Corsa-B.uk - Vauxhall, Opel and Holden Corsa B Owners Club

car has trouble starting near enough every day, i have to put my foot on the accelerator to get it going. when sat idle it feels as tho its going to cut out and i have to put it in gear and keep the revs up to stop doing so. then when i change up a gear, it chugs and i have to change back down to get the revs back up. however it seems fine after about 5 mins of driving around.

this has only started in the last month or so when it has become really cold. i have checked the sparks which seem fine, coolant etc. however the oil filler cap has a small amount of yellow residue on it which to me suggests water is getting into the oil -> head gasket going?? but there is no residue on the dipstick....

however the oil filler cap has a small amount of yellow residue on it which to me suggests water is getting into the oil

Or you're only doing short journeys.

james_gray wrote:car has trouble starting near enough every day, i have to put my foot on the accelerator to get it going. when sat idle it feels as tho its going to cut out and i have to put it in gear and keep the revs up to stop doing so. then when i change up a gear, it chugs and i have to change back down to get the revs back up. however it seems fine after about 5 mins of driving around.

this has only started in the last month or so when it has become really cold. i have checked the sparks which seem fine, coolant etc. however the oil filler cap has a small amount of yellow residue on it which to me suggests water is getting into the oil -> head gasket going?? but there is no residue on the dipstick....

cold start switch aka auto choke(i think). Mine has some issues to, once warmed up it runs fine doesnt it?

The verdict and explanation is that the cold start switch if faulty and needs replacing. When cold it feeds more petrol into the engine to keep the car going. When cold if not enough fuel is being fed it will feel chuggy and like its out of petrol. Once warm it'll be fine. I cant garuntee it's this however the symptoms sound exactly the same as what mine was.

However, recently my head gasket did go and as its only just started getting cold so i cannot be certain what and if it has been fixed since last year.

how can i check the auto choke or cold start switch??? im just a beginner with this sort of thing

today i thought it wasnt going to start, i had to plant my foot to the floor on the accelerator and keep the revs up for a few secs so it wouldnt cut back out. its all of a sudden started doing this and i cant afford another car atm!!!!!

sounds like the idle control valve which is what your calling an auto choke
take it off give it a clean put it back give it a try!

just took it to mechanics and found no problems at all, he kept it overnight and in the damp to see if there was any change but nothing, only seems to happen now and again!

Here is a guide to cleaning the ICV.

http://forums.corsa-b.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=105&t=13412

had this problem last week in mine, mechanic told me that because i park on a hill facing upwards with very little petrol in the car the engine wasnt getting enough petrol so i started parking the opposite way and it solved my problem, even when the car was covered in ice and snow.

mucka wrote:had this problem last week in mine, mechanic told me that because i park on a hill facing upwards with very little petrol in the car the engine wasnt getting enough petrol so i started parking the opposite way and it solved my problem, even when the car was covered in ice and snow.

Sorry, I just have to laugh at this. Is Vauxhall/Opel that antiquated? Must be more to it than that. How much is "so little"?
My fuel light is on quite often.