New car golf class Opel Astra debuted in 1991, replacing the Kadett E model. Buyers were offered three- and five-door hatchback, sedan, station wagon and convertible versions, the development and small-scale production of which was carried out by the Italian company Bertone. The choice of engines was also wide: gasoline 1.4 (60–90 hp), 1.6 (71–101 hp), 1.8 (90–116 hp), as well as a 1.7-liter diesel engine with power from 57 to 82 l. from. The "hot" versions of the car were called Astra GSi, they were equipped with 1.8 and 2.0 petrol engines, developing from 125 to 150 hp. from.
This model was produced in Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, South Africa, Poland, China, India. In the British market, it was known under the Vauxhall brand, in Australia - as Holden Astra, in South America - as well as in South Africa - also under the name Opel Kadett. In 1998, sales of the first generation Astra in the main European markets were discontinued due to the advent of new car(the convertible was produced until 2000), but for another four years, under the name Opel Astra Classic, the car was assembled at the company's Polish plant and sold in Eastern Europe and Turkey.
2nd generation (G), 1998–2004
The second generation of Astra began to be offered to customers in 1998. The list of body types was replenished with a two-door coupe, which, like a convertible, was produced in Italy at the Bertone factory. The range of power units has become even wider. Now the base Opel Astra was equipped with a 1.2-liter engine with a capacity of 65–75 hp. with., other versions - 1.4 (90 hp), 1.6 (75–103 hp), 1.8 (116–125 hp), 2.0 (136 hp) and 2.2 (147 hp). ) Diesel engines had a volume of 1.7 or 2.0 liters and a power of 68 to 125 liters. from. Petrol two-liter turbocharged engine developing 190 hp. with., put only on the coupe.
In 1999 in model range there was a "charged" three-door hatchback Opel AstraOPC, equipped with a 160-horsepower “aspirated” with a volume of two liters. And in 2002, with the OPC nameplate, they began to offer not only three-door, but also five-door hatchbacks, station wagons, coupes and convertibles, under the hood of which there was already a turbocharged two-liter engine with a capacity of 192–200 hp. from.
In Western Europe, the Astra of the second generation was produced until 2004, until 2009 it continued to be sedans under the name Astra Classic in Poland. In Latin America, the model was offered until 2011 as, and in 2004-2008 in Togliatti, at the joint venture GM-AvtoVAZ, they made the Astra with a sedan called.
3rd generation (H), 2004–2014
The third generation Opel Astra was introduced in 2004. The car has versions with three- and five-door hatchback, sedan and station wagon bodies, and in 2006 a coupe-cabriolet was created on its basis. Despite the appearance of new generation machines in 2009, this version is still being produced. On the Russian market, it is sold under the name.
4th generation (J), 2009–2016
The Opel Astra is available in five-door hatchback, station wagon and sedan body styles. The vehicles are equipped with petrol and diesel engines. At the end of 2015, the Opel brand will leave the Russian market, and sales Astra models will be completed.
Five-door hatchback Opel Astra
Prices for a five-door Opel Astra hatchback with a 1.6 engine (115 hp) start at 691,000 rubles. The list of equipment of the initial Active equipment includes four airbags, a stabilization system, air conditioning, a CD / MP3 audio system, heated front seats, front electric windows, and electric mirrors. A car with rear power windows, a more "advanced" radio and on-board computer. Cosmo version (dual-zone climate control, heated leather steering wheel, rear view camera, cruise control, alloy wheels, fog lights) is estimated at 760,000 rubles. For a six-speed automatic transmission, available in the Active and Cosmo versions, you will have to pay 40 thousand rubles.
Opel Astra, equipped with a 1.4-liter turbo engine with 140 horsepower, is offered only with an “automatic” at a price of 774,000 rubles for the Active version. A car in the Cosmo configuration costs 843,000 rubles.
The most powerful five-door Astra with a 1.6 turbocharged engine (170 hp) and an “automatic” Cosmo version is offered at a price of 989,000 rubles.
Sedan Opel Astra
The sedan is offered in the same trim levels and with the same set of power units, and in the same trim levels as the hatchback.
A car with a 1.6 engine (115 hp) costs from 829,900 rubles, with a 1.4-liter turbo engine with 140 hp. from. and "automatic" - from 744,000 rubles. Version 1.6 Turbo (170 hp) is also equipped with an automatic transmission only and is offered at a price of 1,004,000 rubles.
