Shock Horror problem with 53 plate Astra/unhappy missus

[Welly]

Her indoor's Arsetray has flagged a fault today, haven't been back to base yet to have a look but she said it looked like this below:

[orange fan/radiator symbol]

Google says it's the low coolant warning but I saw the coolant level a few days ago when the exhaust shat itself and it was ok, is this going to be one of 'those' faults that means something completely different? appreciate it's a Voxhorl like.....

[jasper5]

The photo is as clear as mud

Do you know how to check Vauxhall fault codes?

In case you don't....press the accelerator and brake pedals together and turn on the ignition...keep the pedals pressed and watch the spanner light.
The spanner light flashes if there is/are fault code/s.
!0 flashes for zero, one flash for one, etc.
So, a fault code of 0350 will read like this....
10 flashes, short pause, 3 flashes, short pause, 5 flashes, short pause, 10 flashes...if there are more codes there will be a short pause then more flashes.

[Doggy]

My, that's moved on since my last Poxhall.
In days gone by you could poke a paper clip into the right two receptacles in the dognostic connector, then turn on the ignition and read codes as described above...

carry on.

[Welly]

Got home and it's the Check Engine light not the coolant

Thanks Jasper for the tip. The lambda was removed/refitted last week when the eggsauce was replaced, wonder if they mashed the sensor wiring.....

[niz406]

eBay OBD fault code reader £17.95 works a treat!

I got one for our Astra, read fault, replace part and happy motoring

[Welly]

The garage next-door to work have just done the longggggggg awaited oil change, read the code and cleared the memory for £40.00. It was the Oxygen sensor which'd been messed about with recently at the eggsauce place so we need to keep an aye on it if it returns.

I don't suppose there's any route for approaching the eggsauce place for 'ruining' an old sensor, they did warn me they sometimes break when removing but ours was apparently ok. In any case I think they only keep after-market sensors which'd ruin the fuel economy.....

[jasper5]

Unfortunately the standard OBD readers don't always work on Astras and Vauxhall in general.
You can read one, but the next you try to read it doesn't....that's why using the Vauxhall method is best.
I had a Zafira not too long ago with a running fault...couldn't read the codes until I used the pedal method...turned out it was knock sensor and map sensor.

[Doggy]

Anyone else sense an impending new-Astra-sized dent in welly's piggy bank?

[steve_earwig]

I'm surprised he's making his wife drive something so old

[Welly]

I'm surprised he's making his wife drive something so old

Stuck with it in fact the conversation about something newer soon stopped when the question of funding arose....

To be fair, after 6 years its become quite a familiar family friend (the car that is) and has been relatively trouble-free in real terms. The Astra 'G' as its known is regarded by experts as being "quite good" especially the 1.8 which normally behaves itself.

Anyone else sense an impending new-Astra-sized dent in welly's piggy bank?

Yeah I'm not really expecting this to be the end of it.

The diagnostic man is really good but likes to say things like "I could replace the sensor but what if it's just a chaffed wire, or something at the ECU"......it'll need a good loo£ing at by me £or £ucking ages.......£ault £inding.....

[Welly]

The Engine light of doom is back, as predicted.

Welly Motivational status = 0.5/10

Customer complaints received = "numerous"

Customer satisfaction status = "unsatisfied"

Follow up? = "no"

[highlander]

Astra + petrol + rag + ignition source = satisfaction + arrest + courtroom + probably-sympathetic judge + getting off scott-free

[Welly]

12:00pm: Brief mention of "New Car" required by Customer

12:01pm: Prioritise fixing existing car asafp

[jasper5]

Here is a video of checking the fault codes as I mentioned earlier....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyCanc7BheU

Most common faults on the Astra are...
1) Crank sensor (spanner light usually comes on).
2) EGR valve....needs cleaning...easy job, probably best to replace it though...not expensive now...they used to cost £90 now about £30.
3) Rear lambda sensor.
4) MAF.

[Welly]

Cheers, we've had a new MAF about 2 years ago and fitted a genuine replacement.

The rear lambda is favorite as that came up on the code-read.