Technical Car/Motor Issues > Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happened There?
Thread Author: Robin O'Reliant Replies: 23
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 17:35 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happened There? - Robin O'Reliant
Changing the oil and filter this pm, fitted a new sump plug and it went loose as I tightened it. I thought I'd stripped the thread in the steel sump, but when I re-tried with the old nut it nipped up nice and tight. There is no evidence of any stripped threads round the plug I removed which I would have expected had the sump threads failed. Is there an insert in a steel sump which might have let go, I can't find any eveidence of one, or maybe it was actually the ratchet on the wrench which had a moment.

And should I worry?
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 5 Apr 13 at 13:56
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 18:06 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - bathtub tom
Does the new plug have a compression fitting to seal against leaks?

My Nissan has a compressible, copper washer. I was removing and annealing it at each oil change until NC enlightened me.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 18:27 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Robin O'Reliant
The now plug was supplied with a copper washer. It wasn't the fact that the washer was compressing that made the plug seem loose though.

Anyhow, just had a 5 mile run and all ok, no drips.I'm still mystified and a bit concerned though.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 19:46 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - -
Do you happen to have a nut to fit the new sump plug you haven't fitted, if so i'd try running a nut up the thread and see what happens.

I'm wondering if the new plug was badly machined or indeed was the wrong thread entirely, seems the only explanation if the old one has tightened securely.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 20:21 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Zero
>> The now plug was supplied with a copper washer. It wasn't the fact that the
>> washer was compressing that made the plug seem loose though.
>>
>> Anyhow, just had a 5 mile run and all ok, no drips.I'm still mystified and
>> a bit concerned though.

It would worry me, its the not knowing the why that does it.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 19:43 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Victorbox
I only ever change the copper washer and re-use the same sump plug over and over.....
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 20:19 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Robin O'Reliant
>> I only ever change the copper washer and re-use the same sump plug over and
>> over.....
>>

I buy a plug and washer because for reasons best known to themselves Halfords charge £2.49 for a washer and £1.99 for the plug and washer. It's not a one of misprint on the pricing because it's been like that for at least a few years.

Looking at the thread on the failed plug there is slight evidence of burring so that may have been the problem rather than the thread in the sump. Nevertheless it is secure and tight now so I'm going to leave well alone and buy an extractor pump for future use.
Last edited by: Robin Regal on Tue 2 Apr 13 at 20:19
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 20:21 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Zero
>> I only ever change the copper washer and re-use the same sump plug over and
>> over.....

VW only sell the washer fixed to the nut.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 20:35 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Number_Cruncher
>>Halfords charge £2.49 for a washer and £1.99

Last time I bought one from a Vauxhall dealer, the copper washer was 11p.

If you must fit a new plug, I would splash out, and buy a genuine one rather than fitting a spurious part.

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New Tue 2 Apr 13 20:39 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Robin O'Reliant
>> If you must fit a new plug, I would splash out, and buy a genuine
>> one rather than fitting a spurious part.
>>
>>
>>
Lesson learned, but I've never had problems with Halfords stuff before. There is no Vauxhall dealer with in miles of me, the local fellow in Haverfordwest lost his franchise a few months ago.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 20:42 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Number_Cruncher
A few Vauxhall dealers sell via mail order on Ebay - Pentagon, for example - they'll be able to place one on a buy it now type auction for you.

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New Tue 2 Apr 13 20:47 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Zero
the oil filter and sump washer are the only genuine service parts I buy from Mistsubishi. (now that ECP does air and pollen filters anyway) on the basis that they are not over priced and skimping on either could wreck the engine.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 20:56 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Number_Cruncher
Although it doesn't make me madly popular, I obtain prices for reputable brands of parts from ECP / GSF, and take the list with me when I go to the dealer for my parts. After they've given me their prices, I give them the list, and say that unless they get near to the prices on the list, I'll buy the parts from GSF / ECP. This usually results in being given a revised set of more acceptable prices.

There are some parts prices which are utterly bonkers though - Astra H mirror glass? - over £70 plus VAT from the dealer, less than a tenner from Halfords.

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New Tue 2 Apr 13 21:01 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - sooty123
How often do they come back with a better price and how much do they knock off?
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 21:20 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Number_Cruncher
Most of the time, the price reduces. The door mirror was an odd case where they didn't budge.

How much it reduces varies - oddly enough they don't beat the prices from GSF / ECP, but they do come within 20% of the price quite regularly. That's close enough for me.

I think the main thing is, politely, making it clear that you know how much things cost, and that at the list price, the part will be staying on the shelf - a shocking number of people walk straight in, and accept whatever price they're told.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 21:12 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - swiss tony
>> Although it doesn't make me madly popular, I obtain prices for reputable brands of parts
>> from ECP / GSF, and take the list with me when I go to the dealer for my parts. After they've given me their prices, I give them the list, and say that unless they get near to the prices on the list, I'll buy the parts from GSF / ECP.

I have had the exact opposite to this, i had a gentleman come in with a mot fail sheet, and he asked for some of the items off it.
I glanced at it, and asked him if he wanted the other items the vehicle had failed on.

he smiled, and said no, he had already obtain those from ECP.
More for my interest than his, I checked our retail prices on those unwanted items...

He wasn't best pleased, when I told him he had paid 20% more at ECP than main dealer retail....

Genuine is not always more expensive, and more often than not its better value.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 21:21 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Number_Cruncher
>>Genuine is not always more expensive, and more often than not its better value.

I agree - but, sometimes main dealer parts prices are, simply, outrageous.
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New Tue 2 Apr 13 21:38 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Zero
usually on the most stupid of things.

For example, a cam belt kit for my car, dealer price about 100 quid. - reasonable

rear wiper blade (its really short) 38 quid! - outrageous!
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New Fri 5 Apr 13 11:54 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - henry k
>> rear wiper blade (its really short) 38 quid! - outrageous!
>>
Same sort of tale for the rear wiper on daughters Yaris.

The factors I go to ( by Champions / B&Q just off the A3 at New Malden)
charges about £3 fitted for a replacement rubber.
I just take of the blade unit , present it to them and its done in a jiffy.
(I noticed they snipped off the end of my Bosch blade prior to fitting new rubber)

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New Fri 5 Apr 13 09:34 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Victorbox
>> VW only sell the washer fixed to the nut.
>>

Vauxhall sell five copper washers for about a £1 last time I bought a batch.
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New Fri 5 Apr 13 10:40 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Robin O'Reliant
Comparing it to a previous item I still had lurking in the garage it turns out that the thread on the Halfords plug is over 1mm undersize.
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New Fri 5 Apr 13 11:58 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Victorbox
>> Comparing it to a previous item I still had lurking in the garage it turns
>> out that the thread on the Halfords plug is over 1mm undersize.

Sounds about right for Halfords!
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New Fri 5 Apr 13 13:31 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - Dog
>>Sounds about right for Halfords!

^ I'm with this geezer.
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New Fri 5 Apr 13 16:33 
 Vauxhall Astra F - 97 1400 What Happend There? - jc2
There is always some person(idiot) who points out pricing errors to shops;for years Asda sold a one litre bottle of sherry for less than the 700 ml. of the same make and then someone pointed out to them that the prices were back to front.
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