Station wagon Opel Astra Sports Tourer
The station wagon Opel Astra Sports Tourer 1.6 (115 hp) in the basic Enjoy package costs 817,000 rubles. The Cosmo version will cost 1,367,000 rubles. A car with a 1.4-liter turbo engine (140 hp) is estimated at at least 920,000 rubles, and the Enjoy package is the base for it. For this version, as for cars with a 115-horsepower engine, you can order an "automatic" for an additional charge of 40 thousand rubles.
Prices for the 1.6 Turbo modification (170 forces), which is offered only with an automatic transmission, start at 1,203,000 rubles. A station wagon with a two-liter turbodiesel (130 hp) and an “automatic” will cost 1,223,000 rubles.
Hatchback Opel Astra J fourth generation debuted in 2009. Five-door hatchbacks and sedans for Russian market are produced "on a full cycle" at a plant in St. Petersburg, station wagons and three-doors - by the "screwdriver" method at the Kaliningrad "Avtotor".
In most cases, when choosing a used car, you need to take a not very powerful naturally aspirated engine with a manual gearbox, and then the car will ride for a long time. But with the Opel Astra H, things are a little different.
Mechanical boxes
The mechanical boxes in the Opel Astra N are not particularly reliable, because over time they have some surprises, especially since quite powerful motors go to the mechanical boxes.
The Astra is equipped with 5-speed gearboxes F17 and F13, which were also installed on the Opel Cadet, produced in the late 90s. The power of the motors began to increase and the load on the box too, so the bearings began to fail.
On Vectra B cars, you can still put a stronger and more reliable box of the F16, F18 and F23 series, you also need to install new hubs and drives. But more reliable boxes will not fit into Astra N, because it does not allow steering rack.
So a huge number of Astra N owners repair the box or change it to a used box. If the output shaft bearings suffer, this leads to the destruction of the gearbox housing, after which metal crumbs appear, which then damage all other elements. In general, you have to overhaul the box, and this is not cheap. A new manual box costs about 200,000 rubles, so many people buy used ones, but there is a risk that this whole situation will happen again soon.
Solution to the problem
But not everything is as sad as it might seem, you can solve this problem. It is possible to move the mounting points of the motor. If you move the motor a few centimeters, you can install a more reliable box - F23. You can also put a manual box from Chevrolet, it is the same as in Opel, it becomes clear, and there is no need to redo the design.
It's not difficult to determine if a gearbox is in trouble before buying - you just need to lift the car, start the engine and start spinning the wheels. Engage 4th or 5th gear, then turn off the engine and listen carefully. If the bearings are damaged, you will hear characteristic sound very good. Repairing the box in the early stages will cost about 70,000 rubles. Repairing a regular box is a waste of time and money.
In order for the box to last longer, you need to monitor the oil level, and you can also change it periodically. Pouring into a box better oil ATF DEXTRON II, not the oil recommended by dealers. It is especially likely that the manual box will fail on cars with a 1.8 engine and a 1.3 diesel engine.
More than 1/3 of cars with these engines have already repaired or changed a manual gearbox at 60,000 mileage. On cars with a 1.6-liter engine, the risk that the gearbox will fail is slightly less, since the engine is not as powerful and the gearbox can work better with it.
But if you start off sharply from a traffic light, turn on a lower gear when overtaking, then the box will also have to be repaired. There are configurations with a 2.0 turbocharged engine, an M32 manual box goes to it, it breaks down like the others. But it does not break down so often, because there is a more durable differential, and there are not so many cars in this configuration.
Opel owners are not yet happy with the dual-mass flywheel, it does not last long, but is quite expensive. More or less reliable in the box cable drive, but over time, the wings wear out, so the first and second gears turn on worse. To correct this situation, you just need to change the backstage or install new liners of the ball joint of the lever.
automatic boxes
On cars with a small engine capacity, an EasyTronic robot box was installed instead of an automatic gearbox. She has the same problems as in the manual transmissions F17 - M20, plus there is also an automatic clutch drive.
If you drive calmly, do not specifically kill the box, then it will travel for some time. But if you often drive through traffic jams, then the clutch actuators will fail faster. In general, the clutch in such cars serves approximately 60,000 km. And the price of new parts is quite high. In general, when buying a car, it is better to refuse complete sets with robotic box EasyTronic.
