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Automotive News Jun 25, 2025

What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Astra?

What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Astra?

Are Vauxhall Astra 1.6 reliable?

I've got an almost three years old vauxhall astra 1.6, and its getting me down a bit. I am driving about 15-16 miles each day (with no more than 100 BHP) but its very unreliable. It's always chugging, even while you are barely moving, theres so much noise it actually drowns out the conversation of your passengers, it sometimes cuts out power steering for no reason, you have to use the emergency brakes all the time, and on my last visit to the garage they were having a laugh at the amount of new parts this thing needs to be fixed. The only parts they have done so far for my car is replace one air filter and a couple of lights. The lights still wont work though. I did take this to the dealers, but they basically said "this is common, just go away and don't come back again". Is this like a new car in other words, or is there anything I can do? Thanks!) Any tips of ways to fix this car, whether DIY or otherwise is appreciated.

Comments. Oh dear. Sounds to me like it needs replacing from front to rear. Did you drive a few miles? Is the engine idling or is it running when you're driving? If it's running - there might be a fault.

In your case - its also possible that you need an oil change? It sounds too much like a brand new car to me - because it requires new injectors, new turbocharger and valve seals, new air filter, new oil filter, a new ignition coil pack, and new battery. Your insurer should not be asking for quite that kind of money, unless the garage is going to install a re-built engine. That's pretty much a new car.

I don't think anyone can really get too upset about the price for what is necessary. They were going to replace the car with a newer model anyway.

What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Astra?

There is a problem with the car. You are looking for answers to common questions about the car. Questions like: I was driving home at 40 mph and heard a click and the car slowed down. What is the problem? or

My car won't start and the lights don't turn on. Can you help me fix it? or

I have a strange noise from my car. Is this normal? How to find answers. Once you have chosen a Vauxhall Astra, you can read and compare answers from previous owners who have the same make and model of car. You can also get information about any problems you have already experienced or might experience in the future.

Answers to your questions. Here you can read and answer questions from other Vauxhall Astra drivers and owners. You can choose the correct answers to your questions by choosing the best answer(s). The correct answer will be displayed at the top of the page and will give you a point value.

Points are awarded based on the quality of the answers and the popularity of the questions. You can earn points for writing new answers and commenting on existing answers. If you are new to the site, please take a few minutes to read the rules of the forum before you participate. A car that has been driven is most likely to have an air leak in the cabin, either from the ventilation system, the boot or both. The sound of the vacuum pump would be coming through the vents and would stop once the cabin pressure reached equilibrium with the outside pressure.

The sound will vary depending on the size and type of leak and on how long the leak has been present, but there is no way to correct it. The sound could be the result of a bad head gasket or a cracked head. If the head gasket is good, I would recommend the dealer fit a new head gasket and change the head to reduce the chances of this happening again.

In the meantime, you could buy yourself a new/used bonnet and use the old bonnet as a temporary cover, which could reduce the noise in the cabin to a degree. In the past, there have been problems with the front windows. If they go up when you drive over bumps, you will hear it.

What is the best petrol engine for the Vauxhall Astra?

vauxhall astra 1.6 petrol engine problems What is the best petrol engine for the Vauxhall Astra?

The original Vauxhall Astra was released in 1982 and was a direct competitor to the Ford Escort, Opel Kadett, Fiat Uno and Volkswagen Golf. The 1st generation Astra is considered the last true rear wheel drive compact cars (the 1st generation Honda Accord does have rear wheel drive).

The first generation of Astra's engine was 1.4 litre, which at 1367cc produced 95bhp and 115lb/ft of torque. The car itself had a very distinctive 2.8 inch (70mm) tailgate spoiler to help give it's reputation as being a real road-harrowing sports car.

After a total of 8 generations of Astra with more than 40,000 production being sold, an important change for the Astra was made with the release of the second generation Astra, which was in 1988. The engine was changed to an all new 1.3 litre engine, but kept the same power figures of 95bhp and 115lb/ft of torque, making it one of the most underrated engines in history.

The Astra 3rd generation released in 1994 was much more compact than previous Astra generations. This was mainly due to the change in the rear suspension design, and the car had a sloping nose to make it easier to look at from the back. The engines output was also boosted by 100 bhp, with a top speed of 142 mph and 0 to 60 mph of 9.3 seconds. With a weight of 1500kg and a fuel consumption of 23.4 mpg, the Astra 3rd generation was a real bargain.

The Astra 4th generation started in 1995 and had one big change, the engine capacity went up to 1.8 litre, making its top speed go up to 174mph. Alongside this, the Astra was given a new styling, which meant it looked less like a mini-Mazda to the common fan of Vauxhall's rivals. The Astra 5th generation started in 1997 and had a major change again, as the Astra received its third change of engines. Instead of 1.8 or 1.4 litre engines, the Astra would get a petrol engine called the 1.6 litre engine.

The engine produced 140bhp at 6,750rpm and 132lb/ft of torque at 3,600rpm.

Does the Vauxhall Astra 1.6 have a timing belt or chain?

My car has had its timing belt replaced. Is it possible that the old belt was a chain? I couldn't find a way to check.

The Vauxhall manual explains in Chapter 7 that "to replace the timing belt, the rear end cover must be removed and the timing chain must be removed." My car only had a timing belt. It has an air vent cover that seems to be holding the chain. Does this make sense? The car has no timing belt warning light on the dash.

The car was a few years old, so I would appreciate it if anyone with experience can advise. Replies to This Discussion. There are 3 links in a chain, one for the crank, one for the camshaft and one for the valve lifters. For a modern engine you will find the chain from the valve lifters back to the crankshaft. I have no way of checking because my car is at the mechanic's for an oil change. I don't think it's a timing chain but it might be a chain.

Hello, thank you for your reply. If the Vauxhall engine is of that design, and you say the chain links are there from the valves, does this mean that if the timing belt needed replacing the chain could be used to replace it? This is a 1.6 L engine. Could the Vauxhall timing chain link be removed and used instead?

Do you think that could cause some other problems? Does it matter? If this is a 4 cyl engine, then yes the chain could be used. In that case the tensioner should still be there - but a timing belt would be fitted.

I believe the crank pulley on these engines has a 'slot' cut in it - and it has a hole/bolt/washer in it. What you would do, is take a timing chain and remove the tooth of the chain that 'lines' the path for the chain. You would insert the chain into the crank hole, and place the chain pin into the slot. If the teeth are not lined up, you would remove one or two teeth until they were. The chain drive would be fine, but you would lose a bit of the noise reducing feature. It should be ok, but it may affect the noise to some degree. You might have to experiment.


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