Vauxhall Astravan Duel Fuel (Koltec VG392 GSI)

[mes81]

Hi,

I currently own a Vauxhall Astravan that has a Koltec Necam VG392 GSI LPG system that was factory fitted.

The gas has never worked since owning the van the light just flashes and there is very little or incorrect information on line, below are the actions I have already taken but hoping someone can point me in the right direction if I have missed something before buying replacement parts.

When checking diagnostics via (Grey Wire in Fuesbox) it was showing a fault 14 this was pointing towards O2 sensor and it just so happened the O2 sensor was playing up so changed it out and fault 14 disappeared.

When the vehicle is either running or the ignition switched on it give me fault code 12 (This indicates engine not running - lack of RPM)

I ran a test on temp sensor located in vaporiser and that is testing fine, I also decided to check the electronic valve located on top of LPG tank by supplying 12v directly to it, when I do this I hear it open and gas reached the vaporiser, when I purge the line, put it back together run van up to temp and have lpg switched on no has reaches the vaporiser.

I think this indicates that the system is not telling the lpg valve to open, with the current fault showing 12 (not running/no rpm) leads me to believe it is the 58x module.

Module Details

238002-46
58x Interface
0017 [ATTACH type="full"]105033[/ATTACH][ATTACH]105033[/ATTACH]

With the above in mind could I kindly ask anyone who may know how the below questions to help please.

1. Can I test the 58x module with multimeter to find out if it is faulty?
2. Can I buy the diagnostics lead/cable, from what I can tell it plugs in to the
3. Are there any other test I can do to prove the fault. With the hours of reading my understanding is if the vaporiser needs a service kit it would still run on gas just not very well
4. [LEFT]What tells the LPG valve on the tank to open?
   
   Any extra information will be very much appreciated. I have plenty of photos and other information and happy to help anyone else with what I have learned already. Thanks[/LEFT]

[Brian_H]

Hi,

I currently own a Vauxhall Astravan that has a Koltec Necam VG392 GSI LPG system that was factory fitted.

The gas has never worked since owning the van the light just flashes and there is very little or incorrect information on line, below are the actions I have already taken but hoping someone can point me in the right direction if I have missed something before buying replacement parts.

When checking diagnostics via (Grey Wire in Fuesbox) it was showing a fault 14 this was pointing towards O2 sensor and it just so happened the O2 sensor was playing up so changed it out and fault 14 disappeared.

When the vehicle is either running or the ignition switched on it give me fault code 12 (This indicates engine not running - lack of RPM)

I ran a test on temp sensor located in vaporiser and that is testing fine, I also decided to check the electronic valve located on top of LPG tank by supplying 12v directly to it, when I do this I hear it open and gas reached the vaporiser, when I purge the line, put it back together run van up to temp and have lpg switched on no has reaches the vaporiser.

I think this indicates that the system is not telling the lpg valve to open, with the current fault showing 12 (not running/no rpm) leads me to believe it is the 58x module.

Module Details

238002-46
58x Interface
0017 [ATTACH type="full"]105033[/ATTACH][ATTACH]105033[/ATTACH]

With the above in mind could I kindly ask anyone who may know how the below questions to help please.

1. Can I test the 58x module with multimeter to find out if it is faulty?
2. Can I buy the diagnostics lead/cable, from what I can tell it plugs in to the
3. Are there any other test I can do to prove the fault. With the hours of reading my understanding is if the vaporiser needs a service kit it would still run on gas just not very well
4. [LEFT]What tells the LPG valve on the tank to open?
   
