I know why the Astra is rattling FINALLY!

At long last I can reveal what is causing the Astra engine to rattle and what I am going to do about it
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[@rusanyukaare179]

Love the birds tweeting in background

[@SteveSmith-ky7tb]

I have an Astra H 2007 1.6. Has a full service history, owned it since 15k miles now 137k. It developed the same knocking noise as this one at around 70k, knocking did get louder up to 100k. The baffling thing is that when cold no knocking, once up to temperature it's there. Even more baffling is that the noise can disappear altogether for a couple of days but always comes back. Car drives fine with now obvious ill effects.

[@brendonelton]

Heat expands the internals, loosening everything up.

[@itswais77]

Just heard the rattle, good thing you changed before it'd fail on you

[@steve0680657]

Just drop the sump off and change the big end bearings. You don't need to take the pistons out, or upset the timing. It's VERY unlikely the small end bearings are a problem.

[@etiennenel4494]

i got this bearing play on number 2 cylinder, can i just do the one or better do one do all of them, have i just answered myself?

[@etiennenel4494]

and remove the other caps maybe and check for excessive wear on the copper that's scraped off

[@steve0680657]

@@etiennenel4494 bearing shells are sold in packs of 8 (2 for each of the 4 rods). Considering the effort of draining the oil and dropping the sump why wouldn't you do them all? If 1 has worn out the others won't be far behind.

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

Crank is probably worn

[@johnwright6418]

Hi great videos I'm having the same problem with my lower inlet manifold when you took the engine out did you keep the lower inlet manifold cheers

[@vauxrez8831]

Yes I did

[@johnwright6418]

@@vauxrez8831 are you keeping it or are you willing to sell it thank you

[@711gsxrblah]

you can do it anywhere on the downstroke

[@jeffersonelias7447]

I'm having the same rattling with my Active 1.4. Is it really worth it getting it fixed? The rattling is exactly like yours so I would think it's the same issue?!

[@vauxrez8831]

depends on how much you like the car, how old it is and whether you can do it yourself, probably not worth it if you have to pay a garage and its an older car

[@jeffersonelias7447]

@@vauxrez8831 it's a 2006 car and I will change it myself. Its the timing chain so I'm thinking about changing the whole thing. For aftermarket parts, how much would you expect for a kit to cost if you're not keeping the car for long (or not running long miles with it)? Tks

[@Wiltshire-observer]

I think I might have tested the oil pressure at idle when hot. It’s not a definitive test but would confirm big end(s) if they were that bad. It’s unusual for modern engines to fail in that way, but of course poor servicing or none at all will see them off quickly.

[@vauxrez8831]

Not a bad idea but I didn't have anything to check the oil pressure with at the time, also asked the opinion of the mechanic during an MOT and he said deinitely bottom end, also judging by the ammount of carbon build up and general crud in the top end added to the fact that the PCV valve (built into the cam cover) was blocked, I don't thing the car was serviced that often if at all !

[@nothisisshaunwright5204]

Just out of curiousity, why is the car in your logo an Audi R8 if you deal with Vauxhalls?

[@vauxrez8831]

Can't see the resemblance myself, just intended to be a generic car outline :)

[@miksedk]

So, what was the final issue? lower connecting rod linkage to worn? That was what I thought about first. Nice to know that can be an issue. Got an 04 Limited Edition Wagon. 105bhp/150nm no issues yet other than I can start feeling the performance is softening out. previous owner never change oilfilter I think. have had it for 1½ year now. it's a great car. just a tad more luxurious than my old Astra G Wagon. It could just be the upper connecting rod linkage by the piston. so maybe not a big restoration. But I know, it all adds up. In that same position. And in these times, maan crazy fucked up world. And here in Denmark, it gets pretty pricy for an engine restoration

[@vauxrez8831]

Hi, thanks for your comment, I haven't stripped the old engine down yet to find out the exact issue but I will do at some point, I ended up fitting a second hand engine as the cost was much the same as rebuilding the old one and a lot less time consuming This car had not been serviced properly for a long long time so who knows what other issues I might have found

[@miksedk]

@@vauxrez8831 If the economy is for it, I'd get the old engine rebuild or at least fixed. If the cost was much the same, I'd sure do it.

