STAFF CAR SAGAS
After 20 years of ownership, Kim wonders if this is the end for his Zafira
When Vauxhall introduced the first series Zafira (‘A’) in 1999, I knew that this model would be a practical vehicle for me. However, it was not until 2004 that ownership became a reality. When Vauxhall announced the introduction of an SRi model, featuring a body kit and unique five spoke aluminium alloy wheels, I decided a 2.0 litre DTi diesel version was just what I needed. I covered long distances daily, often carried seven people, and sometimes needed a van-like carrying capacity. Additionally, I was looking for an economical vehicle to run. The 2.0 litre diesel Zafira SRi ticked all these boxes.
I eventually discovered a one-year-old example, first registered in August 2003, with just 8000 miles on the clock. It was to be sold off by Vauxhall at a trade auction and had been a ‘Management’ car (as opposed to a hard-driven press fleet test vehicle). We suspect that it was the actual vehicle photographed for the publicity and brochure shots when the SRi models were announced.
My son Anthony and I travelled by train to collect the Vauxhall from Buckinghamshire, and as we drove home, a 130-mile journey, we played Magic Bus (by The Who) on the excellent CD player and decided to name our Zafira after the song.
Faithful friend
During the past 20 years, our Magic Bus has carried has carried seven adult family members and friends on adventures, has been loaded with car books, furniture, vehicle components and tools, and has been used as a mobile classic car workshop and towing vehicle. While practicality has been a strong point throughout my ownership, sadly in electrical aspects, reliability has not. The car has had a new front subframe fitted, along with new brake discs and pads, while the diesel fuel supply system has been re-plumbed. Due to an air leak in an underbonnet rusted feed pipe, the car became increasingly difficult to start. I tried to obtain new pipework, but unfortunately none was forthcoming: ‘It’s obsolete, sir!’.
With the help of a mechanic pal (thanks John), the pipework supplying the fuel filter assembly, and the diesel pump was renewed by ‘do-it-yourself-design’, incorporating a Volkswagen fuel filter. This setup works fine and has kept the car on the road. However, we now have a more serious problem. Not long before the Covid pandemic, the Bosh PSG16 ‘twin plug’ combined assembly incorporating the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for the whole vehicle and the diesel fuel pump, failed. In this case the engine would intermittently fail to start, and eventually wouldn’t run at all.
This is a known and notorious problem with this set-up (on Zafiras with engine code Y20DTH). This cost me around £3000 to have fixed, and this problem has put many Zafira ‘A’ diesel models into scrap yards. Usually this crazy, poorly-engineered setup lasts about 100,000 to 120,000 miles, but this car has covered fewer than 10,000 miles on the new ECU/pump assembly – and I am unwilling to ‘invest’ in another unit that lasts for such a short distance.
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