Hi,
Two probs with my '92 Astra Merit Estate that maybe someone can shed some light on?
1. Front driver side suspension - there is a rod that comes out horizontally from back behind the wheel arch cover and connect to the suspension arm. Seems to be a damping rod or something? Basically it attaches to the suspension arm via a bolt moulded into a plastic knuckle. The bolt has sheared off so it is no longer connected. The car drivs fine but I can feel it knocking on biger bumps. What is this arm called, how much will one cost and is there any way I can fix it myself? (I would need to know how to get in behind the wheel arch etc?) Dont think it can be repaired as the bolt is moulded to the knuckle so the whole arm will have to be replaced.
2. The car seems to stutter when I put the foot down in 2nd, 3rd etc. Basically when the car has to pull hard it stutters. though it was a problem with all the cold weather we've been having in scotland but its stil doing it. Seems as though there may be a problem with the choke, or the fuel getting through? Maybe sparkplugs or points? When idleing the car runs sweet...
Any light shed on these things is much appreciated.
Cheers,
Murray
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Murray,
Answer to question one, it is the antiroll bar. Common problem with these shearing off the suspension arm. Never changed one on an Astra, but have changed a couple on a Cavalier. No idea of current cost, but when I last purchased one it was less than £10, IIRC. You need to cut the nylon knuckle off the antiroll bar and then "slide" another on on. Easier said than done though. Plenty of fairy liquid and brute force and ignorance in sliding the new one on, and then also making sure it's at the correct orentation to line up with the suspension arm. Probably a very easy job to do if the car is up in the air on a car lift, but at ground level on axle stands...... grrr.
Answer to question two, sounds like fuel icing. At the end of the arm that comes off the air filter to the exhaust manifold is a vacuum operated flap. Check this flap is operating. With the engine running, shove a couple of fingers up the end of the arm and check the flap is closed and drawing warm air off the exhaust manifold.
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Thanks for the details, I'll check out the 'fuel icing' prob tonight. Regarding the suspension, how would I go about putting the new nylon knuckle onto the arm/getting it off the one I buy as I seem to remember that the arm is flanged??? at the end to stop the nylon knuckle coming off. Do you mean that it should just 'push' over the top of this with brute force?
Cheers
Murray
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Murray, as mentioned earlier, I've never changed one on an Astra. From what you're describing, the antiroll bar is a different shape to the Cavalier. It was just a round bar; it didn't have a flange on the end. As Charles mentioned in his post, A Haynes manual will explain how to change it.
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Murray
1. Sounds like one of your anti-roll bar links has broken which should be a fairly simple repair. The car will drive OK but the handling will be affected so it needs seeing to straight away. A Haynes manual would cover the procedure adequately
2. Check your ignition system first off especially the HT leads; they could be in poor condition.
HTH
Charles
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1. In addition to above, anti-roll bar bush is also an MoT fail.
2. Definitely check ignition system, does your Astra have extensions between the HT leads and spark plugs? They are notorious for failing. Even if the HT leads look ok, they break up inside. A new set will probably work wonders, not very expensive (less than £20 for a good set).
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2. Definitely check ignition system, does your Astra have extensions between the HT leads and spark plugs? They are notorious for failing. Even if the HT leads look ok, they break up inside. A new set will probably work wonders, not very expensive (less than £20 for a good set).
And while you're at it, change the distributor cap and rotor arm. They're unlikely to be expensive, and if they are the originals, after ten years they'll be past their prime. And if you have no idea when the spark plugs were last changed, a new set will be another tenner well spent. This sort of stuff is the cheapest way to buy reliability - ignition problems are much more common than fuel system failures.
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
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Murray,
ps, in answer to question 2, it won't be the points, as IIRC Vauxhall changed over to electronic ignition around 1983/84.
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