03 Astra starting problem!!

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This topic has 14 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by bigyinn.

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03 Astra starting problem!!
scunny
Free Member

Now this is a bit of a head scratcher. I’ll start from the beginning:

So my crank shaft sensor went. That, and the Lambda(?) sensor were replaced but when they were done we found that the ecu had gone. That was rebuilt by the ECUdoctor.com and everything was put back together, this was done just before i went to Thailand for 2 weeks so by the time i got back the car hadn’t been used for 4 weeks. When i got back the battery was gone, so it was replaced with a new one.

So now the car works, but every morning without fail the car takes ages (30/40secs) of turning over to fire. To me it seems like there’s a drain of the battery over night which is where the struggle comes from (i’ve checked the earth/internal lights etc), it does eventually fire but it takes a while. It’s been back to the garage and they’ve changed the plugs/coils, but it’s not solved the problem. now they’re telling me they want to change the cambelt as they think that can be the only cause. It’s obviously not, how can it be the cambelt if it only struggles to start first thing in the morning?

Anyone have any ideas?

Posted 11 years ago

MrNutt
Free Member

the mechanic is the Vauxhall garage said “people only buy one Vauxhall”, having had the misfortune to be forced to drive a 2012 Ecoflex Astray for six months I can wholeheartedly believe him, cheap, poorly finished, badly conceved, cut cornered bloody awful cars! who the hell thought “I know lets put the steering wheel 2inches off center so it obscures the instruments, or rear light, why would you ever need a light in the back? etc etc etc

my advice, push it into a canal at least 20 miles from your home.

Posted 11 years ago

scunny
Free Member

Anyone?

Posted 11 years ago

FGF 701 The Hydrate Or Die Edition

GaVgAs
Free Member

By what you have said so far, the garage sounds very dubious, ECUs very rarely “fail’ but can be easily damaged while checking for engine management related problems.

If the battery was discharged, I would be checking the Condition of the battery and charging system.

The cam belts got nothing to do with starting unless the engine timing is wrong.

Posted 11 years ago

scunny
Free Member

Yeah, that’s what i though. I’ve only been using them as my partners mum works there, but i’ll not be off back. I’m confident the ECU did fail, i dealt with that myself.

Alternator? But again i struggle to see how this would only effect things in the morning.

Posted 11 years ago

bigyinn
Free Member

Can’t be the battery as it does start eventually.
Plugs or coil packs?

Posted 11 years ago

cbike
Free Member

If its lasting 40 seconds the battery must be good? Compression not being achieved? hence cam belt? fuel injection not getting activated?

Posted 11 years ago

MaryHinge
Free Member

Give your plug caps, leads and distributor cap a really good dowsing with WD40/GT85.

Occasionally my car won’t start in a morning, fine all day once it’s been started. All it takes is a good spray of WD and all is well for a month or more.

I now do it every couple of weeks as a matter of course, just so It will always start for the missis if she’s using it and I’m out.

Really should buy new leads and dizzy cap/rotor arm, as it’s on 160k miles, but a quick spray sorts it and is lots cheaper!

Posted 11 years ago

scousebri
Free Member

Is the car 8v or 16v.

Posted 11 years ago

maccruiskeen
Full Member

is it petrol or diesel?

ECUs very rarely “fail’ but can be easily damaged while checking for engine management related problems.

the diesel ecu’s can be borked by diesel creeping through the wiring loom from the pump
the fuel edu can also have solders fail – they’re a cheap refurb/replacement though

Posted 11 years ago

scunny
Free Member

16v Petrol

Posted 11 years ago

properbikeco
Free Member

do the easy things first

the battery must be fine as new, and as said it eventually fires

plugs have been changed and must work since it eventually runs

try fuel filter and while at it air filter – should be less than £40 for a garage to change (or buy yourself for £15 ish and DIY)

only thing to do after that is get it hooked up to TECH2 while it is cranked over to maybe see what the fault is – mine had an intermittant fault with the CPS like yours – the sensor wiring had failed

Posted 11 years ago

scousebri
Free Member

From what you have said, had replaced, i would be more inclined to look at the fuel pump or fuel pressure regulator.If the coil pack has been replaced then that would be my next port of call.

Posted 11 years ago

Taff
Free Member

Mine was doing this. Struggling badly especially on a cold morning. Changed the battery to a much better one and it seems to have sorted it. Also put in some injector cleaner which may or may not have contributed

Posted 11 years ago

bigyinn
Free Member

Not sure how relevant, but my mum’s aunts astra had problems with the cooling electrics. All run from the ECU.
The ECU had already been repaired once and it had to be done again. IIRC Astra ECUs of that age have a bit of a rep for going tits up.
Someone had been dicking about with the wiring loom too and I had to sort that out too. Had the whole engine loom out of it one afternoon. What a POS that car was.

Posted 11 years ago