VXOC Astra-J/GTC

So, in reality its like shortening the travel on the throttle pedal ? surely there are instances where that isnt a good thing ? like poor traction scenarios ?

(13:th-Sep-2016, 07:09:34)andy2174 Wrote: [ -> ]So, in reality its like shortening the travel on the throttle pedal ? surely there are instances where that isnt a good thing ? like poor traction scenarios ?

It feels like a bit more than just shortening the pedal travel etc. The acceleration is instantaneous, no lag. Car doesn't seem to get bogged down as much in 1st/2nd gear.

Yes it shouldn't be used in bad weather conditions. Heavy rain, ice, snow etc.



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Interesting, I'll have to add one to my shopping list just to see what they are like

It's a bargain if you can get one second hand off ebay. Astra J ones are generic so fit all engines. Lad I bought it from had a 1.4 petrol na. Totally transformed the car for him he said. Sold it on as he was buying something non vauxhall.

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So this weekend I decided to fit some new philips h7 bulbs to see if it improved the headlights. I. E. Dipped and main beam. 30 quid off ebay for 2 sets.

They are definitely whiter and a bit brighter compared to the standard ones.

Let's hope that they last as long as the standard ones.

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While I was messing around with the headlights, I decided to enhance the drls by way of Halfords 580 pure white bulbs. What a disaster.

As per someone on the forums advise, I bent the wire connectors over for a tighter fit in the bulb socket.

Got the one on the right hand side working. Looked great. I then fitted the left hand side one. The bulb didn't come on and I got a canbus error so decided to remove the bulb again. As I was removing it from the socket, it fell into the headlight. FFS. I wasn't about to remove the bumper and headlight so I just put the normal one back in. Halfords only had 1 set for sale.

Anyway I drove around for a day with 1 yellow and 1 white drl which played on my ocd so decided I would have to remove the white one and put the standard bulb back in. Somehow I managed to loose the other white bulb down a crevasse in the body work so I now have 2 white drls rolling around in the engine bay. Never again.





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(27:th-Sep-2016, 14:06:38)marcus Wrote: [ -> ]So this weekend I decided to fit some new philips h7 bulbs to see if it improved the headlights. I. E. Dipped and main beam. 30 quid off ebay for 2 sets.

They are definitely whiter and a bit brighter compared to the standard ones.

Let's hope that they last as long as the standard ones.

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While I was messing around with the headlights, I decided to enhance the drls by way of Halfords 580 pure white bulbs. What a disaster.

As per someone on the forums advise, I bent the wire connectors over for a tighter fit in the bulb socket.

Got the one on the right hand side working. Looked great. I then fitted the left hand side one. The bulb didn't come on and I got a canbus error so decided to remove the bulb again. As I was removing it from the socket, it fell into the headlight. FFS. I wasn't about to remove the bumper and headlight so I just put the normal one back in. Halfords only had 1 set for sale.

Anyway I drove around for a day with 1 yellow and 1 white drl which played on my ocd so decided I would have to remove the white one and put the standard bulb back in. Somehow I managed to loose the other white bulb down a crevasse in the body work so I now have 2 white drls rolling around in the engine bay. Never again.





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Hahahahaha I'm sorry mate I shouldn't laugh but that really made me smile. I feel bad for you though... I dropped a pen knife into my engine bay once and it wound me up so much that I spent about 2 hours trying to find it lol

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Lol. I remained calm and saw the funny side of it having read all about the drl adventures of others. I should just buy those 300 quid projector headlights off ebay and be done with it. Mind you, have to replace 2 tyres which have a slow leak through the inner walls. Never seen that before. Bloke at the local tyre place showed me. Original Super contact 3s on the rear.


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Um now I don't know if you are referring to my advise?

I've never advised the wires on the bulb be adjusted.

I have advised that the metal contacts inside the holder be closed up abit for a tighter fit.

But I had to chuckle to myself.


