[Jimmy_u]

Hello All Friends,

Finally got the corsa, took it to sion koliwada for a service.

Changed Engine oil to Castrol Magnatec 3.5 ltrs
Changed old filter from sakura
changed fuel filter from purolater
changed air filter from sakura
changed 4 spark plugs from NKG
Injecter cleaning Done
Front Brake Pads rebrushed.
Wipers Changed to bosh

All this for Rs 3000 . was very surprised and happy.

addtionally had the Sunfilm Changed to Garware.

Viraat13 as you adviced , topped up fuel and added system G .

Pending Items.

Wheel aligment.
Diesel wash and Service / Vacuming / polishing of car.


After this work the car files off like a rocket when pulled in 3rd gear.

Wanna go for a long drive to check the car, also need to calculate the average .

Let me know your thoughts guys.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

Viraat13 as you adviced , topped up fuel and added system G .

After this work the car files off like a rocket when pulled in 3rd gear.

Wanna go for a long drive to check the car, also need to calculate the average .

Well usually the car is not the expensive to maintain. The regular stuff is well, regularly priced!
I hope you topped up after getting the injectors cleaned?
Make sure your usage of System G is not a one time thing. You WILL NEED TO DO IT EVERY TIME. Also, now that you know what the car is like before & after injector cleaning, be prepared to get this done when ever you feel the car is not performing up to the mark.
The 3rd gear is fun to use in the car. Try pushing it to the redline and look at the speedo. You will be in for a nice surprise!
The wheel alignment is important. You will get hard vibrations in the car above 110 Kmph and also get un-even wear in the tires. Speaking of which stick to Bridgestone. I've tried a few others and the car does not feel good on them.
Also since you are relatively new to the Corsa if you are not too happy with the clutch let me know. There are a few things you can do to make it marginally better.
If you have more questions just ask! Always here to help out. (Isn't that what T-BHP is all about?)

AND

Congratulations on your new car!!

[Jimmy_u]

Also since you are relatively new to the Corsa if you are not too happy with the clutch let me know. There are a few things you can do to make it marginally better.
If you have more questions just ask! Always here to help out. (Isn't that what T-BHP is all about?)

Dear Viraat13,

Thanks again for your time and effort !!

My priority is 2 things now-
1. headlamp chang as the existing ones are inadequate
2. fuel guage change as i dont have the correct reading on the same (risky business)

for now my bridgestones have around 15000 kms still left on them,,,then i may switch to michilin as i am more comfortable with them on the car.

the clutch seems to have soften a bit with reqular use ,but yes it still a bit hard just a bit compared to other petrol cars i have driven.

but still am new to this car hence i am still running myself in with the car

T-BHP ROCKS !!!!

Hope to catch you soon

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

Dear Viraat13,

Thanks again for your time and effort !!

My priority is 2 things now-
1. headlamp chang as the existing ones are inadequate
2. fuel guage change as i dont have the correct reading on the same (risky business)

for now my bridgestones have around 15000 kms still left on them,,,then i may switch to michilin as i am more comfortable with them on the car.

the clutch seems to have soften a bit with reqular use ,but yes it still a bit hard just a bit compared to other petrol cars i have driven.

but still am new to this car hence i am still running myself in with the car

Do you really think that the headlamps are inadequate? IMO they are quite good. Then again I don't like blinding others with xenon lamps and 200 W bulbs. Not that it means I can't blind them. The factory fitted fog lamps are ridiculously harsh on the eyes.
Yes. It indeed is risky business. None of us want you to get stranded so please do get it changed quickly!

The Corsa is surprisingly finicky when it comes to tires. I used MRF, Good year & JK and the ride + handling suffered with them all. Please consult someone who has used Michelin on the Corsa and get their opinion (and let me know!!). I out of habit get my typres changed every 10,000 KMS. Yes, 10K. The shop from where I buy the tires buys back my tires and gives me new ones for a small difference so I don't mind getting new shoes for my car once a year.

Adjust the thread bar of the clutch to see where you think it fits best. Many times it is too tight or too lose, its up to you to find the perfect balance. Just make sure you do not tighten it too much because otherwise the clutch will be engaged a little all the time and I'm sure you know that's not good. Not one bit.
If you do not know where the clutch adjustment thread bar is, just google "clutch wire opel corsa" and see the 1st page.

Cheers to your running in with the car. Don't stress yourself too much for the first 2000 KMS!!

[navin]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

Make sure your usage of System G is not a one time thing. You WILL NEED TO DO IT EVERY TIME.

One second...I just tumbled on this thread. I know very little about engine-vengine stuff but we do own a Opel Corsa Sail 1.6. It is our spare car (if one car has an accident, is at the service center, or if we have guests).

