Astra diesel fuel problem?

2003 Astra with the 1.7 Isuzu diesel. Wouldn't fire, just as if no fuel. Towed it to garage, still dead on arrival. This morning my mate the mechanic tried it and started fine. Code reader indicates fuel pump fault, "no fuel pump position sensor indication" or words to that effect. My mate says "see how you get on". Any thoughts? Mostly gets used locally but don't really want a repeat too far from home. I realise that a pump recon isn't going to be cheap.

TIA

Reply to
newshound
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Looks like you can probably buy a S/H pump on ebay for about £50:

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Reply to
AlanD

I heard once that there is an immobiliser circuit built into the pump, apparently there is a plate on the side that can be removed, there is some sort of electrical connection to this plate which becomes corroded/dirty, cleaning it up fixes the problem.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Very common on these DTi's- you will need a recon or replacement inj pump and then coded to the PCM.

If you are VERY handy with a soldering iron you can replace the pump speed sensor and reflow all the pump control joints and refit. There's a 70% chance it'll then work.

BBA reman can reman the pump I believe.

Tim.

Reply to
Tim..

when I needed a pump for a vectra I found that diesel bob (google it) was the cheapest.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Faulty diesel pump immobilisers can sometimes be bypassed by fitting a second 'stop' solenoid in its place. It's not DIY-able though.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Interesting thanks, but they only seem to list the GM pump, not the Isusu one. Bookmarked anyway!

Reply to
newshound

Thanks, I will pass on both these bits of info

Reply to
newshound

The pump ecu is the common fault on these pumps.The code readers come up with a pump fault but changing the ecu usually cures it.Faulty soldering in the ecu can be fixed if you`re handy. People on ebay advertising exchange repaired units but I have heard of faulty units being sent back as unrepairable while the repairers always seem to have a stock of repaired units for sale on seperate listings. The cynic in me wonders where they get them.

Reply to
mark
[...]

It involves drilling and tapping in a very specific place in the pump body to allow the fitting of a shut-off solenoid. I don't know what other mods would be needed; my Son had it done to one of his vehicles, and obviously the diesel specialists didn't want to be too forthcoming with the information they had obtained. The cost of replacing the pump, which was the 'official' way of fixing it, would have been more than the vehicle was worth. The 'mod' was around a third of that.

If you possess the requisite skills, of course it's possible. You would have to be prepared to obtain a second pump in order to dismantle it, in a way that would render it scrap, in order to determine where to drill, and the cost of all that, together with the time involved, would mean it wouldn't be cost effective for a one-off. You would also need all the test equipment that modern diesel pumps need to set them up after repair, and I also believe some ECU changes had to be made, so you would need the equipment for that also.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan
[...]

This place:

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would be my choice if the OP's fault does turn out to be the pump ECU.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Mine too, I am a regular customer. That said DieselBob is also good, used him afew times.

To the OP - get the car scanned again with a genuine GM Tech2 to be certain of the fault code before you condemn the pump, all code readers are not equal.

Tim.

Reply to
Tim..

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