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?
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.
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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
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.
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.
Thus spake newshound ( snipped-for-privacy@fairadsl.co.uk) unto the assembled multitudes:
My W-plate 1.6i Astra has been absolutely fine also, until last week when my front O/S brake partially seized and started smoking. New caliper, hoses and pads, and 193 quid later (pads were replaced under warranty) and it's fine.
Thus spake Dick ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) unto the assembled multitudes:
I've had two Astras, each for nearly 10 years, both have been almost 100% reliable and given excellent MPG, though they're hardly the most exciting cars to drive. You get bad 'uns in any batch, but I'd certainly recommend them based on my experiences.
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