New Gearbox at 148,000 miles, not bad!
Discussion
l40mey said:
I seriously considered the saab, I actually went to see one but I didnt get a good impression from it, not the car in general, just this particular example i went to see, had some slight niggles with it, was enough though to convince me to save my money and keep this one, like you say same engine etc and all I would be doing is paying money for a different car with the same performance.
bit of an old mans car I know but serioulsy looking at the Volvo S40 D5 next, my old man has the new C60 and I love it, I have borrowed a couple of Volvo's from work before and they seem to handle really well and the D5 is fast but economical enough to be sensible.
also, read somewhere that the Volvo S40 and V50 are in one of the lowest insurance brackets you can get, apparently insurance companies love them (perhaps becasue they are affiliated with the olrder generation, however, I love there new ones.
The SAAB was weird in terms of purchase for me. I'd seen the one I have now on trader for 2 weeks, was top of what I would class as "good value" and 50miles away at a garage I knew from uni days.bit of an old mans car I know but serioulsy looking at the Volvo S40 D5 next, my old man has the new C60 and I love it, I have borrowed a couple of Volvo's from work before and they seem to handle really well and the D5 is fast but economical enough to be sensible.
also, read somewhere that the Volvo S40 and V50 are in one of the lowest insurance brackets you can get, apparently insurance companies love them (perhaps becasue they are affiliated with the olrder generation, however, I love there new ones.
So I did the ususal, shopped around for weeks, found cock-all. Went to a local car supermarket and was shown a "linear" spec one, rough as, pov spec exterior and £1500 more than the one in Sheffield. So sacked that off, plied me dad with coffee for the journey, rocked up, one look and a 20min test drive, deal done.
Guy from the start was fair as could be and said: "price not moving" but offered me a grand more than others for my focus, despite it being stoved in on drivers door and massive mileage.
Hence me being one happy fatlad.
Volvo's are a solid motor, on the V50 I'd avoid the little derv engine, know a couple of people who've had them, and they're a "sold on figures" car. People buy them with dreams of 70mpg, get it on a rolling road, or at 35mph on cruise. Then drops massively in real world.
I know what you mean, SAAB’s are in an odd class in my mind, they are not a cheap car nor are they a really expensive cars to buy either.
Personally I like them, they are good looking and come with a good spec, leather climate control etc, but I am told they are expensive to repair should the formidable go wrong. (touchwood your’s wont)
Another reason I considered them, you might not have known this but one of my best mates is Australian, when we went to look at one she came with me and she told me in that in Australia SAAB's are seen as a really upper class cars, only people with a bit of cash have them out there and they are considered on the same level as Mercedes, kind of makes you feel a little better I would imagine.
Yes, the frugal engines they are promoting are not as economical as they are made out to be, I wouldn’t go for the 1.6 Drive as if I am honest it’s not setting the world on fire in terms of performance, I would go for the D5 on this one and only that engine, and I want an automatic. After driving a manual for so many years now, every time I borrow or hire a automatic it seems such a joy to drive, you can relax twice as much as you can in a manual.
cheers for the advice though, appreciated.
Personally I like them, they are good looking and come with a good spec, leather climate control etc, but I am told they are expensive to repair should the formidable go wrong. (touchwood your’s wont)
Another reason I considered them, you might not have known this but one of my best mates is Australian, when we went to look at one she came with me and she told me in that in Australia SAAB's are seen as a really upper class cars, only people with a bit of cash have them out there and they are considered on the same level as Mercedes, kind of makes you feel a little better I would imagine.
Yes, the frugal engines they are promoting are not as economical as they are made out to be, I wouldn’t go for the 1.6 Drive as if I am honest it’s not setting the world on fire in terms of performance, I would go for the D5 on this one and only that engine, and I want an automatic. After driving a manual for so many years now, every time I borrow or hire a automatic it seems such a joy to drive, you can relax twice as much as you can in a manual.
cheers for the advice though, appreciated.
mgmrw said:
The SAAB was weird in terms of purchase for me. I'd seen the one I have now on trader for 2 weeks, was top of what I would class as "good value" and 50miles away at a garage I knew from uni days.