Real reliable automatic transmission installed in a configuration with a more powerful engine: gasoline 1.8 or 2.2. These motors are paired with a 4-speed Aisin automatic transmission. This is a Japanese box with a solid construction. Serves for a long time, does not break and does not cause any problems to its owner, especially if you change the oil, as indicated in the instructions.
If you don’t specifically kill the box, then it will last at least 300,000 km. And the repair of the automatic gearbox is not very expensive - just clean it, replace the rubber bands and worn clutches. Everything else can still work. It is necessary to check the automatic transmission for serviceability using the ATF “glycol test”, or check the box for emulsion.
Motors
Opel engines are traditionally made with high quality, serve for a long time, consume little fuel and are especially unpretentious. Asters H before restyling were equipped with engines with volumes of 1.6 and 1.8 liters, their design is the same as in older engines installed in Kadets and Ascons. Sometimes there are 1.4-liter engines. They have 16 valves, a simple design, they can easily last more than 250,000 km. Among the shortcomings of this motor is a slightly weak control unit, it can overheat, and there are also cases when cracks appear at the soldering points.
The throttle and ignition have a long service life, it is enough to clean these nodes periodically, then there will definitely be no problems. The motors use the EGR system, the valve of which becomes dirty over time and does not close. The adjustable intake manifold also does not tolerate the abundance of dust and dirt on the roads, it is covered with soot and oil, so it is advisable to keep an eye on these things.
But still, the motor has a large margin of safety, if you change the timing belt and oil in time, then this engine will last a long time. 250,000 km. guaranteed to last, there are instances with 400,000 mileage, except that there is a small oil consumption in the region of 200 grams per 1000 km. run. Even if the motor breaks down, its overhaul will be inexpensive, since the cost of spare parts for this car is not high.
More modern motors the Z16XEP and Z16XER series with a volume of 1.6, as well as the Z18XER with a volume of 1.8 liters, are also reliable, but they already use a new cylinder head, a phase shifter in the timing system. All these innovations increase torque by low revs also increased the motor power. At that time, for a 1.8 engine, a power of 140 liters. from. is a good indicator.
These motors do not have hydraulic lifters, so the valves will have to be adjusted every 60,000 km, although according to the passport this must be done every 150,000 km. Therefore, if extraneous noise appears in the motor, then it's time to adjust the gaps. Among the innovations are a controlled thermostat, an oil heat exchanger, the operating temperature of the motor has increased, the oil filter.
The motor still remains reliable if maintenance is done on time. True, there are complaints because of the phase shifters and their valves, after a while knocks and floating revolutions appear. But now there is no EGR system, so the intake tract is not contaminated. For those who start abruptly without warming up the car, heat exchangers can leak over time.
You can meet Opel Astra H with A16XER and A18XER engines, in fact, these are the same engines, only they are configured differently and are a little dull. According to European regulations, oil changes must be done at fairly large intervals, this has a bad effect on the engine, so the condition of engines from Europe is often worse than from Russia. Regardless of what is written in the regulations, the oil must be changed the more often, the better. But at least once every 10,000 km. For these motors, oil with a viscosity of SAE 40 is used. And you do not need to add any additives, because they lead to coking of the rings.
There are also more powerful motors of the Z20LEH / Z20LER / Z20LEL series. Their volume is 2 liters, the resource is quite high - 300,000 km. will last easily. It is not difficult to repair them, and the price of parts is not high. The disadvantages of 2-liter engines are that they are quite rare, and the wiring is not very successful.
Diesel engines
In most cases, diesel engines in the Astra Z13DTH series are quite economical, while the power is large, the torque is good. But over time, problems arise with fuel cells, and corrosion appears on the cylinder head, the turbine often fails, the EGR system strains, the catalyst becomes clogged, the intake becomes leaky, and the particulate filter clogs.
This is the second part of a large review of the Astra H. If you want to know how quickly the body of this car rots, what breaks first in the chassis and what electrical “glitches” the owners of older specimens face, read.
Mechanical boxes
So I would like to say “no problems with manual transmissions”, but no ... As with Fords of the same years, the “younger” manual transmission is here with a surprise. The situation is complicated by the fact that the motors she got in a pair are quite powerful. However, the rest of the manual transmission does not shine with health.
The five-speed gearbox of the F 17 series and its “weakened” version of the F 13 are descended from the old Cadets, and in their latest version they were installed on Opel cars from the late 90s. The old box was not ready for the growth in power of 1.6 engines and the appearance of 1.8 engines: bearings literally fall apart from the load. We even included this checkpoint in .
