Hi,

So my car is an SRi premium turbo, 70 plate Corsa and I've been having key issues for a couple of years now. Both keys do not open the car using the buttons or by proximity. Occasionally, the proximity works where it unlocks as I get closer it unlocks but only every so often and nowhere near frequent enough to rely on. The car doesn't start keyless either, I have to hold the key to the steering column to start and turn off the engine. It's becoming such a nuisance. I unlock and lock the car manually using the key inside the fob which, on a rainy day or when my hands are full, is not convenient.

I have changed batteries in both fobs and that has no impact. My local dealership recently charged me £150 to test it, only to tell me the keys do not work. Does anyone have an answer as to what the fix could be? My dealership quoted by £800 to replace the keys but with no guarantee that this could fix the issue. I don't want to waste any more money on this but really need it fixing. Has anyone experienced this or have a solution?

TIA,

Katherine.

My timing belt snapped snapped while driving the other day, i timed it up after a video on youtube of someone changing the belt on the same exact model i have.
When the new belt was on we handcranked the engine without any issues or sounds so i’m quite sure the engine survived, but the car still won’t start…
So my question is could camshaft for example be wildly unaligned with the rest as it happened while driving?
And is there a way to realign everything?

Hi everyone,

My daughter has a 1.6 2014 astra. Has always been fine until an hour ago. Running very rough and SERVICE ESP on screen. Googled it and results suggest coil pack. Would the coil pack cause this message? It’s certainly misfiring.

Thanks

So I've changed the bulb and the side light won't work, the DRL is fine and working, but I'm wondering if there's a fuse to check for the side light.

Done various Google searches and not much help, so making this a last attempt at using the internet for a solution before giving up and going to a mechanic.

I believe my car has an issue with one of the fans as it is running between 99 and 105. Is this normal temperature or not

Hello everyone,

I am trying to diagnose a persistent 6-degree throttle position bounce/spike on a 2014 Opel Corsa D (A12XER engine, Bosch ECU/Throttle system).

The Symptom:

• Occurs only on snap deceleration (sudden throttle release from higher RPM) when the engine is at operating temperature.
• During decel, TPS briefly spikes by ~6 degrees, accompanied by a ~50 kPa MAP sensor pressure surge and an O2 sensor lean spike.
• The issue does NOT occur with Engine OFF / Key ON (ruled out pure mechanical throttle plate sticking/binding).

Tests Performed So Far:

1. Throttle Body: Replaced with a new unit; issue persists identically.
2. Grounding & Voltage Drop: Tested Engine Block, ECU Case, MAF, and TPS Ground Pin (Pin C) under load at hot idle. Voltage drop is strictly 0.01V - 0.02V (Grounding is clean, no ground lift).
3. Clutch & Brake Switches: Tested snap decel while depressing clutch/brake pedals; throttle bounce remains identical (rules out pedal switch-triggered anti-stall logic).
4. Vacuum Leak: No external leaks present.

Current Hypothesis: Could this be an air dynamics/pneumatic backpressure issue inside the intake manifold (high vacuum pulse pushing the plate), an alternator voltage regulator ripple during sudden RPM drop, or a known Bosch ECU dashpot/anti-stall routine bug for this engine?

Has anyone encountered a similar TPS bounce or MAP spike on the A12XER / Z12XEP engines? Any diagnostic tips or logging parameters you would recommend checking?

Thanks in advance!

I'm interested to hear what others think about this because I'm at the point where I don't know whether I'm being unreasonable or whether this has genuinely been handled badly.

TLDR:

-Would you expect synchroniser rings and hubs to require replacement on a 2022 van with around 36,000 miles?

-Do you think Autocare are likely to class this as wear and tear or as a covered gearbox failure?

-Is a month plus a reasonable amount of time for this type of repair (gearbox removal, recondition, refit with oil and new clutch)?

-Am I being unreasonable in expecting better communication after repeatedly being told the van would be ready and now having to cancel a booked holiday?

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I bought a 2022 Vauxhall Vivaro from Arnold Clark in October 2025. It had around 30,000 miles on it when I bought it and I also purchased their extended Autocare warranty.

Not long after buying it I noticed the gearbox didn't feel right. The main symptoms were:

-Very notchy selecting 1st gear from neutral with the engine running.

-Reverse was often crunchy.

-All gears selected normally with the engine switched off.

-There was also some clutch judder when moving away.

I took it to Arnold Clark for an inspection and they said the technician could find nothing wrong.

I then immediately took it to an independent VAT-registered garage who confirmed the issue. They checked the gear linkage first, then advised the fault appeared to be internal to the gearbox. They also mentioned the gearbox looked as though it may previously have been reconditioned or repaired, although they couldn't confirm that without dismantling it.

The garage submitted everything through 1Link to Arnold Clark's warranty company (Autocare).

