Should I refund my Caddy Maxi 1.6 ex-BritishGas van?

[KesterUrwin]

I bought a 2015 ex British Gas Caddy Maxi 1.6 TDI on Friday and on the way home from the dealership (only a 5 minute drive) it has gone into limp mode with the glow plug light coming on. It's under 6 month warranty so I returned it to the dealership yesterday who informed me the no. 2 injector has broke and they will replace it in their garage.

From the research I have done and a few posts on this forum I'm aware that this is a common fault with the 1.6's. I'm worried that I may have a Caddy that will eat through injectors and after the warranty is up I may start to have some bills stacking up. All the injectors have been replaced on it and are not the originals with the B code, but I am not sure what codes they are. One injector went in 2020 and I suspect the owner replaced them all then.

I love the van and it's converted so would like to travel to Ireland and France in the future but worried I will have injectors going all the time like other owners have reported. I can't really afford constant repairs. I'm also aware that some owners have no issues whatsoever or only have 1-2 injectors go in it's lifetime.

Any opinions on whether it will be worth the risk or better to get a refund will be much appreciated

[BenT]

I think this really depends on you, and whether you feel you can live with it. The injectors aren't normally difficult to replace by the road side (as long as they haven't seized in), so you could do what I've done for the last 4 years and just carry a few spares/tools with you and replace as and when they go. If they do. The injectors aren't cheap, and I don't like the complete lack of warning when they fail, but other than that it's a very sturdy van and I suppose all makes and models have their problems.

I take it you could reject it as not fit for purpose if worst came to the worst? Breaking down within the first 5 minutes isn't great!

[KesterUrwin]

Thanks for your reply Ben, I think I’m going to see how it goes after the replacement injector and keep everything crossed. Out of curiosity how many injectors have gone for you over the past 4 years?

I think if it’s only the injectors I can live with it, still cheaper than paying for hotels on a road trip!

[the swan fiend]

I’ve had my van since 2017 and I had one fail on the road. Another began leaking back when a remap was put on (proving that it was on its way out and forcing the mapper to remove the map till it was fixed)
The 3rd was damaged getting the leaky one out so I’ve had 3 in total. I’ve put 70k miles on mine and over all, the van has cost me no more or less than any other vehicle I’ve owned……apart from mods


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[BenT]

Thanks for your reply Ben, I think I’m going to see how it goes after the replacement injector and keep everything crossed. Out of curiosity how many injectors have gone for you over the past 4 years?

I think if it’s only the injectors I can live with it, still cheaper than paying for hotels on a road trip!

You're very welcome. So:

#2 failed at 148,000 miles in Dec. 2021 (without warning, on a motorway)
#3 cylinder started taking a few seconds to fire up on cold starts (during a heatwave, mind - no glow plug operation) in Sep. 2023 at 160,000 miles. Injector replacement fixed this and I replaced #4 at the same time.
#2 failed again at 165,000 miles, a week or two ago. No warning. It was a second hand injector, with probably no more than 40,000 miles on it. S suffix.
#1 still going strong at 165,000 (B suffix)

So, prior to December 2021 at 148,000 all four were original.

As Mr Swan's said, it's actually been very cheap to run, given that it's otherwise been very sturdy and low-trouble. Choose your poison I suppose...

[frazerk]

so you could do what I've done for the last 4 years and just carry a few spares/tools with you and replace as and when they go.

I'm going through this drama myself right.. just done a complete engine swap, and now had injector 3 fail. Garage replaced it yesterday but now fuel all over the block.

I'm happy doing stuff myself but am concerned about damaging seals or the stretch bolts without having a torque wrench currently

What would you suggest carrying as a basic kit for this work?

[BenT]

I'd carry:
Torque wrench - this is essential
Angle tightening gauge
17 mm open-ended spanner (for fuel lines)
Ratchet tool with extender and triple-square bit (for injector bolt, 8 mm I think but will check!)
Small screwdriver (for injector electrical connectors and return hose clips)
Pliers (for return hose clips)
WD40 (for rinsing fuel line connections before reconnecting)
Kitchen roll (for fuel spills and cleaning)
Long screwdriver (to lever the injectors to loosen. Also wrap in kitchen roll to clean the injector bores)
Stretch bolt, copper washer, return line o-ring
Brake grease or vaseline (to stick the copper washer to your new injector if it's a loose fit)
Maybe some rubber gloves to keep your hands clean, or some hand sanitiser
1 x garden gnome, to cheer yourself up afterwards

All this said, I've spent this afternoon trying to remove a seized injector on my van, with no success. I'm guessing it didn't seat properly when last removed and it's got stuck in there with carbon buildup.

[cbaileyuk]

Caddy ownership sounds extremely like Lotus

I'm VERY experienced in carrying a Lotus "care package" around with me