But if at a venerable age Vectra B it was possible to change the manual transmission to a larger and more reliable one from the F 16-F 18-F 23 series, along with new drives and hubs, then such a unit no longer fits under the hood of the Astra H, larger manual transmissions simply abut into the steering rack.
In the photo: Salon Opel Astra Hatchback (H) "2004–07
Most car owners stubbornly change manual transmissions to the same ones or repair them, which is quite expensive, because if the bearings of the output shaft are damaged, the box body suffers, and literally all of its components are damaged by metal chips. Basically, they try to change the box to a used one, with a good chance of repeating the trouble. New manual transmission costs more than 200 thousand rubles, rare sales of "stocks" of dealers at prices of 40-60 thousand rubles pass very quickly.
Fortunately, they have learned to solve the problem in at least two ways. The first is to transfer the attachment points of the power unit. A shift of just a few centimeters allows you to put a more reliable box of the F 23 series. A more reasonable option is to install a Chevrolet manual transmission, which is essentially an old Opel F 16 manual transmission assembled in a compact case, or an F 16 bulkhead in a Chevrolet case. This method is much more reasonable, and the owner does not risk cancellation of registration due to rough design alterations.
Identifying a "problem" box on Astra is quite simple. Raise the car on a lift, turn on the engine, spin the wheels. And it's better - with the shots rims. Turn on the fourth or fifth gear, turn off the engine and listen. Damaged output shaft bearings make a characteristic noise, it will be perfectly audible.
The price of the correct "treatment" now ranges from 30 to 70 thousand rubles, depending on the novelty of the installed components. Repairing the original box is largely useless: a lot of metal debris, damage to most elements, and the initially unsuccessful design of roller bearings with a split plastic cage is simply doomed. When slightly larger metal particles appear in the oil, they quickly destroy the weak differential and the main pair, which also work part-time as the oil pump of the box, and often the axis of the satellites or gears break through the case and there is nothing special to repair.
Also keep an eye on the oil level in the manual transmission and change it sometimes - Opel boxes traditionally leak. Moreover, old-timers advise pouring into a box officially not recommended by the manufacturer ATF Dextron II, and not oil for mechanical boxes.
For cars with a 1.8 engine and a 1.3 diesel engine, the probability of a box failure is especially high. According to unofficial estimates, more than a third of cars with such engines and mileage of more than 60 thousand kilometers have gone through at least one manual transmission replacement / repair. For cars with a 1.6 engine, the risk is significantly less, the box better tolerates more weak engine, but it is still not worth relaxing. The risks increase greatly among those who like sharp starts, slippage in winter and shock shifts “down” when overtaking.
On cars with a 2.0 Turbo engine, a manual transmission of the M32 series was installed, and it also sometimes breaks down, and in exactly the same way as the “younger” one. But in this case, the problem is not massive, the differential is an order of magnitude stronger, and there are relatively few cars with such motors, the problem is not so noticeable. That's just a dual-mass flywheel is not very happy opelevodov. More precisely, its price and resource. Against the background of otherwise very economical designs, such a “consumable” seems redundant. The cable drive is quite reliable, the main complaints are the wear of the backstage and the deterioration of the inclusion of first and second gears. This is treated either by replacing the backstage, or by installing new liners of the ball joint of the lever.
In the photo: Opel Astra Hatchback 2.0 turbo (H) "2004–07
With diesel engines 1.7-1.9, the “good old” is most often found five speed box F 23, she rarely has such problems, but finding a completely live unit is not a problem. The main complaints are about the cable drive and backstage wear, the problem is similar to that of the M32 box drive.
Junior 1.3 diesels are most often equipped with a six-speed M20 - the same M32, but lightweight. Of the introduced features, there is a weak differential, so it’s not worth skidding much, and the cleanliness of the oil needs to be monitored more carefully.
automatic boxes
Instead of a "real" automatic transmission on cars with junior diesel engines and gasoline engines up to 1.6, the Opel Astra H was mainly equipped with an EasyTronic robotic transmission. In fact, this is a conventional manual transmission of the F 17 / M 20 series with all its problems and shortcomings, but also equipped with an automatic clutch drive.
In the photo: Torpedo Opel Astra Sedan (H) "2007–14 The operation of such boxes with a very calm driving style can be considered quite satisfactory, especially with regular adaptation of the setting point and handbrake assistance on steep hills. But in the absence of an uphill start assistance system and ABS with not the best algorithms, it cannot replace a full-fledged “automatic” - the driver constantly risks being left without traction at the right time and at the same time “enjoys” poking when switching “down” under traction. In addition, in urban traffic jams, the resource of the clutch actuators and the clutch itself is less than 50-60 thousand kilometers, and the price of the gearbox actuators “bites”.
