was detailed as  ’Insufficient design’.

Banwells Senior Engineer, Mark Brown,commented: “This fluid is highly flammable, and its presence on the engine in any form is dangerous. A leak once started can, and usually does, worsen of its own volition owing to the nature of the reason the leak starts in the first place – so even a slow leak presents a serious fire hazard.”

Vauxhall says the fault affects 6,900 vehicles, all manufactured in Germany between 2009 and 2010, and they told us it cannot state categorically that no fluid would, under any circumstances, come into contact with a part of the engine where a fire could potentially result.

Mark also highlighted two potential further hazards caused by this fault; the first is the leakage of power steering fluid that could lead to a loss of power steering assistance which may or may not be rapid or sudden depending on the level of leakage. The second is the fact that because there is a significant risk of fire from the leakage of any power steering fluid which is flammable, this makes it a safety issue which needs to be sorted immediately. “If they don’t,” states Mark, “they’re leaving owners in danger.”

Vauxhall Response

Vauxhall takes every incident of a vehicle fire very seriously; each case is thoroughly investigated together with specialists and insurance companies to determine the root cause and consequently, ensure the continuing safety of its vehicles. This is a complicated task, many individual root causes are possible – customer misuse, incorrect vehicle repair, electrical systems, fuel systems, mechanical friction or other external influences.

Vauxhall currently have a Service Action in effect in the UK on 6,900 Insignia Diesel Vehicles built in Model Years 2009 and 2010. The service action was to deal with a slow leak from the power steering pipe joint and is not safety related either in terms of rapid loss of steering assistance or fire. There are no instances where the slow leak has resulted in a vehicle fire. The decision to handle this as a service update minimises the inconvenience to customers. The service action refers only to diesel-engined vehicles, petrol-engined vehicles are not affected.

None of the vehicles within the service action range that has been inspected has either exhibited a leak or shown other than a slow leak of fluid even though the system is pressurised. There is also no evidence that movement of or within the engine has caused the leak to worsen or spread.
Vauxhall cannot state categorically that no fluid would, under any circumstances, come into contact with a part of the engine where a fire could potentially result.

Should fluid leak from the joint specified in the service action, it would do so slowly. The reservoir containing the fluid (under atmospheric pressure) is relatively large and any persistent leak from this reservoir would become evident – either on the ground or at the point of the vehicle being serviced. Power assistance would only be lost when the reservoir is empty. Even at this point the driver would only lose assistance and not steering control. Evidence of loss of assistance would be most noticeable at parking speeds and up to 15-20mph. Above this speed the steering would be ‘heavier’, akin to a manually steered car without power assisted steering.

To date c63% (of a total of 6,900) of the vehicles in the range have been reworked with the new pipe.
If customers have any concerns about their vehicle, Vauxhall is always happy to arrange for an inspection at a local Vauxhall retailer. Customers who may wish to ascertain whether their Insignia is the subject of the service action should contact their local retailer who can advise if their vehicle is within the range and if so, whether or not it has already been reworked.

Vauxhall Customer Care telephone number: 0844 369 0112

Vauxhall retailer locations can be found at: Vauxhall Dealer Locations

]]> http://www.banwells.co.uk/news/bbc-watchdog-vauxhall-isignia-fire-risk-investigation/feed/ 0 http://www.banwells.co.uk/news/fiat-punto-power-steering-problems-bbc-watchdog/ http://www.banwells.co.uk/news/fiat-punto-power-steering-problems-bbc-watchdog/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:02:38 +0000 Banwells http://www.banwells.co.uk/?p=1425 Banwells senior engineer Mark Brown has assisted BBC Watchdog with an investigation into power steering faults on Fiat Grande Punto and Fiat Panda motor vehicles.

The fault was an intermittent one where the driver would lose their power steering without warning. Mark Brown identified the problem as being electrical.

Watchdog spoke to Mark Brown,  to find out what exactly is the problem and if Fiat should be taking responsibility for it. Mark Brown stated that “The problem with the power steering lies on the electrical side, which develops an intermittent fault that in turn causes the loss of power steering. Given the fault lies with the electrical side of the steering column, which I think shouldn’t happen in the lifetime of a car, I really think that Fiat ought to be paying to replace these units.”

Fiat were notified f the problem by BBC Watchdog and issue the following statement:-

Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd prides itself on maintaining a high quality reputation for our brand and we always aim to ensure that customers receive exemplary service from both ourselves and our dealer network.

With reference to the issues you have highlighted, we can confirm that a small number of Fiat Punto and Panda vehicles have had power assisted steering repairs during the period you have mentioned. Every case that has been brought to our notice has been given our full attention. More than 430,000 Punto and Panda vehicles have been sold since their introduction here.

A failure of the power assistance is indicated by a warning light on the instrument panel. But the car can still be driven, albeit with an increased effort on the steering wheel, as detailed in the owner’s handbook. Should this happen, we recommend that contact is made with an authorised dealer.

With regard to the examples you have highlighted, you will understand that we are not in a position to comment on individual cases.

Should customers wish to contact us in relation to their vehicle, we recommend that they either contact their local dealership or our Fiat Customer Care team (00800 3428 0000), who will be happy to investigate.

Fiat Group Automobiles takes all customer inquiries seriously and strives to support customers wherever possible.

The programme aired on Thursday 26th April  at 8pm. More details will appear on this site after the show has aired.

Mark has assisted BBC Watchdog with a number of investigations many of which are featured in the Vehicle Defects section of this website.

