Opel Corsa C Start Problems: 1.3 CDTI Fix

Hello and good morning!

My mother-in-law's car has been giving me some problems for a while now – as mentioned earlier, it suffers from general starting problems, regardless of whether it's hot or cold.

Vehicle specifications:

Manufactured in 2005.
Approximately 45,000 km.
1.3 CDTI (so, a licensed version from Fiat?).
Very low oil consumption.
!!!! Strictly for short distances only!!!!
Climatronic.
No ESP.

The vehicle generally starts very poorly, regardless of whether or not the solution proposed by Opel, which involves a separate clutch, is implemented.

What we've always noticed is the very short preheating time. In winter, at -15 degrees Celsius, it's a maximum of 2 seconds. Now, in the warmer seasons, the light only "flashes" briefly. If you don't know exactly where to look, you might think the LED is broken. Preheating twice in winter, or waiting after the filament has gone out, didn't really help much in winter. Now, in the summer, there's absolutely nothing at all!

The engine then either starts "quite normally" (although it can sometimes take a bit longer – up to 3 seconds in winter) and immediately enters a shaking phase, which sounds similar to the first few seconds of a diesel engine starting in a very old truck (which idles roughly because it can't handle any increase in RPM during that phase). The smoke produced has already triggered the fire alarm. I spontaneously said at the time, "it's running on 3 cylinders." This lasts for about 2 minutes, and adding more gas changes very little; it reluctantly accepts the throttle, jerks and sputters.

After a long back-and-forth, I finally sent my mother-in-law to the authorized workshop with a three-page document (see "Startprobleme Corsa 1.doc" for details) to get them to take a closer look, because things couldn't continue like this. The technicians on site (in a rather small town in Lower Austria) tried to locate the problem, but even after letting the car cool overnight, they could only say that "it runs quite unevenly as long as it's cold." During a subsequent phone call, all my "suspicions" were discussed. The technician couldn't do anything with the "idle speed control" – don't Opel CR engines have that? – but he said that one "injector" had a slightly "higher" return flow than the others. As a "PDE expert," I couldn't really make much sense of that either. All my other "thoughts," such as checking the start-relevant parameters, were dismissed as "normal." Unfortunately, I get the impression that the technician either isn't allowed to say more, or he really doesn't know much about it, or his Opel diagnostic system isn't as comprehensive as our VCDS..."It felt so good – the vehicle had been serviced – new oil was added – a service was performed, and then I really pushed it. After a 30 km warm-up period, with an oil level check and the use of an injector cleaner from a major German manufacturer, I reluctantly drove it for another 250 km."

The result is a smoother engine running, and that my mother-in-law is now driving 10 km/h faster everywhere, and the car has more power - according to my mother-in-law.

The starting problem still exists even after the Ross treatment!

I tested the glow plugs with a testing device, and they are all okay. The battery is also fine; my "ladies" regularly charge it with a CTEK charger.
Now, we're considering either taking the vehicle to a different Opel workshop or seeking service from Bosch.

Does anyone have experience with this Opel issue, or have any good tips on how to fix or deal with the problem?

Thank you very much in advance!

SG
Alevuz.

At the current temperatures, the preheating system on this FIAT diesel is unnecessary! It only activates for a short period when the temperature drops to around 5 degrees Celsius.

As you already mentioned, one injector having a higher return flow can cause starting problems because the defective injector causes fuel to flow back, preventing the fuel rail pump from building up sufficient pressure during startup.

The brief flash of the indicator light corresponds to the visual functional check of the signaling system required for the vehicle inspection (TÜV).

Good evening.

Thank you for your responses.

Unfortunately, the Corsa, as I described before, always preheats for a very short time compared to my other vehicles. When starting the 4 vehicles (Corsa, Yaris, Golf, Treg) at -18 degrees Celsius, the preheating times are approximately: 2/8/6/10 seconds!

Why should it be different with the Corsa, especially since that car is the only one that seems to have problems and certainly won't start on the first try?

This Fiat engine isn't *that* much better that we can almost do without the glow plugs.

I'm sorry, but I don't see it that way! It doesn't make sense to me, especially since the Opel people couldn't even provide me with the temperature values I requested.

Do you think a good Bosch service center can help narrow down the problem?

SG
Alevuz.

I don't know much about this engine, but does it possibly have ceramic glow plugs?
Because that would explain the extremely short ignition times.

Hello everyone!

And I have even less of an idea about the electrical components, but what if someone, just for testing purposes and in a systematic way, disconnects the temperature sensors and then observes the heating times and starting behavior again, taking into account the corresponding outside temperatures?
It's possible that with GM logic, the glow plug system might not preheat at all, in which case the glow plug warning light probably wouldn't illuminate either.
If it works, we might be able to rule out a problem with the glow plug system and the starting fuel quantity.

Best regards from Munich!

DieselBär30x wrote:

...then the preheating indicator light shouldn't flash anymore, I think.

Yes, as Hutfahrer already said, it's a function check.

Even if an implausible temperature sensor value is detected, and the preheating process cannot be performed correctly or as required, the function is no longer guaranteed, and in my opinion, the warning light should remain off.

Okay, I don't know .

Best regards from Munich!

Just like with the TDI models, the Opel with the Fiat engine doesn't glow at all above 5 degrees. At temperatures like today, over 20 degrees, every direct injection engine should be able to start without any problems.

If the vehicle has a euro4 engine, the glow plug monitoring system may trigger an error message even in the summer.

