Recently had to replace alternator on two Corsa 1.3 CDTI's in the company fleet, one 53 plate, one 54 plate, both 50k miles approx.
Company policy is for vehicles out of warranty to be serviced by local independant garage, however they could not source exchange units. Local Vauxhall dealer quoted £450 per vehicle, not interested in offering a goodwill contribution from Vauxhall - dealer claims this is bad luck, twice.
Found spare parts via a web search, jobs completed for £200 each.
Is this bad luck twice, or is there a design fault?
|
|
Had any local flooding? Seen a lot of alternators go after the car they were on had driven through a few inches of water a wee bit too quickly. But there again, don't know where the alternator is mounted on a 1.3 cdti Corsa. Is it relatively high up, or low down?
|
flooding, exactly what I thought. Company cars too ;)
The alternator is quite low down.
Regards
|
Thanks for the replies, no, no flooding in this part of Kent. And certainly nothing like some folk suffered last summer. Not even any deep puddles. Just the usual wind and rain.
Both vehicles driven by different drivers. Vehicles were even purchased from different Vauxhall dealers, one is a car and a car van. To have happened to one can be regarded as unlucky, but two, I don't believe in double bad luck.
|
sorry, Smileyman, You might have more luck on a Vauxhall forum. I`m familiar with the engine in Fiat applications by owning one and reading
www.fiatforum.com/
Can`t remember reading of alternator failures, but then, it is an engine ancillary and maybe Vauxhall have a different supplier.
Many years ago, I knew of two Bedford CF`s that had alternator failure, they had been driven through a shallow ford and the second driver just had to try it!
Regards
|
Hi fellas
Sorry to tell you that -yes the alternators on 1.3 CDTI 04 reg Corsa 'C's do fail-and in bone dry weather. Mine did on my driving school car at 20k, just the usual smell of hot insulation and ooooh look what's that red warning light. Replaced reluctantly after an argument by the local Vauxhall dealer-they could not get an alternator from GM parts and they had to buy a new car in and strip the alternator to replace mine! Every driving instructor local to me who has been unfortunate enough to own a Corsa with this horrible engine has had major trouble with alternators+timing chains-oil pump failure-total stripdowns to diagnose rattles etc, I got rid of mine and bought a Honda!
|
|
A mates Corsavan with this engine (53 plate) has had two alternator failures within 100000 miles. Plus the steering rack went. Then the gear linkage went. Twice. Its now had a reconditioned engine fitted and the steering rack has gone again. He's getting rid of it now and is going back to his Suzuki pickups which seem to be bomb proof and has vowed to never touch anything with a griffin on the front again.
|
|
yes i had to replace alternator on my 54 plate corsa 1.3. the dealer had to wait for th e replacement. the use several differnt ones i was told , hard to tell which one till they get it off. so they gave me a courtesy car for a week . all done under warranty. had a steering rack as well. so it seems theres a pattern forming .
|
Pattern? More like an intricate mozaic!
The Corsa-B was one of the worst cars on the road and GM managed the near-impossible task of making it's replacement ten-times worse.
Buy one at your peril.
|
"The Corsa-B was one of the worst cars on the road and GM managed the near-impossible task of making it's replacement ten-times worse."
..... amazing that it was the best selling car in the UK for a good proportion of its production run then?
|
..... amazing that it was the best selling car in the UK for a good proportion of its production run then?
If you spend enough on marketing, you can sell anything to that sector - look at Castrol.
|
|
What's wrong with Castrol?
|
What`s wrong with Persil?
it does after all (allegedly) wash whiter..........
Regards ;)
Edited by oilrag on 28/01/2008 at 17:46
|
What's wrong with Castrol?
Because it's just about the only brand where you can look at the internals of an engine and say to the customer - "I see you've been using GTX" and they say "Yes; how did you know."
To paraphrase that old Duckhams ad; "If you want to know what's wrong with Castrol; ask any man who really knows about engines."
I can't repeat on here what my good friends at Valvoline Technical once told me; but, if true, you'd be horrified.
|
Well, I wish you would.
I've used Castrol for 42 years on cars, vans, tractors and combines and have been very satisfied with the product. When my mechanic stripped an old tractor engine he commented how clean it was.
Castrol oil is put in new Audi VW and BMW cars, they even give you a litre for topping up.
I still think when buying Castrol for my car I am giving her the best she can get.
Oh, by the way, it's not the GTX adverts that hooked me, I was using it when it was Castrolite and Castrol XL.
|
quizman
Yes; I remember the green-striped cans of Castrolite and XL too. Back then I'd have happily used it too - in the days before Castrol ran into trouble and became a slick marketing brand [the free litre mentioned?] and didn't give a fig about where their product actually came from.
Each to his own experience; but I've said it before - I wouldn't even put their oil in my lawnmower.
[Given the horrendous wear problems of some VAG engines; I'd have thought that, if it's really a Castrol product that they run-in on, it rather makes my point.]
|
Now then Screwloose, you know that most of the VW problems are people using the wrong grade of oil. My Passat is going well on Castrol Edge 5W/30 507, thanks.
I thought that Castrol made their own oil at Swindon. Where do they make it, or get it from? I would like to know if there is something fishy about Castrol.
My 8 year old lawnmower runs great, on Castrol of course!
|
|
i have the exact same car... i have owned it since august 07, and its now Feb 08... millage was 41,300 when purchased and now is 49, 000
in my experience..... i have experienced the exact same faults which are the oil pump... the fuel pump.... the allternator and now the ECU.... i mean.... what in blasphemous remark deleted name.... i am sooo angry... i bought this car thinking cheap insurance..... in good nick...... effecient as its a diesel....
anybody reading this message.... if you could please inform me... of what steps you took to fix your car then please tell me..... i just want to fix it up.... ASAP.... sell it... to find somthing much more reliable....
and finally as i am a student... and fairly new driver... could any body advise me on what car would me most reliable, value for money.... who to trust.... who not to trust( i kinda figured out that vauxhall.... isnt a great choice)... but any adivse would me much appreciated
Edited by Webmaster on 23/02/2008 at 11:53
|
get yourself a fiat panda, 1.3 diesel, bomb proof build, excellent fuel economy. Fiat build quality is now up with the best, and yes i am now on my second, 1.2 petrol eleganza, 14000 miles nothing broke, fell off. no warranty issues at all.
now running a 100 hp, same, excellent build, 5500 miles since last august and no problems what so ever.
|
|
Sorry to let you down Seasiders but the the 1.3 Fiat diesel is the exact same lump as in the aforementioned Corsa C-it's made by Fiat for themselves for their Punto and current Grande Punto and Panda and for everybody else including Vauxhall for the Corsa C & D and Astra and Suzuki for the Swift.
|
|
|
|
|