Available to all of our volume AD clients the portal will allow our clients to:-

• Submit new instructions
• Check the current status of inspection requests
• Download a copy of a case report
• Download copy images or other relevant claims documentation
• Submit Queries

If you are a current client of ours, or your a new client and wish to register for this service, please contact us:-

Based at home but reporting to our head office in Nottingham the ideal candidate will be self-disciplined, organised, well-motivated and a good negotiator.

• Salary – Negotiable Dependent Upon Experience
• Holidays – 28 days per annum (including Bank & Public Holidays)
• Pension
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• Vehicle

The ideal candidate will be qualified to a minimum of I.A.E.A or ATA (VDA) standard.

Current or recent experience working as an automotive engineer or body shop estimator is essential. Applicants should be able to assess, value and negotiate repair costs,  provide vehicle valuations, negotiate total loss settlements and have a detailed  understanding of salvage categories and claims management.

Experience of vehicle estimating systems such as Audatex and Glassmatix is essential.  Experience of Motex Easiest is also preferable.

The vacancy is in the M4/M40/M25 area with the ideal applicant based in or around Slough, Staines, Hillingdon or Maidenhead.

To apply, please complete the contact form below and provide a copy of your current CV.

Click on the diagram to view in a new window, then click the diagram again for full screen view.

The majority of the additional testable items were introduced as reasons for refusal to issue a test certificate as of 1st January 2012, but several are initially only advisory items. However Mike advised that in spring 2012, they will all become items which can be reasons for refusal to issue a test certificate, if deemed defective in accordance with the MOT Testers manual, which can be viewed on line at: www.motuk.co.uk/manual.

The components and systems which are advisory until spring 2012, when they will become potential test failure items, include:

• Main beam warning lamp
• Headlamp wash and levelling systems
• Steering Lock
• Tyre pressure monitoring (2012 models onwards only)
• Airbag and/or seatbelt pretensioner (SRS) warning light
• Speedometer condition
• Visible wiring condition
• Engine Mountings
• 13 pin trailer socket continuity (a 7 pin socket will be subject to a visual check only)

The traditional MOT test certificates which don’t list advisory items have been scrapped in favour of a new style MOT test certificate, which lists the advisory items on the same page.

MOT 2012 Test Certificate

Effectively the new style certificate will draw the attention of anyone buying a 3 year or older used car to any advisory items. Subsequently many advisory items may well be replaced or repaired prior to the sale of a car to satisfy the purchaser. The old system of providing a separate advisory notice form effectively discouraged disclosure of any advisory items to purchasers. Therefore the new all in one style certificate will be welcomed by many purchasers at least.

There is also a new Refusal of an MOT Test Certificate form which is shown below. This also lists any advisory items, as well as the reason/s the vehicle did not comply with the statutory requirements.

MOT Test Refusal

Looking to the future, there is the possibility of legislation for a biannual MOT test, European standardisation and historical vehicle exemption.

Mini says there has been 1 UK case of a fire caused possibly relating to the fault. The problem typically relates to a circuit board connected to the cars’ water pump.  The issue in the Cooper S and John Cooper Works affects models built between 2006 and 2011.

Mini (owned by BMW) will be sending letter sover the next few weeks to owners of affected models, inviting them to have a replacement water pump fitted at a local dealership. The work will be free of charge.  The replacement of the water pump should take no more than an hour to complete.

In the meantime, Mini insists that the affected vehicles remain safe to drive and that the issues caused by the electric fault are very unlikely to occur.

For more information about this recall, please contact your local Mini dealer.

Saab Automobile Parts UK has been formed following the administration of Saab GB to work with a small network of authorised repairers.

Approximately half a dozen outlets were visited by a Trading Standrads officer posing as a member of the public.  The officer took the guise of a person with a single wheel rim that needed a cheap tyre.

None of the tyres provided by the various outlets met the standard laid down for part-worn tyres.  None of the tyres carried a mark identifying them as part-worn tyres. More seriously, Banwells engineer Mark Brown found that two of the tyres supplied  were not the correct width for the rim and one tyre had a ‘botched puncture repair’ which made it potentially unsafe. In addition, two of the tyres were not correctly balanced on the rim.

Nottingham Councillor Mick Murphy, Cabinet Member for Community Safety at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “With the cost of motoring increasing it is understandable why there is a greater demand for cheaper tyres but cashing in and costing lives is inexcusable.”

Recent research by Tyre Safe who are a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness about tyre safety supported Councillor Murphy’s comments by suggesting that 34% of drivers were using or had used part worn tyres in September 2011 compared to just 12% in March 2010.

Mark is an Expert Automotive Engineer and qualified collision investigator who has recently joined Banwells. Previously, his engineering career included twenty-four years with the Royal Air Force.

Mark has great experience in the maintenance and repair of a variety of vehicles, including HGVs and specialist vehicles concerned with the operation of a large airfield; along with the overseeing of all technical matters including repair costs, incident or accident diagnosis and repair costing.

Mark is also qualified in City & Guilds Motor Vehicle Craft Studies parts I, II & III as well as holding certificates in Professional Competence in Road Haulage Operations, ADR Dangerous goods and in the Institute of Leadership & Management.

His qualifications also include RTITB Fork Lift Operator and vehicle engineering training at the RAF School of Technical Training..

He is currently finalising a University CPD Certificate in Forensic Road Collision Investigation.