Hi all,
Just got a year old Corsa with 14500 on the clock. Problem we're having is that when we first use the car for the first time that day, it seems to have no power to get properly moving. We live in sheffield, which is quite hilly, and as soon as we turn left at the end of our street up a small and not very steep hill, the car just hardly moves and takes about 3 seconds until the revs finally start moving and you rely on the turbo to kick in. Once you've used it for about 5 or 10 mins though, it seems to be alright. I've been beeped by so many cars already where I've pulled out in front of them with loads of time to spare, but the car just dies on its pink fluffy dice - who HASN'T read the no swearing forum policy then!!
Surely I shouldn't have to 'warm up' the car before it gets any decent pulling power? Anyone else having this problem? Do I need to return it for repair?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 11/09/2008 at 11:22
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You need to take this back, like now, to the dealership you got it from.
Could be one of several things and as it keeps on dying the way you say it is - something has or is about to fail.
So, I would be inclined to call them, tell them it is undriveable and needs recovering, at their expense and you need a loan car in its place.
I had a simialr issue with the EGR valve on a vehicle I purchsed last year and you must write everything down because if you are given the run around by the dealership like I was - you then have a case to present with dates times etc all recorded.
Where did you get it from?
Edited by Tron on 11/09/2008 at 11:18
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Its only a year old, so its still all under the manufacturers warranty. Got it from Pentagon Dealership in Sheffield.
I'll get it booked in for repair then.
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The company I procured my vehicle from was AMS in Grimsby - it was Pentagon (Derby, the last of Vauxhall dealerships that has any gas specialists - so I am lead to believe) that rectified all the LPG running faults I had on this vehilce.
Pentagon Sheffield (now Off Park Way Avenue - you do know they have relocated?!) have just done a really cost effective job of replacing all drive belts on my vheicle for a healthy £200 - that is £100 less than the nearest price I could get anywhere else and worth the journey to get there.
When you speak with servicing, ask for Chris really helpful bloke.
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Well, the garage ran extensive tests on it, and unsurprisingly found no faults. They haven't been bad about it though, what they want me to do next is 'demonstrate' the problem so they can see it for themselves!
Not sure how I present a cold start issue to a garage! I have to drive it there first don't I :-)
At this rate, I'm gonna have to film it!
They've also told me 340 miles to a full tank is average and that its not a problem. So 35 mpg is the norm when driven conservatively eh? So glad I bought this 'super economical' vehicle now.
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"Not sure how I present a cold start issue to a garage! I have to drive it there first don't I :-)"
Usual procedure would be to leave the car with them overnight so they can try it cold next morning.
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or drive it there the night before keep the keys and at opening time next morning take the technician out for a drive with tech 2 connected (in snapshot mode to record whats going on) possible maf fault (dont always flag an error) or sticking egr, this method would be the best as you can drive it and show exactly the problem that you are having
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Sorry for not making it clear, but I did leave the car overnight so that they could cold-start it the next day. They found no fault though. They seem to have done about 10-20 miles of road tests, as well as hook it up to the diagnostics. Its then that the guy mentioned to me on the phone that I'd need to demonstrate the issue if I was to resolve it, and that left me a little puzzled.
Its obviously an intermittent fault, and sods law its not done it when they've tested it.
What now though, apart from filming it, or leaving it with them for a whole week to test each day, i'm really not sure.
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okay another question how is the vehicle parked ? nose up,nose down, level, sloped to left or right, just wondering if attitude is causeing a fuel issue with regard to air getting in and you did not state that this is an intermitant issue or can you get it to fault every time,if so do you drive it every day or is it left for a few days then it happens sorry for all the questions but need to establish a pattern which may help the garage and you to track the fault down also is it worse when ambient temp is high or low, damp or dry. Regards TB
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Is the fault still there or did it mysteriously go away after the dealership had it?
Use your mobile phone or video camera to get the info.
Do not let them fob you off with the it is down to you to proove the fauilt exists scenario - you are the customer and you have rights.