Perform a comparison of return flow volumes. There should be only minor deviations; if there are significant deviations, the injector in question is faulty.
If possible, disconnect the connector from all injectors (if the engine isn't starting anyway, you can leave it connected). Then, using a tester, measure the rail pressure while the engine is cranking. The rail pressure should build up to at least 130 bar within approximately 1 second.
If the pressure is increasing slowly, remove the rail pressure valve and check the sealing ring for damage.
Air must be excluded beforehand.
Rarely, the fuel pump may simply be worn out and unable to build up much pressure when cold, especially if the tank was accidentally filled with gasoline.

Yes, a good Bosch service center with good knowledge of common rail systems can perform the inspection.

"I used this engine, marketed as the "1.25 DDIS," in a Suzuki Ignis from 2004 to 2007. The glow plug system in the Suzuki was similar to the quick-heating system used by FIAT, featuring glow plugs controlled by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). In my car, three out of the set of factory-installed glow plugs lasted only about 60,000 km and then had to be replaced. They were Bosch glow plugs, but I no longer remember the exact model number after all this time. Replacements were also the same type, as there were no suitable alternatives. It's important to note that most glow plugs that are electrically and mechanically compatible are not suitable for the installed glow plug system if they are not designed for afterglow functionality."

As previously described, this engine does not glow at all, or only for an extremely short period, at temperatures between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius. By "extremely short," we mean that after the glow plug indicator light flashes briefly in the instrument cluster, it only indicates that the glow plugs are being activated at 100% power for a very short moment, and their current draw is monitored. This allows us to determine if all glow plugs are still functioning. Individual faulty glow plugs will leave a diagnostic trouble code that can be read via OBD. A completely failed glow plug system (all glow plugs defective or another failure) will cause the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) to illuminate. No limp mode or engine failure to start has been observed.

Depending on the ambient temperatures, the glow plugs may remain active for a longer period after the engine has started, if necessary. There were different software solutions for this. One solution used reduced power for a fixed amount of time after the engine started and then simply turned off the glow plugs. The other solution evaluated the rising coolant temperature and kept the glow plugs active at reduced power until the engine had reached approximately its operating temperature. This could be a very long time in cold conditions, especially with frequent short trips or city driving. Side effects can include faster wear on the glow plugs and, with predominantly short trips, potentially battery problems over time.

I seem to recall that in the Opel Corsa, the simpler solution with a fixed post-glow time (I believe 180 seconds) was used. OBD failure monitoring was already included, and this engine was only available with Euro 4 or better emissions standards from all manufacturers.

With three faulty glow plugs, my vehicle started without any issues even in temperatures just above freezing, and even light overnight frost didn't cause any starting problems. I only needed to pre-heat for longer than 10 seconds, with the glow plug indicator light on, after nights with temperatures below -25 degrees Celsius. Then, the starter motor would sound like it was struggling to turn the engine over, and the initial start-up sounded like rusty washers were being used. Otherwise, I can't remember any prolonged cranking with this engine; it practically started immediately when cold. It only took more than one crankshaft revolution to start after a short stop with a hot engine, for example, when refueling. It was like this from the beginning and has never changed.

Conclusion: Assuming the glow plug system is technically sound, it is very unlikely to be the cause of the problem. Furthermore, like the rest of the engine, it can be diagnosed down to the smallest detail via OBD. Therefore, the fault must lie elsewhere.

Quote:

The engine then either starts "quite normally" (although it can sometimes take a bit longer – up to 3 seconds in winter) and immediately enters a shaking phase, which sounds similar to the first few seconds of a diesel engine starting in a very old truck (which idles roughly because it can't handle any increase in RPM during that phase). The smoke produced has already triggered the fire alarm. I spontaneously said at the time, "it's running on 3 cylinders."

This lasts for about 2 minutes, and giving it a bit more gas changes very little; it reluctantly accepts the throttle, jerks and sputters... }


I'm not an Opel/Fiat expert, but...

- A cold start time of 2-3 seconds in winter isn't that alarming anymore.

- Even more alarming is the irregular engine running.
- I would rule out the heating system because of the shaking problem (which takes too long).
It lasts for minutes.
- I would start by checking whether the engine runs on all 4 cylinders when cold, or...
As suspected in the initial post, it's running on a 3-cylinder engine.

- Check/have checked the rail pressure/build-up (as mentioned by T3Serfer).
- If the leakage rate of the mentioned injector is "too" high --> replace or have it replaced.

- Another theoretical possibility ---> insufficient compression in one or more cylinders.
e.g., due to sticking hydrolics (if applicable) in cold conditions.

A good Bosch service center should be able to find that quickly.

Hello,

THANK YOU to everyone for your answers and tips!

We're going to visit a reputable Bosch service center now and hope that they can figure out the problem!

Best regards from Tyrol.
Alevuz.

hello,

We also had a 1.3 CDTI in for work, and the seal in the fuel pressure regulating valve was completely broken.
He also had starting problems .

Best regards, Eric.

Hello,
The acrid white smoke during startup and the uneven engine running, especially when the engine is cold, indicate at least one faulty injector. The outlier in the return flow volume already suggests this.
I experienced a similar issue with my now discontinued A 170 CDI. The car was mostly driven in short distances and with a gentle driving style. However, driving about fifty kilometers more aggressively improved the idle and performance for a few days.
The faulty injectors can be identified by reading the injection control data (have this done by a Bosch or Opel dealer, as VCDS cannot help with this). The values for the faulty injectors will be significantly higher.
I wouldn't drive the car much anyway, because the leaking nozzle will quickly burn a hole in the bottom of the piston.
hg
Herbert.