Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Fri 9 Aug 2013 14:10
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - dac1

Guys, pls help!

My 2005 Corsa CDTI will not start in cold temperatures and no one knows why. Here is the story...

All throughout a cold winter (snow and all) the car starts fine but then in March one morning when it was under 6 degrees cels and the car didnt start - it ticked over nicely but no start up. As the warmer weather came (i.e. no cold mornings) the car started up with no problems at all. Then came the following Autumn/Winter and the car would not start up again. It progressed to not starting in anything under 10 degrees cels. I had to use 'Start-Up' spray in the air intake to get the car started all throughout winter. Not only would it not start in the mornings but it wouldnt start in the evenings after work. Then the warmer months came and it starts without any problems at all, and just now one morning it was 9 degrees cels and guess what? it did start but struggled. I can only see once the cold months come it will not start just like the past.

It has an EGR Value light/diagnostics test warning but the car drives fine and the mechanic says maybe the EGR value just needs a clean.
I have been informed there is the slighest Diesel leak by the fuel pump - not dripping but when you wipe your finger near the pump then is residue on the finger.
I have changed the glow plugs twice and had the conductors check and all is fine.
I cant see it being the battery as this has been going on for a year and a half now and the battery is being charged by a working alternator.

Any ides on what the problem is and roughly how much to get fixed?

I am based in the West Country so it could be worse - I could be based in cold Scotland.

Thanks.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 9 Aug 2013 14:53
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - Collos25

Are the glow plugs actually getting hot my advice is to remove one leave connected and turn the ignition on it should glow red hot.The only thing that will stop a diesel starting if there is fuel and the timing is correct are glow plugs that are not getting hot.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 10 Aug 2013 23:07
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - focussed

No - faulty glow plugs are not the only thing that would stop a diesel starting.

Lack of compression caused by general engine wear, cylinder bores, piston rings, valves not seating etc is a pretty good reason as is the starter not turning the engine fast anough to achieve a start.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 11 Aug 2013 22:00
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - dac1

Thanks guys for your responses - much appreciated.

I have read that if the EGR valve causing an engine light to come after the car has warmed up means the EGR valve is getting stuck open which in turn can cause problems with the catalytic converter and possibly pistons - I may have read that all wrong.

What I'm trying to now find out is if the EGR value being stuck open is causing the car not to start in the cold - but surely this problem what cause the car not to start at any temperature, or the EGR valve a problem that if not fixed can cause other problems but the car not starting in cold temperatures is caused by another problem (possibly a very slight leaking fuel pump)? Also what are the costs to fix a fuel pump and EGR valve as I don't want to be ripped off?

Your suggestions are very helpful.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 11 Aug 2013 23:02
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - Avant

I'm no mechanic, but years ago we had a similar problem with SWMBO's Peugeot 205 diesel - not the car'sfaukt but as a result of poor servicing the non-return valve in the fuel line wasn't working properly, so that fuel slipped back into the tank overnight.

Have a look at the fuel feed but if that doesn't work, flog it and buy something other than a Vauxhall !

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 17 Sep 2013 20:56
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - 72blade

hi i might be able to help you , right do this turn radio off reason to do this is so you can listen for the fuel pump running , with ing lights on se how long it takes before the fuel pump cuts out it can take 20 secs or more , only start the car after the pums cuts out and it will go flick of the key . please letr me know if this works

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 18 Sep 2013 10:25
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - DrippingSump

This problem appears to be temperature related and I would be considering the inlet temperature probe or less likely the coolant temperature sensor. The fact the problem manifests itself on cold (as in winter) days is significant to me.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 18 Sep 2013 12:40
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - madf

As above there are LOTS of possible causes and you need a systematic approach to checking.

1. Do teh glow plugs actually heat up?

2. Is the engine temperature sensor - used to set a richer mixture when cold - working?

Those are the obvious and first areas of investigation. And teh fact that it runs well wehn warm suggests teh EGR valve is unlikely to be THE cause of your problems - or not the initial cause.

You really need to start checking electrical circuits after 1.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 18 Sep 2013 14:50
Vauxhall Corsa C - Corsa CDTI 2005 - Cold morning start problems - MrEckerslikefromRamsbottom

If you've got the slightest fuel leak, the fuel will run back to the tank and will require a lot of cranking to pull the fuel back up to the engine. Is there a priming bulb? If there is, then when the car has been stood for a while, try squeezing the priming bulb and see if it's full or empty. If it's empty, then pump it to bring the fuel up and the car should then start first turn. If this is the case, sort out the leak!

On a cold morning, I don't try to start my '06 Fiesta 1.4Tdci with a first turn... Rather, I turn the key, allow the dashboard lights to cycle, switch off, back on.... Repeat this a couple of times and then it starts right away at the first full turn.

I used to get the engine management light coming in every so often, with the fault code for 'EGR Performance'. The EGR on mine is at the back of the engine with a cooler connected by two water pipes, so removing it is not a happy job, and there's the cost of anti-freeze to replace what's lost by disconnecting the pipes. I tried using a diesel additive (What one poster here would call 'Snake-Oil'). Now diesel additives have cerium oxide as the active ingredient and that is exactly what Eolys Fluid and similar fluids have which are used in newer diesels fitted with DPFs! The purpose of the cerium is to reduce the temperature at which the particulates (soot) burn. Used in an older diesel with no DPF, it has certainly has stopped the thing smoking under acceleration. The EGR fault code now only comes up on very hot days (hey - we've actually had a few very hot days this summer!) and then the light goes out the next day. So you could try using an additive for a few tank-fulls to see if it cures the EGR problem. I have to admit that after reading about using a 200 to 1 mix of two-stroke oil in the diesel, I tried that and now I always use it. Modern diesel fuel has had a lot of the 'goodness' taken out of it for environmental reasons and two-stroke oil seems to replace what's missing. My car runs much more smoothly with a dose of 2T. (Cheapest 2T is at Morrisons - two quid for half-a-litre. Can't find it cheaper).

My car has now done 176,000 miles without removing the EGR (and on it's original clutch, which I rather think is now on it's last legs).

Edited by MrEckerslikefromRamsbottom on 18/09/2013 at 14:54

Reply | Report as offensive | Link