The whole bunch of problems of mechanical boxes F17 remains with "easy-tronics", so that robotic gearbox- perhaps the worst option for Astra.
Those who want a “real automatic transmission” will have to invest in a more powerful motor. Either on petrol 1.8, or find a very rare petrol on Astra 2.2 of the Z 22YH series. In any case, it will be a four-speed Aisin "automatic" of a very respectable design. Aisin 50-40NE was installed with the 2.2 engine, very strong and familiar to many Opel models starting already with Vectra A, and with 1.8 its “younger brother” in the face of Aisin 60-41SN is combined.
The "youngest", despite its excellent pedigree, still does not belong to super reliable boxes, although by modern standards it has a very good resource, and is not prone to unexpected breakdowns. The very reliable mechanics of the box and the valve body resistant to pollution give rise to confidence in the complete indestructibility of this box. But in practice, with runs over 150 thousand, you can expect wear on the Forward package and fourth gear clutches. Latest generations of this box also wear out the cylinder head blocking pad very aggressively during active movement. And with the growth of oil pollution, there are also problems associated with the wear of the linear solenoid for blocking the gas turbine engine, and later - the rest of the valves.
Pictured: Opel Astra Sedan (H)" 2007–14 With smooth pedaling, the automatic transmission is able to pass even for 300 thousand, especially if the oil is changed more often, but in our reality, even with runs of 200 thousand, it most likely should go through with the replacement of all worn components. Fortunately, repairs are usually not too expensive, and consist of cleaning and scheduled replacement of rubber bands, replacing worn-out clutches of the forward and 3-4 package, as well as. The rest of the filling can go many times longer if you do not allow movement at low pressure or oil level and overheating. However, even in this case, the losses will be minimal.
Cars until 2006 still had a specific problem of getting antifreeze into the oil, associated with the design of radiators manufactured by Valeo. Then these radiators spoiled the lives of all automakers who used their services quite well, and Opel was one of the main buyers of their products.
Later design radiators with such problems are rare, usually the cause is a slight accident and an unwillingness to change a radiator that did not leak visually, or "defrosting" of the cooling system. At the slightest doubt about normal operation boxes should carry out the so-called "glycol test" ATF (on good service stations they can do this) or just check for emulsion. Moreover, the glycol test will not hurt to carry out purely prophylactically on any machines with an automatic transmission heat exchanger in the main radiator.
The old AF 22 box, also known as Aisin AW 50-40, found with the 2.2 engine, has a resource comparable to the resource of the machine itself, provided that the auto-neutral function is turned off in time. Otherwise, it requires an oil change on time and careful operation.
And since, due to natural archaism, this automatic transmission cannot do partial blocking of the gas turbine engine and blocks it only from the third gear, it is not afraid of aggressive movement. Dies mainly from overheating, the appearance of cracks in the Forward / Direct drum or extreme wear, lost oil levels and mechanical problems. However, if you decide to put this old "automatic" instead of AW60-41 to Astra from 1.8, the idea is doomed to failure - too many alterations will have to be done.
Engines
With motors, Opel is traditionally doing very well, although at one time 1.6 engines were among the "problematic".
Pump Z18 XER / Z16 XER
original price
Cars before restyling are mainly represented by related engines 1.6 and 1.8 of the Z 16XE and Z 18XE series, which, in terms of block and cylinder head design, go back to glorious ancestors in the face of Opel Ascona and Kadett. Less common are variants of the same engines with a volume of 1.4 liters of the Z 14XE series. These 16-valve engines have a resource of 250 thousand kilometers, they are distinguished by a well-thought-out design, and of the serious disadvantages, there is only a rather weak control unit, prone to overheating and the appearance of solder cracks. The problems that have arisen are usually initially associated with numerous peripheral failures and only then are they repairing the ECU.
In the photo: Under the hood of the Opel Kadett "1988–91 ignition modules and throttle valve have more than a decent resource and need only regular maintenance and cleaning. But the EGR system and the adjustable intake manifold are poorly adapted to our realities. The EGR valve becomes dirty and stops closing, the manifold is also contaminated with soot and oil, the length adjustment dampers fail, up to the breakage of their axis.
