Vauxhall Adam: Exhaust Issues & Check Engine Light Mystery

Hey there! I've had some experience with cars (some experience level) and faced a similar issue with my 2014 Vauxhall Corsa last year. The symptoms were exactly the same, check engine light, increased fuel consumption, and that nasty exhaust smell. Took it to my local mechanic, and after running diagnostics, they found it was indeed the electric switching valve that was failing. Got it replaced, cost me about 140 Euro, and everything's been running smoothly since then. Before I share more details, has your Adam had any other recent repairs? Are you getting any specific error codes? Does the problem get worse when the engine is cold? If we're dealing with the same issue, it's definitely fixable and won't break the bank too much. Let me know about those details, and I can share more specific info about what to expect!

Thanks for sharing your experience! My Adam just had its latest service done about 3 months ago, and everything was fine until last week. I'm at 77823 KM now, and yeah, the problem is definitely worse when the engine's cold, especially in the morning. Haven't gotten the error codes checked yet, but planning to stop by my mechanic tomorrow to get that sorted. The exhaust smell is really bugging me, so I'm hoping it's just the valve like in your case. Did your Corsa also have that rough idle when cold?

Hey again! Yeah, my Corsa definitely had that rough idle when cold, it was super annoying, especially during those early morning starts. It would shake a bit for the first minute or two until it warmed up. Now that you mention your mileage and the cold start issues, it's sounding even more similar to what I dealt with. My Corsa was around 82,000 KM when this happened to me. The exhaust smell was definitely the worst part, used to get worried about driving with the windows down because it was so strong! Just a heads up, while you're at your mechanic getting those codes read, make sure they check if there are any other stored codes too. When I had my issue, there was actually a secondary code that helped my mechanic pinpoint the exact problem with the valve. After I got mine fixed, it was like driving a different car, the idle smoothed out completely, and that horrible smell disappeared within a day. Plus, my fuel economy went back to normal, I was burning through about 15-20% more fuel before the fix. Keep me posted about those error codes when you get them. If they're the same ones I had, I can tell you exactly what my mechanic did to fix it. Fingers crossed it's just the valve!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! That's super helpful to know about the secondary codes, I'll definitely ask them to check for those at my mechanic tomorrow. It's actually really reassuring to hear that your symptoms were so similar, especially the rough idle and increased fuel consumption. I've been worried it might be something more serious (and expensive!). The fact that your repair was relatively straightforward and didn't cost a fortune is making me feel much better about the whole situation. I'll get those codes checked first thing tomorrow and update you once I know more. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, it's helped put my mind at ease!