At first I struggled to get a straight answer from Arnold Clark. I was passed between the supplying dealer, Customer Services and the warranty department. Every time I asked whether the diagnosis was sufficient, I was essentially told they needed more information before they could decide.

I also asked Arnold Clark whether they had any record of previous gearbox work because if the gearbox had already been rebuilt before I bought the van, I wanted to know. Their response was that they couldn't see any gearbox repairs on their internal system, but couldn't say for certain whether work had or hadn't been carried out previously.

Eventually I authorised the gearbox removal because there was no other way to move the warranty claim forward.

The gearbox was sent to a gearbox specialist. After a full strip-down the specialist reported:

-Synchroniser rings were slightly worn.

-The wear was causing the stiffness and notchy gear changes.

-They recommended replacing the complete set of synchroniser rings and hubs.

-Repair cost was £1,020 including VAT.

The garage also checked the clutch and said it looked okay, but I asked them to replace it while the gearbox was already out because it seemed sensible to do it now rather than pay for gearbox removal again later.

My concern now is that the warranty may try to reject the claim because the report uses the word "worn", even though the policy specifically lists internal gearbox components and synchroniser hubs as covered items.

The other issue is the timeline.

The van went into the garage on 22 June.

By last Wednesday the garage told me they already had the rebuilt gearbox back.

I was then told:

-It would be ready last Friday.

-Friday came and went.

-Yesterday I was told it would be ready later that day.

-That never happened either, and I didn't receive any update.

The van has now been off the road for over a month. This is now me into the full 5 week. I've also now had to cancel a holiday which the garage has known about from the start and I'm mentioned umpteen times.

The garage itself is a small independent garage rather than a main dealer, so I appreciate they're not a huge operation, but I'm struggling with the repeated missed completion dates and lack of communication.

At this point I'm wondering:

-Would you expect synchroniser rings and hubs to require replacement on a 2022 van with around 36,000 miles?

-Do you think Autocare are likely to class this as wear and tear or as a covered gearbox failure?

-Is a month plus a reasonable amount of time for this type of repair?

-Am I being unreasonable in expecting better communication after repeatedly being told the van would be ready?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's dealt with Arnold Clark, Autocare warranties, or gearbox warranty claims before.

Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice about my car and would really appreciate any guidance.

I bought a 2013 Vauxhall Corsa 1.0 Ecoflex from a dealership. Unfortunately, a few months after buying it, I realised that the engine management light never comes on when the ignition is switched on. I took it to a garage, and they told me it looks like someone had deliberately disabled the light.

To be honest, I feel like I’ve been scammed. If the engine management light was deliberately disabled before the car was sold to me, I had no way of knowing there could be underlying issues, and it’s been really upsetting to discover this months later.

More recently, the car has developed a rattling noise, which I’ve been told could be the timing chain. It also recently passed its MOT with a couple of advisories:

Exhaust centre silencer corroded.
Rear coil springs corroded on both sides.

I have a few questions:

Can the engine management light be repaired and restored to work properly?
Is it worth spending money repairing the car, considering its age and the potential timing chain issue and the issue with the engine light?
If it isn’t worth repairing, what’s the best way to sell it, given that the engine management light has been tampered with?

Please be kind in your responses. I’m just trying to understand the best option and learn from the situation. Thank you.

Corsa steering wheel rock's when locked, is this normal? Would it be an MOT failure?

hi, I have a 1.4 manual corsa d, today while I was driving I heard at spring sound coming from the clutch pedal, while I had pushed it down, after this the clutch pedal feels lighter than usual, and the car is slightly harder to drive(technically I could get used to it as it drives normal) so I stall quite a few times now, just wondered how I can get it back to the normal still kind of feeling.

edit: forgot to mention l, before todays drive i actually knocked the clutch pedal when getting out, but it didn’t start feeling weird till about half way between that drive

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice before taking my car back to the mechanic.

Car:

• 2008 Skoda Fabia Mk2
• 1.4 petrol (63 kW)
• ~142,000 km

A few days ago I had the front brakes (discs, pads and calipers) replaced along with an oil and filter change. I'm not sure if it's related, but these issues appeared afterwards.

Symptoms

• The car drives normally and does not overheat while driving.
• If I leave it idling for around 20 minutes, I get the red coolant temperature warning with beeping.
• As soon as I saw the warning, I switched the engine off.
• There was no steam, no coolant leaking and no burning smell.
• Coolant level is between MIN and MAX.
• Engine oil level is also normal.

The A/C also doesn't seem to work:

• Blower works normally at all fan speeds.
• Airflow is strong.
• Air is not cold at all, even with A/C on and temperature set to minimum. It just feels like a normal fan.

