Vauxhall Astra, Cutting out

  • Jonesdeb's Avatar
    Hi,
    I have a 2002 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 16v SXI, and I have been experiencing a complete power loss.
    It started a few months back when I was pulling off of the motorway it stuttered and then cut out. No lights came on and after about 30 secs and some revving the engine started again. It did this again about 2 weeks later, whilst slowing down after driving at 60mph. I took the car to a local garage who ran full diagnostics, but nothing showed. They then had the car in all day and found no problems with it. The car has been fine for about 6 weeks, then on Sunday when slowing down to pull off of the motorway the engine cut out again, twice. As before it started about 30 secs later with a bit of revving.
    I have been fortunate that each time I have been able to pull over, but I am really worried that next time I might not be able to pull over as easily. I love the car, and as I am pregnant with our 1st would love to keep it as our family car, But if this problem persisted we will have to look at getting rid of it, as I am not confident driving it. I have noticed that other people have had this problem and I was wondering if anyone has found a solution yet, as I am reluctant to take it back to the garage knowing that they found nothing last time, and if I take it the Vauxhall I am concerned that they will charge me a fortune in labour and still not be able to fix the problem. Any advice is appreciated.
    Thanks in advance, Debbie
  • 24 Replies

  • MerseyPatrol's Avatar
    This maybe a fault with the EGR valve, take it to a garage and get them to remove and inpect it.
  • Watcher's Avatar
    Astra

    Hi,
    I have a 2002 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 16v SXI, and I have been experiencing a complete power loss.
    It started a few months back when I was pulling off of the motorway it stuttered and then cut out. No lights came on and after about 30 secs and some revving the engine started again. It did this again about 2 weeks later, whilst slowing down after driving at 60mph. I took the car to a local garage who ran full diagnostics, but nothing showed. They then had the car in all day and found no problems with it. The car has been fine for about 6 weeks, then on Sunday when slowing down to pull off of the motorway the engine cut out again, twice. As before it started about 30 secs later with a bit of revving.
    I have been fortunate that each time I have been able to pull over, but I am really worried that next time I might not be able to pull over as easily. I love the car, and as I am pregnant with our 1st would love to keep it as our family car, But if this problem persisted we will have to look at getting rid of it, as I am not confident driving it. I have noticed that other people have had this problem and I was wondering if anyone has found a solution yet, as I am reluctant to take it back to the garage knowing that they found nothing last time, and if I take it the Vauxhall I am concerned that they will charge me a fortune in labour and still not be able to fix the problem. Any advice is appreciated.
    Thanks in advance, Debbie

    How did you manage to "rev" it, if the engine wouldn't start?

    If I were you, I'd have a look on the very useful "Vauxhall Owners Network", sorry, don't have the URL, but it should be easy to search for - full of useful tips, and I suspect that you'll find a common thread running through your problem.
  • amaarahali28's Avatar
    vauxhall astra WARNING!!!!

    Hi,

    this is just a warning to all vauxhall astra owners, particularly those who own an automatic. I too was having problems with the car cutting out after coming off the motorway when slowing down, basicallly the car would cut out and all engine management lights came on. Today as i was slowing down to stop at a red light my car cut out as i was doing 10mph and basically rendered my breaks useless. i went into the back of a bus and my three children were with me at the time, my youngest being 3 months old. I had to go to hopsital with my four year old in an ambulance who had hurt her neck. To top it off i am being charged with careless driving because there was no fault with the breaks themselves. My husband had put the car into a vauxhall garage before this happened and no faults were found. Please all of you who are having this problem make sure you are not fobbed off each time as there is a serious problem with these cars and its about time they sorted it out before someone gets seriously hurt.
  • Watcher's Avatar
    Brakes!

    Hi,

    this is just a warning to all vauxhall astra owners, particularly those who own an automatic. I too was having problems with the car cutting out after coming off the motorway when slowing down, basicallly the car would cut out and all engine management lights came on. Today as i was slowing down to stop at a red light my car cut out as i was doing 10mph and basically rendered my breaks useless. i went into the back of a bus and my three children were with me at the time, my youngest being 3 months old. I had to go to hopsital with my four year old in an ambulance who had hurt her neck. To top it off i am being charged with careless driving because there was no fault with the breaks themselves. My husband had put the car into a vauxhall garage before this happened and no faults were found. Please all of you who are having this problem make sure you are not fobbed off each time as there is a serious problem with these cars and its about time they sorted it out before someone gets seriously hurt.


