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Engine code

Z13DTH engine faults.

Listed as: 1.3 CDTI. The faults belong to this engine code. They do not apply to every car with that name.

diesel

fuel

1248 cc

displacement

66 kW (90 HP)

power

1 fault write-ups. Important.

Before you buy

Known faults

1 important faults

1.3 CDTI (A13DTE / Z13DT*): timing chain and tensioner

critical

The Opel 1.3 litre CDTI (the Fiat Multijet based Z13DT / Z13DTH / A13DTE family) runs a chain driven valvetrain. The chain depends on the oil level and the oil quality: if the oil level is low or the oil is worn out, the tensioner loses pressure and the chain stretches.

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Symptom: a metallic rattle on a cold start. If the rattle is left alone, the chain can jump and the engine is badly damaged inside. The replacement is labour intensive, around the sump and the turbo.

Short trips also coke the particulate filter and the EGR valve.

between 100,000 and 160,000 km

What to check

  • Insist on a cold start: 5 to 30 seconds of metallic rattle from the timing side is suspect
  • Check the oil level and the service book: with a low level or worn oil the tensioner loses pressure
  • Ask whether the chain kit (chain plus tensioner plus guides) was replaced: ask for the invoice
1 more steps in the write-up

Engine code

Factory data

Factory data

Engine family
—
Fuel
diesel
Displacement
1248 cc
Power
66 kW (90 HP)
Production
—

Generations

Which models it is fitted to

2 generations.

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms