Vauxhall Astra diesel starting problems

Windsor70

Hello

Can anyone advise as to what could be causing my OH's vauxhall astra 1.9 cdti 120 estate car from starting properly please? We thought it was the starting motor going because it would make a nasty loud metallic crunchy rattle and would only start on the third or fourth attempt. Its not that as we had that replaced today and its still making the noise and not starting properly.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, with many thanks in advance.

harveybobbles

Any Vauxhall diesel that struggles to start is usually one or two duff glow plugs. Simple and cheap fix.

However, the crunching and rattling noise will probably be the dual mass flywheel starting to show signs of failure.

Windsor70

harveybobbles wrote: »

Any Vauxhall diesel that struggles to start is usually one or two duff glow plugs. Simple and cheap fix.

However, the crunching and rattling noise will probably be the dual mass flywheel starting to show signs of failure.

Hi Harveybobbles, thank you for the reply. My partner has had the DMF done too lol also had the cambelt done and last week it had a full service. So we are totally at a loss as to what else it could be. OH thinks it could be a blocked fuel pipe? Sorry to be dim, what do the glow plugs do?

Also can anyone help me please, I have a "new" to me second hand peugeot 207 petrol, its been great so far (only had it two weeks) but yesterday the plip battery came on and went off. Then it took me ages to start the car, I had to apply gas whilst turning the key to get it to turn over. I brought a new battery for my key fob thinking it might have been related to that (:o) but its still not starting properly. Any ideas at all please?

With many thanks

J x

harveybobbles

Goin back to your [STRIKE]Dis[/STRIKE]astra - the other thing it could be is the fuel leak off pipes, but they were more problematic on the 2.0DTi lumps.

grizzly1911

Windsor70 wrote: »

Sorry to be dim, what do the glow plugs do?

Glow plugs pre heat, think like a cigarette lighter element or an electric cooker with those old swirly elements, the cylinder so that the deisel ignites from cold. There is one in each of the four cylinders.

If one/two are duff they will be "dim"/out completely and so the corresponding cylinders won't fire so readily. The engine will be slightly out of balance and sound grotty until the cylinders eventually fire through compression heat alone.

Surprised that it would be so noticeable on a modern engine like the CDTi.

On older diesels think escort vintage, you actually had to wait for the warning light to go out, proving they were hot enough, before you could get the car to start from cold. I haven't had to do it on my CDTis or HDis.

harveybobbles

grizzly1911 wrote: »

Surprised that it would be so noticeable on a modern engine like the CDTi.

CDTi's are awkwards when you have a duff glow plug.

vax2002

The reason for waiting for the light to go out is it drops voltage to the plugs, if you can not be bothered to wait for the light, most will fire up but slowly cook the glow plug tips as they get heated from both ends .
The light out shows it is safe to fire the engine.

vax2002

Does it make this noise when the engine is hot.
DMF was it a vauxhall part or a after market version as the after market versions have the shelf life of fresh prawns.
My Mondeo has had the DMF removed and replaced with the old style flywheel a few years ago and has not had a problem since and all this twaddle about vibration is rubbish, you can not spot or feel any difference .

lindopski_2

I'd certainly give the glowies a looking at, a new set will probably be £15 and they are 'usually' easy to put on to be honest.
I don't know if it works on newer cars but in the past when the glow pugs were playing up on an old Escort diesel you just poured a kettle of hot water on them and it assisted a start on a cold morning.
I've just bought some for my Rover diesel for the coming winter (just in case)

mikey72

lindopski wrote: »

I'd certainly give the glowies a looking at, a new set will probably be £15 and they are 'usually' easy to put on to be honest.
I don't know if it works on newer cars but in the past when the glow pugs were playing up on an old Escort diesel you just poured a kettle of hot water on them and it assisted a start on a cold morning.
I've just bought some for my Rover diesel for the coming winter (just in case)

Where have you seen them at £15 a set?
I can get one at trade for about that much.

grizzly1911

vax2002 wrote: »

The reason for waiting for the light to go out is it drops voltage to the plugs, if you can not be bothered to wait for the light, most will fire up but slowly cook the glow plug tips as they get heated from both ends .
The light out shows it is safe to fire the engine.

out of interest why don't we see the glow plug light (delay) these days, well not on the modern diesels I have had anyway. Is it just better management or do the CDTis /HDis not need so long without the pre compression?