[mud4fun]

Folks, hendry noticed that his engine type was incorrect for his car and when I checked I also found my engine type was incorrect. I wonder how many more are like this and whether it was simply the fact that Opel were swamped with orders for the E and had a shortfall of engines so used whatever they had available in february? or is it simply the manual being incorrect.

Vauxhall/Opel have many different power outputs of the 1.4 engines and the following are used in the UK to my knowledge.

1.4 turbo engines:

B14NEJ = 100PS / 74kW (for Corsa E)
B14NEL = 120PS / 88kW (for Meriva)
B14NET = 140PS / 103kW (for Mokka)
B14NEH = 150PS / 110kW (for Adam Grand Slam)

1.4 normally aspirated engines:

B14XEJ = 75PS / 55kW
B14XEL = 90PS / 66kW
B14XER = 100PS / 74kW

ONLY the B14XEJ (75PS), B14XEL (90PS) and B14NEJ (100PS) should be used in the CORSA according to the manual.

However my LE is fitted with a B14NEL (120PS) engine instead of the 100PS ordered and hendry has a B14XER (100PS) in his SRi instead of the 90PS ordered.

I think we'd both be very grateful if you folks could check your car passes and see what engine code is on there. (In both our cases the car pass shows the same engine type as the physical engine fitted, ie. the wrong one) so if you car pass shows anything other than B14XEJ, B14XEL and B14NEJ then can you post here with the engine type fitted and the trim level. That way we can see how big a problem it is.

Clearly I'm not that unhappy as my performance is and economy is great but it may affect insurance, servicing and parts ordering so, like Hendry, I'll need to speak to VX next week.

Thanks,

Ian

 

[hendry]

As I've mentioned in the other thread Ian, Arnold Clark Vauxhall Glasgow South have a 1.4 n/a 90bhp Ecoflex SRi, with B14XER engine, and Arnold Clark Vauxhall Glasgow East have a 1.4 n/a 90bhp Ecoflex SRi with 14XEL (the 14XEL is correct but it's missing the B)

 

[Delboy_Lee]

Hi Ian, for my SE 5door Automatic I should have a 1.4 90PS fitted but the Log Book states a B14XER is fitted i.e (100PS/74KW ) ?? very strange.

Be interesting to see what VX have got to say?

Derek

 

[mud4fun]

Thanks Derek. My suspicion is the the only difference between the various power output is in the ECU map so Opel could have used engines destined for Merivas and applied the detune. I doubt very much my engine is really a 120PS, more likely a 100PS map on a meriva engine. Result is same as if I'd have had the correct engine type. I guess the same will apply to the non turbo engines too.

 

[hendry]

The really odd thing is the B14XEJ which is 75bhp and according to the manual is a correct engine for the Corsa, I've not seen any Corsa with 75bhp available, even according to Vauxhalls online car configurator 90bhp is the lowest output available.

I wonder also what the exact differences between the 1.4 Ecoflex 90bhp in the SRi, Sting and Excite and the 1.4 non Ecoflex 90bhp in the LE and SRi VX-Line are to give 2 g/km of co2 emissions difference.

Its also odd that our 1.4 non turbos appear to have the same 100bhp output as the 1.4 turbo is supposed to have, or even why Vauxhall are bothering to offer a n/a and turbo version of the same basic engine with so little difference in bhp, could it also be the case that due to lack of n/a 1.4 90bhps meaning theyve had to fit n/a 1.4 100bhps they've taken the decision to fit a higher power 1.4 turbo with 120bhp as opposed to 100bhp so there's still a bhp difference between the engines.

 

[Delboy_Lee]

Yes but what effect could this have on Insurance/future parts etc if we have Non Standard fits ?

 

[mud4fun]

Yes but what effect could this have on Insurance/future parts etc if we have Non Standard fits ?

As I said, all the engine mechanical will almost certainly be identical between the B14NEJ and B14NEL engines. (or in your case between the XEL and XER) The only difference will be the map applied.

So as long as VX applied a 100PS map to an engine that would have originally been intended as a 120PS then there will be no issues.

The V5 shows the correct g/km emissions for a 100PS map, my car is insured as a 100PS 1.4 1364cc engine (which it could be regardless of what type is stamped on it, only a dyno test could prove otherwise) and the parts ordering will be the same parts anyway.

Funnily though I did joke only last week, before I knew about this, that I thought they'd fitted the wrong engine because Dafny felt alot more powerful than the PS would suggest

 

[mud4fun]

Its also odd that our 1.4 non turbos appear to have the same 100bhp output as the 1.4 turbo is supposed to have, or even why Vauxhall are bothering to offer a n/a and turbo version of the same basic engine with so little difference in bhp, could it also be the case that due to lack of n/a 1.4 90bhps meaning theyve had to fit n/a 1.4 100bhps they've taken the decision to fit a higher power 1.4 turbo with 120bhp as opposed to 100bhp so there's still a bhp difference between the engines.

