Having recently bought a 56 Astra 1.6 SXI I was wondering what the juddering was when setting off and crawling uphill in low gear. My previous 2001 1.8 SXI never gave me any problems and I always enjoyed driving it so I didn't do too much reviewing of the new model, assuming it could only be even better. My wife bought a new model Astra auto last year and is very pleased with it.
This juddering is not just an annoying niggle - it can be a real problem pulling out into traffic when all your concentration is diverted to a possible stall. Unfortunately it's intermittent, mostly but not always worse when starting from cold. Also seems to be an alarming loss of power when pulling away uphill in 3rd gear when you expect at least a bit of whoomph to overtake the trucks.

Neither the dealer I bought it off nor the local Network Q can find a fault (just my luck it wont make a murmur for these people) but I've been driving for a long time and know when things are not right. I only realised the size of the problem when I Googled 'Astra juddering' and saw the number of complaints. Hence this entry to add my voice. If I'd seen this before I would have thought twice about buying this car.

I have raised a case on the Vauxhall website and await a response. Read more

Hi,

can anyone help with a problem that has been baffling garages around here with my P reg MGF VVC?

I am by no means mechanically minded so forgive my potential incorrect use of terminology!

The problem first started a week ago when after driving at 70mph for 35 miles, I dropped down to 30mph. The temp gauge started to rise, got to just underhalf way then stopped. Here's the first problem, apparantly the normal level for the gauge is one bar under the halfway mark, yet mine normally sits one bar above the lowest bar! A couple of mninutes later steam started to come out of the coolant tank. My first thought was HGF, so I checked the oil, no milkyness. I called out the AA, they did their pressure and chemical tests and the car was fine. They towed me to a local garage who said it WAS HGF and the head had to be sent off for the tests - ie £££.

I was not convinced so I got the AA out again, they did the tests again, the car passed again and with them following me, I drove 35 miles to another garage I had been recommended. They diagniosed a leak in the pipe taking the coolant from the back to the radiator. This was apparantly causing a loss of coolant, hence the problems. They changed the pipe, problem solved!

But unfortunately it is not! The same thing has happaned twice again, I drive at speed, slow down, the temp gauge rises to just under half way, then steam comes out of the coolant tank!

It is as if whenever the car has been warmed up and isnt travelling at speed, itsl liable to heat up, however the temp gauge never gets above just under half way, so is it really the engine overheating, or there too much pressure in the 'system'? Does the coolant need bleeding?

This morning I arrived at work after doing a 70mph stretch (no problem), drop down to 30mph - gauge starts to rise, get sto just under halfway and stops at that level. I pulled up at work and I assume the fan kicked in as the gauge dropped. I had a look at the cooland tank and despite the cap being tighly screwed on, there was a slight hissing noise coming out of it.

On my journey home, I was driving mostly at speed and therefore the airflow I suspect keeps everything cool, I pulled up and left the engine running. Temp gauge went up to one below middle bar - which is not something to worry about I believe - and I left the car running idle for about 8-10 mins. The gauge never went above this level, but sure enough, despite new cap, after 8-10 mins the steam begin to rise out of the back of the car again!

I opened the boot and it sounded like there was a 'gurgling' noise coming from the left hand side of the engine (sorry cannot be more descriptive than that) and the coolant level in the tank started to rise to above its normal 'cold' level. It was bubbling away.

I have changed the coolant cap so it cannot be that.

Turning the heater on and off seems to make now difference.

Does anyone know what is going on!!!
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I've noticed recently that you can now get Tesco Value Engine Oil.

Does anyone know what this stuff actually is? It comes in just one variant - 20w/50, and costs about £2 for a litre. Other than that, it doesn't say anything about what it is. I'd assume its mineral, and as there's no API rating at all it must be pretty poor.

All it says is "suitable for older 4 stroke petrol engines". How old are they talking? 90s? 80s? 60s?

Anyway, there's no way i'm putting it in my engine. It's great for lubricating chainsaw blades though! Read more

I have a vdo cdr 500 in a Zafira, which plays some cds perfectly and some it cannot read at all and shows error on the screen. This is not intermittent, the non reading disks never play, whilst the working ones always play. these are all bought pre recorded, and are in good condition. The player will not even play a cleaning disc. You can hear an unusual humming sound just before the word ERROR comes up. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Haystack.
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Having read the many post on the tales & woes of diesel I can understand how some are disilutioned. I do however wonder how many people have made the transition from petrol to diesel without any real understanding or knoledge of a diesel engine. I have run loads of CRI vehicles including the infamous 2.0tdci to very high milage without any problems at all. I have never had a turbo or head or injector or EGR valev & have nothing but praise for the reliability. However I double my oil changes from new with carefull running in for 3000 miles with a very gradual increase in revs, when starting from cold I allow to tick over for 30 seconds before I move & I drive gently without turbo boost untill the temp gauge is out the blue, I don't change down to overtake I use the torque very rarely going over 2500 rpm, mostly 1600-2250, I always use a major brand of fuel ( & not supermarket ) I use fuel line cleaner every 3000 miles ,Always allow the engine a slowing down period after a hard run & allow to idle for at least minute before I switch off. I cover huge milage & tow a 1500 kg caravan all over europe for the last 12 years with no problem on reliabilty!.
I have however had clients take me out in there diesels under what they would call normal driving & cringe at what they do to an engine! do they understand that diesel components are so much heavier in an engine that the stresses are much higher
I wonder If any research has been carried out into this
Regards Doc Read more