Comments for Karl's Random Rambling.

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by Eddie Cox

Eddie Cox — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:28:04 +0000

Thank you, thank you & thank you. That irritating ‘S’ light has been flashing on now for 6 years!!!!!!!!!
6 years ago I was quoted £225 + vat + fitting and setting up.
Yesterday 14th May 2012 I was quoted £315 + vat + fitting and setting up.

I went out bought the ‘Maplin’ products £9.50, started at 10am and had it back on and working by 11am. Your advise has saved me at least £500. If you are ever in Brum drop me a mail and I’ll buy you a well deserved pint. Cheers.

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by Mr J McCarthy

Mr J McCarthy — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:24:05 +0000

Thanks to this webpage & My Friend Glenn (Mechanic) My Corsa 1.4 LS Auto (High Torq) is sweet as a nut..no more Flashing “S” of doom..reversing lights work a treat like a new car!
took him 15 mins (he is an expert)thank goodness was going to buy a newer car…!

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by gary hick

gary hick — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:39:56 +0000

you r a star, followed your step by step instructions i,ve now got 4 and 5 gear working you are a proper diamond many thanks

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by Mihai-Andrei DAN

Mihai-Andrei DAN — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:32:53 +0000

Greetings from Romania Karl and thank’s for sharing your know-how with us!
I bought my ’96 Vectra x16xel automatic from Germany in 2008 and every winter I had this issue with the car.. I was suspecting that it should be a minor thing and tryed to test the car for fault’s but everytime i drove tot the mechanic the fault dissapeared leaving me for nothing to test, but now i know exactly what to do!
Cheers!

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by paul

paul — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:23:31 +0000

what a great well explained tutorial, my daughters 2005 1.8 astra car has the symptoms you discribe but without the flashing s, running it backward and forward through the gears certainly got it going again but only after it had been sitting for a couple of hours so weather her fault is tempeture/distance related i don’t know, but certainly ok for a while when left,
any way really appricate someone tacking the time to put the work in to help out the rest of us poor slobs who don’t know mechanics.
thanks paul

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by John

John — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:05:08 +0000

I wish I had tried this before consulting the Daily Telegraph’s ‘Honest John’.

His diagnosis of the problem was condensation in the automatic transmission fluid and the solution suggested was to replace the fluid (and ATF ain’t cheap!!).
I did this but the flashing ‘S’ light problem remains.
So now it’s time to get the spanners out and overhaul the switch.
But what I don’t understand is why the switch gives trouble in winter but not in summer.
Anyone know why?

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by Paul

Paul — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:24:50 +0000

Brilliant repair,sorted my Astra 1.6 8v auto out,saved me £285,many thanks.

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by Chris

Chris — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:44:51 +0000

Thanks for your effot putting up this tutorial! you saved me heaps…. it was a job the repair shop had no clue, I won’t be going there again!

Thanks Chris

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by Dan Stobbart

Dan Stobbart — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:22:28 +0000

1. Top notch tutorial , excellently written and superb photos. TTL for peeps like you !!
2. That mysterious black tube in last photo… if you rip the metal cap off , there’s a foam bung which you can slowly blow through .. I guess it’s to equalise pressure so the rubber gasket on switch doesn’t blow when auto hot ? Shiny metal cap is to stop it blocking with engine grime ? It’s hidden & inaccessible under that annoying metal bracket (photo no 9 … at the right end of the wriggly cable cover). I removed the bracket completely so now my black rubber tube is exposed , any time I want I can pull it off and squirt in some WD40 or more silicone grease (maplins do it in spray cans as well as tubes) … the spray tubes go right through the hole to the middle of the switch. …….. Thanks again Karl.

Comment on Fixing the Vauxhall Flashing “S” of Doom… by Required fields are marked *

Required fields are marked * — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:04:45 +0000

Thanks for the tutorial, followed a link to here off the MK3OC, just took mine off and tore it down today, just gotta clean it up and re-assemble. Once again thanks for the tutorial.

I put up with the light all the time the car was on the road, soon as I don’t need it anymore I end up sorting all the wee niggles out.