Things I've checked

• Radiator fan spins freely by hand with the engine off.
• I started the engine and let it idle for a few minutes with the A/C on, but I never saw the radiator fan spin.
• I haven't let it idle long enough to overheat again because I don't want to risk engine damage.

Battery issue (possibly unrelated)

The day before, I accidentally left the ignition on (engine off) while cleaning the interior for about 45 minutes. The battery discharged and the car needed a jump start, but it has been starting normally since then.

My questions

1. Does this sound like a failed radiator fan, relay, fuse, or fan control module?
2. Could the A/C not blowing cold and the overheating while idling be related?
3. Are there any simple checks I can do myself before taking it to a mechanic?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi. i have a vauxhall combo 2300 edition td from year 2021. the owners manual has no reference to the type of belt or when to replace it. searching on Internet and AI does not give a direct answer. Where do I find this information when the official car documentation is missing it? tks

Recently purchased a Vauxhall Mokka. Had both the cambelt and water pump replaced due to unknown when it was previously done. Collected the car Friday from the garage and all was fine apart from the garage saying slight squeak from drive belt and suggested I got it changed in next few months. On the Sunday my engine management light came on, I called the garage today to book in for diagnostics where they said that a “service vehicle soon” light came on the dash when they had the car and is it definitely the engine management light. This wasn’t mentioned to me on collecting the car that it had shown up and I hadn’t seen this warning appear myself before or after the cambelt change. I know it’s not an actual reminder for my car to be serviced. Also I don’t think it’s anything to do with my oil, that is on 95% still. Any idea what the problem can be. Dreading the costs of this after just paying for the timing belt and tyres last week. The garage can’t get me in for a few days to do the diagnostic.

So the rear bulb on the tailgate has gone out but I usually get a warning message on the dash but this one hasnt, the reverse light just under it works still so im guessing its not a wiring issue and just a blown bulb despite no dash message like there usually is, am I right in assuming so ?

So my fob been working fine and you know it opens from miles away, all of sudden it only works if standing right next to car, same with spare, I’ve tried re syncing it still the same, what’s the problem please

I’m looking to get my first car and have a budget of around £5k, although I could stretch to £7k if there’s a good reason to (Automatic only).

I never really paid much attention to Vauxhalls until I came across the Astra GTC. I actually really like the look of it, and I’ve seen quite a few decent examples for £3–4k with well under 100k miles. A Civic/Yaris/Auris or Mazda3 would have ordinarily been my first option but I find it hard to justify how expensive a lot of them are (2012+), especially as a first car.

How suitable would an Astra GTC be as a first car? Are there any particular things I should look for or avoid? Has anyone here had one before?

The EMS light has come on my 2016 1.6 CDTI Vauxhall Astra. There are no noises or loss of power, and I have been driving it mostly on the motorway. I will be taking it to a garage as soon as possible but wondered if there was anything I could do to find out why.

​

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

I have a 2012 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 petrol automatic with around 60,000 miles.

The engine starts normally, but when the car is in Park with the handbrake on, the revs sit around 900–1,000 RPM. After about 30 seconds to a minute, the engine suddenly stalls.

If I restart it straight away, it starts immediately but does exactly the same thing again.

When I'm actually driving, the car feels completely normal. The problem only happens when I come to a stop, such as at traffic lights or a give-way junction, where it will often stall while idling.

There are no engine warning lights, and it recently passed its MOT with no advisories.

So far I've replaced:

- Camshaft position sensor

- Mass air flow (MAF) sensor

- Idle air control valve (if that's what the valve is called)

- Engine oil and coolant

- Timing chain

- Auxiliary/serpentine belt

Despite all that, the problem is exactly the same.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello, last week we noticed when you’re accelerating moderately or rapidly it shows “Engine fault: Repair needed” warning with the red wrench, it usually happens by speed 30-70mph, sometimes it beeps 3 times but usually one or two, does anyone have experience with this problem? 1.2T 100HP EAT8 automatic.

Is this is a reg gen? Why was there like smoke coming from my engine bay like my car was cooking lol

Hi everyone,

I have a check engine light on and the code which shows up is that of P0443 which equates EVAP purge valve circuit issue.

My question is whether changing the complete purge valve with a new one solve this issue?

If so, please recommend where I can get the exact one that would fit.

The car is a 2013, 1.4 T.

Thank you.

Car is a insignia 67 plate Apple car play stopped working suddenly it fully stopped then started again today now has stopped again I’ve changed the wires 3 times and reset my entertain system I’ve forgotten the device and forgot the car on CarPlay still nothing It chargers my phone but doesn’t connect to CarPlay

Taking on repairing my boost pipe, it’s broke at the bracket similar to the photo I’ve added, I got a sleeve anoll for it pretty confident on the job. Only worry is cutting the pipe would any like bits of cuts or any particles atoll maybe fall into the boost pipe cause harm