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I love my car .... but ...

14K views 28 replies 19 participants last post by  esox_hu 
#1 ·
I've has my car about a month now

Generally I'm delighted with it - it's the 136hp diesel and is the first diesel car (as opposed to van) I've had since a MK1 Sierra. Performance is MUCH better than I thought it would be and I'm getting well over 45 mpg without making any deliberate attempt to drive economically....

BUT I have a couple of really annoying issues that just shouldn't be on a new car

1. I have what sounds line a worn rear wheel bearing noise coming from nearside rear.

2. The automatic lights seem to have a mind of their own. I don't care that the headlights come on in the middle of the day in bright sunlight but I DO care that the dash and infotainment screens go dim so I can't see them easily which is a safety issue.

3 Can't get properly registered with onstar. According to them it's all set up, but WiFi doesn't work and there are no onstar options available in the smartphone app.

Anybody else having similar issues?
 
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#2 ·
only the lights which come on when I don't think it is warranted at all, and yesterday in the fog they never came on at all! OnStar was all set up for me by my Dealer and checked before I drove of with it. Sounds like you need to go back to your dealer, esp re the wheel. Hope it all gets sorted soon.
 
#5 ·
The lights come on when its dark , fog isn't dark so I can understand that. There is a rheostat to turn up the dash lights, but I don't know whether it will turn up enough for you. I was driving home this evening with my Google Maps on my 4.0, when the lights came on the map went black, but was still visible. As to OnStar, I sat in a carpark on the phone to them just after getting the car, but it only started to work fully once I logged in at home too. OnStar sent me an email link. As to the suspension noise, that's always a dealer visit, sorry I cant help
 
#6 ·
I am also noticing that the auto lights have a mind of their own.....

In bright daylight they seem to have dipped beam on most of the time.Takes a very bright sunny day to turn them off

They seem slow to react to changing light conditions.

Really annoying you can't override the auto function to just have DRL only when the auto setting seems pretty hopeless. Might go through a lot of bulbs with this car lol
 
#8 ·
Wifi is not done by OnStar, you have to set that up yourself. I believe if you have the Wifi switched on you search for it through your phone and connect. Once connected you go into your internet browser app and it takes you to the setup page.

I don't like how sensitive the autolights are either so having to just do them myself.
 
#10 ·
Couldn't agree more about the lights, especially in the sun. People have even flashed me and pointed at my headlights before :-D.

I suspect if we ask VX they will say its a safety feature, if it was it would know the difference between night and day and not dim the interior during bright sunlight making the screen very difficult to read.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all the responses people - car booked in this week to get the bearing noise looked at.

I've been around enough old cars to know what a noisy wheel bearing sounds like - although with less than 400 miles on it there's no way it's worn - I suspect it's just a bad bearing from the factory.

I hope the light sensor issue can be sorted - the dim dash and info screens are really starting to irritate me!
 
#13 ·
The light sensor issue irked me for the first time yesterday, when trying to use Google Maps on Android Auto the map goes very black at night, OK at night, not good when you are trying to follow directions and the auto lights keep on going on and off in the middle of the day, I didn't think it was that murky but they started to muck about after they came on when I went through the very short tunnel under the Clifton Suspension bridge
 
#15 ·
I've noticed that the light sensor seems to check the light level when you start the car, but then maybe it checks it at a set interval after that, and doesn't monitor the light constantly. I say this because I had the lights on, then , the car went into blazing bright sunlight, and still the lights would not turn off . I turned the ignition off, restarted while in the direct sunlight, then the lights went off.....
 
#16 ·
Well .. car been back to the dealer for the bearing noise and sensor issue.

Short answer - we can't find anything wrong. This I can only assume us because they employ deaf mechanics? ??? No point in arguing with them - the car has 420 miles on it so by the time it's due for its 20000 mile service it will sound like concorde taking off - if it hasn't fallen off by then.

The light sensor issue is more interesting. The dealer claimed that it was working fine - in spite of the fact that when I got in to take it away in blazing sunshine it was in night mode! I didn't have time to argue at the time so I told then I wasn't happy and would be back in the morning.

