problem with car- Vauxhall corsa

sophsemail

Hi guys, new to this so I hope I explain this properly. All help is much appreciated. I bought a car in 2017 brand new. It’s a Vauxhall corsa. Part cash & part finance. I paid for extended warranty of three years totalling £1500. The car has always worked perfectly, apart from changing breaks and a few tires I have never had to have anything fixed. The car is also serviced yearly. Today, while driving to the supermarket my car flashed up with a warning sign on the dashboard that said “engine over heating - Idle vehicle”. Freaked out, I pulled over, checked the coolant levels which looked empty through the see-through tank. Undid the cap to the tank and after a whole load of gas coming out, the pink liquid coolant filled back up to the recommended half way mark, I then closed it again once it did this and turned on the engine, the warning noise and light came off. I drove to the supermarket, did my shopping and on the way back, it did the same thing. I did the same process of opening the tank letting the gas out and allowing it to fill itself back up and again the warnings went away. This seems to be a quick solution though. What could the problem be? I called Vauxhall to book a my car in to have it fixed. I was told however, that all the garages and show rooms and closed and I’ll have to wait until the national pandemic is over. Firstly, I’m a mother of three, a single mother. My youngest being just 7 months. I need to be able to buy essentials for myself and my children. I also drop weekly food of to my mother who suffers from heart problems. I now have no car. What I wanted to know today is, any idea what the problem could be? & if I have the car fixed myself, will Vauxhall pay me back? Seeing as I have paid £1500 for an extended warranty. What shall I do now? Who do I go to for answers?can I use a Vauxhall approved garage instead ? Will my warranty work with one of them? Help please 

angrycrow

Please be very careful opening the coolant tank with the engine hot. You have been very lucky so far that it has not boiled over. The cooling system is pressurised and can spew boiling coolant out causing very serious burns. 

You are loosing coolant somewhere and the system needs to be topped up and bled to get all the air out. You will then need to monitor the level to see if it drops again and to find the leak.

The leak could be a pin hole in a pipe or the radiator or a water pump on the way out or something more serious. I would not continue driving it as further damage could result from overheating. Suggest you get an independent to look at it now as it could be a straight forward repair. 

tommyedinburgh

Regarding your warranty I’d imagine that Vauxhall’s won’t allow you to sub it out to an independent garage. 

Sounds like it might be something like the head gasket which will likely mean that your extended warranty with Vauxhall has just saved you a small fortune. 

Ganga

What I would do is check the coolant level in the plastic tank in the morning when the engine is cold ,if it is low top it up with water ,I know this will dilute the antifreeze but we will not see frozen engines for at least 6 months and garages will be open then.
Try not to do unnecessary long trips till you can get this sorted at your Vauxhall dealer, if you become more desperate you can take it to your local indy garage who may fix it quite cheaply and try and claim the cost back later or suck up the cost and keep the car on the road, best of luck.

daveyjp

Check the cooling fan is working. Youtube has videos showing you which plug to remove to check the temperature sensor is operating.

cymruchris

As others have said - be careful opening the coolant - it should only be done when the car engine is cold - some very nasty injuries can happen otherwise.

Looking at the Vauxhall website - it mentions that 'many' workshops are open.

Have you tried putting in your postcode to find out which ones are near you?

It may be that the ONE you purchased from is closed - but other dealers nearby might have their workshops open - find one, call them, and see if they can help?

https://www.vauxhall.co.uk/tools/find-a-retailer.html

Ganga

daveyjp said:

Check the cooling fan is working. Youtube has videos showing you which plug to remove to check the temperature sensor is operating.

The poster is a single mum with 3 kids ,I do think she will be able to do what you are proposing ,this is not to say that females are not capable of mechanical repairs but she comes across as not being that mechanically minded but needs help.

kirmal12

If your area has a Facebook group it might be worth your while to ask for help on there. My town is really  pulling together to help people with all sorts of issues in the current pandemic. Somebody might know somebody who works at the garage for example or a mobile mechanic may be able to help. Hope you get sorted.