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[mv6copcar]

GREAT. i was just sitting on my office, reading this thread. thought 'its only 4 screws, i'll pop my plate/cover off and have a look at my pipes'.
BIG mistake, got the cover off, wet patch!!!! started the car up and sat in the boot, a very fine spray of petrol from the left pipe!! so got a rag to clean off the petrol to see where the leak was, AND THE PIPE BROKE OFF IN MY HAND!!!!!!!!!!!
now stuck at work with a broken car!!! someone will run me to the vauxhall dealer in a mo, hopefully with the parts in stock!
funny though i didn't notice any worse consumsption...
NOTE TO EVERYONE, CHECK YOUR PIPES!!

[Craig_R]

I hate to say this But I think It Special Order The Part  

Hope I am Wrong and You Get It Fixed

[Abiton]

Has anyone tried suggesting to a Vx dealership that this is a serious issue and should be rectified at their expense?

I'm going to check this on my girlfriend's car tonight, and if it looks at all dodgy I shall print out this thread, and the 'How To' and take it to my local Vx place with a view to insisting that this is not a 'wear and tear' fault, and emphasise danger etc.

Am I being daft here?

[jonathanh]

If my understanding of consumer protection in the Uk is correct then your local dealer does not have to do anything: your supplying dealer (i.e. the person you bought the car off, is responsible).  

There is clearly a problem here that at the very least, VX and all dealers should be aware of.  Given that a lot of us have similar problems, I think VOSA should also be informed.

I agree it would be nice to get some help from VX as well but fear this is too much to ask

I'm happy to pen a letter to VX in the next week, based on the number of people who have indicated here that they have got a problem.

[Dazzler]

I agree about the letter writing, and i think all who have had to repair/replace should do the same and all send them to Vauxhall Headoffice addressed to the Company Director as to not have the letters filtered via the nearest bin by some office clerk.

[estaszew]

Could someone provide me with the general location of the access port?

I have a '98 Catera (the US Omega) and the carpet is stuck to 3/16 inch (or so) wood in the trunk.  The how-to doesn't seem to show this, but it is factory in the US.  After peeling the carpet and removing the wood on both the left and right sides, I cannot find the port due to more or the tar lined material.  I'm guessing it is used for soundproofing.  I removed some on the passenger side (driver's side in the UK) where an outline of the circle is, but I could not seem to find the access plate.

The service manual calls this part the fuel sender assembly.  In the removal procedure, it says that I have to remove the fuel tank.  Perhaps I do not have the access port and my only option would be to remove the tank?

[estaszew]

After further examination, I can say with confidence that the '98 3.0l Catera does not have an access port and that the only method of determining the corrosion extent would be with a fuel tank removal.

[Grumpy]

Get underneath the car, follow the two fuel pipes up to get a general location,
and then use a dentist type mirror, (mirror on the end of a thin pole),
with a torch to have a look.

You can actually get these mirrors with a torch built in. The bulb up next to
the mirror, a flexible mounting pole, and battery compartment built into the
base of the flexible mounting pole.

I found that I could get under the car without jacking it when I was initially
leak tracing, but I suppose that would depend on your suspension set-up.

[old cruiser]

Checked mine today and guess what! Corrosion, what I've done is to gently brush loose rust flakes away using a small brass brush and start  or ignition on, to make sure no fuel squirting(face well away just in case) and have treated it with cure rust and painted it with several coats of enamel paint, I think what is happening here is that the pipe to cover joints  flex somewhat with car movement and hence is cracking the paint around the pipe to cover joint, paint then flakes off and is then open to elements/ condensation, which I think is causing them to corrode, shall be covering with some silicone sealant at a later stage as the enamel paint I've put on is probably going to crack again at some stage!!
Cheers Pete