Hi, I'm having a couple of issues with my Astra, wondered if anyone have any initial ideas on the fault...
On Saturday I was driving on the motorway, around 75 - 80 MPH. I'd been driving for about 25 - 30 minutes.
All of a sudden, I lost drive to the engine. I was still getting rev's and the engine was running. I was in fifth at that point. I moved onto the hard shoulder and tried it in 4th, still no luck. I managed to coast it into the services and park up.
There was quite a racket from under the bonnet, which I took to be the fan on the radiator. When I knocked the engine off the noise continued for a little. Bit of smoke or steam came from radiator area.
I left it 5 or 10 minutes with the bonnet up to cool off, as I was assuming the issue was overheating at this point.
I looked in my Haynes manual and the issue sounds like the clutch slipping.
I restarted the car and it bit no problem in first when rising the clutch. Off I went again. It did seem sluggish through 4th and 5th as I recall but I managed to hit 70 - 80 again.
I lost drive again and hit the hard shoulder, this time I left it running and got back on around 3rd / 4th gear when pulling off the motorway.
Managed to get the car home no issues in lower gears.
I checked under bonnet again and it was making a racket. Checking my coolant level it was low, I checked again on Sunday morning with it cool and it was still woefully low. I tried filling to slightly above the cold line and it drained straight out of the tank. I looked under the bonnet and it did begin to leak, although not by the rate that the coolant drained out of the tank.
So my first issue is either a radiator leak or something along that path. I have driven my car this morning about 7 miles, never in 5th and left it with my mate whose going to look under the bonnet and use some rad seal if it's feasible and also look at the other issue.
Is it possible that the issues are linked? Some kind of over heating stopping the drive? There have been no warning lights at all through it all - suggest a mechanical issue? Shouldn't a warning light come on if my coolant is so low? I.e. it looks as if any is even in the tank when cold.
Thanks in advance.
(58 plate / 78k)
On Saturday I was driving on the motorway, around 75 - 80 MPH. I'd been driving for about 25 - 30 minutes.
All of a sudden, I lost drive to the engine. I was still getting rev's and the engine was running. I was in fifth at that point. I moved onto the hard shoulder and tried it in 4th, still no luck. I managed to coast it into the services and park up.
There was quite a racket from under the bonnet, which I took to be the fan on the radiator. When I knocked the engine off the noise continued for a little. Bit of smoke or steam came from radiator area.
I left it 5 or 10 minutes with the bonnet up to cool off, as I was assuming the issue was overheating at this point.
I looked in my Haynes manual and the issue sounds like the clutch slipping.
I restarted the car and it bit no problem in first when rising the clutch. Off I went again. It did seem sluggish through 4th and 5th as I recall but I managed to hit 70 - 80 again.
I lost drive again and hit the hard shoulder, this time I left it running and got back on around 3rd / 4th gear when pulling off the motorway.
Managed to get the car home no issues in lower gears.
I checked under bonnet again and it was making a racket. Checking my coolant level it was low, I checked again on Sunday morning with it cool and it was still woefully low. I tried filling to slightly above the cold line and it drained straight out of the tank. I looked under the bonnet and it did begin to leak, although not by the rate that the coolant drained out of the tank.
So my first issue is either a radiator leak or something along that path. I have driven my car this morning about 7 miles, never in 5th and left it with my mate whose going to look under the bonnet and use some rad seal if it's feasible and also look at the other issue.
Is it possible that the issues are linked? Some kind of over heating stopping the drive? There have been no warning lights at all through it all - suggest a mechanical issue? Shouldn't a warning light come on if my coolant is so low? I.e. it looks as if any is even in the tank when cold.
Thanks in advance.
(58 plate / 78k)