But the basis of the engine is made with a margin: the pistons are a little prone to coking, but nothing more, the resource of the valve seals is limited in the first place. With the timely replacement of the timing belt and the elimination of leaks that inevitably arise due to the primitive crankcase ventilation system and clogging of the hole in the throttle space, the motor lasts a long time.
As I said, 250 thousand before overhaul is an almost guaranteed option, there are engines with runs over 400 thousand, only with a moderate oil appetite of 100-200 grams “per thousand”. And when the engine finally breaks down, repairs will not be expensive, because the price of spare parts is ridiculous by today's standards.
The newer 1.6 and 1.8 engines of the Z 16XEP / Z 16XER and Z 18XER series differ primarily in the new cylinder head and the presence of a phase shifter in the timing system of the XER versions, which slightly raises the torque at low revs and increases the maximum power - the 1.8 engine produces very good by the standards mid-2000s 140 hp
The absence of hydraulic compensators is less noticeable, now the valves need to be adjusted with washers, best of all - once every 60 thousand, although the manufacturer optimistically writes about 150. And the extra noise during operation is often associated precisely with the “gone” gaps. A controlled thermostat also appeared, the operating temperature increased, an oil heat exchanger appeared, the type of oil filter changed, and the pump is now not driven by the timing belt.
In the photo: Opel Astra Hatchback (H) "2004–07 The changes had little effect on the maximum resource of the piston group, it is still very high with a reasonable maintenance interval, but the probability of failure of individual nodes has increased. Especially a lot of criticism is caused by phase shifters and their valves, which are prone to unpleasant knocks and cause revs to float. But there is no EGR, and the intake is not polluted. Heat exchangers are prone to leaks for fans of cold annealing, and sometimes their oil filter is also damaged.
The controlled thermostat turned out to be a rather harmful option, DEXOS-approved oils actively “curl” after overheating, and detonation during high temperature happens to motors. At the same time, the quality of the thermostat seals is not too high, so the operating temperature is usually noticeably lower than the calculated one, and if desired, you can set the “cold” thermostat to 85 degrees and forget about the early aging of the oil and the failure of the heater. At the same time, the life of the couplings and valves of the phase shifters also increases, because the latter react poorly to a minimal increase in temperature and frequent stay in traffic jams.
These motors with slightly different calibrations can also be found with the designation A 16XER and A 18XER, they are a little more “thoughtful”, but in fact the motors are the same. The unpleasant features, however, not related to the engines themselves, include the new European technical regulations that have appeared, requiring oil changes at long intervals on cars with these engines. Cars from Europe often have a noticeably worse condition of engines, even with a confirmed mileage, than Russian ones. Consider this when buying and try to change the oil more often, for example, once every 10 thousand kilometers, use oils with a viscosity of SAE 40 and without DEXOS approval - the additive that provides it causes severe coking of the piston rings and heavy deposits inside the motor.
The 2.0 motors of the Z 20LEH / Z 20LER / Z 20LEL series are based on the old Opel block, familiar from such engine series as C 20XE, X 20XEV and millionaires C 20NE. Of course, with a turbine, the resource is usually significantly less than that of an eight-valve ancestor, but the engines take care of their 200-300 thousand, and the maintainability of the design and the price of spare parts are pleasantly impressive. By and large, except for the rarity and not the most successful wiring for motors serious problems simply no. Unless, of course, we do not consider the style of operation and possible tuning with an increase in power to 280-350 hp as a problem.
In the photo: Under the hood of the Opel Astra OPC (H) "2005–10 In imported European cars such exotics as 1.2 engines and 1.6 turbocharged ones can meet, but the chances are about zero.
Diesel engines are mainly represented by the Z 13DTH series, which in practice has a very obstinate character. With high efficiency and a very high degree of forcing, there are enough problems with both fuel equipment and cylinder head corrosion. But the main complaints at low mileage are still on the turbine, EGR, intake leaks and clogged catalyst and particulate filter.
In the photo: Opel Astra OPC (H) "2005–10 Timing kit 1.6/1.8 16V
original price
The presence of a chain in the timing drive is presented by some as a big plus, but in practice this is just a big headache. The resource of the chain is difficult to predict, it ranges from 60-70 thousand to almost 200, depending on the style of movement, oil and its change intervals. The high efficiency of the motor often does not justify increased costs on its maintenance on age machines. And problems with oil flow through the turbine often lead to burnout of pistons and nozzles.
