Issue with an Opel Corsa

mondeoman72

Anyone care to give me suggestions about a root cause?

Got a 2012 corsa with 275k kilometers. but has a weird issue. I can drive it round the city all day not a bother, but when I get onto an open road / M50 and put the boot down, it starts to be retarded. As in it stumbles, holds back - loses power, if you know what I mean. The mechanic cannot find anything wrong and drove it for a few days without issue but it did it again when I hit the open road. When it happens, I hear a chainy rattle sound, and then when the issue stops, the rattle stops. Maybe connected or maybe the retarding is causing something loose to rattle.

Anyone any ideas

bazz26

Get your mechanic to accompany you on the motorway drive so that he can witness what you are experiencing.

standardg60

When you put your foot down, does the engine/rev counter go up as normal but the car doesn't speed up?

If so, could be the clutch slipping under load.

mondeoman72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120516323#Comment_120516323

Clutch is fine. Revs are not rising. Its the opposite of slipping, its dying. Under load, it is hesitating, engine is "dying" for a few moments, loosing power, hesitating, then away it goes again.

Hellrazer

If its a petrol its probably the Coil pack - well known to pack up on these,

At low speeds its fine - as soon as you put the foot down it`ll make the noise you hear and lose power.

Might not even show up on a diagnostic unless you leave it on it for a good few minutes while revving the feck out of it - it usually shows on the diagnostic as a misfire every few cycles - Ive seen them as faulting as little as 1 in 50 cycles so it can actually look ok on a diagnostic machine - Ive seen numerous mechanics miss a coil pack on these -Ive even missed a couple myself.

Easy way to check and you can do it yourself - Take the coil pack out ( 3 screws -1 in the middles and 2 either end of it) and pull off the rubber ends - you can be sure one of springs that attaches to the spark plugs in them is going to be green in colour at the coil pack end or even broken altogether. If it is change the coil pack with new plugs.

Dont buy a genuine one - theyre 300 euros from Opel. Motor factors is roughly a third of the price.

If its a 1.3 diesel then more than likely the chain has stretched and need replacing.

mondeoman72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120517434#Comment_120517434

Thanks for the ideas. Its a 1.2 petrol. Will talk to the mechanic

mondeoman72

Back again. So I was in the autofactors today. A new coil pack (7 pin) is 135 euro. But spark plugs are 25 euro EACH. Am I missing something here. I went to the online parts shops and they do indeed vary, but is 100 euro for 4 plugs normal? Does this sound right to you folks? Are they special for a 1.2 petrol 2012 corsa?

Thanks in advance.

hellyeah

They are probably a long life plug(iridium) etc was quoted approx the same for same year hyundai i20.

Hellrazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120655108#Comment_120655108

Sounds about right - the good news is they are 45 each from Opel so 25 is not bad.

colm_mcm

Is there a standard plug equivelant?

Hellrazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120655684#Comment_120655684

I think that was why coil packs were failing. The Opel recommendation was to replace coil pack and plugs with a newer part number.

greasepalm

You would think diagnostics would have pulled up a misfire in error codes , 1.2 engines at times dont throw up codes .

When you get a misfire in engine it normally shakes more and lower rpm

Mass air flow sensor. When this goes you cant go fast.

Hope your oil and filter is not too old as paper filters collapse's

JCN12

IME, as soon as a coil pack gives trouble, the car will develop a misfire even when idling.

When was the last time the fuel filter got changed? Sounds like it could be choking up when fuel demand is greater.

Hellrazer

Not on the Corsas - Ive seen them drive around town for weeks with a coil pack gone but as soon as you hit the motorway the misfire starts.

Even on diagnostic it doesnt show up unless you rev the balls out of it. And even at that it might only show up 1 in 30 - 1 in 50 times. Its an easy one to miss.

mondeoman72

So, I am back. Recap. 2012 Corsa 1.2 petrol. 270k kilometers.

I changed the coil pack and plugs but under load, it is still losing power and clanking. Noises almost sound like a chain - hence thinking it may be arcing so changed the coil pack.

Noise still there under load and now clanking a bit, like a loose heat shield. I was up a mountain the other night and in first and second gear, with engine revved up, it started again.

Just drove to work and it was doing it from 30 to 40 mile an hour but hit the N4 and speed went up, and it was fine. Engine hesitating, loss of power and funny noise.

Is anyone around west dublin or leixlip that knows the Corsa and can take a look?

Thanks folks.

greasepalm

How is that car still running as those 3 cylinders were a nitemare.

Does your car feel like no power pointing to air mass sensor , bit of carb spray on the sensor and on top of throttle body housing if very dirty can help.

Timing chain is very noticeable on cold start up as it rattles like hell.

Heat shields do do and try bringing revs up slowly as at the right RPM you will hear it.

Cats also collapsed and blocked exit pipe.

mondeoman72

So back again. It appears to be getting worse. New coil pack and plugs fitted. I drive a certain route to work and it always happens at the same roundabout on the way to work. I come out of the roundabout and start accelerating with a gentle sweep to the left.

I hear a rattle like a stone in a tin can ish. Then car is retarded, loss of power and stutters. It is around 3000 revs while accelerating. Disappears when load reduces, but comes back again when accelerating. Also does not appear to happen when engine cold, just when warmed up.

Took car to mechanic and only code stored was a loss of canbus signal but not current he said.

Any ideas?

Hellrazer

Id probably start looking at the timing chain since youve done the coil pack and plugs.

mondeoman72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121463181#Comment_121463181

I went to my original mechanic who sadly now specialises in electric cars. He sat and revved it, read the codes and there was nothing. He said the chain was "sweet". He did notice the oil was just below midway, so topped it up.

greasepalm

Is your engine quiet when starting from cold?

Noisey one rattles for 5 secs or more waiting for oil pressure to build.

Can you remove spark plugs to see their colour as they give ideas on fuel burning.

When issue happens does it feel like your pulling away in 3rd gear and engine is pinking as a possible miss and lack of power.

Lift bonnet up of car look at engine shaking when running good and with issue should shake more and tick over is much less with a miss.

JCN12

Fuel filter...

mondeoman72

Im going to look at it again in new year

Hellrazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121530450#Comment_121530450

Its a petrol - theres no fuel filter on it. Well theres one inside the tank but its not replaceable.

greasepalm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121532343#Comment_121532343

Are you sure as many had them underneath on the plastic fuel pipe runs.?

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=2012+opel+corsa+petrol+filter+location&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464872#Comment_121464872

Noisey one rattles for 5 secs or more waiting for oil pressure to build.

My wife used to own a Corsa B, same engine. Hydraulic tappets so a bit of rattle starting from cold for a couple of seconds is normal.

mondeoman72

So appear to have an update.

The oil disappeared out of it and under load, it started to shudder, click and a cloud of whiteish smoke appeared out the back with a smell of oil. No loss of coolant, or water in the oil or vice versa.

Getting close to burning the bloody thing, but left it with my mechanic and told him to take his time and try and fix it. I recently put in a heavier oil in case it was the rings but it made the issue worse. Clicking maybe lack of oil to lifters perhaps?

So mechanic changed the rocker cover and the old one had vents blocked with hard oil and very dirty. Since then, touch wood, it is running fine. Hopefully mystery solved.

The main vent which he said appeared blocked, is the circular one, top right of this pic.

greasepalm

I do hope he checked those rubber hoses breather pipe and vacuum pipe.