So I did the ususal, shopped around for weeks, found cock-all. Went to a local car supermarket and was shown a "linear" spec one, rough as, pov spec exterior and £1500 more than the one in Sheffield. So sacked that off, plied me dad with coffee for the journey, rocked up, one look and a 20min test drive, deal done.
Guy from the start was fair as could be and said: "price not moving" but offered me a grand more than others for my focus, despite it being stoved in on drivers door and massive mileage.
Hence me being one happy fatlad.
Volvo's are a solid motor, on the V50 I'd avoid the little derv engine, know a couple of people who've had them, and they're a "sold on figures" car. People buy them with dreams of 70mpg, get it on a rolling road, or at 35mph on cruise. Then drops massively in real world.
So I did the ususal, shopped around for weeks, found cock-all. Went to a local car supermarket and was shown a "linear" spec one, rough as, pov spec exterior and £1500 more than the one in Sheffield. So sacked that off, plied me dad with coffee for the journey, rocked up, one look and a 20min test drive, deal done.
Guy from the start was fair as could be and said: "price not moving" but offered me a grand more than others for my focus, despite it being stoved in on drivers door and massive mileage.
Hence me being one happy fatlad.
Volvo's are a solid motor, on the V50 I'd avoid the little derv engine, know a couple of people who've had them, and they're a "sold on figures" car. People buy them with dreams of 70mpg, get it on a rolling road, or at 35mph on cruise. Then drops massively in real world.
l40mey said:
is it a do it yourself job or can anyone attempt this, I have read about needing it to be cleaned now and then and I also know where it is in the engine bay, however, what I do not have is any mechanical ability about me, is this an easy job to do and how many bits do I have to remove before needed it to be done?
another thing, if an EGR valve is going slightly faulty, (if that is the correct word) are there symtoms for this, lack of power etc
Trying to establish if it needs doing?
Cleaning the EGR valve is dead straightforward. I had a SportHatch with the same engine, had it on lease from new and during it's 3rd year and approx 45k it started to show signs of needing to be done. For me it started to chuck out lots of black smoke when the turbo kicked in (noticeably more than it did normally) and it also became quite sluggish. From time to time it would become very sluggish, you'd floor it and there was kind of a long pause before it would eventually get up and go, along with the black smoke out the back. This happened on one particular occasion and the EML came on and it went into limp home mode before clearing itself and being ok. I decided then it was time to do something about it! Had a quick look round on the Astra forum and found a how-to for it, very simple to do, just remove the thing, take the few screws out that hold it together and then give it a damn good clean inside. I just bought some brake cleaner, toothbrushes, rags etc and spent a good 30 minutes blasting all the crap out. Put it back together, bolted back on the car and it ran perfectly from there on in, noticeably more power and better MPG to boot!another thing, if an EGR valve is going slightly faulty, (if that is the correct word) are there symtoms for this, lack of power etc
Trying to establish if it needs doing?
mgmrw said:
who'd actually change the EGR valve?
£100+ to change, or £25 to clean and alter so it won't happen again
£100+ to change, or £25 to clean and alter so it won't happen again
Great cars these, in 3 years and 60k miles the only thing it ever needed was the above, apart from the obvious servicing, tires and brake pads it performed brilliantly. Build quality was also fantastic, not one rattle, no loose trim and it looked as fresh as it did the day I got it. I wish I could the same about the RS Megane I'm driving now which was apparently put together by badly trained chimps!
l40mey said:
stuff
The image is a strange one. A pov spec 9-3 tends to shout "GRANDADS CHARIOT" as loud as possible, and the top spec ones tend to be guys with families who want something different.The way I looked at it was, that it's better built and classier than a Mundano or Vectra (cheaper too) and was cheaper than a pov spec VeeDub Poosat, BMW 3/5series, Merc C/E class.