    You should be aware that if your engine stops while you are moving you DO NOT loose your BRAKES; what you loose is servo assistance. This means your BRAKES still work but you have to press the pedal much, much harder -like in the bad old days before servos existed;-) Same sort of thing happens to the power assisted steering, and it is nothing specific to car with auto boxes!

    This might well explain why you are being reported for due care, because despite what you report there is, in fact, nothing wrong with your BRAKES.
  • Watcher's Avatar
    Brakes!

    Hi,

    this is just a warning to all vauxhall astra owners, particularly those who own an automatic. I too was having problems with the car cutting out after coming off the motorway when slowing down, basicallly the car would cut out and all engine management lights came on. Today as i was slowing down to stop at a red light my car cut out as i was doing 10mph and basically rendered my breaks useless. i went into the back of a bus and my three children were with me at the time, my youngest being 3 months old. I had to go to hopsital with my four year old in an ambulance who had hurt her neck. To top it off i am being charged with careless driving because there was no fault with the breaks themselves. My husband had put the car into a vauxhall garage before this happened and no faults were found. Please all of you who are having this problem make sure you are not fobbed off each time as there is a serious problem with these cars and its about time they sorted it out before someone gets seriously hurt.


    I have also answered this on another thread -

    When you engine stops you DO NOT loose your BRAKES, all you loose is servo assist, so you have to press the pedal much, much harder - this is probably why you are being charged - there is nothing wrong with the brakes! This
    also applies to power steering assistance.

    NB This is not specific to cars with auto boxes!!
  • Rolebama's Avatar
    I would have expected enough residual vacuum to stop the car, maybe another fault somewhere, leaking servo hose perhaps?
  • amaarahali28's Avatar
    Breaks!!!

    My foot was to the floor and i can assure you the breaks didn't work. Before this happened i felt the car pulling back when i was accelerating on the motorway. When i came off and passed two roundabouts i slowed down at the red light where the accident happened. Now the lights are those which the look like they are suspended in mid air so that vehicles approaching can see them if a bus or larger vehicle is blocking the view of traffic lights positioned at the side of the road. Also it would have been hard to miss a huge bus at a standstill!! I got the same reply from the policeman investigating the accident who assumed i had been speeding and failed to slow down in time. If he'd bothered to check the road he would have noticed there were no skidmarks which would have been there if i'd slammed on the breaks. The worksvan behind me also would have noticed my breaks lights did not come on either but they took no statements from any witnesses. It was as if my car was being propelled forward before it cut out thats the best i can describe it. When it happened i thought it was because it had cut out, however, on two other occassions the car cut out i have been able to stop. I am just waiting on a report from Vauxhall who are checking the car over. I am in no way an expert in cars and never said it was because the car was an automatic. I was just appealing to those who had the same model of car as my own. The fact that two people have pointed out that my breaks would still work when the engine has cut out explains why the police have charged me. This makes me more determined to find out why the car carried on forward. At the time the only thing going through my head was the breaks werent working and i panicked. It wasn't until after the accident i was able to think clearly about what really happened. I couldn't figure out why the car didn't stop because when the cars cut out i have had time to stop hit my hazard button to warn other drivers. This time i didn't have a chance. If you have any suggestions to what may have caused this please please help. Its not the fact that i have been charged that im worried about its the safety of my children which matters the most. If Vauxhall are unable to find out what caused this i wont be able to drive the car again (Its an astra envoy automatic 2002) which is ashame as my husband only bought me it a month and a half ago and its a nice car apart from it misfiring a million times or more. I had given it to vauxhall a week before who checked everything including the EGR valve and changed the gearbox oil, fuel treatment, the works. At least my kids and i are safe it could have been much worse..