   Any extra information will be very much appreciated. I have plenty of photos and other information and happy to help anyone else with what I have learned already. Thanks[/LEFT]

1 - Don't know, Simon might post if your lucky on that but don't think so.
2 - No. The software can be found, but noone seems able to source a cable. Its here for what its worth > https://projekt-tech.com/diagnostic-programs-pm-23.html under Koltec
3 - I've only dealt with the other type of setup (the EGI one with the metering head) but that would generally run on gas but throw errors when the vapouriser was getting in need of attention. Common fault with them is to leak gas up the vacuum line. Doesn't tally with your other symptoms though.
4 - The gas ECU will operate a relay if its like the EGI type. The code 12 would be your clue. I'd suspect the filter module, but not sure how easily they can be found anymore. I've got a couple of the Ford ones but believe those to be different (at very least the plug on mine is different as its like the ones off pc floppy drives rather than the superseal type)

Not sure what your trying to attach but it seems to have got lost along the way, it may be worth another try?

[Brian_H]

Have found a possible one - bit pricy though

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265044327172

I'd also suggest it might be an idea to contact Simon (LPGC) on here, particually if you can actually get the van to him as he is probabbly your best bet and you'd get a better idea whats going on with it.

Personally I ditched the EGI kit after getting major problems with it (ecu suspected to be starting to die) as it got to a point where it made more sense to keep the rear end setup and replace the front end with standard stuff that could be moved to another vehicle later. The Vauxhall setup is/was far more common though, so you may get some luck trying to get bits. Unfortunately amongst the spare bits I had, there were never any of the 58X modules (I brought a couple of front end kits off ebay that someone had removed intending to transplant into another Vectra and then didn't, but it seems some of the bits got missed or lost!)

[LPGC]

There are some big differences between the 'factory fit' Nikon Koltec systems depending on which make/model vehicle we're talking about... They may have the same reducer, same type of fuel distributor unit or similar type (maybe different flow rates) injectors, but the electronics between makes/models can be different.

Been a long time since I worked on one tbh, so for tech info like how to diagnose the 58x module using a multimeter I'd probably need to look for notes I made on old laptop hard drives. But I do remember that I have run some multimeter tests on 58X modules (mostly on the emulation).

Some error codes stored in the gas ECU, including some lean lambda sensor error codes, can simply point to running out of fuel... That's the way some of the (particularly fuel distributor types) know you've run out of LPG (when the mixture is consistently lean according to the lambda sensor for around 5 seconds, instead of 'flicking').

On all the Koltec systems the tank solenoid and the reducer solenoid are wired in parallel, if you wire one of them to 12V with the wires connected you also wire the other to 12V, and then unless there's a fault with a solenoid (or reducer) the reducer will output gas.

I never bothered to read Koltec fault codes. If there wasn't a problem with the 58X, RPM module or temp sensor, then after clearing fault codes (a simple case of disconnecting the battery for a while) the systems would try to switch to LPG and then you could find the real issue (leaky diaphragm reducer, low pressure reducer, bad injector, bad fuel distributor, bad distributor stepper, bad relays (Transit), etc). I always connected a multimeter directly to lambda sensor signal wire and earth to set up reducer pressure.

I fixed hundreds back in the day, all sorts of problems, have fixed them using a different make/model reducer, different injectors, different petrol injector emulation, custom electronic circuits, etc. I fixed one for a bloke called Max who told me he was one of the designers of the Koltec system (and I reckon it's the same Max who has since said on PistonHeads forum he was a designer of the Koltec system lol)...

But these days if the problem didn't seem a relatively easy fix (e.g. a simple adjustment of pressure to fix) then instead of trying to fix the Koltec system I'd advise replacing it with an aftermarket system. You could spend time and money fixing a Koltec system only for another Koltec component to fail soon after, wasting the time and money spent if the next fix were more time consuming / expensive to fix.

On the Vauxhalls as long as there is power to the gas solenoids the fuel gauge on the dash reflects LPG tank level if you fitted a standard 0-90Ohm sender, so even that 'factory' function remains if you fit aftermarket kit... And you could buy / fit a complete aftermarket front end kit to the Astra for £200 and know it will work.

[mes81]

Hi,

Thank you all for your replies, sorry for delay in replying I decided to change from Android to Apple ahhhhhhh.

I will read through the posts and see if I can get any further with the information provided and then update this post.

Its crazy how very little or incorrect information is about for the Koltec systems.