Yet offers more than the FMC and Vaux options, and offers FAR MORE than the German options. Tried a Poosat, and hated it, mundano drove well but was tatty and dull, and the Vectra was a 1.9cdti SRI which shouted REP-WAGON as much as possible.
Gotta ask, what makes 3door astra owners call them "sport-hatches" ? The phrase boils my urine, as the VXR is a sport hatch/hot-hatch, so how the hell is a 1.7cdti 3door not just a 3door like it was when I was a kid
Brilliant, you have more or less explained what I have been experiencing of recent. on the motorway, if I put my foot down, there is more than usual smoke out the back but more noticeable is the split second "lull" in power, if you tap the pedal once or twice (not how I usually drive, just for testing this lull in power) it sometimes seems like its deciding on what to do, power, no power etc
So it’s a simple Job then, I will see about getting this done next weekend as this power issue is not a huge issue but starting to bug me slightly.
I was thinking something more serious was going wrong but you’re the third or fourth person to explain the same symptoms now to an EGR Valve that is getting blocked/dirty and needs cleaning.
thank you!
So it’s a simple Job then, I will see about getting this done next weekend as this power issue is not a huge issue but starting to bug me slightly.
I was thinking something more serious was going wrong but you’re the third or fourth person to explain the same symptoms now to an EGR Valve that is getting blocked/dirty and needs cleaning.
thank you!
Maty said:
Cleaning the EGR valve is dead straightforward. I had a SportHatch with the same engine, had it on lease from new and during it's 3rd year and approx 45k it started to show signs of needing to be done. For me it started to chuck out lots of black smoke when the turbo kicked in (noticeably more than it did normally) and it also became quite sluggish. From time to time it would become very sluggish, you'd floor it and there was kind of a long pause before it would eventually get up and go, along with the black smoke out the back. This happened on one particular occasion and the EML came on and it went into limp home mode before clearing itself and being ok. I decided then it was time to do something about it! Had a quick look round on the Astra forum and found a how-to for it, very simple to do, just remove the thing, take the few screws out that hold it together and then give it a damn good clean inside. I just bought some brake cleaner, toothbrushes, rags etc and spent a good 30 minutes blasting all the crap out. Put it back together, bolted back on the car and it ran perfectly from there on in, noticeably more power and better MPG to boot!
Great cars these, in 3 years and 60k miles the only thing it ever needed was the above, apart from the obvious servicing, tires and brake pads it performed brilliantly. Build quality was also fantastic, not one rattle, no loose trim and it looked as fresh as it did the day I got it. I wish I could the same about the RS Megane I'm driving now which was apparently put together by badly trained chimps!
Great cars these, in 3 years and 60k miles the only thing it ever needed was the above, apart from the obvious servicing, tires and brake pads it performed brilliantly. Build quality was also fantastic, not one rattle, no loose trim and it looked as fresh as it did the day I got it. I wish I could the same about the RS Megane I'm driving now which was apparently put together by badly trained chimps!
Yes, the bigger ones are more affiliated to the granddad generation, but the smaller ones such as the 9-3 and similar are starting to look more appealing to the younger audience, I think, anyone with a sensible head on them should consider these SAAB's opposed to the mundane ford Mondeo or the biggest rep mobile in the country, the Vectra!
The German cars all are good, they are built well and have a good reputation but if you’re buying one new, you literally have to pay for every single optional extra, they don’t throw much in, I hate that considering how much you are paying for the car anyway!!!!
The "Sportshatch" saying I think is a result of their marketing guru's at Vauxhall, when I was in a showroom one of the sales guys was showing me some new features in their face lifted model to mine and he was calling it the "sportshatch" too, I understand where your coming from though, a 1.7 CDTI is not a sports car, but I think they have called it the “sportshatch” as the Astra 3 door doesn’t sound as good I think.
Still, I prefer the 5 door version, I like the 3 door versions a lot and I like its sharp looks, it still looks fresh even years on from new, however, I prefer balanced shapes on a car, the 5 door to me just seem evenly balanced for some reason, can’t explain why but when I look at a car I like cars that are sharp looking but with balance and is in proportion to its size and overall shape. (odd I know but that’s just me I guess)
The German cars all are good, they are built well and have a good reputation but if you’re buying one new, you literally have to pay for every single optional extra, they don’t throw much in, I hate that considering how much you are paying for the car anyway!!!!