Engines 1.7 and 1.9 are so rare that there are simply no reviews about their use on Astra, but practice shows that engines are noticeably better than diesel 1.3, with a slightly greater appetite. Ask at least.
Summary
It turned out to be a good car, and for many years it confidently competed with its own “heir” in the person of Astra J, if only because sometimes reliability, practicality and interior space are much more important than modernity and beauty. If you buy, look for with minimal damage to the body and careful operation. This is banal, but there are too many cars literally “crumpled in a circle” and somehow restored. This is not the case when it will rot anyway, with a good choice, you can enjoy the car for many more years.
Your voice08.03.2017
Opel Astra 3) is the third generation passenger car German company. Astra has always been popular model, but this generation especially pleased dealers with sales volumes. Recently, the number of used Opel Astra H has increased dramatically, of course, this can be attributed to the regular renewal of cars, since most motorists do this every 4-5 years. But it may be that the owners begin to get rid of their cars after a run of 100-150 thousand km . And, here, what is the true reason, and what disadvantages are inherent in this car, now we will try to figure it out.
A bit of history:
The debut of the Opel Astra H took place in 2003 at the Frankfurt auto show, and in March 2004 the serial assembly of the car began. In the markets of different countries, it was also produced under the names Chevrolet Astra, Chevrolet Vectra, Holden Astra, Saturn Astra and Vauxhall Astra. The novelty was designed to replace the Opel Vectra B, which was popular at that time. In total, to storm the segment " C"or, as they say, a golf class, four bodies were produced based on the Delta platform developed by General Motors - a three and five-door hatchback, sedan, station wagon and coupe.
For most CIS markets, the car was assembled at the Russian Avtotor plant in Kaliningrad, and since 2008 at the General Motors car assembly plant in Shushary near St. Petersburg. The design of the car was developed by the director of the German Opel design studio in Rüsselsheim - Friedhel Engler, who is also the creator of the Opel Corsa. The production of the model ceased in 2009, this model was replaced by the Opel Astra J, but even after the release of the new model, the popularity of the Opel Astra H did not decrease at all, therefore, it was decided to extend the production of this model (the car was produced until 2014 under the name Astra Family).
Weaknesses and shortcomings of the Opel Astra H with mileage
Unlike most competitors, the Opel Astra H has a fairly high quality paintwork. The exception was cars made in Poland, on such specimens the paint swelled and fell off in pieces, fortunately, the manufacturer eliminated all the shortcomings under warranty. The body is completely galvanized, thanks to this it resists the onslaught of the red disease well, but, nevertheless, over time, from the effects of reagents that are generously sprinkled on our roads, you can find pockets of corrosion on the tailgate, door edges and thresholds. On cars of the first years of production, the headlights become cloudy, and the handles of the rear doors may also stick.
Engines
A large number of powertrains were available for the Opel Astra H: petrol - 1.4 (90 hp), 1.6 (105 hp), 1.8 (125 hp) and 2.0 (170, 200 hp) ; diesel - 1.3 (90 hp), 1.7 (100 hp), 1.9 (120 and 150 hp). All motors are quite reliable, but after 100,000 km of run they require little investment. The 1.4 engine proved to be the most trouble-free, but, due to insufficient power, this power unit not in demand among motorists. In the more common 1.6 and 1.8 engines, in our operating conditions, the catalyst and the EGR valve become dirty very quickly. The problem is especially relevant for cars operated in the metropolis. One of the most serious breakdowns that many Astra owners have had to deal with is jammed intake and exhaust camshaft gears. This trouble occurs on a run of 60-80 thousand km, and after repair there is no guarantee that it will not happen again. Signs of a problem will be: increased noise when starting the engine (rattle, rumble) and deterioration in dynamics.
Also, the main disadvantages include a small resource back support engine (becomes unusable every 60-70 thousand km). Often, owners are faced with a malfunction of the ignition system module, the cause of the disease lies in poor contact in the connectors and untimely replacement spark plugs. Closer to 250,000 km, a rupture of the membrane responsible for the recirculation of crankcase gases occurs, located in the valve cover. You can identify the problem by the unstable operation of the engine, as well as by the blue smoke from exhaust system. Very often, the engine is sentenced to overhaul at the services, however, the problem is solved by replacing the valve cover. The most powerful power unit, in most cases, does not require repair up to 150,000 km, but minor troubles, such as fogging of the cylinder head and oil smudges through the crankshaft oil seal , can occur after 20,000 km of run.
