Corsa power problems

From London, 1 post

I have a 1998 1.4 Vauxhall corsa, a few weeks ago whilst driving around 50mph the speedometer dropped to 0mph and stayed there, but when I next started the car it was fine again so I assumed it was a loose connection, however at the weekend it happened again, a light on the dashboard indicated an electrical fault came on intermittently, but when I slowed at some lights the oil and battery light also came on and I lost all power, restarting the car seemed to solve it, this happened a few times. Does any one have any ideas what the fault might be and how much it might cost to fix? Thanks

From Essex, 1 post

Originally posted by gills16 on 22 Nov 2005 1:06 PM


I have a 1998 1.4 Vauxhall corsa, a few weeks ago whilst driving around 50mph the speedometer dropped to 0mph and stayed there, but when I next started the car it was fine again so I assumed it was a loose connection, however at the weekend it happened again, a light on the dashboard indicated an electrical fault came on intermittently, but when I slowed at some lights the oil and battery light also came on and I lost all power, restarting the car seemed to solve it, this happened a few times. Does any one have any ideas what the fault might be and how much it might cost to fix? Thanks

Quote: null

I had this same problem last weekend, whenever I slowed down my car would jolt and the light would com eon the dash to say there was a fault with my engine!

I took it to a Vauhall specialist and not only did they tell me that I needed a new idle control, I also needed a new engine system control! Anyway, now I have waited all week and they still havent been able to locate the parts, but when they finally do get them I will have to pay out a massive £717. Happy new year to me

From East Anglia, 4 posts

Originally posted by gills16 on 22 Nov 2005 1:06 PM
I have a 1998 1.4 Vauxhall corsa, a few weeks ago whilst driving around 50mph the speedometer dropped to 0mph and stayed there, but when I next started the car it was fine again so I assumed it was a loose connection, however at the weekend it happened again, a light on the dashboard indicated an electrical fault came on intermittently, but when I slowed at some lights the oil and battery light also came on and I lost all power, restarting the car seemed to solve it, this happened a few times. Does any one have any ideas what the fault might be and how much it might cost to fix? Thanks



I had the same problem with a Combo van, 03 model. The fault is caused by connectors working loose in the dashboard. The Vauxhall approved fix is to squeeze the terminals to tigfhten their grip. Mine has failed again after 6 months.



Probably related, some mornings half the lights don't come on, on the dashboard. It then doesn't start, and I have to leave it for 10 minutes to 2 hours, before it will start.



I am trying to get a wiring diagram of the dashboard, to help trace this problem. Good luck!



Quote: null

Quote: I had the same problem with a Combo van, 03 model. The fault is caused by connectors working loose in the dashboard. The Vauxhall approved fix is to squeeze the terminals to tigfhten their grip. Mine has failed again after 6 months.

From Hull, 1 post

My wife has a 52 plate corsa 1.0. It has twice lost all electrics to dashboard. If u stop the car it will not restart. Called RAC out first time and he tightened up nut on earthing wire near base of hand brake. It happened again today but car restarted again after 30 minutes without having to do anything. i think there may be a loose connection elsewhere. anybody have any other tips.

From Edinburgh, 3 posts

Hi



Have a similar problem with my corsa. I have no backlight for my dash which means when driving at night i cannot see any of the instrument panel. Also as a consequence my " lights on warning buzzer" doesnt go off so have been stranded with a flat battery on more tha one occasion. Does anyone have any ideas??



Cheers

From Southampton, 5 posts

hi please help me!, ive had my T reg Vauxhall corsa 1.4 sport for nearly a year, sometimes when im driving (but usually when i start the car up after turning ignition off for a few minutes)the revs drop slightly, the engine still runs but trembles as if its about to stall. also a yellow/orange electrics light comes on. i stop the car and restart it but the same thing happens again and this will keep doing this for 30mins or so.i can still drive but its not right. its been happening since i first got the car, i took it back to the garage i bought it from several times but they told me that they could find nothing wrong with the electrics and because it doesn't happen all the time i couldnt show them. i was told after several trips back to them that they couldnt find anything so it couldnt be anything serious as if it was then the light would always be lit. a couple of weeks ago my battery just died and so when i called the aa out i asked him about it, he said that it may have been because my batt was dying but that was not it either as about a week later the light came on again. id be very gratefull if anyone could help! thanks!