The "Sportshatch" saying I think is a result of their marketing guru's at Vauxhall, when I was in a showroom one of the sales guys was showing me some new features in their face lifted model to mine and he was calling it the "sportshatch" too, I understand where your coming from though, a 1.7 CDTI is not a sports car, but I think they have called it the “sportshatch” as the Astra 3 door doesn’t sound as good I think.
Still, I prefer the 5 door version, I like the 3 door versions a lot and I like its sharp looks, it still looks fresh even years on from new, however, I prefer balanced shapes on a car, the 5 door to me just seem evenly balanced for some reason, can’t explain why but when I look at a car I like cars that are sharp looking but with balance and is in proportion to its size and overall shape. (odd I know but that’s just me I guess)
mgmrw said:
The image is a strange one. A pov spec 9-3 tends to shout "GRANDADS CHARIOT" as loud as possible, and the top spec ones tend to be guys with families who want something different.
The way I looked at it was, that it's better built and classier than a Mundano or Vectra (cheaper too) and was cheaper than a pov spec VeeDub Poosat, BMW 3/5series, Merc C/E class.
Yet offers more than the FMC and Vaux options, and offers FAR MORE than the German options. Tried a Poosat, and hated it, mundano drove well but was tatty and dull, and the Vectra was a 1.9cdti SRI which shouted REP-WAGON as much as possible.
Gotta ask, what makes 3door astra owners call them "sport-hatches" ? The phrase boils my urine, as the VXR is a sport hatch/hot-hatch, so how the hell is a 1.7cdti 3door not just a 3door like it was when I was a kid
The way I looked at it was, that it's better built and classier than a Mundano or Vectra (cheaper too) and was cheaper than a pov spec VeeDub Poosat, BMW 3/5series, Merc C/E class.
Yet offers more than the FMC and Vaux options, and offers FAR MORE than the German options. Tried a Poosat, and hated it, mundano drove well but was tatty and dull, and the Vectra was a 1.9cdti SRI which shouted REP-WAGON as much as possible.
Gotta ask, what makes 3door astra owners call them "sport-hatches" ? The phrase boils my urine, as the VXR is a sport hatch/hot-hatch, so how the hell is a 1.7cdti 3door not just a 3door like it was when I was a kid
l40mey said:
Yes, the bigger ones are more affiliated to the granddad generation, but the smaller ones such as the 9-3 and similar are starting to look more appealing to the younger audience, I think, anyone with a sensible head on them should consider these SAAB's opposed to the mundane ford Mondeo or the biggest rep mobile in the country, the Vectra!
The German cars all are good, they are built well and have a good reputation but if you’re buying one new, you literally have to pay for every single optional extra, they don’t throw much in, I hate that considering how much you are paying for the car anyway!!!!
The "Sportshatch" saying I think is a result of their marketing guru's at Vauxhall, when I was in a showroom one of the sales guys was showing me some new features in their face lifted model to mine and he was calling it the "sportshatch" too, I understand where your coming from though, a 1.7 CDTI is not a sports car, but I think they have called it the “sportshatch” as the Astra 3 door doesn’t sound as good I think.
Still, I prefer the 5 door version, I like the 3 door versions a lot and I like its sharp looks, it still looks fresh even years on from new, however, I prefer balanced shapes on a car, the 5 door to me just seem evenly balanced for some reason, can’t explain why but when I look at a car I like cars that are sharp looking but with balance and is in proportion to its size and overall shape. (odd I know but that’s just me I guess)
I bought the top spec derv 9-3 at 23 year old, basically because no-one would expect me to have such a car, it's beautifully comfortable, does everything I could ask and offered far more than a Vaux Reptra.The German cars all are good, they are built well and have a good reputation but if you’re buying one new, you literally have to pay for every single optional extra, they don’t throw much in, I hate that considering how much you are paying for the car anyway!!!!