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Haha. Nah I think I read about it on the 'other' vauxhall astra J FB page. Anyway, lesson learned... Thought I'd share it just the same for a giggle....

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All in a days tinkering eh mate lol.

What do you think of the Phillips bulbs? I've got a set and I expected great things given all the hype, but honestly I don't see much improvement to warrant the £30 price tag.

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Haven't really done any night driving as yet but it's reasonably dark when I leave home at 6:45am.

The new bulbs are certainly brighter but definitely not 130% brighter as advertised. Maybe 30% at a stretch.


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Sounds exactly the sort of thing that would happen to me and the reason why I havent changed the DRL lights !

(28:th-Sep-2016, 08:08:44)andy2174 Wrote: [ -> ]Sounds exactly the sort of thing that would happen to me and the reason why I havent changed the DRL lights !

Lol. In fairness it had already been a long day when I tackled the bulb swaps.

I had to move 3 light fittings around at home and also had to pipe an ethernet cable from my router in the study thru to the lounge. Happy to report that the house has not burnt down.... Yet.

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(28:th-Sep-2016, 07:55:27)marcus Wrote: [ -> ]Haven't really done any night driving as yet but it's reasonably dark when I leave home at 6:45am.

The new bulbs are certainly brighter but definitely not 130% brighter as advertised. Maybe 30% at a stretch.


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Hmm, I'm inclined to agree. For the money I expected better especially after reading all the hype online about them. Oh well, they're in now.

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for vision on the road they are better than the standard lights for sure
i did do a comparasion ages ago in the astra j standard and phillips xtreme vision
the phillips won for vision but if you are just after a whiter light in the headlight
then there not much difference

think these were the shots

standard



extreme vision



maybe you could try the same experiment.

Yeah thats certainly brighter. Thanks

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Been ages since I updated this thread. Car has just clocked 50k miles. Still very happy with it. Only a few changes since the last update. swapped out the power sockets front and back for dual USB ports.

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rear USB port fitted. Only realised afterwards that I would be a little stuck if I ever needed to use the electric pump so added the old socket to the loom but hid it in the back astray.

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(26:th-Mar-2017, 18:39:15)marcus01 Wrote: [ -> ]rear USB port fitted. Only realised afterwards that I would be a little stuck if I ever needed to use the electric pump so added the old socket to the loom but hid it in the back astray.

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How easy was this to do, im not bothered about the front one but want to convert that back to usb ports?

Pretty easy to do. The side panels pull off the arm so you can get to the power socket easy enough. Doubt it is more than 20 mins effort all in.

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Almost embarrassed to post my latest mod...... debadged the car a few weeks ago to, was looking rather plain so went for a dash of colour.....

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link for the udb port...

(28:th-May-2017, 10:30:42)sotoskon Wrote: [ -> ]link for the udb port...

This is the one... eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252250761855

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I must have already usb port in the car like you to install this?

(10:th-Jun-2017, 06:33:18)sotoskon Wrote: [ -> ]I must have already usb port in the car like you to install this?

No, I bought the centre console with the usb/aux in from a breakers on ebay. The M072 has 2 usb ports, 1 connects to the back of centre console and other can be used anywhere.

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Service soon change ur ait filter i hade same problem got AA out nd it was my air filter not letting enuf air through for boost

Been a while since I updated my thread. My rear parking sensors stopped working about 4 months ago so I disconnected them. (faulty sensor, constant beep etc) Anyway after scrapping the concrete pillar at work, I thought I might revisit them as the paint had peeled off one of the sensors completely. Always hated the look of them because they had a black ring around the white bit. Looked sh1te on a white Astra as well....

Found 4 white sensors on eBay for 20 quid, ordered them only to find that the connector was different to the ones I had. So ended up buying a full kit off ebay which cost me another 20 quid.

Old sensors

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Car in bits


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New sensors, job done. Thanks for the how-to Russell.