[@steve0680657]

Engines naturally wear out the bottom connecting rod bearings first. It's very rare for small end (where the con rod the piston) bearings to be a problem, even on 200,000 mile / 300,000km engines... Even with infrequently changed oil it will still be the big end (bottom end) bearings that wear out first.

[@miksedk]

@@steve0680657 so, as we call it here in Denmark, a Monday-car, where it's one between many that has one or few issues that actually comes from the factory. The old Ascona C had some of them that had issues with fast wearing camshafts. My grandad bought one from new, and got the camshaft changed at every 20.000km cause of wearout. Then he tried to get it changed with an unoriginal camshaft, that held for 30.000km. so basically every third year he got it changed, but Opel wouldn't acknowledge that it was a problem on some of the Ascona C models. Which many mechanics knew at the time.

[@matthewking5612]

Sad, seems a nice guy too :(

[@vauxrez8831]

What's sad, who seems like a nice guy?

[@stuartwise5998]

Bottom end. You can hear it. Drop the sump check the bearings

[@o0owolfyo0o]

M8 can a Vauxhall Astra H diesel have the same problem? I've put a lot of money into her an still have this sound. Would it be alright if I took a video of the sound an send you to see what you think???

[@vauxrez8831]

The issue for me was play in pistons 2 and 3 so a bottom end problem a diesel could suffer from this too, feel free to upload a video, I'm not a professional mechanic but I'll do my best to help if I can

[@o0owolfyo0o]

Buddy can I send you a video of the Astra noise please...

[@jounilaukkanen27]

Hi, where do you rotate engine ?,both wheels up and from the tire nut?

[@vauxrez8831]

I take the left hand wheel off (looking from the front of the car) and a small panel in the wheel arch liner and use a socket on the crankshaft pully

[@jounilaukkanen27]

@@vauxrez8831 thanks , have an issue witj Opel Astra j, p0017 code , just ordered crankwhaft and camshaft sensors

[@alexandrumarius8060]

HI guys Last year i bought an Opel astra H 1.6 16v twinport petrol..... And I have problems with the oil .....Is not leaking....no black or blue smoke..... I didn t find any oil on the engine . I was driving 120km i had 3 lines of oil on the gauge and after all this km just 1 line......( PS I WAS DRIVING WITH MAXIMUM 140KM/H ..... And the second problem sometimes is feeeling like is losing power..... Any ideea ?

[@vauxrez8831]

I have read that these 1.6 engines do use quite a lot of oil, on both the old and the replacement engine, mine was using about 1 litre every 500 - 750 miles (800 -1200 km) not sure what 2 lines equates to in litres, slowly add some oil and see how much you need to put in to bring the level back up, maybe obvious but did you let the car sit for a few hours after driving before you checked the level and was it on level ground both before and after your trip

[@stefanp.7986]

Also have the same problem with my Z16XEP. Where i the oil going if it's not burned or leaked??? Very curious.

[@inbox0000]

do you have the link to the video showing it rattling?

[@vauxrez8831]

Hi, yes, its in the very first video, here's a link to the exact point in the video kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHyTY6GMnMppY7c

[@inbox0000]

@@vauxrez8831 cheers , sounds a bit like mine now kzbin.infoGWKIPXdroTg

[@loyalty786]

Hi, Interested to watch your content in repairing oh replacing the Engine. When will the next content will be uploaded? By the way what engine engine is this THANK YOU

[@vauxrez8831]

If you have a look on my channel, there are over 30 Astra videos, most of which are about replacing the engine, its the Z16XEP engine

[@carolineread7609]

Hi. My husband wanted to contact you directly to ask about astra 1.6 we have tried your email comes back undelivered - we are looking for a low mileage 1.6. H series fsh. Can you help ? with maybe your connections

[@vauxrez8831]

Hi I have tested my email and it appears to be working OK so not sure what went wrong there, I'm afraid I don't know of any low milage cars for sale, I'm not in the trade, just a humble DYIer 😊 good luck in your search

[@robertspringett7208]

I had one make that noise swear blind it was camshaft or tappets but turned out to be inlet manifold flap inside manifold rubber seals worn away 2nd hand manifold sorted it

[@vauxrez8831]

I had hoped that was what was causing my noise but turned out to be more terminal

[@jimmydcricket5893]

That's not a rattle, that's a knock. Knock knock, who's there? Your big end and it wants out.