All motors are equipped with a timing belt drive, according to the regulations, belt replacement is prescribed every 90,000 km, but there have been cases of a belt break after 50,000 km, therefore, it is better not to risk it and change the belt every 60,000 km. The pump is usually changed every second belt change. Diesel engines are reliable, but demanding on fuel quality and lubricants. Among the shortcomings of diesel engines, it should be noted weak fuel equipment and a small resource particulate filter(replacement every 50-60 thousand km). If the filter is clogged, the thrust disappears, and fumes come out of the exhaust system, like from an old KAMAZ. Also, due to design miscalculations, the engine control unit suffers (it is exposed to moisture and dirt). Of the most costly problems owners face diesel cars- failure of the dual-mass flywheel (resource 100-150 thousand km). Signals about the presence of a problem will be knocking and vibrations when shifting gears, it is worth noting that the gears turn on clearly.
Transmission
Opel Astra H buyers were offered three types of gearboxes to choose from - mechanical, automatic and Easytronic robot. Mechanics is considered the most problem-free, even a clutch kit serves 100-120 thousand km. The only thing for which you can reproach the manual transmission is only for the lack of synchronizers, because of this it does not always turn on correctly reverse gear. Among the shortcomings faced by owners of cars with mechanics, one can single out a leak in the rear crankshaft oil seal and a small resource of the output shaft bearing (60-80 thousand km). On some copies, after 70,000 km of run, cracks appear along the seam of the box. If, when switching from first to third gear, a blow is felt, it is better to contact the service, but, in most cases, it is enough to change the oil to eliminate the ailment.
The automatic transmission is famous for jerking and jerking during gear changes, but you should not be afraid of this, since this is not a breakdown, but a feature of the transmission. The most common automatic transmission problem is the leakage of coolant into the hydraulic circuit of the box, after which the unit completely fails. If the auto-neutral fails, cleaning the jet in the box will most likely help. Upon transition to emergency mode the box only works in 4th gear. The robotic transmission is very capricious and requires attention every 15,000 km (maintenance and clutch adjustment).
During operation, the driven disk is erased, while the point of contact with the basket shifts, but the controller responsible for supplying fuel does not know about the shift in the point of contact and supplies the wrong amount of fuel. As a result, this leads to incorrect operation of the box and premature wear of the clutch. It is worth noting that even with timely maintenance of a robotic transmission, its resource in rare cases exceeds 150,000 km. Before buying a car with a robot, be sure to ride it, if there are strong jerks when switching, it is better to refuse to buy such a car.
Reliability running Opel Astra H
Simplicity is the key to reliability, it was on this principle that the suspension of this model was developed, a semi-independent torsion beam was installed at the back, and MacPherson strut was installed at the front. If we talk about driving characteristics, then the suspension copes well with the realities of our roads, but it is characterized by increased noise. If you do not take into account the struts and stabilizer bushings (resource 20-40 thousand km), the most weak point support bearings are considered to be running, and steering rods, their resource, in most cases, does not exceed 60,000 km of run. Wheel bearings (the ABS sensor becomes unusable after 50,000 km) and ball bearings with medium loads nursed 50-70 thousand km. The rest of the suspension elements serve 100,000 km or more.
The weakest point in the steering mechanism is the steering rack, as a rule, it starts knocking after 100,000 km of run, fluid leakage may also occur, this, over time, can lead to the destruction of the assembly, but if the problem is noticed and eliminated in time, complications can to avoid. To reliability brake system no complaints, the only thing the owners complain about is the small resource of the front pads (30,000 km.).
Salon
The interior of the Opel Astra H is made in a simple style, but at the same time, the manufacturer used sufficiently high-quality materials, but, despite this, almost every car has crickets in the cabin. The car cannot boast of the reliability of the interior electrical equipment. The main problem in electronics is the incorrect operation of the buttons on the steering wheel and steering column control levers, the reason is a faulty steering column SIM module. There are also complaints about the climate control system, or rather, the air recirculation damper. The problem is manifested by a characteristic crack from under the console.
Outcome:
In terms of reliability Opel AstraH not much different from its competitors, but, thanks to low cost maintenance and repair, this car is one of the most interesting representatives of the golf class in the secondary market.
If you are the owner of this car model, please describe the problems that you had to face during the operation of the car. Perhaps it is your review that will help readers of our site when choosing a car.
Sincerely, editorial Autoavenue