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[Shackeng]

What about a Corsa?

Vauxhall's are ok, Terry, but other makes are available. Having said that, once any car reaches a certain age, it is bound to have problems.
I guess you like Vauxhalls because you're used to working on them, but Fords are much the same, and abundant. Of course, you wouldn't have the forum to fall back on.
Decisions, decisions.

Quite so. Having scrapped three Omegas last Autumn (MOT rust failures) I sought advice on this forum, and Astras seemed attractive. Road tested one for sale locally £850, liked it, bought it. Splendid car. Bought another £330, MOT failure, on emissions test it seized up, oil starvation. Bought another £795, here we are.

Last new car I bought, 1978, was a Volkswagen Passat, nothing but trouble.  I have owned Austins, Morris's, Fords, Citroens, Peugeots, Rovers and recently Vauxhalls; not to mention a Cotton 250 Villiers twin, a BSA Road Rocket 650, and 2 Velocette Venoms 500.

What? and no Black Shadow Terry?

[terry paget]

No. I believe it was quite fast for the 1960s, but then the Japanese multis came along, and they were much faster.

[Shackeng]

No. I believe it was quite fast for the 1960s, but then the Japanese multis came along, and they were much faster.

True, but the Shadow also looked the business, unlike the Black Knight which succeeded it. I still think the Rapide and Shadow were the most beautiful bikes ever built.

[terry paget]

No. I believe it was quite fast for the 1960s, but then the Japanese multis came along, and they were much faster.

True, but the Shadow also looked the business, unlike the Black Knight which succeeded it. I still think the Rapide and Shadow were the most beautiful bikes ever built.

Not sure I have ever seen one, but I parked my Velocette beside a Vincent Comet every day at Culham Laboratory and thought mine the smarter. At my bedside is the 1959 Motor Cycling booklet of Sports Model Road Tests 1959, Black Shadow page attached.

[terry paget]

Woops, too big.

[terry paget]

Back to the Astra . . .
Thanks to all for advice. This morning I ran the engine temp up to 105 degrees, and still the fan did not kick in. Summat wrong there.
I looked for other sensors in the radiator - Omegas have two - but could see none. Checked fuse 6 - OK - that leaves relays K12 and K13, check those next. I found the fan plug and socket bottom left of radiator, might check for volts there. Dead fan motor?

My Chinese code and live data reader still says oil pressure 'underpressured', but it says the same for the aircon, and this car does not have aircon, so 'underpressured' means 'don't know'. I must buy an oil pressure testing kit. The kit Nick W. suggested has a M14 x 1.5mm adapter which he says fits the thread in the block. I'll settle for that.

Thanks DG for your intriguing suggestion. I shall pursue it.

Any more thoughts?

u

[dave the builder]

I suspected the fan may not be kicking in
London traffic +hot engine+no fan =oil light 
was the rad hot (wet stat open ) at 105 degrees 
coolant temp sensor is on the head

[Nick W]

My Chinese code and live data reader still says oil pressure 'underpressured', but it says the same for the aircon, and this car does not have aircon, so 'underpressured' means 'don't know'. I must buy an oil pressure testing kit. The kit Nick W. suggested has a M14 x 1.5mm adapter which he says fits the thread in the block. I'll settle for that.

Nick said that M14x1.5 fits an Omega block. It might fit an Astra.

[dave the builder]

Mrs Builders is a 1.6 LIFE and that has aircon 
if it had aircon and it's been badly removed ,that could screw up rad fan function 
does it have ac compressor on the serpentine belt ?

quick look and the oil switch is M10 x 1 mm (ebay listings spec,z16xep)

[terry paget]

My Chinese code and live data reader still says oil pressure 'underpressured', but it says the same for the aircon, and this car does not have aircon, so 'underpressured' means 'don't know'. I must buy an oil pressure testing kit. The kit Nick W. suggested has a M14 x 1.5mm adapter which he says fits the thread in the block. I'll settle for that.

Nick said that M14x1.5 fits an Omega block. It might fit an Astra.

Thanks for the correction. Dave below says Astra thread is 10mm x !. That's in the kit too.

[terry paget]

I suspected the fan may not be kicking in
London traffic +hot engine+no fan =oil light 
was the rad hot (wet stat open ) at 105 degrees 
coolant temp sensor is on the head

You were dead right about the fan not engaging. Haynes says the temperature sensor on the 1.6 is in the thermostat housing. I changed the thermostat before I handed the car over to my daughter, because the heater was not working well. Just thought I should mention it. Heater worked well on the drive back from Enfield.
I did not feel the radiator when the coolant temp was 105 degrees. It was a struggle to get the coolant temp to 105, and the car did get me 143 miles home at a cracking pace with the heater good and hot, so I presume the thermostat was working all right.

[terry paget]

On my Omegas I often hear the fan whirring away when I come to rest after a hot run. I've never heard that on this Astra. I see from the wiring diagram that there are two power lines to the fan, presumably for different fan speeds. The fan is not seized, can be flicked round. My hunch is that the fan motor has failed. Any comments?

[Nick W]

On my Omegas I often hear the fan whirring away when I come to rest after a hot run. I've never heard that on this Astra. I see from the wiring diagram that there are two power lines to the fan, presumably for different fan speeds. The fan is not seized, can be flicked round. My hunch is that the fan motor has failed. Any comments?

Apply battery power to directly to the fan and see if it works. A powerprobe is the tool for this, but a couple of lengths of wire will do.
If the fan works, then check the wiring, switch and relay(if it has one).


Don't forget that the engine is small, and the radiator efficient so the fan probably isn't needed much.


The fan on my 1.8 Metro on the stock, old 1.1 radiator only cuts in when sitting in London traffic. At least it does now I've reconnected it to a thermo switch rather than the stupid manual one the previous owner bodged for peace of mind

[Kevin Wood]

Yep, it's not going to be nearly as reliant on the fan as a V6 Omega. If it hasn't actually overheated I would concentrate on the main issue which is oil pressure.

Does the oil pressure light come on now, and under what conditions?

High revs / Low revs / Idle revs?
Hot engine / cold engine?
After a long motorway run?
After a long period of idling?
etc.

[terry paget]

Yep, it's not going to be nearly as reliant on the fan as a V6 Omega. If it hasn't actually overheated I would concentrate on the main issue which is oil pressure.

Does the oil pressure light come on now, and under what conditions?

High revs / Low revs / Idle revs?
Hot engine / cold engine?
After a long motorway run?
After a long period of idling?
etc.

Not come on since collection in London.