[b3lha]

Thanks Joe and Phil for your advice.

I spent another hour tonight messing with it. I tried my best but I couldn't get the b***ard to start. Tried bleeding the fuel lines and so on. Then I gave up and called out the AA. He spent 45 minutes on it and then he gave up too. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with it and I can't fix it." We managed to push it to the back of my driveway where it's safe, off the road and not blocking my other cars.

Originally Posted by Phil Hill

If the bores are washed out, and the crankcase is pressurising the breather system, the engine could "run away" by sucking up the sump oil and fuel vapours from the crankcase into the induction system via the breathers until it either rev's itself to destruction or melts due to lack of oil. Once this situation starts you can't shut the engine down until it fails........

This would be my prefered solution partly because it's so destructive and scary, but mostly because a rod through the block means it's unlikely ever to be resurected !!

I would very much like to see that.

Originally Posted by Phil Hill

Hope you get rid of it soon, from experience of an early Vectra TD when they were new they are horrid to drive too............

You're not kidding. Vectra's are horrid when new and they get worse with age. It's one of the nastiest vehicles I've ever driven. It is crap in every respect and does not have a single redeming feature.