The "Sportshatch" saying I think is a result of their marketing guru's at Vauxhall, when I was in a showroom one of the sales guys was showing me some new features in their face lifted model to mine and he was calling it the "sportshatch" too, I understand where your coming from though, a 1.7 CDTI is not a sports car, but I think they have called it the “sportshatch” as the Astra 3 door doesn’t sound as good I think.
Still, I prefer the 5 door version, I like the 3 door versions a lot and I like its sharp looks, it still looks fresh even years on from new, however, I prefer balanced shapes on a car, the 5 door to me just seem evenly balanced for some reason, can’t explain why but when I look at a car I like cars that are sharp looking but with balance and is in proportion to its size and overall shape. (odd I know but that’s just me I guess)
The sport-hatch thing MAJORLY annoys me, as locally, nearlye very 19-25year old has a 3door in black, with the wheels powder coated black, it dropped 30mm and powered by a 1700cdti.
Those that have them and know me, will start trying to have a petrol-head conversation, and be full of "Ohh yeah my astra sport-hatch blah blah blah" then someone will say something along the lines of: "Wow you have a VXR at 22?"
to then look crestfallen when the aofrmentioned individual says:
" what's a VXR? I have a sporthatch, diesel one"
f
k all sporty about it, wouldn't track it... wouldn't use it for sport..... so therefore it by definition is NOT sporty.rant over
I'm not a fan of black on black at all, I had my wheels refurbished last month, the chap that did this was telling me "you should go black, that will look really smart etc" no thank you!
Not my bag that at all, nor is lowering the car, why would anyone want to reduce the smooth ride anyway. each to their own I say, as long as there happy and all that because it just makes people who don’t modify nice cars look more normal, especially if your of the younger generation.
Now you have had a rant, my turn
One thing I can never ever understand about people is.....these car it will look good, last long, drive nice and be sensible to run, what on earths make someone think spending a couple of hundred pounds at Halfrauds would make it a better car, especially these bloody body kits, who the f**k would want to add a stupid plastic bumper to their car in replacement to the one that was already there, absolute tack!!
it was developed the way it was for a reason, leave it that way!
Rant over too (gone slightly off topic I think but amusing none the less)
Not my bag that at all, nor is lowering the car, why would anyone want to reduce the smooth ride anyway. each to their own I say, as long as there happy and all that because it just makes people who don’t modify nice cars look more normal, especially if your of the younger generation.
Now you have had a rant, my turn
One thing I can never ever understand about people is.....these car it will look good, last long, drive nice and be sensible to run, what on earths make someone think spending a couple of hundred pounds at Halfrauds would make it a better car, especially these bloody body kits, who the f**k would want to add a stupid plastic bumper to their car in replacement to the one that was already there, absolute tack!!
it was developed the way it was for a reason, leave it that way!
Rant over too (gone slightly off topic I think but amusing none the less)
mgmrw said:
I bought the top spec derv 9-3 at 23 year old, basically because no-one would expect me to have such a car, it's beautifully comfortable, does everything I could ask and offered far more than a Vaux Reptra.
The sport-hatch thing MAJORLY annoys me, as locally, nearlye very 19-25year old has a 3door in black, with the wheels powder coated black, it dropped 30mm and powered by a 1700cdti.
Those that have them and know me, will start trying to have a petrol-head conversation, and be full of "Ohh yeah my astra sport-hatch blah blah blah" then someone will say something along the lines of: "Wow you have a VXR at 22?"
to then look crestfallen when the aofrmentioned individual says:
" what's a VXR? I have a sporthatch, diesel one"
fk all sporty about it, wouldn't track it... wouldn't use it for sport..... so therefore it by definition is NOT sporty.
rant over
The sport-hatch thing MAJORLY annoys me, as locally, nearlye very 19-25year old has a 3door in black, with the wheels powder coated black, it dropped 30mm and powered by a 1700cdti.
