VXOC Astra-J/GTC

Hi everyone, my name is Alwyn and I live in Brierley Hill (Dudley).

This is my 2011 Astra 2.0 CDTI SRI in Waterworld Blue.

I have had my car since 2016 and plan on keeping it until it dies really.

I have only really recently started doing some mods to it but have always serviced it myself.

nice looking car mate,welcome

Welcome bud

Doing a bit of modding and making the car feel truely yours is a reason to keep it going as long as it stays economical to do so.

Love my 2.0cdti, it has been through a lot with me and now needs a lot done to it if I am going to keep it rust free and going for another 100k miles.

Look after it and it will look after you.

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Welcome to vxoc

Thanks guys. I started last Autumn by fitting heated front leather seats and leather rear seats.

Nice motor there not many in that colour as well.

Like you I plan on keeping mine till it dies.

Thanks, I really like the colour. I haven't seen many at all in this colour. I really like the 19" wheels that are on it.

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After fitting the seats I had a few problems with the dpf being blocked. I brought the car when I use to commute 50 miles a day, but now it's only 7. Why did Vauxhall in there wisdom not have it so the car told you it was doing a regen?! So I added a led into the dash.





I have seen it come on few times now when on a run to my parents.

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Recently I have fitted an auto dimming rear view mirror, luckily I already had all the wiring in place.

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Also have got round to fitting the leather door cards that came with the leather seats.









I have written up my first how to guide as well for how I modified the rear door cards to fit with window winders.

I got an SE trim which had a lot of stuff with it, such as the auto-dim rear view, auto lights etc.

For a while I was also using a BMW 118i, same age as the astra, but had NONE of these things. You get used to them working for your really easily.

I'm now a little kinder to people with no lights...

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I have run in some extra wires to add an extra boot light, need to wait until the dealers are open to purchase one.

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Also have started installing some rear parking sensors.

The display unit is in place.



Cables in the boot ready.



Sensors sprayed the correct colour.



Today I am hoping to get them all installed and working.

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Yeah, kinda why I went for an astra. Second hand you get a lot more for your money. I have the other wires by the mirror but nothing connected to them. Is it just plug and play for auto lights? Or does it need coding?

@Rusty2009 is your best person to answer that one

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Vauxhall's idea is if you dont get the DPF is full continue driving your driving the car correctly and don't need to be told.

In regards to auto lights it needs programming although I'm surprised you have bits on the windscreen already.

If you PM your reg I check the build spec for you.

Reverse parking sensors have now been fitted. Went okay apart from one of the torx screws in the wheel lining rounded off and took a bit of time to get out.

Been there, done that, zip ties back up

Nice finish. I also recommend the removing of the ASTRA & 2.0CDTI badging. I personally left on the main badge, I don't think the car works with nothing there.

But the rest being removed, less nooks to clean.

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Thank you. I remember once having to bodge a bumper together on my bros car after he hit a badge. Plenty of cable ties and silicon did the trick!

Funny enough I was looking at that today thinking about de badging it.

Think I'll have to go for it now.

I am a particular person, and I found myself spending too much fastidious time when polishing making sure these parts were cleaned up properly.

You'd be amazed how much time I spend choosing things like a ladle for the kitchen, that has clean lines and easy to keep looking good and clean, rather than nooks and crevices that get mucky over time no matter what you do.

Hell, it took my 9 months to find the right microwave.

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Looking goof there, de-bagde is good shout too.

Thank you. Hopefully I'm going to de badge it later today. Have raided the bathroom cabinet for dental floss and found some.

I'm currently waiting for some white interior LEDs to arrive, hopefully they'll come with the post today.

Also sometime I am going to connect the front door card handles ambient lights in. The door cars have them in and I know they work. Unfortunately the loom behind the door card didn't have the cables, so will splice into the elec window wiring.

I make little looms with connectors on so it's easier to remove the door card if it ever needs removing later on.

Yes I have seen. Although I already have some small connectors I was going to use. I'll replace the factory one on the light with what I have. Thanks for mentioning it though.

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No sign of new interior LEDs today, but eventually got round to de badging today. Definitely looks better.

Hell yeah, so much better.

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Looks nice that ?

Looking much better now.

Hi Alwyn, lovely looking car, looks mint.

Nice to see another Midlander on here too :-)

Thank you guys.

I had decided to order some chrome door lock pins. I brought them as I think they look quite nice to break up all the black on the door cards. Also match with the door handles.



The other day I was thinking about the chrome trim around the speakers on the front door cars. I always liked it on my old ones but the leather ones I installed don't have it on. I saw that it can't be easily taken off the old door cards. The trim is about 2mm wide, so I decided to buy some 2mm wide elf adhesive chrome trim. It's not very expensive so thought I would try it.





I looked at the rear door cards and around the speaker is a smooth lip. I decided to try the trim round hear first.









I have only put this on this so far. I think it looks quite good and will do all the other door cards aswell.

