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Vauxhall Astra Turbo Diesel starting problems

Folks, I own a 1997 Vauxhall Astra TDS 1.7 diesel. (Isuzu engine). With

210,000 miles on the clock I am expecting some problems....

The engine is fine with the exception of starting first thing in the morning. On attempting to start the engine first thing it will take threee long turns on the start motor before it fires. For the rest of the day the engine then starts straight away? The glow plugs were changed about 18 months ago. The problem appears to be getting progressively worse with a concern that as we approach the winter months and colder weather the problem will be amplified. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I should check first? Any honest advice most welcome...... yes we are contemplating buying a new car - but not just yet....

Thanks

Russ

Reply to
russell morrell
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The message from "russell morrell" contains these words:

With cheap ones?

I'd check them first before going any further. If you've got a meter they should appear as a few ohms each. If you haven't, a bulb on a wire between the battery + and the plug should light up near enough normally.

Bet you'll find at least one dead plug.

Reply to
Guy King

Check you have no leaks in the fuel system. If there is a leak in the system when the vehicle is left for a long period (overnight) then air gets into the system then when you go to start the car the engine needs to drag fuel all the way through the pipelines before it will fire.

My Astra a Y reg 1.7DTI had this problem and the leak was at the fuel filter not enough to leak fuel out but enough to allow air in while the car was stood overnight.

Hope this helps

Ralph

Reply to
Ralph Bayley

Check the glow plugs yes, but I am 101% sure your problem will be valve clearances. Very well known on this engine after about 150k miles.

They tighten up when cold (yes opposite way around you'd think) and hold the valve off their seats very slightly.

Alas you need acouple of special tools which your Vx should rent to you, though some wont.

You can fashion the same from a pair of needle nose pliers (ground down to extricate the shims) and a couple of modded G cramps (to hold the cam down at various stages) and a decent micrometer. You then measure the gap you have, and the shims you've got, and the ones you need. Backwards and forwards to dealer to get new shims. Re-fit, re measure and adjust again if necessary.

Personnally If you are not an enginneer and havent done it before, let your vx dealer do it. About an hours work for them, roughly a morning for you.

Tim.

Reply to
Tim..

I agree with the valve clearance problem. My old cavalier 1.7 Isuzu gave exactly the same symptoms of hard to start first time on a morning then starting OK for the rest of the day. A new set of glow plugs made no difference. It worked out that to buy a valve shim pack cost more than getting a local garage to do the job so I let them do it. After that it was a great starter until I sold it a couple of years later.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Dodds

Probably a leak in the fuel line behind the engine, above the tank level so air leaks in rather than fuel out. This prevents the pump building up enough pressure in the injectors to get a good spray pattern. It's a good idea to do it anyway; the pipes get hot & crack after a while. The big problem is getting the new one through without touching anything hot or moving; tie a string to the old one, pull it through then use that to pull the new one through. HTH, Dave

Reply to
Dave

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