Those that have them and know me, will start trying to have a petrol-head conversation, and be full of "Ohh yeah my astra sport-hatch blah blah blah" then someone will say something along the lines of: "Wow you have a VXR at 22?"
to then look crestfallen when the aofrmentioned individual says:
" what's a VXR? I have a sporthatch, diesel one"
f
k all sporty about it, wouldn't track it... wouldn't use it for sport..... so therefore it by definition is NOT sporty.rant over
l40mey said:
I'm not a fan of black on black at all, I had my wheels refurbished last month, the chap that did this was telling me "you should go black, that will look really smart etc" no thank you!
Not my bag that at all, nor is lowering the car, why would anyone want to reduce the smooth ride anyway. each to their own I say, as long as there happy and all that because it just makes people who don’t modify nice cars look more normal, especially if your of the younger generation.
Now you have had a rant, my turn
One thing I can never ever understand about people is.....these car it will look good, last long, drive nice and be sensible to run, what on earths make someone think spending a couple of hundred pounds at Halfrauds would make it a better car, especially these bloody body kits, who the f**k would want to add a stupid plastic bumper to their car in replacement to the one that was already there, absolute tack!!
it was developed the way it was for a reason, leave it that way!
Rant over too (gone slightly off topic I think but amusing none the less)
See I'm a modifier, at heart, always have been and always will be. Not my bag that at all, nor is lowering the car, why would anyone want to reduce the smooth ride anyway. each to their own I say, as long as there happy and all that because it just makes people who don’t modify nice cars look more normal, especially if your of the younger generation.
Now you have had a rant, my turn
One thing I can never ever understand about people is.....these car it will look good, last long, drive nice and be sensible to run, what on earths make someone think spending a couple of hundred pounds at Halfrauds would make it a better car, especially these bloody body kits, who the f**k would want to add a stupid plastic bumper to their car in replacement to the one that was already there, absolute tack!!
it was developed the way it was for a reason, leave it that way!
Rant over too (gone slightly off topic I think but amusing none the less)
But I would never buy anything from Halfrauds barring tools, and don't change the bodywork barring some smoothing of lines on the odd car, and a bit of debadging.
I find someone in their 20s, driving an immaculately clean and well looked after standard looking car with a twist to it, surprises people
I can see why people do the badge thing as they tend to be just there for branding reasons opposed to style etc but its the big body kits that people seem to tack onto the side of their car that gets me.
I think the only modification I have attempted on this car is literally the mud flaps at the front, as I drive on a lot of buidling sites (usually our line of work is needed before the internals of a building go in) and the car gets filthy, they dont do much but stops the majority of crap.
I like the idea of an immaculate car too, as its my office for most of the day I need to keep it clean when I visit sites etc, a clean car is a clean image in my mind.
just looked up online how to clean the EGR valve, looks pretty simple to do but will decide at the weekend if I can be bothered or just spend the £25 to get it cleaned for me
I think the only modification I have attempted on this car is literally the mud flaps at the front, as I drive on a lot of buidling sites (usually our line of work is needed before the internals of a building go in) and the car gets filthy, they dont do much but stops the majority of crap.
I like the idea of an immaculate car too, as its my office for most of the day I need to keep it clean when I visit sites etc, a clean car is a clean image in my mind.
just looked up online how to clean the EGR valve, looks pretty simple to do but will decide at the weekend if I can be bothered or just spend the £25 to get it cleaned for me
mgmrw said:
See I'm a modifier, at heart, always have been and always will be.
But I would never buy anything from Halfrauds barring tools, and don't change the bodywork barring some smoothing of lines on the odd car, and a bit of debadging.
I find someone in their 20s, driving an immaculately clean and well looked after standard looking car with a twist to it, surprises people
But I would never buy anything from Halfrauds barring tools, and don't change the bodywork barring some smoothing of lines on the odd car, and a bit of debadging.
I find someone in their 20s, driving an immaculately clean and well looked after standard looking car with a twist to it, surprises people
l40mey said:
I can see why people do the badge thing as they tend to be just there for branding reasons opposed to style etc but its the big body kits that people seem to tack onto the side of their car that gets me.