That looks well neat. I have never sat in the back of mine long enough to notice there is no chrome trim there :-).

I do like the chrome door pins, might look at getting me some of them, I pressume they are just screw on without removing door cards?

I remmeber back in the Cavalier and Mk2 Astra days, often the lock pin would drop down or sideways once you unscrewed the top if the pin.

I remember using a straw to fish one back under the hole, and after 25 minutes thinking "could have just taken the card off by now" but persisting because I was already 25 minutes in!

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Very true, I'm never in the back either! I like to think the dogs will appreciate it when they are in the back, haha.

These are the door pins I brought:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173340233157

Yeah, they just un screw, might be a bit tight and need some pliers to help. And the rod should just stay in place, it shouldn't fall/drop down.

I've had some interior LEDs arrive aswell have replaced them. Look so much better than the old ones.

Also have got an extra boot light on order from vauxhall, only £3.77. I was surprised how cheap it was.

Today I have now fitted white LEDs in the interior lights, they look so much better.









Also fitted an extra light in the boot. So much better light in there now.



I connected up the ambient LEDs in the the door cards.



I spliced into the wiring going to the window switches, by where the LED connector plug is. I had brought these small electrical connectors to use and make if easier to remove the door card if ever needed.



Finally I finished adding some chrome trim around the speaker grills on the door cards. I'm quite pleased at how they have come out.

Coming along nicely.

After things sort of going back to normal I haven't done anything to my car.

I've started getting together some parts for my next project. It's something that I've thought about for quite a while, but have now decided to do.

I'm going to fit a Navi 650 head unit. I decided to go OEM over an android unit.

I've got a Navi 650 screen, head unit and control buttons from a meriva b. Brought a surround for the screen for an astra. Brought a new tray where there 12v supply is that has a USB port in it. Waiting for a U4D, dab+ module to arrive.

I will also fit a rear camera aswell.





The navi unit also came with a meriva gps aerial. It also has another cable out of it, I think that its off the FM radio?

is there a part number on it I'll look it up & see.

Thanks Rusty, the part number on the aerial is: 13405693.

Had the dab+ module arrive this week and came in the holder aswell.

Aerial is AM/FM & GPS

Always better when they come with the bracket.

Rusty, I did send you an email via your electabiz email address 2/3 weeks ago. About programming for the navi 650 I've got. Did you get this email? No rush in a reply to it, just wanna make sure you have received it

(12:th-Nov-2020, 13:58:24)Jetcolour Wrote: [ -> ]Rusty, I did send you an email via your electabiz email address 2/3 weeks ago. About programming for the navi 650 I've got. Did you get this email? No rush in a reply to it, just wanna make sure you have received it

Yes got to this morning and replied.

This mornings little mod finished.





Decided to start changing all the switch LED's overtime. Never been a fan of the red for switch colours. Myself, I much prefer a white colour.

Thought that would start small and easy on the widow switches. All went well and I'm pleased with the result.

This afternoon I decided to tackle the LED's in the heater control panel.



In the picture they look slightly blue, but they are white like the window switches above.

Coming on a treat

Looking good

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Thanks guys.

I took another pic today of the heater controls. Can see that they are white now better.

Looking good mate.

Thanks Rusty.

I've just changed the headlight switch LEDs over to white this morning.



And i de soldered all the LEDs off the Navi 650 control panel I've got. The wife was getting up then so had to come in from the garage. Will start soldering the white LEDs I have on to it tomorrow morning.

I've re soldered on all white LEDs to the Navi 650 control panel. I've tested all the LEDs individually on the PCB with diode test function on my multimeter. Just need to wait until I install it to check they all work when connected to the car.

Mot time today aswell, so fingers crossed!

Fingers crossed for the MOT.

Passed the MOT today with one advisory, always a relief!

Advisory was slight play in the anti roll bar drop links. Got some on order now, might aswell replace them as they are easy to do and not very expensive.

Half way there with replacing the drop links. Did the drivers side today. Will do the passenger side tomorrow. Took a bit of time to do even thought it is basically only two nuts! All very rusty but got there with time and plenty of wurth 2040.

They can be a sod to do, as you say a simple job made difficult with rusty seized nuts.

I replaced the passenger side drop link on Christmas eve, only took a quarter of the time as the drivers side!

Over the last couple of days I have been upgrading from my CD400 radio to a Navi 650. All in and working with rear reversing camera added, dab+, GPS aerial and USB point. Already had a bluetooth module fitted. Really pleased with it, such an improvement!



Rear camera is in the middle of the number plate lights, you hardly notice it.



Dab aerial mounted on front window, passenger side. So far reception is fine.



Also changed the LEDs on the control panel to white. Not a great photo but they look so much better than red (in my opinion!) Also in this picture 3 lead weren't working, have resoldered them now.



Massive thank you to Rusty for the help!!

How much did the stereo conversion cost

Looking good mate.

I did notice the screen surround is wrong though (think that's a Cascada one?)