Astra mk3 collection ,Home home !

[Christine]

Setting off at 1.30... 30 miles there, and  30 miles back  to the mot station,not moted , sorned but is insured, Booked for 4 pm ..if i get there !  3 good cylinders and 1 with no compression   , 2 steep hills,4 busy towns   . Who'll be about to rescue me if i FTP?   Brands Hatch to Crowborough...

[Cavcraft]

It's a Mk3 Astra, you ain't going to need any rescuing. Will it even pass a test running on three?

[Christine]

Its only done 45000 how can it fail !

[beko1987]

Drive it back right and it might be running on all 4...

[Parky]

Please don't tell me it's a white 3 door 1.4 Merit automatic? I am still kicking myself for missing out by a fiver on one in nearby Tenterden

[lisbon_road]

Exciting stuff.  

 

When I got the Rob T Astra, it drove 70 miles or so without missing a beat and now 12,000 miles on it is still doing well.  Send us some pictures.  We're like that on here, think that pictures of an old very ordinary car is worth waiting for.  

 

Must admit, running on all 4 would surely be better for the MOT?

[Stanky]

Cylinder disabled to improve fuel economy m8?

[Christine]

Arctic 1.6   16v    No internet phone..so even if i need help i cant contact anyone .   Pics tonight .  I wont be needing a poo though 

[beko1987]

Amys old meriva had that engine. She drove everywhere under 1500rpm. Literally changed into 5th at 35mph then accelerated...

 

I took it for its mot as usual one day and it was so slow (which it was anyway, but something-else slow). So I got onto a straight road and drove on the red line in 3rd for 2 miles. Sounded awful, but blew some alarming diesel type clag out the back. Got onto the m40 and got up (slowly) to 85 in 4th. More clag. Into 5th and carry on. Got off the motorway and onto a roads and it actually pulled again! Then the fuel light came on, because it wasn't very economical

 

So Italian tune up! Failing that if it goes into limp mode randomly check the spark plugs, we had this when they fell apart (Google said coil pack, Google was luckily wrong!). A good clean of the throttle body wouldn't go amiss either.

 

Literally cane the fuck out of it if you think it'll survive and see what happens. And being a 16v you can change the thermostat without needing the cambelt off!

[oldcars]

Amys old meriva had that engine. She drove everywhere under 1500rpm. Literally changed into 5th at 35mph then accelerated...

 

I took it for its mot as usual one day and it was so slow (which it was anyway, but something-else slow). So I got onto a straight road and drove on the red line in 3rd for 2 miles. Sounded awful, but blew some alarming diesel type clag out the back. Got onto the m40 and got up (slowly) to 85 in 4th. More clag. Into 5th and carry on. Got off the motorway and onto a roads and it actually pulled again! Then the fuel light came on, because it wasn't very economical

 

So Italian tune up! Failing that if it goes into limp mode randomly check the spark plugs, we had this when they fell apart (Google said coil pack, Google was luckily wrong!). A good clean of the throttle body wouldn't go amiss either.

 

Literally cane the fuck out of it if you think it'll survive and see what happens. And being a 16v you can change the thermostat without needing the cambelt off!

This needs to be in the next Haynes manual for the Meriva.

[Christine]

Epic fail     Aviva website was down and i couldn't get insurance verified , and i wasn't prepared to do it without .. On again  for tomorrow afternoon though !

[Hendry]

I love a mk3 Astra, and Arctic was a good spec I think, what colour is it?

 

Get pics up!!

 

As for Merivas, I didnt think any of them were fitted with the 1.6 16v, most of the ones Ive came across, usually base Life spec, were the 1.6 8v. 

[Christine]

It's a 45k minter apart from a bolloxed engine... I don't care about that, i just need the wing  door and bumper off it , as it's a similar colour ,  to mend grandads Astra GLS !  It probably would be better to fix the engine and keep this one , but its a manual box and he drives automatic only . So i've gotta rob the Arctic  for the bits for his ... shame really as the Arctic is a peach .. 

 

 

 

- Fit battered wing to Arctic one

- keep it for free motoring

 

would it fail an MOT on sharp edges for that wing?

[beko1987]

I love a mk3 Astra, and Arctic was a good spec I think, what colour is it?

 

Get pics up!!

 

As for Merivas, I didnt think any of them were fitted with the 1.6 16v, most of the ones Ive came across, usually base Life spec, were the 1.6 8v.

What's the 1.6 with the thermostat not behind the cambelt? That one...

[Christine]

It's home . It's fookin ace..     It's so mint i can't possibly break it ..    It's like Stools Cavaliers...! Apart from  da engine  . It's got full main dealer history too

 

1st Pic ...

 

 

 

Wot ingine code is this lump Vauxhall geeks?? SOHC or DOHC?

