Engine warning llight coming on (poss EGR valve?)- safe for 150ml round trip?

DEBTMONKEY1A

:beer:

Hey guys/gals,

I have a Vauxhall Corsa 1.3cdti diesal. Been a bitc*e to start for ages-no diagnostic/auto electrician/RAC can suss out the error. Latest 'thinking' from RAC is an air leak or knckered injectors.

2 1/2 yrs ago EGR valve clogged up-car drove like sh*t (engine management light in yellow on constantly)! So...replaced with new one. At the moment car is so poorly (& payday not till next Thurs!) that 'easystart/bradex' in the air filter is the only way it will fire up (RAC man said perfectly safe-not so sure myself!). This does work but obviously not a long term thing. When car fires it drives absolutely fine-not in 'limp' mode.

Due to take someone to the airport on Monday (150 mile round trip) -safe or not to drive it???! Otherwise.....big taxi fee as this airport realy is not the best by public transport....any ideas? Tried the 'turn engine off for 4 mins with key out to remove warning light'....still comes on. Not realy viable to sell as so much work has been done on it & the cars value/age means another model will probably mean inheriting others problems lol (god knows why I'm laughing!).

Also....I'm really NOT teccy at all...any thoughts/advice (apart from blowing the blood*y thing up lol!) appreciated, G/F is chewing my ear off!

motorguy

I dont think anyone is going to guarantee that car is going to make a 150 mile round trip without dying on you.

Nodding_Donkey

Hang on I'll find out.
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No sorry, the batteries are flat in my chrystal ball

Get the code read and we might have more of an idea.

bigjl

If it will only start from cold with easy start it sounds like it lacks compression.

Unless of course the replacement EGR valve sorted the problems out last time then the EGR could be clogged again

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Get a taxi, it will be cheaper!

pompeyrich

As said nobody knows if the car will make it or not but a bit of a risk if the person/s you are taking to the airport miss their flight/holiday.

Taxis from round here to Heathrow, similar distance as you state, can be booked for under £50 each way, so probably about £35 more than it would cost you in diesel and no worries about missing flights etc.

s_b

If egr clogs it normally clogs open,it normally would show a eml light.
If it stays open you lose compression thus engine harder to start
easystart is more combustable than diesel so possibly is the reason it starts on this rather than just cranking away.
Easystart washes the oil off the bores of the cylinder walls so should only be used in an emergency,this is why people used to think old engines were hooked on it but it was really because compressions get worse the more you use it.
The rac man should not be saying perfectly safe because using this stuff causes pre detonation in the cylinders and can cause catastrophic engine failure especially on this engine as its multi valved and also timed by a very thin chain,you will hear a very loud metallic noise as the engine starts this is pre detonation
egrs block due to short journeys poor fuel and poor service regimes.
These engines need good oil and good fuel,i run this engine in a fiat and mines now on 100,000 miles and is the best part of the car as it runs sweet as a proverbial nut .
Will car do 150 miles? who knows

motorguy

bigjl wrote: »

If it will only start from cold with easy start it sounds like it lacks compression.

Unless of course the replacement EGR valve sorted the problems out last time then the EGR could be clogged again

If the glow plugs are knackered easy start will start it too, so it could be those.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Thanks guys, 1 glo plug is !!!!*ed, too much of a risk to take out given car age, etc, & poss damage to cylinder head, engine block, etc. Other 3 are brand new & working fine (been tested), agree with previous poster re bradex/easystart-makes a right 'bang' on ignition (RAC took 3 1/2 hrs to get here & guy looked really harassed).....think will enjoy the peace from G/F (LOL! And control of tv remote) & take to a diesal specialist later this week & avoid driving.....(hope its warm, beer garden only 2 mins away (!) ), it just really !!!!*s me off that countless garages have not found underlying issue. As stated earlier....in some respects its better the devil you know with cars that ar 10 years old. Thanks all-mind made up-£65 taxi to Liverpool Airport (not do able on public t/port early Monday) ....will try & repair b4 bss gets back on Saturday. If anyone else can add anything to stop me getting ripped of it would be appreciated.

Sb-yes-I do do short journeys but put in decent oil & fuel. As ever....money is the issue!

patman99

Unless you are using branded diesel, I would use a fuel-based cleaner every other tank-full to clean the muck off the EGR. My mate has a Picasso with the 72bhp 1.6 HDi engine.
When he got it, it was extremely sluggish and the garage told him it was the egr blocked-up and to try fuel based cleaner.

Worked a treat. 6 months of using fuel based cleaner and avoiding supermarket diesel cured the sluggishness.

arcon5

s_b wrote: »

If egr clogs it normally clogs open,it normally would show a eml light.
If it stays open you lose compression thus engine harder to start
easystart is more combustable than diesel so possibly is the reason it starts on this rather than just cranking away.
Easystart washes the oil off the bores of the cylinder walls so should only be used in an emergency,this is why people used to think old engines were hooked on it but it was really because compressions get worse the more you use it.
The rac man should not be saying perfectly safe because using this stuff causes pre detonation in the cylinders and can cause catastrophic engine failure especially on this engine as its multi valved and also timed by a very thin chain,you will hear a very loud metallic noise as the engine starts this is pre detonation
egrs block due to short journeys poor fuel and poor service regimes.
These engines need good oil and good fuel,i run this engine in a fiat and mines now on 100,000 miles and is the best part of the car as it runs sweet as a proverbial nut .
Will car do 150 miles? who knows

What on earth on you smoking!!! Stuck egr doesn't cause compression loss!! It's just compressing the wrong thing.

Also there shouldn't be oil in the cylinder above rings anyway so should be anything to rub off! Also easy start atomises very well.

Easy start is fine op if used carefully and conservatively. Don't use it too much or too often!!!!