Astra 1.7 TDi stopped.

The engine's not running. That strikes me as wrong.

Peter

The message from Chris Bacon contains these words:

Cam belt?

I hope not. It's the current Mrs. Bacon's car. It's highly inconvenient that the thing isn't working. It will all be my fault. It did cut out before, so I'm hoping it's something else. However, I will go and look at the car. Wish I'd bought one of those Lidl tow bars, now.

Could it be something else? I'm not at all familiar with diesel engines.

Could be any number off things.

I'm guessing it's an older non-fly by wire engine (astra-f) going by the fact it's a TDi?

Possibilites are listed below, including the symptoms/possibilty

Faulty Fuel stop solenoid - Will normally cause random cutting out once the engine warms, but normally restart after ignition switched off and on again. Immobilizer Fault - Should normally only prevent the engine from starting. Once started and the immobilizer deactivated, it shouldn't reactivate until the ignition has been turned off for a few seconds. But a faulty module could cause the problem. Bad connection - Unlikely due to the conditions it cuts out in. Usually causes erratic behaviour. Fuel Starvation - Would normally show as lack off power, surging, hesitation, and would tend to cause car to hesitate to a stop. Timing Belt - Unlikely due to the fact it;s already cut out once and restarted.

I'm sure there are other possibilites, but these are the main ones I'd look at first.

If the car is a newer one with the fly by wire pump (i'm sure these were all badged DTI), then there are many other possiblities.

The message from Chris Bacon contains these words:

Unscrew the oil filler and see if you can see the cam turning when you crank it.

I've just worked that one out, thanks - it do go round, thank goodness. Can't see any fuses blown, but then again there're probably some I've missed. They come in little boxes, these days.

I dunno. It's a "Y" - reg, if that helps.

Um. Just now, I tried starting it (see reply to Mr. King), and it had been standing since lunchtime. It did not go. In my old petrol Ford, there was a manual fuel shut-off. Is there similar in the Astra diesel? I have no handbook.

Um. Any way to diagnose this?

I have wiggled all sorts of likely and unlikely things. No joy (ooh-err).

It normally runs well, at least to my en-deisel-educated ear, and has lots of "go".

Dunno. How do I tell which it is?

Thanks all for youtr kind help so far.

It could be one off the last non electronic ones. If you look at the engine, is there an ECU mounted on the top off the engine?

The fuel stop solenoid is mounted on the pump itself. It will be covered by the immobilser module, which is built into a relatively thick steel housing. The fuel cut out (inertia) switch, was never fitted to the diesel astras, as they rely on the mechanical lift pump built into the injection pump.

Diagnostic kit (aka Tech 2 or such like).

It could be something like a chaffed and corroded wire somewhere, which can take a long time to find.

No.

The message from "ThePunisher" contains these words:

As it happens, no. But there's no particular reason why the first stoppage should be related to the second - the second could happily have been the cam belt.

Of course, but more than likely they're related.

There speaks an open-minded and experienced man! :o)

Si

Argh! OW! Due to the newness of this vehicle and my old-fashioned knowledge, it went off to the garage on a recovery scheme. The garage have now called me. Ow!

They have run a diagnosis on their machine (1 hr., cost £99.90!). This told them that the car "needs a new injector pump control unit and a set of glow plugs". The cost for this is £1065.82!!!! It will take an hour to fit the C.U., and 1 1/2 hrs for the glow- plugs. The C.U. is priced at £536, the glow plugs at £233, with the rest being labour. Apparently a second-hand C.U. can't be fitted as "it has to be programmed to the vehicle".

Is this all true? Is this price reasonable? Can't I cheapen the price at all?? I'm feeling a bit faint, very thirsty, and feel the urge to run around biting things.

Any advice on how to proceed will be very, very welcome!

Humph. A Google indicates that there is a vague possibility that there's a bad connection in the middle of the C.U. circuit board.

A local motor factor quotes £425 for the C.U., and says it's "bolt on, bolt off", and doesn't need programming. Not sure what to make of that. At first sight, it looks OK. What about the "programming"?

Do I really *need* new glow plugs? It was starting fine before this.

Perhaps these are available second-hand?

As would simple moral support, ear defenders for home use, etc.

One of these?

Probably not then, they're fairly easy to fit.

You could try BBA-remans forum & ask.

How *do* you do it???? It's quite possible, shall have to try to find the "O.E. Reference" which that site says is 0 281 001 630. Perhaps it's written on the component?

That's a help, then. Diagnostics, ooh-er. Fitting I may be able to do.

You're being ripped off, go somewere else.

Guess it went to the dealer then. Labour cost for the diagnostics is the higher end off normal.

If this is the old style engine, the Control Unit is majorly overpriced. If it's the new style engine, the control unit is actually very competively priced. The glow plugs are majorly overpriced. Genuine OE ones retail at under £20 each.

Whatever engine, the Control Unit will have to be programmed. The labour times sound reasonable, so I wouldn't complain too much about them. But I would be questioning the part costs.

You've still not said if it's a newer (fly-by-wire) engine or not. If it is, the ECU is mounted right on top off the engine, and would be one off the first things you notice when you lift the bonner. It's an alloy case about

Personally, if it's the older engine I'd be questioning the parts costs, as they are majorly overpriced. If it's the newer engine, let them change the Control Unit, and do the glow plugs yourself.