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Pillar damage. Gutted when it happened. Will get it fixed some time....

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Titanium wheels be gone....

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I think they looked better before.

They needed a refurb anyway , thought I'd try black for a change.

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Photographing black alloys is a bit like trying to get a good photo of your black Labrador. I had one, here a better picture. I quite like the black alloys so I'll be keeping them this colour.

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(27:th-Sep-2017, 19:53:12)marcus01 Wrote: [ -> ]Photographing black alloys is a bit like trying to get a good photo of your black Labrador. I had one, here a better picture. I quite like the black alloys so I'll be keeping them this colour.

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Looks really nice. Probably my favourite combo - white car / black alloys.

Decided to buy a k&n filter as it was on special for 35 euro delivered from euro spares. Arrived yesterday, fitted it last night as you do. Old filter was filthy and was probably the same one I fitted when I bought the car 3 years ago. 50k miles ago.

First impressions, the car is certainly more responsive. Don't know whether its all due to the k&n or just that the old filter was filthy. Certainly a lighter touch on the accelerator required. Actually feels like I have turned the pedal box to sport mode.

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Expensive day tomorrow, car is in for service, cam belt, tensioner and water pump. Car is coming up 6 years and has 62k on the clock.





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Decided to do some work on the car today. I've lost the love for the black wheels so thought I would go back to the original colour.



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Also been having a few issues with the m072 so decided to load the latest kotix custom rom. Seems ok even if the standard music player is knackered. Using xmusic player.

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So I managed to source a 2nd hand DTUK CRDti box for 140 quid.  

I shall be fitting it shortly to see what it's like. 

https://www.diesel-performance.co.uk/tun...956-ccm-2/

Update. Sold my car 2 weeks ago. Decided I wanted a change after 3 years and having driven many rentals over the last 2 years, mostly SUV types. Each time I climbed back in the Astra, I was struck with how heavy everything in the Astra was to drive. (i.e. Clutch, gearshift, steering, on the road etc.)

Anyway, in the end I had also decided that a SUV was not for me (I did develop a soft spot for the Nissan Qashqui diesel though) so opted for a Ford Focus which was one of the many rentals I drove and the best of the lot to drive. I also had a Astra K 1.4 150ps and it was good to drive but it just wasn't as good as the Focus. Also the Astra K forum is a bit of a horror show regarding problems with the Astra K etc. After 5 Astras, I decided I needed a change.

So in the end I got a good deal on a black 2015 Focus Titanium X (1.5 diesel) with 12k on the clock. The 1.5 is quite punchy even compared to the Astra 2.0 cdti. (Less weight, shorter gearing etc.)

Titanium X spec is fully loaded with:-
Bi-Xenons headlights
Part Leather
Park Assist
Climate Control
Electric everything
Front/Rear sensors - Rev camera
Nav - Sync2

Only downside I have found is that Sync3 would have been better as it has Android Auto.

I've managed to sell on all the extra bits and pieces I had for the Astra.

Current plans for the Focus is a Bluefin remap after I put on a few thousand miles.

It's been a blast.

Ciao

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Pic of the focus. I'll pop into the forum every now and again. Rusty keep up the good work......

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A nice car that you have there, I had driven the 2.0 litre diesel version of this Ford which was a fantastic drive but I always like my Vauxhalls from an original Mark 2 Viva, then a Nova, onto a Mark 2 Cavalier, Vectra Mark 1, Zafria B, Astra B through to Astra J, the majority of my cars have been vauxhalls with the odd exceptions being a Fiesta Mark 2 & a Peugeot 207, I suppose that I am comfortable with Vauxhall cars, current model being the GTC Biturbo which in my view is the best car I have driven to date in all the years I have driven, you never know in a couple of years time you might be tempted back from the dark side, be nice to see the progress work on your new car, enjoy.

Yeah always a chance I will have another vauxhall. Ive had all astra generations up to J. (E, F, G, H, J) This one was the only diesel and best of the lot.

