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Help - engine cuts out when lights are turned on!

I bought a 2003 Astra diesel (1.7 CDTi) a week or so ago and have got a strange problem with it.

When driving along, if you turn the headlights (or sidelights) on, the engine cuts out for several seconds as if you'd taken your foot completely off the accelerator.

The car will pick up again after a few seconds, but will then repeat this behaviour every so often at random so long as the lights are left on. With the lights off, the car is fine.

Any idea what could be causing this?!

The garage I bought it from have hooked it up to a diagnostic computer and there are no fault codes reported on the ECU. When the problem is occurring, no warning lights come on or anything like that.

Reply to
Andrew
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As a starting point I would be looking closely at every earth connection I could find.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot

The one between the alternator & the engine & the one between the engine & the chassis being favourites

Reply to
Duncan Wood

Thanks. I'll check those if I can see and get to them easily enough.

Is this a common problem on these Astras?

Reply to
Andrew

Earth problems are a common fault on a great many vehicles as the connections corrode over time. It's unlikely to be corrosion on something as new as yours though so maybe the alternator's been taken off at some point and not put back on properly? Check the battery connections are clean and tight too.

Si

Reply to
Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot

Sounds like a bad connection somewhere, causing the ECU to shutdown (hence the lack of codes). A quick visual check of the earths is a good starting point, along with any other visible connections (with the engine running and lights on, give the connections a wiggle)

After that, it's a case of finding out if the ECU is loosing it's earth, or battery supply, and then isolating sections of wiring/relays until you find the problem.

Reply to
moray

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