01 Opel Astra 1.4 engine troubles - any help?

I was driving along when I noticed the oil light came on, so I got to the hard shoulder ASAP. When I got to the hard shoulder, the engine & the battery light came on and the engine died.

A friend said it could be timeing belt. A new engine was put in the car at 70000 miles and there is only around 130k miles on it now.

When the key is turned for light the oil, engine & battery lights all stay on, the light with the car & spanner goes off.

Anyone have any ideas?

Car model:
Opel Astra 2001, 1.4 saloon.

Thanks,
Joker.

Note to mods:
If this is wrong location, sorry, please move.

Atlantic Dawn

Oil light on would lead me to think it was low in oil, was the oil level checked to see what it was at?

If the car was driven for a long period of time with no oil in it the engine could have seized and this may be what the lights on are indicating, hard to know really.

Nissan doctor

Deleted User wrote: »

I was driving along when I noticed the oil light came on, so I got to the hard shoulder ASAP. When I got to the hard shoulder, the engine & the battery light came on and the engine died.

A friend said it could be timeing belt. A new engine was put in the car at 70000 miles and there is only around 130k miles on it now.

When the key is turned for light the oil, engine & battery lights all stay on, the light with the car & spanner goes off.

Anyone have any ideas?

Car model:
Opel Astra 2001, 1.4 saloon.

Thanks,
Joker.

Note to mods:
If this is wrong location, sorry, please move.

On an 01 astra the timing belt is due every 40k so its way overdue!

If the belt broke however then the engine would have failed straight away, not kept running untill you pulled over.

Sorry should have mentioned that the oil was the first thing I checked and it was fine - the car had oil in it.

Nissan doctor

Nissan doctor wrote: »

On an 01 astra the timing belt is due every 40k so its way overdue!

If the belt broke however then the engine would have failed straight away, not kept running untill you pulled over.

After I noticed the oil light on the engine died in about 2-4 seconds.

So timing belt is looking the likely cause, thanks for replies

Nissan doctor

Deleted User wrote: »

After I noticed the oil light on the engine died in about 2-4 seconds.

So timing belt is looking the likely cause, thanks for replies

To check just remove the couple of bolts holding the top timing belt cover and you'll see the belt, even if it looks ok, turn the engine over to see if the cams rotate.

Will do tomorrow, thanks again Nissan Doctor!

From reading online I discovered that the water pump has to be changed too, is this true?

Also, would you have a rough ball park figure as to the price for chaning it. I'm thing €200-400?

Nissan doctor

Deleted User wrote: »

Will do tomorrow, thanks again Nissan Doctor!

From reading online I discovered that the water pump has to be changed too, is this true?

Also, would you have a rough ball park figure as to the price for chaning it. I'm thing €200-400?

Yes as a general rule any water pump which is driven by the timing belt should be changed with the belt.

We'd be charging around the 350 mark to supply and fit a timing belt kit and water pump.

Ardennes1944

but surely if the timing belt is gone then the pistons would be bent and the engine probably a write off?

the merchant

This engine is an interference engine which means that in the event if a belt failure valve damage is pretty certain.

If the belt has gone you'll need at least;

Belt
Waterpump
Head gasket kit
Head bolts
Valves
Head skim
Oil

Fingers crossed it's just something simple though.

shamwari

Nissan doctor wrote: »

To check just remove the couple of bolts holding the top timing belt cover and you'll see the belt, even if it looks ok, turn the engine over to see if the cams rotate.

Even easier is to remove the oil cap and look at the cams while someone else cranks the engine. If the cams don't move, you've got a belt problem.

Thought I'd update you guys. Its bad news

Had a mechanic look at it today and he said the oil pump collapsed and the engine seized. So looks like a new engine

Thanks again lads for the help.

HellFireClub

Sorry to hear the bad news OP, engine replacement isn't the end of the world though... Let us know how much you get it done for...

Will do.

Nissan doctor

Deutschlandfürimmer7 wrote: »

but surely if the timing belt is gone then the pistons would be bent and the engine probably a write off?

I wasn't saying that just fitting a timing belt would fix the OP's problem, he just asked for an idea of how much a belt change costs.

Its the valves that are damaged when a belt snaps though..

shamwari wrote: »

Even easier is to remove the oil cap and look at the cams while someone else cranks the engine. If the cams don't move, you've got a belt problem.

Depends on exactly which engine type, many have oil control baffles which means you can't see the cams when you remove the oil cap.

I said I'd keep ye updated, but sorry for resurrecting an old thread.

The Astra is getting fixed. Got a low milage second hand engine, and currently getting it fitted along with everything to pass the NCT. Going to cost around €1500, so not too bad!

O.A.P

Thats not to good either whats 2001 astra worth ? has it got sentimental value or what?

Ardennes1944

That's quite a bit to fork out for a car of that value man. It must have ran solidly for you outside of this

O.A.P

O.A.P wrote: »

has it got sentimental value or what?

Yes, well sort of

Ardennes1944

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes, well sort of

Well if your username is a hint your the same age as myself....I hear ya :pac:

kevin d

Can anyone help. bought 2005 opel astra 1.4 petrol new from main dealer. services at main dealers. At 39000 km. engine blew up with no oil warning.Dealers said oil pump failure but there was oil in sump. No satisfaction from dealers

bazz26

I really don't see how you are going to get any joy from Opel on a car that is nearly 8 years old at this stage. A reconditioned engine is probably you best option.

Nissan doctor

kevin d wrote: »

Can anyone help. bought 2005 opel astra 1.4 petrol new from main dealer. services at main dealers. At 39000 km. engine blew up with no oil warning.Dealers said oil pump failure but there was oil in sump. No satisfaction from dealers

Where you bought it and where you had it serviced is of no relevance on a 7+ year old car.

Should it have failed with such low mileage? Of course not, but its unrealistic to expect any come back from Opel so far out of warranty. Despite the low mileage, anything could have happened to it over the years with poor and infrequent(despite the low mileage) maintenance or incorrect oil being the main things they could easily blame.