I've explained this many times before. Do not look at the peak PS figure as it is meaningless. The 1.4T 100PS generates that 100PS at 3500rpm, the 1.4 n/a has to be revved to 5K rpm to make the same power so will wear out for faster if continually revved to that level. The 100PS turbo also produced 200Nm of torque from very low rpm which means it will pull taller gearing at lower rpms than the 100PS n/a engine meaning it will get better mpg in real world driving! A turbo engine also produces its high torque over a far wider rpm range than a normally aspirated engine so is far quicker in real world use than a 1.4 n/a of the same theoretical output.

Also the 100PS is the highest output for the 1.4 n/a engine, ie. it is near the limits of the engine components so will not take much abuse before it breaks. The 100PS of the turbo unit is the lowest power output for the engine so very safely within the limits of the components which should ensure good longevity even if the power is used frequently

 

[Delboy_Lee]

VX obviously thought we would not notice these changes to material specification ?? still worth asking why ??

 

[hendry]

VX obviously thought we would not notice these changes to material specification ?? still worth asking why ??

Definitely, we have a right to know, I at the very least expect them to come back and say there is an error in the manual or that due to a shortage of engines they have fitted ones different from what's listed in the manual and send us all an amended manual so that I have peace of mind my car hasn't been mistakenly built with the wrong engine as that will bug the hell out of me and also could affect future ability to sell our cars and/or get what they are worth, as the E becomes more available and people know what engine should be fitted like they do with Ds for example and can tell an engine that isnt meant to be fitted, this could make the car more difficult to sell and worth less in much the same way imported cars are or put people off who wonder why such a new car has such a major discrepancy.

I am though relieved that at least I am not the only one who's car has such a discrepancy and that at least now there's a few of us Vauxhall will have to investigate properly and do something instead of brushing us off, fobbing us off and attempting to cover it up.

 

[mud4fun]

I'll call them on Tuseday. However I don't want my vehicle swapped because I love it! It is so far fault free, quick and economical and I had to wait 10 weeks for the damn colour too. I'd rather they just checked the map and confirm it is 100PS or 120PS and I'll correct the insurance. I believe they can plug them in and find out which map is applied quite easily.

 

[anthony]

I've got the B14XER which states 100bhp woohoo more than it should be

 

[Delboy_Lee]

Hi Ian where did you find the list of Engine Details ? eg (B14XER 100PS/74KW ) and ( B14XEL 90PS/66kW ) etc as need this link before querying with VX Customer Support.

Derek

 

[mud4fun]

Two of the 1.4 normally aspirated engines are detailed in a section at the back of the Corsa E owners manual. The third is detailed in loads of places including VX own website in reference to the Meriva.

I'll put up some links later, my kids have booted me off the main computer so they can watch a film....

 

[hendry]

I've got the B14XER which states 100bhp woohoo more than it should be

Well yours is now the third car that I know off which should be B14XEL but is in fact B14XER

 

[hendry]

Hi Ian where did you find the list of Engine Details ? eg (B14XER 100PS/74KW ) and ( B14XEL 90PS/66kW ) etc as need this link before querying with VX Customer Support.

Derek

Derek your car pass card, a stamp on the engine itself and the V5 for your car will all confirm the code fitted to your car, if yours is a 1.4 non turbo it'll have been sold to you as a 90bhp model, the specs of the B14XEJ and B14XEL which should be fitted to 1.4 non turbo Corsas are given on page 231 of the owners manual technical data section.

 

[Delboy_Lee]

Hi Ian thanks, I can find reference in the owners manual to the 1.4i B14XEL but nothing on the 1.4 B14XER ?

My Registration Document states: Engine Number: B14XER - 19GR6------

Invoice States: Vehicle Corsa 5Dr Hat 1.4 90ps SE AU
Engine Number: B14XER - 19GR6---

From above I had assumed that the B14XER was the supplied 90ps Engine ??? so getting very interesting.

Derek

 

[Delboy_Lee]

Thanks Hendry, just need to find out how we know the B14XER is the 100ps/74KW version so can pass this back to VX Support for advise etc.

 

[mud4fun]

Try this Derek, it is a Perry Vauxhall site:

http://www.perrys.co.uk/car-news/tech-spec/vauxhall-meriva-1-4i-16v-exclusiv-5dr-estate-tech-spec-2/

Click on the tech details tab and you'll get full engine details.

 

[hendry]

Hi Ian thanks, I can find reference in the owners manual to the 1.4i B14XEL but nothing on the 1.4 B14XER ?

My Registration Document states: Engine Number: B14XER - 19GR6------

Invoice States: Vehicle Corsa 5Dr Hat 1.4 90ps SE AU
Engine Number: B14XER - 19GR6---

From above I had assumed that the B14XER was the supplied 90ps Engine ??? so getting very interesting.

Derek

Derek, this is our whole point, there's nothing in the manual about the B14XER being fitted to the E, hence why we think its wrong, a googling of the engine code brings up results for Merivas and Adams with the 1.4 VVT 100bhp engine, this is how we know what its fitted to and what output it is.