If you have purchased this through finance involve that company too.
Do you have any warranty left on the vehicle?
Edited by Tron on 17/09/2008 at 21:32
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The vehicle is parked on the driveway, which is on a slight gradient but nothing major. Its parked Nose Up into the gradient of the drive sloped to the passengers side slightly (so if water was inside for example, it would all move to the passenger side of the boot in the bottom corner.
The way I drive to work every morning means i'm actually going downhill for the first 5 mins, so I've not noticed the problem since getting it back. Its normally the weekends when we notice it, as that's when we cold start it AND go uphill at the same time. Just to explain, its not that big a hill, so that car should be able to handle it fine.
The problem does seem to be intermittent, but like I've explained, due to the way the car is used, its hard to say for definite.
As for the last poster, its still under warranty as its only a year old, and I only bought it just over a month ago. The garage have been superb in terms of trying to help rectify the fault, and obviously at no charge, so no problems there. The problem is trying to show them the issue so they know what to do to fix it.
Thanks for everyones help so far, its appreciated.
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I have same car, see post re fuel economy(now resolved)
Have experienced similar situation and to be honest I think it comes from the car being so heavy.
The car likes revs and if you let them slip you won't budge until over 2000 mark again.
I have similar incline and usually find pulling off in first with healthy controlled revs fine. Too many revs of course and the corsa will unleash the beast that is the 1.7 engine.
This is my first diesel and had it since Feb this year. Am getting used to the torque/rev techniques needed.
It could well be there is a technical fault but I've had mine serviced since I bought it(missed by dealer) and still get caught out occasionally even during longer trips so not always "first start".
Hope this helps
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PROBLEM NOW SOLVED - ALL 1.7D OWNERS TAKE NOTE:
Just to follow up on this guys, I managed to get the car back into Pentagon over Christmas. The car was so sluggish that I KNEW it had to be a fault somewhere. Even when it was warmed up, you still had to fight it to get moving at any real speed.
After the first day of them testing the car, they called to say they STILL couldn't find a fault. I then asked how many 1.7 Corsa Diesels they've driven to know what a good performance is from it, and the answer was 'practically none, they're very rare'. I then explained the car that I'd test driven before buying this one responded a hell of a lot better, and thus is what I expected. They agreed to keep it another day and do a road test.
Phoned up the next day, and they told me they still had found no fault, but as a test they'd updated the software on the vehicle to the latest version, and that I should see if this helps (they also did an ABS warrantly replacement on a part).
The next day, I took the car out, and would you believe it, its solved the problem! The car shot up the hill no probs and not only that, it drove like it was a new car! It was obviously affecting more than just the initial acceleration. Not only that, as I've now no need to over rev the vehicle to get a satisfactory performance, my MPG is FAR better!
It really does feel like a new car, and I now love it. So to anyone with similar issues, get it into your dealer whilst its still under warranty and get them to update the software.
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Good stuff.......I've just read the thread and you have been led astray a little bit. i have the same engine in a Meriva that's done 43000 miles. It pulls strongly from 1500rpm in all gears, sets off without revs just by releasing the clutch, and flies on A roads and mWays, whilst doing 52 to the gallon. Now, a Meriva is a heavy car (1500+kg), so obviously you knew that your Corsa should do better than 35mpg !
From now on, you should log your MPG with receipts, so that you can "benchmark" the proper economy that it now achieves.
If it occurs again, log all the details of the run and get them involved asap. If they have little or no experince of the 1.7cdti engine in a corsa, ask them to compare your car to the same engined astra or meriva. they should have plenty of those.
I had trouble from the start with the car intermittently cutting out after decelerating, and numerous software upgrades failed to address the fault. Eventually, after a very strongly worded letter was sent to the dealer principal at the supplying garage, about the car being dangerous (it was great pulling out from junctions and roundabouts), they took it in and replaced the whole injection system and ECU. It has been faultess since - and I wish you the same trouble free ending !!
Edited by krebb industries on 05/01/2009 at 16:16
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