When I got in the car the following morning the infotainment system appeared to have done a factory reset - it was asking for a language selection and having selected English there are some subtle changes to the interface - and the auto lights work! !!

Do vauxhall do OTA updates? I can't tell for sure as I didn't make a note of the software version when I got it.
 
#17 ·
Mowerman said:
Do vauxhall do OTA updates? I can't tell for sure as I didn't make a note of the software version when I got it.
That's interesting, perhaps we could compare software versions?....?
 
#18 ·
Hi,
I share your issue about the automatic light control issues.
This is a copy of an email I sent to Vauxhall and their reply.
I have read several posts on this topic. Perhaps if more owners e mailed Vauxhall direct they might come up with a solution to this problem.
..............................................
Hi,
I wondered if you could advise me with regard to a problem I am having with my new Vauxhall Astra, registration number YJ16 BHH. Purchased from Evans Hallshaw, Horsforth, Leeds,
West Yorkshire, on the 25th July 2016. It has currently 2,000 miles on the clock.
The problem relates to the day and night light sensor or it's associated electronics.
The interior dashboard and infotainment system are illuminated via this sensor which detects the degree of outside light density and switches the lighting to day or night mode. My car has demonstrated a fault with this
unit ever since I have owned it. I can be driving along a clear road in bright sunlight and if I drive it beneath a tree for example it will go from daylight to night mode in an instant but then when I drive back into broad daylight the screen and dashboard
illumination remains in night time mode for the rest of the journey,
(yesterday for a further 200 miles in bright sunshine in night time mode!), blacking out the screens. If the sun is behind me it reflects on the dashboard and I can't see the digital speed indication which I use all the
time. Initially I was able to rectify this problem by stopping the car, removing the ignition key, opening the drivers door, locking the car with the key, unlocking the car , opening the door and then starting the ignition. This performance seemed to re set
everything but that sequence of events no longer works and the dashboard lights and infotainment system are almost always in night time mode, this is without having the light switch set in automatic lighting mode otherwise I would be driving in bright sunshine
with the dipped headlights illuminated!
I have now set the infotainment system to daylight mode but the dashboard light still remains dimmed out. Then when I drive at night I have to re set the infotainment to night time mode to stop the dazzling from that unit
- a right performance!

I have had my vehicle to the dealers twice about this problem and they have put it on their diagnostics and sent the result to yourselves and have returned the vehicle saying that no problem could be found. The circumstances
I have described above are not an uncommon problem with the Astra and other Vauxhall models and was even present on the J series Astra according to Astra owners forums I have read.

Can you advise me what I need to do to resolve this issue as I find it quite annoying and dangerous as I can't clearly see what speed I am doing when in night time mode during broad daylight.
Is there a software update available or one in the pipeline or do you think my vehicle needs a new light sensor?

You advise would be appreciated.
Regards,

Paul Fletcher
.................................
REPLY
Dear Mr Fletcher
I write in reference to your Vauxhall Astra registration number YJ16 BHH.
I am sorry to hear of your recent experience regarding your vehicle and can understand your reasons for contacting us.
Our technical team have confirmed the issues experienced will be resolved by a new software update.
Regrettably we do not have an exact date for the release of the software update, however after speaking to our internal technical team we anticipate the software will be released next year.
The dealership will be made aware once the update has been released, from there they will be able to book the vehicle in for this to be completed.
I understand this may not have been the response you had hoped for and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Once again thank you for contacting Vauxhall Motors and allowing us the opportunity to assist.
Kind Regards
Rebekah Thompson
Infotainment Agent

This email has been sent from General Motors Limited
Registered in England 01682792
Registered Office : Griffin House, Osbourne Road, Luton, Beds, LU1 3YT, Telephone: 0844 369 0112
VAT Number 382 1581 51
 
#26 ·
Edwardson said:
Swagger said:
I also get the noise at the back of my car but to me it's more like a turbulence sound. I will mention it next month at its 1st service
Try to remove your car antenna. It causes a turbulence sound at my Astra (from 80km/h)..
Welcome, Edwardson!

What Astra 'K' do you have?
 
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