    Also i have a zafira and a vectra and cutting out is commonplace with vauxhall vehicles only last month the zafira cut out on a roundabout. I was lucky it wasn't busy and my vectra has cut out on the motorway and going around a corner.
    Lisa Ali
  • Watcher's Avatar
    Vauxhall

    It's probably not the EGR - do a search on the very useful "Vauxhall Owners Network" where I'm sure you'll find an excellent explanation for the engine cut from a very experienced and helpful member.

    And, as the less than subtle hint obviously didn't work, and you are going to have to do some careful explaining to some people, it's BRAKES not breaks.

    I cannot imagine a set of circumstances where BRAKES would fail immediately prior to a collision and then be working when a police examiner tested them!
    Furthermore, it is just NOT possible for brakes to totally fail on a modern car (well, at least 20 years old, if you call that modern), because they have dual-circuits which prevent that.
  • amaarahali28's Avatar
    A girl racer i am not and my kids safety always comes first!! Its amazing how people like to kick you when you are already down. The question was what could cause a loss of BRAKE power other than your brakes being completely knackered!!

    I only looked on this sight cause my original problem was that the car was misfiring all the time and cutting out. Vauxhall couldn't find anything and i was to take it back after i'd done 1000 miles. Loads of people had the same problem so i wrongly assumed that your breaks didn't work when the engine cut out. So now i need to get the Vauxhall garage to take a look at the car to see what has happened. Thank god it was only the bonnet which was damaged. The mechanic at the compound said it wasn't as bad as it looked!! So i apologise to you all again for jumping to conclusions but i don't need a jury for a road traffic offence thank you very much!!
  • amaarahali28's Avatar
    I had a three month old baby in the back of the car who also has a disability!!! I'm not an idiot and have never had a speeding ticket or as much as a parking ticket in the twelve years i have driven. I don't double park and am on a parent commitee who report people to the police for parking on yellow zig zag lines!! As for the handbrake quip people do panic especially when they dont know what has just happened. Anyway i'm glad i didn't pull up my handbrake as i could have caused a bigger accident. No BRAKE (sorry my spelling hasn't been up to par lately) lights mean the people behind me would have had no warning had i BRAKED suddenly and smashed into the back of my car. The car felt like it was coasting when you put the clutch down and it just runs away with you. It did cut out and the BRAKES did not work (for whatever reason) as i applied them to STOP the car fully at the traffic lights behind the BIG BUS which was at a complete STANDSTILL at a set of RED traffic lights!!. It was the most scary thing i have ever experienced. Its just sad that when something like this does happen that people automatically assume it must have been you. I spoke to the mechanic who recovered my car and he said that cars are unpredictable, just like people!!. He had a man bring in his automatic two weeks previously and it ran into a wall. I suppose freak accidents dont happen in your world and that there is always a rational explanation for everything (yours being i am some sort of a girl racer who puts her childrens safety last). There could have been a million and one things that could have caused loss of break power and that was the police's own mechanic who said so. I came on this forum because i thought i could find a reason why this happened not to be judged. I don't really care what you think about my driving abilities or inabilities as you have (NOT SO SUBTELY) pointed out (yes i'm not that dense i knew exactly what you mean't). I asked for suggestions not accusations and so far only one member has been helpful regardless of what he or she might think really happened!! I wouldn't have wasted my time on a forum if i had been speeding, i think a lawyer would have been a much wiser (not to mention less time consuming) option!!
  • amaarahali28's Avatar
    I had a three month old baby in the back of the car who also has a disability!!! I'm not an idiot and have never had a speeding ticket or as much as a parking ticket in the twelve years i have driven. I don't double park and am on a parent commitee who report people to the police for parking on yellow zig zag lines!! As for the handbrake quip people do panic especially when they dont know what has just happened. Anyway i'm glad i didn't pull up my handbrake as i could have caused a bigger accident. No BRAKE (sorry my spelling hasn't been up to par lately) lights mean the people behind me would have had no warning had i BRAKED suddenly and smashed into the back of my car. The car felt like it was coasting when you put the clutch down and it just runs away with you. It did cut out and the BRAKES did not work (for whatever reason) as i applied them to STOP the car fully at the traffic lights behind the BIG BUS which was at a complete STANDSTILL at a set of RED traffic lights!!. It was the most scary thing i have ever experienced. Its just sad that when something like this does happen that people automatically assume it must have been you. I spoke to the mechanic who recovered my car and he said that cars are unpredictable, just like people!!. He had a man bring in his automatic two weeks previously and it ran into a wall. I suppose freak accidents dont happen in your world and that there is always a rational explanation for everything. There could have been a million and one things that could have caused loss of break power and that was the police's own mechanic who said so. I came on this forum because i thought i could find a reason why this happened not to be judged. I don't really care what you think about my driving abilities or inabilities as you have (NOT SO SUBTELY) pointed out (yes i'm not that dense i knew exactly what you mean't). I asked for suggestions not accusations and so far only one member has been helpful regardless of what he or she might think really happened!! I wouldn't have wasted my time on a forum if i had been speeding, i think a lawyer would have been a much wiser option!!
  • amaarahali28's Avatar
    Brakes