Apart from the astras I've also had 2x golf gtis mk1/mk2, ford focus mk1, Honda civic type s, honda accord type s and now this focus. I guess a black ford focus was always on my radar as I nearly bought one focus mk2 on 2 separate occasions but poor trade in value on my focus mk1 at the time stopped me buying them. I guess I got my black focus in the end....


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So it’s been 7 months since I parted with the Astra and I’ve already covered 12k enjoyable miles in the Focus. It’s booked in for a service next week so thought it might be a good time to give it a bit of a writeup and dare I say compare it to my Astra 2.0 VX Line. (For those that are interested ? )
The Focus is a really good car to drive. There were a few things about the Astra that just didn’t sit well with me so I chose the Focus after having one as a hire car for 10 days during the snow of last March. My intention is not to slag the Astra VX line off but just to highlight a few things that annoyed me about it and where the Focus is better is these areas. ?  (No intention of being biased, I’ve owned 5 Astra’s and 2 Focus’s so have spent a lot of time with each)

So the things that annoyed me most about my Astra VX Line:-

1.      No Toys or Gadgets – Lets be honest, the VX line is pretty much poverty spec as far as specs go. Originally when I bought it, I think I must have been blinded by sight of the 19 inch alloys and the VX Line body kit so much so that I didn’t notice how few gadgets it actually came with. (i.e. No auto lights, no auto wipers, no rear electric windows, no folding mirrors, no climate control, crappy radio etc.) In comparison, the Focus Titanium X has a brilliant spec with ambient lighting, anti-dazzle rear view mirror, sync 2 head unit, integrated front/back reverse sensors with rear camera, clear screen defrost, auto wipers, heated part leather seats, excellent auto bi-xenon adaptive headlights, folding mirrors etc.  Very nice place to be.  Pity it doesn’t have Android auto (Sync 3 from 2016 onwards) but you can’t win them all. ?

2.      Fuel Consumption – I only averaged 44 mpg in the Astra whereas I get 53 mpg in the Focus for the same route/same driving style. (Yes Astra is a 2.0 vs Focus 1.5) In comparison my Astra H 1.6 petrol did 40 mpg and my Honda Civic 1.8 did 37 mpg so 44 from a diesel is a bit poor.

3.      The Gearbox – One thing in common with all my Astras I have owned, the gearbox has always been crap. The 2.0 cdti was no exception and probably one of the worst of the lot. i.e. Crunchy 2nd gear especially when cold, poor selection of gears, extremely long 6th gear etc.  In comparison the Focus gearbox is a delight to use. Very smooth.  I found that the 6th gear almost useable when commuting on the motorway in traffic between 50-60 mph. (Constantly changing between 5th and 6th, the focus has shorter gearing so much less gear changes required)

4.      Heavy Front End – The 2.0 diesel engine really is a heavy beast so much so that I found the car to be very front heavy when taking a bend at speed. (A few times I thought I would end up in the hedgerows on a B Road?)

5.      Tractor – My god, the engine in the Astra sound like a tractor at low speed but ok on the motorway. I really noticed this each time I got back to my car at the airport parking after having driven a rental for a few days.

Anyway, I had good service out of the Astra, bought it on 17k and sold it on 70k. Apart from the leaking inlet manifold gasket and DPF sensor giving problems, the rest was good. The ride was good even with 19 inch alloys. The new owner of the Astra really loves the car.  
I thought I might miss the 163hp/350nm of the Astra but the performance of the Focus is pretty close even though it’s a 1.5 tdci. i.e. Probably 150 kgs lighter than the Astra, shorter gearing so it goes just as well especially with a K&N, deres inlet pipe and Bluefin remap. (Extra 50nm at 2000prm ?)

Ciao. See you guys around.

interesting info, nice to read a comparison from someone who has driven the 2 cars long term.

Time on my hands due to Covid19 home lock-in so thought I would update this thread. Hope you guys are all ok.

