astra servicing
Robert
I was looking at some second hand Astras. I was wondering how easy are
the different engines to service? I'm thinking about how easy is it to
reach the oil filter if the car is on your drive, that kind of
consideration.
I lifted the lid of the 1.4 petrol and everything seemed accessible
which was a nice surprise but I was thinking more about buying a
diesel for the economy. The 1.7 diesel seemed to ok too but the 1.9
diesel everything was hidden under a cover and I didn't want to remove
that on the forecourt! Once the cover is removed, are the filters
quite easy to reach?
Has anyone driven any of the diesels? Are both 1.7 and 1.9 good to
drive?
Conor
> Has anyone driven any of the diesels? Are both 1.7 and 1.9 good to
> drive?
Mate has a 1.7 Astra Van - the Envoy???
Seems to go reasonably well and there's nothing untowards in it. I can
survive a 350 mile round trip with my knackered back so the seats must
be OK.
Not got anywhere near the poke of my Mondeo but I wouldn't expect it to.
--
Conor
I'm not prejudiced. I hate everyone equally.
Mrcheerful
the 1.9s drop water pump/cambelt at very low mileages
Mrcheerful
in fact it is a car to steer clear of:
What's Bad
'No perforation warranty' cut back to 6 years.
One complaint that using click indicators can accidentally switch headlights
to full beam.
ECU is sited in left front wing in front of wheel arch liner, so may become
vulnerable to moisture ingress.
What to Watch Out For
Radio switch fault drains batteries (switches itself on). Replacement radios
on 'back order' in Jan 2006.
Complaints of clutch judder on 1.6 and 1.8.
www.astra-sri.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6121&highlight=clutch
www.astra-sri.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=4107&highlight=clutch
www.vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk/showthread.php?t=71076
Have been problems with parking brakes and rollaways when drivers did not
leave the cars parked in gear.
All models suffer with CIM (steering column module) fault: symptoms include
no or hard to start and light/ wiper fault. Tailgate switch also fails, this
is common on Vectra C and Zafira B. And engine thermostat failures also
becoming a problem.
Also REC (rear electrical center) fail: symptoms normally fuel gauge reads
incorrectly, cenral locking faults. and connectors in the bottom of rear
doors separate sp the electric windows (if fitted) don't work and neither do
the locks.
Water trap at top of front suspension turrets leads to premature corrosion
there.
On 1.9CDTI, timing belt drives waterpump and waterpump failure can fling it
off in as little as 40k miles, wrecking the engine. By December 2008 this
was becoming increasingly common at about 4 years old and circa 50k - 60k
miles. So engines need new belts, tensioners, pulleys and waterpumps before
4 years old or 50k miles.
On 1.9 CDTI if the engine smokes or the car suddenly loses power, the
secondary butterflies of the swirl actuator valve may have sooted up and
seized. Possible to clean but this does not guarantee it won't happen again.
Really requires the inlet manifold to be changed as the part where the
actuator connects to jams and does not let the butterflies open. Job can
take six hours as the fuel pump and cam belt have to be removed to get at
it. A coincedental fault is sooting up of the EGR valve.
Early front suspension bush wear quite common on all models.
One report of the wrong size pistons having been fitted to a 1.9CDTI, making
it very smokey.
Clutch judder common on both petrol and diesel manuals. May be DMF trouble.
By July 2008 an admitted problem on pre-June 2007 production and clutches
and flywheels being replaced under warranty. GM introduced modified
clutch/flywheel components to production in around mid 2007 some 2-3 months
after my Zafira was built. Models affected by the change are apparently
Astra H/ Zafira B with 1.6 and 1.8 litre petrol engines.
On 1.7CDTI the Brake master cylinder and brake servo can fail at just over 3
years old.
On 1.8 petrol, when timing belt is replaced at 40k miles, tensioner, pulleys
and waterpump need replacing too.
With the 1.3CDTI (FIAT 1.25 Multijet) engine fitted with a diesel
particulate filter, what can happen is that excess diesel fuel that was
supposed to burn hotter and regenerate the dpf does not and instead seeps
into the sump, gradually raising the level of sump oil to the point that the
engine starts to run on it, cannot be stopped and therefore self-destructs.
1.4 16v Twinport engines suffering same problem of camshaft bolts coming
adrift as 1.2 16v Twinport engines in Corsas. Seem to have been traced to a
batch from the engine plant in Spain and the engine numbers all begin with
19F*****
1.9 diesels can be good to drive, but give a lot of problems:
Failed inlet manifold swirl flaps (and the flaps can beak and be ingested by
the engine).
