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[maracus]

Hi peeps...
Bear with me I know the obvious answer to a lot of this is "try an asta forum" but I'm really only finding other people head scratching over the same problems. And a lot of the knowledge out there seems more 1.9's/1.7's...

I have just brought a daily runner / workhorse in the shape of a '06 1.3 cdti astra estate.

Nice car it is, shame it's a base model and it's White but it's spot on apart from a couple of issues. I also have a few enquiries about the engine. About all of which I know is it's a fiat lump and it's timing is chain driven.

The main thing I'm stumped on is a running issue. When accelerating from say a roundabout in 4th from low rpm, it will judder, almost like when, on a petrol car, you have a lead starting to break down... It clears sometimes if you lift off and then re apply the pedal, or change gear. Feels like a misfire almost. I've also noticed that the car "lags" when you put the foot down, any gear, any rpm, the car will physically slow for a second then take off as it should. It does all this more when it's hot in day time, less so when it's cold at night. I'm initially thinking it must be something away from the engine that's not effected by engine heat, more so by ambient air temperature. So I'm then thinking, boost control valve as it's away from the engine.. Getting warm, playing up.

Another thing I think it could be is the EGR playing up... I just had a tankful with sone diesel magic in there and it was half way through that tank full these symptoms started. So I'm thinking it's shifted a lot of carbon around/to the EGR and causing me issues.

Just wondered what other people's thoughts are on this.

Also, I can't seem to find a lot of info on these engines, so wondered what websites se worth a good read. Maybe worth checking out some punto forums??

And what are the ins/outs/pros/cons of removing the EGR, bypassing the dpf and having it mapped vs a tuning box? Also are solid single mass proper flywheels available as a "tune up" option?

Thsnks...

[mantahatch]

Just spoken to a friend whos has 1.3CDTi and he says you are in the wrong gear coming off a roundabout. Also if you are in to high a gear it will bog down until the turbo kicks in.
Is it possibly case of getting used to different type of engine ? my friend went from a Rover Streetwise 1.4 to the Astra 1.3 diesel and said he needed to adjust his driving style quite a bit, think it has a 6 speed gearbox for a reason.

Not trying to be funny or anything, I just read your post out to him and he said "sounds like he is in the wrong gear.

HTH

[maracus]

"sounds like he is in the wrong gear"

Sounds similar to a response I one had about a vibration at 60-65 mph;

"don't drive at them speeds then."

Ive had it bog down enough to see it on the speedo at as high as >3k rpm. Also, the judder can happen at over 2k. Say you leave a roundabout in 4th... At a nice pace so it's not like I'm ticking over turning right or anything... Just rolling straight over type thing... At say 1700 rpm. Usually it pulls fine, albeit a bit slow. Sometimes (only sometimes) this is when it judders. On the odd time as it comes on boost it would then strat to do it. This was yesterday. It kept doing it until I lifted off and reapplied, then carried on smooth. Another time it would do it is when say your following in a line of traffic (behind a lorry say) and no matter what gear or rpm, as you adjust your foot with the slightest of increments to maintain a set safe distance, it will suddenly judder two or three times. Then be fine like nothing happened. But today from work after reading about being in the wrong gear, I was purposefully doing it with that in mind... Leaving roundabouts from low rpm, to try and intice it. But it didn't seem to do the judder, or do it when maintaining speeds. Nor lag like it was yesterday. So with that, I'm hoping it's just a carbon buildup somewhere and it's clearing itself slowly... The next journey will tell for sure if it's still as bad. But last night and today so far it has driven better than it did yesterday and the day before... so I'll just have to see how it goes and report back.

[mantahatch]

He says 1700 rpm to low, turbo kicks in about 2000rpm.

Please don't shoot the messenger. and I hope it was just carbon build up for you.

[maracus]

He says 1700 rpm to low, turbo kicks in about 2000rpm.

Please don't shoot the messenger. and I hope it was just carbon build up for you.

Eek, sorry fella, it's friendly fire I swear!! 

I just had it sat at 50 in 6th doing about 1500 rpm and gave it some pedal, it pulled fine. Smooth no jerkiness. So I'd say its too low for optimum performance, but it's not exactly what's causing the problem. Its what antagonises it. Mine seems to be sufficiently on boost by 1800 rpm, and peaks from 2k... But it's surprisingly drivable from 1700k.

Going to blank off the EGR next as I'm still getting the judder when cruising, it done it this time at 2.2 k rpm after sitting at that speed for a good few minutes. But the way it judders leaving roundabouts as I described seems to have reduced to a barely noticeable amount.

Fingers crossed lol

[maracus]

Just been having a good read up online... I don't know what I was typing before but wasn't getting anywhere... Now I'm suddenly getting loads come up on google... But at the moment it's looking like I should blank the EGR valve (as appose to spending £lots on a new one) and take for an Italian tune-up, ie, a good thrashing.