Despite my gushing about how much I like my newly acquired Focus ,  I decided I needed a change and sold it. (Yip I only had it 18 months .. haha)  

The Focus was a nice car to drive, had all the gadgets but there were a couple of things I didn't like about it.

1. The seats looked great (Part leather) but they were not comfortable on any trip lasting more than an hour. They were quite firm and lacked support lower down in the seat despite having lumbar support.
2. The ride could be a little firm on less than perfect roads. (This was a Titanium X spec so wasn't even a ST Line which is 10mm lower) I did test drive a ST Line and it was a little firm for my liking.
3. The road noise.....having owned a Focus MK1, test driven a couple of MK2's and then owning a MK3 they all suffer with road noise. Surely Ford  could have addressed it along the way.  

I liked:-
1. Averaged 55 mpg over 20K vs 44 mpg I got in my Astra.
2. Controls were light to use
3. The car was good to drive, had a bit of poke with the Bluefin fitted. (Sad to hear of Superchip's demise)

Anyway, I talked myself into a new car by telling myself I needed an automatic due to traffic congestion on my daily commute. (I couldn't really justify buying a new car when I only had 40K on the clock...haha)

Bought myself a 2019 Seat Ateca 1.6 DSG XCellence with 4K on the clock. Had extras like brown leather, heated windscreen and active cockpit.  (Android Auto) Surprised that it doesn't have front parking sensors though. Anyway it is great to drive, mpg is about the same as my Astra. (44-45 mpg)    

I had always detested these compact SUV's having driven most of them as hire cars but 3 weeks in a VW Tiguan changed all that for me.

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The Seat

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Some thing I forgot to mention about the focus. It was fitted with BI-xenon headlights with were adaptive. They constantly gave problems and I had to repair them multiple times. (sheered wires in the directional mechanism) Had to replace bulbs, buy 2 new ballasts. Bloody nightmare. New headlamps are 1000 quid a pop, hence my enthusiasm to keep them going....

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We had the seat as a hire car while insurance was being sorted.

It had a 2.0 Diesel lump was pretty poky lots of room inside, the radio was good android auto as you say and apple play.

Liked playing with the mode knob.

I liked the headlights LED lighting massive difference (However as an on coming driver to car with LED headlights they are far bright and quite blinding) so I'm very mixed over LED headlights.

I found the seating position in the seat very off it was as if you were sat at slight angle and not centred to the wheel or pedals, the wife also noticed it.

(25:th-Apr-2020, 08:07:26)Rusty2009 Wrote: [ -> ]We had the seat as a hire car while insurance was being sorted.

It had a 2.0 Diesel lump was pretty poky lots of room inside, the radio was good android auto as you say and apple play.

Liked playing with the mode knob.

I liked the headlights LED lighting massive difference (However as an on coming driver to car with LED headlights they are far bright and quite blinding) so I'm very mixed over LED headlights.

I found the seating position in the seat very off it was as if you were sat at slight angle and not centred to the wheel or pedals, the wife also noticed it.

Nice hire car there Rusty. : Especially compared to the last one I had in Portugal. (Renault Captur 1.2 lol) 

Yes the Ateca is quite roomy inside especially for grown up kids. I expected quite a firm ride but it isn't but probably still a little firmer than the Tiguan.  The Android Auto can be a bit fiddly to connect first time so best way is to unlock the phone first before connecting. The heated seat buttons are a little low rent IMO. 

I hear what you are saying about the LED highlights. They are absolutely brilliant but I am concerned about the possibility of blinding on-coming traffic. The LED in the Ateca are certainly better than the adaptive Bi-Xenons in the Focus. Focus ones were pretty good on standard bulbs. (i.e. Osram D3S..... When I wasn't fixing the headlights that is  

Not really noticed the seating position being at an angle, but I did notice that the steering wheel seems to be a little further forward on one of the side. I will check it out. 

Thanks