    Hi there,

    your right the breaks do work when the engine cuts out!! tried it with my vectra today on a quiet road. Before this happened Vauxhall wanted £800 to open the engine up. I paid £200 for a fuel change and other small repairs. I only bought the car a month ago and within a week it was misfiring everytime i slowed down and cut out on a slip road. The guy who my husband bought it from privately said it was the ERG valve and he cleaned it and put it back in. Vauxhall said they couldn't find the problem arghhh!! I was to bring it back after 1000 miles, looks like i wont have to now!! If i were you i'd trade it in because by the time they find out what the problem is you'll have to remortgage your house and thats just to pay for the labour charges lol. :rolleyes:
  • Watcher's Avatar
    Brakes

    I'm not judging anyone; I'm simply saying that it is physically impossible for brakes to fail completely on any car less than about 20 or 30 years old for 2 reasons 1] all cars have to have dual-circuit braking systems so that should one fail there is a back-up, and 2] there must, by law, be an emergency mechanical back-up known generally as a hand-brake. Everyone on the road is supposed to have passed a driving test, and therefore, is presumed to know these things.

    I personally do not believe that in an emergency anyone's thought process would run along the lines of "Oh ****, I think my brakes have failed! I'd better not use my emergency brake in case anyone runs into the back of me!"

    Furthermore, unless I have missed the most important announcement in the whole of automotive history I cannot conceive of a situation where failed brakes (see above) would repair themselves after the event, and be in later working order when tested by a vehicle examiner.

    Loss of assistance from the engine-driven servo may well feel like brake failure, but it most certainly is NOT, and even if the braking system was so badly maintained that vacuum was lost immediately (due to an air leak) the mechanical system would still work UNASSISTED - you'd just have to press much harder - the same goes for power-assisted steering; the steering still works, but loss of assitance on engine failure makes it feel like the steering has locked up (it hasn't, you just won't be expecting the enormous effort suddely required), and it is odd that you don't mention this.

    Furthermore, this problem of engine cut-out is NOT a Vauxhall fault. Similar things have happened to my knowledge on Fords and Saabs as well. For all I know it probably applies to most high-mileage vehicles, it certainly did on my Vectra, and my mechanic cured it by following advice from a very knowledgeable chap on the Vauxhall Owners Network (I think his name is somethin like 'ChrisSri'?) where you can find detailed advice re the throttle body and breathers - and he charged me all of £35. I am assured that it is most unlikely to be anything to do with the EGR valve, but running with a defective EGR valve is more likely to ruin the catalytic converter - EGR valves are apparently in short supply, for a number of reasons, and I believe Saab have 17 000 of them on back order (with cars off the road waiting!).
  • Rolebama's Avatar
    I have come across vehicles of different types where the vehicle footbrakwill seem to be fine one minute, and then the pedal will go straight to the floor with no resistance whatsoever, and then return to being apparently OK. Specific cars I remember are 1800 Marinas, London Ambulances, Vauxhall Astras, Ford Scorpios and Cortina Mk 4s and BMW 316s. (All with dual-circuit brakes) I have discussed this with other AA and RAC Patrols who have had similar incidents, and none of us ever investigated but arranged recovery, so I can't comment on why this happens, but I know it does! My instances would all be held on record in AA archives with the fault given as "Haven't a clue, but as safety related, recovery requested."
  • DUCKYPOOS's Avatar
    It Lives Astra 1.6 Auto EGV Valve

