Astra G 1.7TDI Starting problem

[john_k_sri]

Wonder if anyone on here could throw light on the starting problem my girlfriend has with her Y-reg Astra 1.7TDI.

On cold start the engine struggles to start, sometimes making numerous attempts before it finally starts. Once the car is warm the problem isn't there.

The car has just been serviced at an independent garage, and my g/f was told that there wasn't a problem although she told me that she was told that they 'found liquid in a pipe' or something (my g/f can't remember exactly what she was told) but it's alright now and the guy went on about waiting for the glow plug light to go out before starting.

Started the car this morning, glow plug light came and went as it should everything seemed normal, but it struggled to start so the problem is still there.

I assume the 1.7DTI engine is similar to the 2.0DTI in the pre-facelift Vectra and the Astra 'G' and looking through the forums have found the following possible causes for the problem:

Faulty/dirty injectors
Problem with glow plug(s)
Injector seal problem

A new starter motor and alternator have been fitted within the last 6 months so that would appear to rule out an electrical problem, and although the battery is the original (7 years old!), the green 'telltale' is lit so it appears healthy.

There are no problems at all once the engine has started and is up and running which would suggest that there isn't a fuel-related problem.

Has anybody here got any other ideas as to what may be causing the problem? Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Ste]

I would say that you need to get the multi meter out on each glow plug. You need to remove the linking wire / bar and test each one for electrical resistance to the engine block - they should all be similar. Duff ones will probably have lost continuity as they burned out.

Warm engines don't need the glow plugs to assist the starting.


Is it the Isuzu or VX engine? - is the glow plug connection behind the rocker cover and is a 'bar' connector and are the glow plugs vertical into the head? These will tell you it is the Isuzu engine, which is the better one.