I think the only modification I have attempted on this car is literally the mud flaps at the front, as I drive on a lot of buidling sites (usually our line of work is needed before the internals of a building go in) and the car gets filthy, they dont do much but stops the majority of crap.
I like the idea of an immaculate car too, as its my office for most of the day I need to keep it clean when I visit sites etc, a clean car is a clean image in my mind.
just looked up online how to clean the EGR valve, looks pretty simple to do but will decide at the weekend if I can be bothered or just spend the £25 to get it cleaned for me
Oh aye yeah. For me the badges 9/10 times look nasty so better to remove. Same as the grooves in bodywork (mk3 fiesta bonnet for instance)I think the only modification I have attempted on this car is literally the mud flaps at the front, as I drive on a lot of buidling sites (usually our line of work is needed before the internals of a building go in) and the car gets filthy, they dont do much but stops the majority of crap.
I like the idea of an immaculate car too, as its my office for most of the day I need to keep it clean when I visit sites etc, a clean car is a clean image in my mind.
just looked up online how to clean the EGR valve, looks pretty simple to do but will decide at the weekend if I can be bothered or just spend the £25 to get it cleaned for me
You got someone local who can do it?
hopefully cleaning it might solve this niggle I'm having then, let’s hope and see hey.
most French cars are made by chimps to be honest, the RS is a really nice car, my brother was looking into getting one too but he decided against it after reading online some issues owners used to have, seems it does have a bit to go yet before it becomes known as a reliable car.
I had a Citroen C2 for a year too, just after I purchased this one (work still offered me a leased car as this technical became my personal car now and they still wanted me to have a works one). It was an utter moment of madness why I ordered a Citroen C" to be honest, I really cannot explain or remember why I ticked that box that said I wanted to order the Citroen C2!!! anyway, turns out to be the world’s worst car in the world, in its first year it was garages 8 times with serious technical faults, one of them was a broken Steering column which cost the garage (under warranty) £1400 odd quid, other things were faulty brakes, dodgy electrics and funny lights, on and off when they decided not when I wanted etc, all in all I would never get a Citroen C2 again, some French cars are ok, just the majority are bad hope the rattles stop soon!
most French cars are made by chimps to be honest, the RS is a really nice car, my brother was looking into getting one too but he decided against it after reading online some issues owners used to have, seems it does have a bit to go yet before it becomes known as a reliable car.
I had a Citroen C2 for a year too, just after I purchased this one (work still offered me a leased car as this technical became my personal car now and they still wanted me to have a works one). It was an utter moment of madness why I ordered a Citroen C" to be honest, I really cannot explain or remember why I ticked that box that said I wanted to order the Citroen C2!!! anyway, turns out to be the world’s worst car in the world, in its first year it was garages 8 times with serious technical faults, one of them was a broken Steering column which cost the garage (under warranty) £1400 odd quid, other things were faulty brakes, dodgy electrics and funny lights, on and off when they decided not when I wanted etc, all in all I would never get a Citroen C2 again, some French cars are ok, just the majority are bad
hope the rattles stop soon!Maty said:
Cleaning the EGR valve is dead straightforward. I had a SportHatch with the same engine, had it on lease from new and during it's 3rd year and approx 45k it started to show signs of needing to be done. For me it started to chuck out lots of black smoke when the turbo kicked in (noticeably more than it did normally) and it also became quite sluggish. From time to time it would become very sluggish, you'd floor it and there was kind of a long pause before it would eventually get up and go, along with the black smoke out the back. This happened on one particular occasion and the EML came on and it went into limp home mode before clearing itself and being ok. I decided then it was time to do something about it! Had a quick look round on the Astra forum and found a how-to for it, very simple to do, just remove the thing, take the few screws out that hold it together and then give it a damn good clean inside. I just bought some brake cleaner, toothbrushes, rags etc and spent a good 30 minutes blasting all the crap out. Put it back together, bolted back on the car and it ran perfectly from there on in, noticeably more power and better MPG to boot!