[@vauxrez8831]

Yep, turned out to be bottom end

[@jimmydcricket5893]

@@vauxrez8831 Did you end up finding another motor and installing it?. I've been torturing a 2003 Astra TS model for the last 60,000km great little cars long as new timing belts and water pumps done every 60k to 90k with regular oil changes, been using full syn Penrite HPR 5 with Ryco synthetic filters, does a 500km to work and back each week sitting on fast, cheers.

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

Probably started it's life on a rental fleet.

[@vauxrez8831]

Not as far as I am aware, appears to have been serviced ok up until the last 2 owners

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

@@vauxrez8831 They dispose before the first service is due. Cars on 15,000 tend to be ex rental

[@simonford1513]

Sounds like the tappets

[@vauxrez8831]

I initially thought that but it was far worse, keep watching to find out 😉

[@dimisrambodimisrambo7285]

what is rat ring?

[@vauxrez8831]

I have no idea, did I say that 😁

[@tridaks]

Are you sure it's not the Dephaser pulleys?

[@vauxrez8831]

Hi, thanks for your comment, the 1.6 XEP engine doesn't have them, they are fixed pulleys, they are only on the 1.6 XER

[@padraigomadain6681]

@@vauxrez8831 Thanks for clarifying that! I was sweating bullets for last couple months! I am in possession of the XER design 1.6 manual and I really like the car, was cheap and served me well for the past year coming to and fro between UK and Ireland and put up about 10,000 miles. Great video by the way explaining!

[@instantskincareanti-agingn6232]

Rattling could be from inlet manifold flapps.

[@vauxrez8831]

I thought that initially and did a couple of vids on re-sealing them but unfortunately the cause was far worse

[@jarcun11]

It’s main engine bearing just replaced problem gone.Don’t replace the engine it’s waste money

[@vauxrez8831]

Hi, thanks for your comment, I think the issue is probably 1 or 2 big end/con rod bearings, I felt it was false economy to strip the engine that far and not replace all bearings, and piston rings given that the engine had not been serviced correctly for years and the failure was probably due to lack of oil changes the cost of replacing all those parts worked out about the same as the replacement engine

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

The Z18XE is much tougher

[@dannyjohal9817]

Yes it is the top of engine head makeing that taping noise but only 5 min job & £5 in cost very easy fix but people spend £500 on new timeing chain & tappits & noise is still there I should get a job at Vauxhall that's how good I am with fixing that tappin noise from Vauxhall petrol engines mostly corsa

[@vauxrez8831]

Hi Danny, thanks for your comment, in my case it was actually a piston issue so cheapest option was to replace the engine, I haven't stripped the old engine down yet to find the exact cause

[@andrebessa705]

Hey! I need mine fix Danny - are you anywhere near Cambridgeshire?

[@vauxrez8831]

@@andrebessa705 I'm actually in Cambridgeshire but have no idea what fix Danny is talking about, hopefully he'll share it with us :)

[@aleksandarjovanovic8862]

​ These engines don't have tappets / valve lifters so it's not them making noise.. Corsa has them and they make noise in 90% cases... but here it's not

[@TheBigfella53]

i wanna see danny change the timming chain lol

[@kenwarriner69]

You want to be on the downstream not tdc

[@vauxrez8831]

it was just over TDC as it started on the downstroke

[@GreatUncleBuck]

Inlet manifold problem?. I found this info: "Astra H inner manifold tapping/tractor noise as you can see in my video the inner part of the inlet manifold is loose i found that the internal seal/gasket had perished causing this inner lining to tap against the manifold housing. I opened the manifold up and just reseated the inner skin with some high temp gasket seal and it solved the issue straight away now months later the engine still has no tapping noise it took approximately 1.30hrs to complete start to finish." Here's the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2TPmJVmm52raLs

[@vauxrez8831]

Hi, thanks for your comment, I did go down this route in one of my earlier videos, sadly the inner manifold was firmly fixed, I did reseal it anyway but still had the knocking noise :(

[@55denzil]

Many miles on that engine

[@vauxrez8831]

Hi Denis it had 123K on it and by the amount of sludge and carbon build up I doubt it has had many oil changes !

[@itswais77]

@@etiennenel4494 any weird noises?? One time that code came up was cause sensor was knocked by timing chain