Vectra's Black Smoke & Stalling: Common Culprits Revealed

Hey there! I have some experience with cars, and I faced almost the same issue with my 2002 Vauxhall Astra (had a Vauxhall Corsa before that). The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I dealt with. My mechanic found that the cable and plug connected to the idle control valve were damaged, causing all those problems you mentioned. Got it fixed at my local Vauxhall specialist for about €155, and the car's been running smoothly since then. Can you tell me which engine variant your Vectra has? Also, how many miles are on the clock? This info would help me share more specific details about what to look out for. Side note: Don't wait too long on this one, driving with a faulty idle control can lead to bigger issues!

Thanks! Mine's the petrol engine with 212076 KM on the clock. Had the last service about 3 months ago. Your insight about the idle control valve seems spot on, the symptoms match perfectly. Did your mechanic mention any other potential causes I should look out for? I'd rather be prepared when I take it to the shop next week.

Hey again! Glad to help further with your Vectra issue. You know, after fixing my Astra's idle control valve, I actually discovered there were a few other things causing similar symptoms. In my case, while the idle control valve was definitely part of the problem, my mechanic also found that the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor was pretty dirty and the fuel injectors needed a good cleaning. The whole job ended up costing around €320 in total, but it was worth every penny, my car's been running like new since then. With your mileage being quite similar to what mine was (I had about 200K km when these issues started), I'd definitely recommend getting those components checked too. The black smoke you mentioned could very well be from dirty injectors, that's exactly what I experienced. Quick tip from my experience, if your mechanic suggests replacing the MAF sensor, make sure they try cleaning it first. Saved me some money when I found out that's all mine needed! Keep us posted on what your mechanic finds. Hope you get it sorted as smoothly as I did!

Really appreciate all this detailed info! That's super helpful about the MAF sensor and injectors, I'll definitely mention these to my mechanic. Funny enough, I just remembered my -in-law had similar issues with his old Ford, and it turned out to be dirty injectors too. I've booked it in for next Tuesday morning, so I'll make sure they check all these components. The tip about cleaning the MAF sensor first instead of replacing it straight away might save me a few quid, thanks for that! I'll definitely update this thread once I get the diagnosis and fix. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's really put my mind at ease knowing these issues are fairly common and fixable. Cheers!