 

Its a  1.6 16v   1998,     the cylinder on the rightest side has no compression almost certainly valves as it doesn't smoke at all

 

 

[Parky]

That's odd. Almost sounds as if the camshaft hath no lobes at that end of the engine. Even shagged valves/pistons would surely generate some blue smoke provided they were of course opening and closing.

 

Bet the emissions are epic with a quarter of the fuel delivery going straight back out again!

[Christine]

No lobes?   That sounds like Briggs and Stratton Intek 17hp problem my mate had ! The bumps wear reet off the shaft, 

 

 

[Cavcraft]

Should know but don't, is that either a late 8V with an 'Ecotec' engine cover, or an early (X16XEL?) 16V?

[catsinthewelder]

Looks nice that,  there was a near identical one parked up in the scrap corner at our local garage last year alongside one that was identical to mine but a 5 door hatch rather than an estate.  I was tempted to bum it of it's wheels and interior but foolishly resisted.  They've both gone now but I think the scrapyard in Leominster still has a few.

[Christine]

HBOL    "Underbonnet view " pic  suggests it is X16XEL...engine .DOHC 1600..

 

DOHC   means Alfa Romeo type power , and 16v means Dolomite Sprint performance .

 

Off to ebay looking for a head ...

[Hendry]

Should know but don't, is that either a late 8V with an 'Ecotec' engine cover, or an early (X16XEL?) 16V?

 

Think its an X16XEL, I had a late 8v 1.6 mk3 with the 75bhp SPI X16SZR lump and they didnt get the Ecotec engine cover. 

 

At least finding a donor engine for this should be no bother as these were fitted to loads of Vauxhalls, and the later Z16XE isnt much different, Id recommend doing the piston rings and valve stem oil seals on any 1.6 16v engine as they are bad for those going and burning oil. 

[red5]

That's a X16XEL. 

 

Compression test/cylinder leakage test and go from there.

 

X16SZR was an 8 valve with EGR. Not an 'ECOTEC' engine - an attempt to offer a 'clean' engine option before regs tightened up.

[Christine]

It had a compression test  at a garage  with the previous owner .. They said its valve problem.  I've got a bore scope , i'll have a look down the plug hole see  before  i have the head off.

 

 I'm reading up...  This car did 30k in its first three years . Then sold . Thereafter its done about 1000 miles a year . It's had    adverse conditions   " low mileage "  extra oil changes in the service history in this period .

Some X16Xel engines seem to have suffered with stuck hydraulic tappets ? Wonder if this one has this problem?

[stuboy]

Setting off at 1.30... 30 miles there, and  30 miles back  to the mot station,not moted , sorned but is insured, Booked for 4 pm ..if i get there !  3 good cylinders and 1 with no compression   , 2 steep hills,4 busy towns   . Who'll be about to rescue me if i FTP?   Brands Hatch to Crowborough...

in sussex?

[vaughant]

If you buy a machine Mart compression tester, the blurb that comes with it tells you what the results mean, worn bores,stuck valves etc. It was bang on for my zafira as I swapped the motor out and when stripped the top of the piston was blown right at the back, the ring was still intact but the crown had about 20% missing, exactly as the compression test results alluded to.

Twas about £25 for the kit and it's really handy, I've used it in a few cars now and the results have always been bang on. Been a great investment.

[vaughant]

Btw the engine's on those astras are so easy to swap out, you could get it done in a morning and I'll bet they're about £60 to buy a good one. I bought a second hand 1.2 16v before blind for the same sort of money and it ran fine for years.

[Christine]

Yep,  Sussex 

 

 

Btw the engine's on those astras are so easy to swap out, you could get it done in a morning and I'll bet they're about £60 to buy a good one. I bought a second hand 1.2 16v before blind for the same sort of money and it ran fine for years.

Errm ....this is a matching numbers,  rare, classic car..  Possibly...    Have to fix this engine to keep it original..(Just a head may do )..Prices are climbing , buy one before they're out of reach ! 

[stuboy]

i used to live in crowborugh back in 91/92 my dad and step mum still do

[Essex V6]

It's home . It's fookin ace..     It's so mint i can't possibly break it ..    It's like Stools Cavaliers...! Apart from  da engine  . It's got full main dealer history too

 

1st Pic ...

IMG_8204.JPG

 

IMG_8206.JPG

 

You can't break that!

 

 

Wot ingine code is this lump Vauxhall geeks?? SOHC or DOHC?

 

Its a  1.6 16v   1998,     the cylinder on the rightest side has no compression almost certainly valves as it doesn't smoke at all

[lisbon_road]

Yes, as said above, any messing with the engine in those and you must (must) do the valve stem seals.  I had one which made colossal clouds of blue smoke in the morning and also got through huge amounts of oil, but once the seals were done, it was basically ok.  I did it with one of those tools that allow you to do the job without taking the head off, and it did actually work.

 

Er, I do actually have a wing in that colour, was planning using it but perhaps.......have a nearside door too, not the same colour.

 

And come to think of it, I might have a bumper.