I mean, it's going to kill or cure it at least then I'll know pmsl!!

[mantahatch]

Italian tune up  Yes my mates does that every day. He drives about 30 miles each way to work and he is no slouch. He beats me off the lights in a V6, allthough I am not trying, cant afford the petrol to race it.

He says getting about 550 miles on a tank full, I get about 250 

[maracus]

Lol that's why I went diesel power too, an mv6 is unjustifiably thirsty as a daily runner!

I'm about to do a 22 mile journey... At 4k rpm followed by some serious b-road action!

Like I said, either cure or kill it 

Ill se how i feel when i het home, i might let it cool then blank the egr with a Good ol red bull can tried and tested! Let's then see what it's like tomorrow arvo. 

As for the mileage, on my first tankful I got 545 miles from £72. About 52mpg. The next top up I done was £24 to fill and worked out at 55 mpg.. So far then averaging 53.something mpg... A piss in the ocean compared to the v6 running costs! Smiles all round

[maracus]

Well thats that then  at one point, I'd been sat at between 3 and a half and 4 in 4th for about ten mins... Slowed for a roundabout, then went mad for about 3 or4 miles... At one point I could make out some smoggy crap coming out the back as I went through 3'rd gear, and everything musta got nice and hot and shifted some crap. If it hasn't, nothing will 

So now I'm going to hang fire til tomorrow wirh blanking the egr, and see if the cars any better, if it starts at all without throwing a hissy.. Although I let it cool down properly before I got home so should be good on that front.

Doing this in my td omega estate used to be great fun, the first time I done some proper flat out hooliganism in that (private road, honest  ) I had sparks a plenty flying out the back of the car like you wouldn't believe!! It was mental!

Update to follow by the weekend...

[joff]

I get the same judder on my 1.3cdti Estate 55 plate 6 speed and that has a new EGR at about £120 and it has done 151k now (the car not the EGR) i use addertive on every service (3-6k) oil and get between 50-55 mpg urban. Just back off as you say and don't let it get to me and don't forget it only has 90bhp not 200+ like a good Mig

[Marks DTM Calib]

EGR is favourite, easy enough to remove and clean with some oven cleaner.

These lumps will pull from about 1500rpm and the turbo starts to realy boost by around 1700-1800.

[maracus]

EGR is favourite, easy enough to remove and clean with some oven cleaner.

These lumps will pull from about 1500rpm and the turbo starts to realy boost by around 1700-1800.

Lol so it's not just me then 

A very capable lump, especially when you factor in that tuning boxes claim 115bhp- I have seen credible support of them figures too...


Well I think I have solved the mystery but walked straight into a pit of snakes!!

I hate EGRs, they are dirty filthy hrorrible things to which I see no sense in, they cause a lot of issues elsewhere and are best off removed... So with that in mind, I proceeded..

I decided to do a "quick fix" blank off with an old beer can cut so size to open up a gap and wedge between the flexi pipe from the EGR unit, and the tube that sticks in through the manifold. This failed miserably, so on reattempt I was no longer able to pull the two flared lips together close enough to get the poxy clamp on!! So I removed the beer cutout, and still couddnt get them to join!

So I used the cavalier for a day, then today I've been out there commandeering a proper botched effort at sealing the two ends separately.

I removed the pipe from the manifold, and cut an old bit of airbox to size, drilled two holes and screwed it on.

I then got my beer token circle, made a seal of exhaust putty, and packed loads in around it to try and lock it in place... This was an epic fail, as the plate got blown out before the putty set, and believe me, carbon went everywhere!! Just from a half hour journey!!

Then as it turns out, the manifold cap I made isn't strong enough and is bowing under boost!

So back to the drawing board tomorro, I think I'll make a plate up out of some proper spec metal, and as for the "valve" side...

Can you switch the EGR valve off via tech II therefore rendering it permanently closed??

[Marks DTM Calib]

Nope.

Some tuning companies can map it out (and a map is SO much better than the compromised tuning boxes!).

Easiest thing to do is clean it and re-fit as per the day it left the factory.

[maracus]

Nope.

Some tuning companies can map it out (and a map is SO much better than the compromised tuning boxes!).

Easiest thing to do is clean it and re-fit as per the day it left the factory.

...and for the cost of a 'decent' tuning box, you may as well get a remap!

I may well yet, if a can't get both ends to seal off then I'll rejoin, remove and clean the valve... But I really don't like EGR valves, or the mess they make of the intake! So I'd rather just do away with it, once both ends are sealed then jobs a good'un 

But driving it last night, apart from a slight loss of power, I suppose from where the plate i put on the inlet was blowing, It ran spot on  no judder.

...so at least I've pinpointed the problem, yay!!!