Engine Opel Z18XER

The 1.8-liter Opel Z18XER or 2H0 engine was produced from 2005 to 2010 in Hungary and was installed on a number of popular cars of the concern, such as Astra, Vectra, Insignia or Zafira. This power unit was installed on European Chevrolet models under the symbol F18D4.

The Z15 family also includes engines: Z16SE, Z16XE, Z16XEP, Z16XER and Z18XE.

The third generation of GM Family 1 gasoline engines debuted in 2005 and one of the most popular representatives of the series was the 1.8-liter engine for Opel models. The design of the unit is simple and typical of its time: distributed fuel injection, a cast-iron cylinder block, an aluminum 16-valve block head without hydraulic lifters, a timing belt drive and DCVCP phase shifters on the intake and exhaust camshafts. The engine intake manifold received an original geometry change system with a drum.

The Z18XER cylinder block is based on the proven hollow frame concept. The gray cast iron provides an extremely strong base, optimized with a deep skirt that minimizes both wear and vibration. The pistons adopt a floating pin design. The wrist pins that attach the piston to the connecting rod “float” within the rod bushing and the pin holes in the piston cylinder. The pistons are also oil cooled. Each piston has its own individual directional jet, which sprays oil onto the skirt, covering the bottom of the piston and the cylinder wall with an additional layer of lubricant.

The engine was installed on:

• Opel Astra H (A04) in 2006 – 2010;
• Opel Insignia A (G09) in 2008 – 2010;
• Opel Vectra C (Z02) in 2005 – 2008;
• Opel Zafira A (T98) in 2005 – 2010.

Specifications

Disadvantages of the Z18XER engine

• In the engines of the first years of production, there was a massive marriage in camshafts and phase regulators, but they have long been replaced under warranty. Now the main problem is the jamming of electromagnetic valves in the phase control system due to clogged strainers.
• Another weak point of the engines of this line is the oil heat exchanger. Moreover, it flows in both directions: it passes oil into the coolant, and vice versa, antifreeze gradually dilutes the lubricant, which reduces the life of the liners and the oil pump.
• A lot of complaints are related to the electrical part of this power unit and more often than others the engine ECU fails, usually everything is limited to soldering its connectors. The electronically controlled thermostat and the ignition coil module also fail.
• A lot of trouble in this motor is delivered by the membrane of the crankcase ventilation valve, it simply cracks and the engine starts to work unstably. Also, lubricant leaks often occur here, hydraulic compensators are not provided in the head and the valves bend when the timing belt breaks.