    Hi I have a Astra club 1.6 estate Auto Ive have the same problems as you engine cutting out, revs dropping low when coming to a stop then engine cutting out, starts with a lumpy kangarooing then you just know whats going to happen yep cuts out at roundabouts every where and when it does its takes a few times pressing on the peddle to start it and when I put it on the fault finding machine nothing read nothing wrong with it the first time how ever it happened again and it came up EGV valve Faulty so the man said do the following:-

    1. Get your self some Male Trox heads for undoing the 2 bolts on the EGV valve which in my Astra sits just behind but on to of the engine just front of the windscreen looks like a small can of coke size wise but is silver and has 1 connector on the to on a 1.6 SOHC Astra undo the clip remove the 2 bolts from the sides and lift up and out.

    2. underneath it you should see 2 holes one of which should have a little sort of rubber piston in it you need to make a gasket to cover the empty hole.

    3. take of the metal gasket thats on the EGV valve or it may have been left on the other bit of the engine take this and cut a coke can or any can fosters mmmmmmmm that will do the job place the gasket from the EGV valve and draw around it with a marker and cut it with a pair of scissors and make the hole for the 2 screw holes and the hole for the piston in it dont cut out the other one because thats the one you need to block off with the gasket you have just made take the gasket and put a small amount of blue gasket sealer on both sides and put that and th EGV valve back on the engine check your tork setting mine was 20 Nm I just did in you a bit more that hand tight
    because I did`n have a tork wrench and it worked Yaaaaaaaah life is getting better total Cost was a set or Torx about 20 quid unless you have them have a go it might just work for you:D
  • rachel moore's Avatar
    Cutting Out

    Have you sorted your problem out with your astra? I had the same problem garage changed the EGr worked for about a year and now it is back again. Can you help?
  • Mapengo's Avatar
    Air Leak

    If the vehicle was pulling back when accelerating one of the things that could possibly cause this would be a faulty / damaged brake servo or servo pipe, this would introduce an air leak which could cause hesitation or even the engine cutting out on deceleration.

    This would have the appearance of losing your brakes although the pedal would normally go hard and would take considerably more effort to create the same level of braking force as a system that was working correctly.

    If the pedal went to the floor under extreme braking I would suspect a problem with either the master cylinder or possibly old/contaminated brake fluid - although this would not cause your car engine to cut out.

    One other explanation could be that in a panic a driver could possibly be pressing both the throttle and brake pedals at the same time atlthough this would only make a difference if the engine was running.

    There could be many reasons why the car would cut out under deceleration and should be investigated by a reputable technician or workshop.

    Hope this helps.

    Cheers, Steve...
  • Hometune's Avatar
    Guest
    Right then, lets get this Astra 1.6, 8 valve engine sorted once and for all.
    The classic symptom of a failing EGR valve is when you come off the motorway on to the slip road and the engine cuts out or struggles. You take it to Vauxhall who do not find a fault for 2 reasons:

    1. The technicians do not know what the feedback voltage limits on the EGR valve are. They are min of 0.5v and max of 1.5v. In normal use they show about 1.0v.
    2. The technicians get bonus if they 'time save', that is they complete the job faster than the book time. They do not want diagnostic jobs as there is no time so they cannot earn bonus.

    Other garages that do the so called 'diagnostic' often know even less and if their computer does not say fault code P0403 or any up to P0409, then they are stuck. They must use the live data menu to see what the voltage reading is as 1.48v, while within the specification indicates a valve that needs replacing.

    The ONLY way to check the valve is to remove it, connect the diagnostic computer, go to 'actuator' menu and operate the valve by the computer. This will show if it is opening and closing correctly. And, they can stick intermittently but by the time you remove it, has corrected itself.

