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Tue 14 Sep 2010 19:48

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - Orphius

Just bought (privately so no comeback) a lovely 2001 Astra 2.0L SXI.

Three Days later it has refused to start- RAC found that the GlowPlug Relay was at fault.

More disconcerting is the glow plug lead flapping in the wind and half a glowplug sheared in the block. The previous owner must have known as it looks as if an easyout tool has been used (just like I did with my pug previously). (I did check -he must have soldered/glued the lead in place!!)

I bought the car at a reasonable price so this time round I'm willing to pay someone to remove the plug even if that means removing the head.

Other than this the car is mint and low mileage (only 86k) I paid under the book price so Whilst I'm aware that taking the head off will be costly I think it will only bring the overall price of the car upto that of an A1 cond advertised on autotrader.

Biggest problem I have is finding anyone who will do the job- Any takers??

Surely with the number of snapped glow plug problems I have seen online since my two experiences there must be someone out there that can do this job?

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Wed 15 Sep 2010 21:51

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - Orphius

UPDATE- Best quote (only quote) I have had so far is well over £1000 which makes the job not worth doing. They wanted £450 plus VAT to remove the head, this did not include parts so extra for the seals, gasket and oil/filter PLUS another £400 plus VAT to send the head to a machinist to drill out the plug!!!

Come on, Really???

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Thu 16 Sep 2010 15:07

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - madf

Put bluntly, a job best done properly because if not then things go wrong. No garage worth its salt will underprice as:

lots of work

old car

BOdged old car.

who knows what horrors will be found.?

And then if it fails after 2 months, they have to rectify it.

The price you are quoted says "we don't want to do it, go elsewhere or we will do it and make a profit come what may"..

And it's a GM product so i's bound to have other failings.. like water pump and belts and tensioners etc... (unless you want to use the old ones and risk it going bang in 3 months)...

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Thu 16 Sep 2010 18:14

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - Orphius

Thanks madf,

I accept the water pump, but its chain driven so no belt & tensioner other than the alternator.

If the head gasket blew- what sort of price would I be expected to pay for that as it also involves removing the head.

Once the head is removed I believe it is much safer to get at the broken glow plug.

Am I being naive- I'm not a mechanic!!

Cheers

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Thu 16 Sep 2010 18:51

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - madf

Head gasket?

At least £250 plus skimmed another £50... That is what a local garage charged for son's 106 HG.. so add a bit more for added complexity etc.. Say £400?

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Thu 16 Sep 2010 19:05

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - bathtub tom

Assuming the other three glow plugs are OK, is it worth bothering about one on a motor this age?

I believe a (French?) manufacturer only fitted three on a four cylinder as standard, because it was impossible to access the fourth.

I sold one diesel with only three working, because I had cold sweats changing one and recall the spiral of aluminium coming out of the head with it. It held for as long as I had it!

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Thu 16 Sep 2010 22:29

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - Orphius

Thanks again guys

madf- £400-500 is more what I was thinking- Surely to change a head gasket requires the head being removed and as you said possibly skimming the head to get rid of any warping.

In this case the gasket is fine so no skimming needed just the glow plug removing safely.

Bathtub tom- I used to have a certain garlic aroma'd car and indeed this also had a snapped glow plug (I can't believe my unlucky streak!!) However the juice for the plugs was wired in parallel so it was easy just to wire across the broken plug to the other three and this worked fine (apart from in the winter when starting went a bit lumpy!!)

On the Astra each plug seems to have its own supply and how I found the broken plug in the first place was that the Relay for the plugs failed, possibly from not having enough resistance.

It may sound mad- but the rest of the car is V. low mileage & mint, it cost me well under the book price so even spending £400-£500 would only bring it up to the price of an A1 advertised in Autotrader or the like. I just can't seem to find a garage that would be willing to give it a go!!!

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Mon 20 Sep 2010 18:00

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - Orphius

Ok further update-

I'm starting to get a little interest from some local garages who (in their words) can't see the job as being a major headache- the other garages must have too much work on to want this one!!

The consensus seems that it should cost no more than a head gasket change so £400 -£500. (and thats even if they cannot retreive the plug in-situ.) If the head is removed to drill out the plug a helicoil will be used.

Has anyone seen the glow plug puller/removal tool available on ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220499061625&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Anyone used it/got one- does it work?

Cheers

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Mon 20 Sep 2010 18:27

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - jc2

Looks as though you need to find someone with one!!

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Mon 20 Sep 2010 19:46

Vauxhall Astra G Diesel - Snapped Glow Plug (Again!!) - Orphius