Great cars these, in 3 years and 60k miles the only thing it ever needed was the above, apart from the obvious servicing, tires and brake pads it performed brilliantly. Build quality was also fantastic, not one rattle, no loose trim and it looked as fresh as it did the day I got it. I wish I could the same about the RS Megane I'm driving now which was apparently put together by badly trained chimps!
Great cars these, in 3 years and 60k miles the only thing it ever needed was the above, apart from the obvious servicing, tires and brake pads it performed brilliantly. Build quality was also fantastic, not one rattle, no loose trim and it looked as fresh as it did the day I got it. I wish I could the same about the RS Megane I'm driving now which was apparently put together by badly trained chimps!
mgmrw said:
The image is a strange one. A pov spec 9-3 tends to shout "GRANDADS CHARIOT" as loud as possible, and the top spec ones tend to be guys with families who want something different.
The way I looked at it was, that it's better built and classier than a Mundano or Vectra (cheaper too) and was cheaper than a pov spec VeeDub Poosat, BMW 3/5series, Merc C/E class.
Yet offers more than the FMC and Vaux options, and offers FAR MORE than the German options. Tried a Poosat, and hated it, mundano drove well but was tatty and dull, and the Vectra was a 1.9cdti SRI which shouted REP-WAGON as much as possible.
Gotta ask, what makes 3door astra owners call them "sport-hatches" ? The phrase boils my urine, as the VXR is a sport hatch/hot-hatch, so how the hell is a 1.7cdti 3door not just a 3door like it was when I was a kid
Erm, it's referred to as SportHatch because that's what Vauxhall called it, The Astra SportHatch! Whether you agree or not at the end of the day t'is just a name. If I remember rightly it actually had that on the V5 as well. The way I looked at it was, that it's better built and classier than a Mundano or Vectra (cheaper too) and was cheaper than a pov spec VeeDub Poosat, BMW 3/5series, Merc C/E class.
Yet offers more than the FMC and Vaux options, and offers FAR MORE than the German options. Tried a Poosat, and hated it, mundano drove well but was tatty and dull, and the Vectra was a 1.9cdti SRI which shouted REP-WAGON as much as possible.
Gotta ask, what makes 3door astra owners call them "sport-hatches" ? The phrase boils my urine, as the VXR is a sport hatch/hot-hatch, so how the hell is a 1.7cdti 3door not just a 3door like it was when I was a kid
As a 3 door hatch back with a 150bhp diesel engine and an SRI badge I suppose it couldn't be considered an 'LX' or 'Life' therefore Sport is a tad more relevant I think.
Edited by Maty on Monday 5th September 20:05
Maty said:
Erm, it's referred to as SportHatch because that's what Vauxhall called it, The Astra SportHatch! Whether you agree or not at the end of the day t'is just a name. If I remember rightly it actually had that on the V5 as well.
As a 3 door hatch back with a 150bhp diesel engine and an SRI badge I suppose it couldn't be considered an 'LX' or 'Life' therefore Sport is a tad more relevant I think.
Of course, 'cause if you're heading for the track, a FIAT engined rep-wagon is JUST what you want aint it?As a 3 door hatch back with a 150bhp diesel engine and an SRI badge I suppose it couldn't be considered an 'LX' or 'Life' therefore Sport is a tad more relevant I think.
Edited by Maty on Monday 5th September 20:05
Vauxhall calling it that, doesn't mean it is. It was a marketing/PR term created to make twenty-somethings buy what is (whilst being perfectly OK for daily use) in no way sporty.
Christ, Nissan call their dross an SUV, but aint seen no kashki things going up mountains
Got 3x mates with them, driven 2 of them. Sporty? Nah. Competent but bland, yeh.
Steering has no feedback, ride is harsh on the lowered one and skittish when pushed, the brakes whilst stopping well enough are too spongy, the engine is a bloody van-mover, and the gearbox is fine when used gentle but in no way meant for "giving some stick".
'fraid for me, whilst it looks as exciting as Solvite, I'd always choose the focus comparative instead. Handling is in another league compared to the astra.
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