    If the fault code is P0405, then it is a feedback voltage fault and means the motor is knackered.
    If the fault code is P0400, this points to a leak or blockage. It can be the EGR valve but can also be a blocked engine breather pipe or other hose split.

    I do not subscribe to DUCKYPOOS repair although it works as damage may be caused to the engine or catalyst due to incorrect mixture. The car may/may not fail an emissions test.

    Finally, to answer Rachel's query of failure after a year. If the garage fitted an aftermarket EGR valve to save on costs (usually £85 as against dealer's £130) then it is quite common for them to fail. They are one of Vauxhall's biggest problems and not just on Astras, but the whole range of cars including Corsas, Vectras and Zafiras as they use the same part in most cases.
  • rachel moore's Avatar
    Cutting out

    Thanks alot for that advise, i took it back to vauxhall on thursday who checked the EGV value and said it was fine? (yeah right), do i take it back again and explain what you have just stated? Sorry to be a pain but this is a nightmare need car for work cant afford a new one!
  • Mapengo's Avatar
    Confidence

    Hi Rachael,

    If you have no confidence in Vauxhall then you could take it to a trading standards approved independent garage or mechanic. Other than that go back to the dealer and ask them to do the test with you present so you can see for yourself what is happening.

    Hometune is correct regarding the time saved bonus ethos of some main dealer technicians/workshops - a couple of dealers in my area are notorious for fobbing customers off where diagnosis is concerned.

    Yours will not have been the only vehicle the Vauxhall dealer will have seen with this problem and there will probably be more than one TSB (technical service bulletin) from Vauxhall or the EGR manufacturer covering this.

    Cheers.
  • Hometune's Avatar
    Guest
    The EGR valve can be within the limits shown above but these only refer to the electrical part which is the motor. The other part is a spring loaded plunger. A code P0405 will indicate when the motor has failed. Other codes refer to air flow problems and this relates to the plunger which may be sticking.
    I have been to customers with your problem and that is after the dealer has not found a fault. It is only when the valve is removed and operated independently by the diagnostic tool that the fault can be reproduced. It took me nearly an hour to prove it but it did. Also, the valve cools rapidly when it is removed so heat from the engine is no longer a factor.
    Other cutting out faults include failing crankshaft sensors, idle speed control valves, blocked breather hoses and coils.
    In a lot of cases the cutting out is simply a matter of cleaning the throttle body around the butterfly. Dirt builds up and holds the flap slightly open, causing too lean a mxture at idle. On live data, the reading will be around 15% for the idle speed control valve on a hot engine with all electrics switched off. On a dirty valve, this will drop to perhaps 5 - 9%. Some dealers will replace parts and charge you for them even though they are totally unnecessary.
    This will probably be the reason for others who have cutting out cars without the engine management light coming on.
  • RandomChris's Avatar
    How to get Astra fault codes for free

    Hello all, I appreciate that this is an old thread and the OP's problem has no doubt been solved long ago. However, this problem occurred on my car recently, completely out of the blue and my wife vary nearly had an accident at a roundabout.

    I tend to fix things myself, and while looking into the problem I found out about a trick that gives you your fault codes on an Astra for free.

    You don't need any tools and it takes about one minute to do. I made a short video on YouTube:

    https://youtu.be/1e3y8hlK4Fo

    I know this is a common (and potentially dangerous) problem so I'm sure that this will help others in the future.

    Our engine was cutting out when hot (Usually when approaching a roundabout or junction, which was a pain in the neck). It turned out to be a faulty crankshaft sensor. If you check my YouTube channel there is another video showing you how to do this job yourself and save yourself a small fortune.
  • seaney53's Avatar
    Hi,astra owner,random cutting out,car drives like a dream for a few weeks then engine becomes sluggish,poor idling.
    Cuts out when slowing down,did the pedal test,code P0093 which indicates fuel rail sensor,however most garages seem reluctant to replace the part,saying the issue could be many things,and problems could still remain.
    Seems to me these random issues are a nightmare,cannot be resolved and may as well bin the car!
  • Levi1111's Avatar
    Hi anyone know where a camshaft sensor is located on Astra design 1.6 petrol 07 thanks