Failed EGRs.
Choked DPFs.
Failed timing belts, often because the waterpump seized. Belt, tensioner,
pulleys and waterpump need replacing every 40,000 miles.
Failed oil pumps.
Failed alternators.
Failed dual mass flywheels.
Failed turbos.
On torque converter automatics the joints of the heat exchanger in the
radiator header tank can fail, admitting coolant to the automatic
transmission fluid and wrecking the transmission. £4,000 replacement job.
Recalls
Unknown date TSB to replace noisy a/c compressor if customer complains.
16/03/2005 R/2004/214 VAUXHALL ASTRA H incorrect gear and steering knuckle
fitted build dates 01/12/200401/12/2004
06/04/2006 R/2006/025 VAUXHALL Astra H possible loss of steering control
build dates 01/01/200503/02/2006
22/05/2008 R/2008/053 VAUXHALL Astra G and Astra H risk of fire build dates
01/03/2003 31/12/2005
Gio
"Mrcheerful" <nbk...@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:rVxmn.49764$Ym4....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
snip
> On torque converter automatics the joints of the heat exchanger in the
> radiator header tank can fail, admitting coolant to the automatic
> transmission fluid and wrecking the transmission. Ł4,000 replacement job.
> Recalls
> Unknown date TSB to replace noisy a/c compressor if customer complains.
>
>
Hi Mr Cheerful,
Please could you explain a bit about the TSB (?) noisy compressor problem?
For example is it limited to a specific age range or manufactured date etc?
Also have to say the radiator header tank has just put the fear of god in me
as we have an auto.
Thanks.
Mrcheerful
> "Mrcheerful" <nbk...@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:rVxmn.49764$Ym4....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>
> snip
>
>> On torque converter automatics the joints of the heat exchanger in
>> the radiator header tank can fail, admitting coolant to the automatic
>> job. Recalls
>> Unknown date TSB to replace noisy a/c compressor if customer
>> complains.
>
> Hi Mr Cheerful,
> Please could you explain a bit about the TSB (?) noisy compressor
> problem? For example is it limited to a specific age range or
> manufactured date etc?
> Also have to say the radiator header tank has just put the fear of
> god in me as we have an auto.
>
> Thanks.
Sorry, but I was just doing a quick copy and paste from Honest John. Ask
your dealer would be the answer.
What staggers me is that people still buy these vehicles when the info. on
the faults is freely available.
newshound
> Sorry, but I was just doing a quick copy and paste from Honest John. Ask
> your dealer would be the answer.
>
> What staggers me is that people still buy these vehicles when the info. on
> the faults is freely available.
>
Certainly scares the hell out of me about changing my R plate Astra for a
more recent one when the time comes! Mine has been a pussy cat.
MattF
I sure as hell woudlnt buy one, currently driving a 59 plate courtesy car
with only 3k on it and the interior looks like it came from the 99p store
and the steering feels like a video game, even the wife noticed how little
feedback there was through it.
Good brakes mind.
MattF
Mike Tomlinson
<nbk...@hotmail.co.uk> writes
[snip]
A quality car then.
--
(\__/)
(='.'=) Bunny says Windows 7 is Vi$ta reloaded.
(")_(") http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/windows_7.png
Rob Graham
Rob Graham
Dick
> Failed inlet manifold swirl flaps (and the flaps can beak and be ingested by
> the engine).
>
> Failed EGRs.
>
> Choked DPFs.
>
> Failed timing belts, often because the waterpump seized. Belt, tensioner,
> pulleys and waterpump need replacing every 40,000 miles.
>
> Failed oil pumps.
>
> Failed alternators.
>
> Failed dual mass flywheels.
>
> Failed turbos.
>
> On torque converter automatics the joints of the heat exchanger in the
> radiator header tank can fail, admitting coolant to the automatic
> transmission fluid and wrecking the transmission. £4,000 replacement job.
> Recalls
> Unknown date TSB to replace noisy a/c compressor if customer complains.
>
> 16/03/2005 R/2004/214 VAUXHALL ASTRA H incorrect gear and steering knuckle
> fitted build dates 01/12/200401/12/2004
>
> 06/04/2006 R/2006/025 VAUXHALL Astra H possible loss of steering control
> build dates 01/01/200503/02/2006
>
> 22/05/2008 R/2008/053 VAUXHALL Astra G and Astra H risk of fire build dates
> 01/03/2003 31/12/2005
>
>
Sounds like a right heap of crap to avoid basically