From Tenerife, 2 posts

I have an Opel Combo 1.4 (Corsa van) 1996. I have had similar electrical and starting problems for the past three years since I bought it second hand. (1) Intermittently, the alternator warning light would come on and go off - eventually I ignored it after no garage could ever find any problem with it. I never did find the cause, but after having the timing belt and alternator belt changed recently, the warning light has not been back on. (2) Two or three times over 2 years the speedo dropped to zero and there was a momentary loss of power and maybe an electrical burning smell - the fuse would blow. I replaced the fuse with a higher amp and it´s been OK since. (3) Most aggravating was the engine not starting for apparently no reason. Sometimes after leaving it for 30 minutes or longer it would start. I changed the battery, the spark plugs, the plug leads, and the fuel filter (twice). All this helped start the car on each occasion, but the problem remains intermittent. Convinced it was a fuel contamination problem I went to a garage. They found a faulty electrical lead and sensor connected to the outside of the fuel tank - something to do with the fuel pump. The car started after replacing the lead. Today, the same garage reported that it´s diagnostic equipment has detected low electrical current and they are going to replace the ignition coil. Maybe this is the solution!

From Leeds, 1 post

I am having similar problems with a vectra diesel estate. It happened once before and the dealers reet the computer. This week I started it and it cut out immediately, then it took 4 turns to start, very lumpy, smoke from the exhaust, eventually started and ran fine. Yesterday on way back from Sheffield it lost power and the engine electrics warning light came on. Back in Leeds it started well first thing, then difficult later. Ones started it is now running well. My friend bought a brand new zafira and had the same problem. Any ideas???

1 post

I have a 01 zafira that has experienced powerloss and starting problems which all seem to be down to the coil/distributor btock which sits where spark leads used to go when cars were easy to fix. I have replaced 3 on my car.A simple swap over is all it takes.

From New Zealand, 1 post

we have had an ongoing problem with a 1996 combo 1.4 petrol, the vehicle was towed in approx six months ago with no start, we checked and found no fuel pressure. We assumed fuel pump relay so we replaced this ( it was cheap and easy to get to) after we done this the car started fine. We gave the car back to the customer but unfortunately about a week later the customer rang to say it would not go, so we went to tow it in. When we got there the vehicle started, we bought it pack to the work shop and it ran fine. We then assumed the fuel pump had worn brushes and was the problem so we replaced this(not so cheap at $350NZ and about 1 hour to fit) we used a Ford Falcon fuel pump as it was easily modified to fit and was half the price of the original unit and available in New Zealand. Well out went the vehicle again this time for about six weeks until last week we got the dreaded phone call, it would not start. It had actually failed to start outside another workshop, the technicians there had a quick look and told my customer it was the fuel pump, we went to tow it in again as we wanted to carry out some tests before someone tried to start it. Unfortunately one of the technicians did not realise and went to shift it and it started. I gave the vehicle back and told the customer that the next time it did this to ring me straight away and not let anyone try to start it. Well this morning he rang so I shot straight in there, I never tried to start it, I removed the fuel pump relay and checked for system voltage at the main feed in, this was fine, I then checked for a small period of system voltage at the trigger terminal for the relay after the key was switched on and sure enough I had power there, I new when I put the relay back in the thing was going to start and sure enough it did.

Does any one have any suggestions, I suspect computer but as I have to order one out of the UK at over $1000 I am a bit reluctant. Any help would be appreciated, any one know of any problems with the ECU in these vehicles?