Karl’s Asylum

I’ve been calling round garages to see about sorting out the Astra thermostat. I figure Vauxhall say change the timing belt every 8 years/80,000 miles, and this car MAY only have 55,000 on the clock, but it IS 9 this year…so in one way it’s not due, in another it’s overdue.

May as well get it done, get the ’stat done at the same point (as they’re interlinked), and forget it for the next 6 years or so with luck. First price I got was £206…not awful. Then I had a thought - the excellent local garage I used for the old Astra when they transformed it’s roadholding! One call later, I got a full breakdown of parts and labour, and a quote for a full timing belt kit, rollers etc, and thermostat for £136, including VAT and fitting. That’ll do nicely!

I also called Vauxhall about the ECU light - “we need to connect it to our diagnostic kit”. erm, no. Sorry chaps, I did the self diagnostic mode. “What self diagnostic? Oh, right, THAT one.” I said “it’s a code P0400 EGR valve, on a 2000 year Z16SE 8 valve, I know the part is about £60, but I ALSO know about the Vauxhall Field remedy for it, and more to the point the ECU software update that writes the valve out of the management system. How much for that update?”

“Erm. You’d need to bring it in, and we can plug it in and check the software on the car, then if it IS out of date, we can update it in the price, which is £60.”

Not awful, either…first, I want to try cleaning the valve and resetting the ECU myself, and I’ve seen some inventive solutions to this EGR valve issue too. The £60 will keep.

EDIT: The fault light went out of it’s own accord on the run home from shopping..which is even better!

Then I get home, and we’ve got our quarterly gas and electric bills. According to my spreadsheet, it should be £206 on the gas, and £50 on the electric.

It’s actually £164 gas, and £43 on the electric! Rock on. About £5 a week power, bang on target.

It’s not visible, but I got a nasty comment on my last entry saying “Jems going to be fat, haha”. Oh dear, is this supposed to in any way make any impact on either of us? WE KNOW, you moron. That’s what pregnancy DOES to a body. Does it bother either of us even a tiny bit? No!

As to the (assumed fake) e-mail username of “poorunfortunatebastard” - if that was aimed at me, you fail. If it’s a description of yourself, congrats - it’s accurate. Heh.

WHEN will people recall that I’ve worked in schools for years now, and that infantile and imbecilic behaviour like this fails to impress or affect me? I’d maybe expect this off a year 7..but even then I have my doubts. They’re more adult that that!

The thing is, and this is the main thing…I’m happy. Jem’s happy. We’re all happy, very happy indeed..this is a hectic time but..it will hopefully lead to a life-changing event, that all the money in the world could not buy. I’m 40% dreading it, 60% looking forward to it and all that it brings. It makes you take a long hard look at life, and yourself in relation to it. There are many things to worry and stress and get depressed at in this life right now..and then there’s this on the other end of the seesaw..and it wins every time.

Anyway, I digress. I have the Astra, the Golf went back..I will miss it, it was ace. Maybe when I’m older and willing to let go of a bit of my inner child, I will get a Golf. They’re just a tad serious for me right now.

I’ve had a £400 settlement on the old Astra..now, I paid £1700 for it 5 years back, it was immaculate, and it had a full fuel tank..so I’m not overly impressed with this amount, but on the other hand it was a 13 year old car with 117k on the dials..so…we’ll see. I’m sleeping on it.

I’m now working on sorting the X reg out..it has a few scuffs, an iffy wingmirror, some faded trim, and the interior is a bit drab..but everything works including the aircon, and it’ll grow on me. Heatgun will sort the trim as it did on the other one, the mirror will be easy to sort, as will the scuffs (spraypaint FTW), and the interior..well…I’m SURE I can do a lot with it. It’s still very nice.

I’m also fully intent on purchasing a £30 OPCOM laptop based diagnostic/programming system for it..it’ll save me time and money if it plays up, plus it’ll give me an insight as to how all the onboard systems work together. I know this is not a cable throttle - it’s all drive-by-wire now. The MPi system is different to what I’m used to, as is the “auto-neutral” system on this AF13 gearbox (although it’s the same box as the old one, but it looks like the control logic has changed), and the Electro-hydraulic power steering is quite a fascinating idea too..we’ll see how it goes in practise.

15″ wheels and wide tyres take some getting used to as well..

Update: Whoops. First long run in it, and I have a failed ’stat by all counts..the engine only moves off “C” if I’m in traffic. Arse of a thing to fix. Also got an emissions warning light on the dash on the way home. It seems if you hold down the brake and accelerator on Astra-Gs and the like, then turn the ignition on, it’s electronics systems warning lamp flashes out any stored fault codes..I have a P0400 code, or “EGR valve” problem. Not uncommon, not expensive, not overly critical. It had the warning on when I saw it, but it got cleared. Looks like the valve’s a bit screwed!

MUST get the diagnostic equipment to clear the fault out..first things first, must find the warranty and get the ’stat done under it..and maybe the timing belt and water pump too for good measure. Nil desperandum.