Project Maybe not so Lovely Astra

[purplebargeken]

This is the one on the Bay of E. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ignition-Coil-FIC0013-Fahren-1208307-19005212-Genuine-Top-Quality-Replacement/233495420184?epid=1334645662&hash=item365d695d18:g:LQwAAOSw-s5eRzba

[purplebargeken]

Fuck it, 37 quid isn't going to break the bank I guess. 

[Tigerfox]

Has a similar thing happen on our 3 cyl Corsa, it carried on running fine on 2 cyl and went back to normal with a new plug.

My initial reaction was similar, never seen it before

[purplebargeken]

Mate is going to see if he can get a coil pack locally first and foremost.

[SiC]

GSF do one for just under £40 after discount code. Any branches local to you?

[purplebargeken]

Mate has found one locally for 39 quid, so that will be purchased and brought over.

Moment of truth time I guess.

Watch this space.

[mitsisigma01]

17 hours ago, purplebargeken said:

Fuck it, 37 quid isn't going to break the bank I guess. 

It would break mine nearly ?

[purplebargeken]

Well new pack fitted, tightened down quickly via the earth bolt, plinky and stuttery but smoothed out slightly, mate said that it seemed to lack compression on number four from the sound of it.

He had to leave but I fitted all the remaining bolts and it settled down, no plinky noises, no undue movement. Seemed to smooth out more, so maybe the coil pack just sitting on there wasn't the best way to judge, starts fine now too. No fault codes on the reader whatsoever. 

Seemed its usual self.

Am driving up to Cov on Sunday. That will be the test I think. I have green flag cover.

Watch and wait for now.

 

[SiC]

Hopefully enough power left in the old donk that it can be driven as is. Even if it just lasts to the next MOT before it fails on emissions or something. 

Tough as old boots these generation of GM engines. 

[purplebargeken]

Will give it a bit of a drive around tomorrow too. If only to escape from the house.

[purplebargeken]

Started happily and seems to drive ok at the moment.

[UltraWomble]

Fingers crossed then. I cant see the ceramic from the plug mullering the piston  / bore  too much - I lost one, donkeys years ago on a Mk 1 fiesta and never did it any harm - eventually pulled the head off and  bits of crushed plug were visible in carbon on the piston crown but no metal bits - assuming most of it got blown out of one of the valves but never caused any great harm.

Gave it a bit of a clean, put it back together and continued driving it.

[BorniteIdentity]

I absolutely, completely and entirely fucking hate these things.  It's totally irrational; I've never owned one and have driven one probably five times in total.  My colleague had one and I would ALWAYS ask to use the manager's car but - at times his 2.2 Vectra was out - I'd have to take the Astra.  It was 2 years old and the seat had already broken so it tipped when you cornered.  It was gutless, unrefined and horrible.  This was 2002 and I had a MK2 Golf myself!

Nonetheless, it's good to see something not being thrown away for the sake of something like a set of plugs or a coil pack.  That seems wasteful. 

Hope it does you a good turn, Ken.  Even though they can all die as far as I'm concerned!

[SiC]

6 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I absolutely, completely and entirely fucking hate these things.  It's totally irrational; I've never owned one and have driven one probably five times in total.  My colleague had one and I would ALWAYS ask to use the manager's car but - at times his 2.2 Vectra was out - I'd have to take the Astra.  It was 2 years old and the seat had already broken so it tipped when you cornered.  It was gutless, unrefined and horrible.  This was 2002 and I had a MK2 Golf myself!

Nonetheless, it's good to see something not being thrown away for the sake of something like a set of plugs or a coil pack.  That seems wasteful. 

Hope it does you a good turn, Ken.  Even though they can all die as far as I'm concerned!

We inherited one from my wife's grandfather when he finally got off the road. I'd been wanting one for a while too. Handled well and a good stereo. However the seats were dreadful and everyone absolutely hated you. Hated and treated like dirt or if you don't exist. Cutting you up, not letting out, two incidents where people aggressively cut in and then tried to get out to shout/etc. 

Never had a car that gave such a reaction since! 

[SiC]

How are you getting on Ken?

You haven't been on here for over 8 hrs - not stuck by the side of the road are you?!

[purplebargeken]

No, just spending as much time out of the house as possible.

Astra seems to be behaving itself. Trip to Cov on Sunday though, so if you see me stranded, pop over and say hi.

[purplebargeken]

I took the car out yesterday for a 50 mile drive. It behaved itself perfectly, smooth, no issues. Utterly lovely.

Started my journey to Cov this morning - drove 6 miles on the M25, not hooning or anything. EML started to flash, then came on solid, there was a slight stutter and a slight reduction in power. I came off the M25 and drove through Potters Bar. Slightly more of a loss of power. Arrived home and put the code reader on and tbe code P0303 came up. Misfire on cylinder 3. I cleared the code and all is well. 

Am going to take it to my mates tomorrow and he will check the compression and we will have a look at the wiring. The plugs are new and proper ones, the coil pack is new and a good make.

Just started the car up now and is code and issue free.

So I have had a misfire on cylinder 4 and now 3.

[purplebargeken]

Heading off to my mates place now.....................

[mitsisigma01]

??

[purplebargeken]

Ok, took the Astra down to my mates place. I took it for a run on the M25 beforehand and there were no issues.

Each plug taken out and nothing seemed amiss. Compression tester used on all of the cylinders, it's an old one but still works. It recorded 100 across the board. It's a 100, 000 mile car remember.

I cleaned up all of the earth connections that I could find. Started and ran fine. No issues at all, nor on the way back.

So who knows.

 

[motorpunk]

14 minutes ago, purplebargeken said:

Ok, took the Astra down to my mates place. I took it for a run on the M25 beforehand and there were no issues.

Each plug taken out and nothing seemed amiss. Compression tester used on all of the cylinders, it's an old one but still works. It recorded 100 across the board. It's a 100, 000 mile car remember.

I cleaned up all of the earth connections that I could find. Started and ran fine. No issues at all, nor on the way back.

So who knows.

 

I admire your tenacity. I would have fly tipped the thing at the first sign of trouble. 

[purplebargeken]

Well getting a replacement isn't wholly on the cards anymore.

[lisbon_road]

Not sure what the spec is but a bit more than 100 would seem good?  Assume psi.

[purplebargeken]

1.4

[UltraWomble]

I just leave my ELM code reader plugged in - clear my codes as I go via my phone.

[New POD]

1 hour ago, UltraWomble said:

I just leave my ELM code reader plugged in - clear my codes as I go via my phone.

Me too. Got my wife to do it at speed once.  The engine smoothed out lovely. 

[SiC]

1 hour ago, UltraWomble said:

I just leave my ELM code reader plugged in - clear my codes as I go via my phone.

Most OBD ports power feeds aren't switched with the ignition. So just watch out it draining your battery flat, especially if you don't use it everyday. 

[New POD]

8 minutes ago, SiC said:

Most OBD ports power feeds aren't switched with the ignition. So just watch out it draining your battery flat, especially if you don't use it everyday. 

Indeed. 

[UltraWomble]

Nah its fine - I also have a feed from the OBD2 fuse to power a perm live USB charger socket. Not been an issue in the last 4 years or so Ive used one like this.

But Im out in the car for work each day anyway. But thanks for the concern chaps.

[SiC]

Just reminded me of a past colleague who spent 4 months chasing a parasitic drain on his Focus MK2 where the battery only would last a week of not driving. He left an ELM327 adapter in his OBD port for logging stats on some app and forgot he left it in there.