The car was bought in Aug or Sept 2004. I have not read the whole thread but We have never used System G in it. Never had a problem with knocking. Since we got it we fill it with only Speed 97 (maybe this has got to do something with our lack of need for System G). It gives us about 7-9kmpl in Mumbai city traffic.

It saw regular use until my wife got an ANHC about 18 months ago. We keep it because it is a small car (the rest of our cars are sedans), for a small car is has good road manners, absorbs bumps well and feels well planted on the road. We keep the tyres a little softer than usual as ride quality improves and this is more important than FE since our usage is not very much anyway.

Twice we have been hit from behind. Once by a Tata Sumo and once by an autorickshaw. The car took the hits well. It did not crumple like some Jap or Korean car would.

We have had good luck with our car. Not a serious problem in 6 years. The only problem I remember was when one of our guests complained of the car getting flooded with water. Turned out the AirCon was leaking into the car.

BTW we find that the temp gauge rises more if the Air con is turned off - it must be because the 2nd fan is off with the air-con off. This is not a serious bother because India is so hot anyway the car is never used without it's air-con.

Jimmy, enjoy your car.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by navin

The car was bought in Aug or Sept 2004. I have not read the whole thread but We have never used System G in it. Never had a problem with knocking. Since we got it we fill it with only Speed 97 (maybe this has got to do something with our lack of need for System G). It gives us about 7-9kmpl in Mumbai city traffic.

BTW we find that the temp gauge rises more if the Air con is turned off - it must be because the 2nd fan is off with the air-con off. This is not a serious bother because India is so hot anyway the car is never used without it's air-con.

Speed 97 IS the reason why you never suffered from knocking and all the other problems that go along with it.
As far as I know Speed 97 is only available at pure for sure outlets which is why it helps the car run better. But naturally, the higher octane has got more to do with it.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll check out if its heating up more with the fan or without. Wont take me too long. Delhi has terrible traffic with an avg speed of something like 10 KMPH and its steaming hot at a temperature 45 degrees. I shall let you know my findings!

[Jimmy_u]

Hello Navin / Viraat13,

Thanks for the post.

i had a long dive to pune and back over the weekend.

On the way to pune with tankful method and system G i recived 10 KMPL.

On my return to bombay with tankful method and system G i recived 12 KMPL.

Also i agree with navin here , if i drive without the aircon the car heats up but as again rightly said being so hot in bombay there is hardly any scope for the car to be run without AC.

Also let me know if i in the future want to fill octane 97 just once to try , can i mix it with my regular petrol or do i need to be near empty tank to take the benifit of octane 97 .

1 more observation is my car misfires a little , is it that all cylinders are not firing or would it be something else ?

any suggestion would be appriciated guys !!

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

Hello Navin / Viraat13,

On the way to pune with tankful method and system G i recived 10 KMPL.

On my return to bombay with tankful method and system G i recived 12 KMPL.

Also i agree with navin here , if i drive without the aircon the car heats up but as again rightly said being so hot in bombay there is hardly any scope for the car to be run without AC.

Also let me know if i in the future want to fill octane 97 just once to try , can i mix it with my regular petrol or do i need to be near empty tank to take the benifit of octane 97 .

1 more observation is my car misfires a little , is it that all cylinders are not firing or would it be something else ?

any suggestion would be appriciated guys !!

10 or 12 on the highway is decent. I get about 11 sometimes 12 on the highway so it seems that the car is running fine now.

Yes. Agreed. I checked and you guys are right. The car stays cooler with the AC on (but only marginally). Like wise in Delhi its so hot that I use the AC in winters too!

Well its always better if you put 97 octane when the red fuel light is on but mixing is not all that bad. Just average out the octane and thats what you'll get! (Bit of a waste considering the expense IMO)

Your ignition coil might not be working properly. If you think the car is underpowered in any of the gears - that is a sign. My car's ignition coil blew up just 2 weeks ago. Drove the car to the workshop with 2 cylinders firing. I did not realize that the car being underpowered in 4th and 5th gear was a sign of the ignition coil being spoilt. I just thought it was the usual problem of dirt in the injectors etc etc.

[Jimmy_u]

Dear ,Viraat13

Your ignition coil might not be working properly. If you think the car is underpowered in any of the gears - that is a sign. My car's ignition coil blew up just 2 weeks ago. Drove the car to the workshop with 2 cylinders firing. I did not realize that the car being underpowered in 4th and 5th gear was a sign of the ignition coil being spoilt. I just thought it was the usual problem of dirt in the injectors etc etc.[/quote]

What is the cost for a replacement of the ignition coil and what would be the time period, if you could share the details it would be nice.

anything else i need to get checked which rings a bell for you ..

atleast the average part is matching so i am happy.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

Dear ,Viraat13

What is the cost for a replacement of the ignition coil and what would be the time period, if you could share the details it would be nice.

anything else i need to get checked which rings a bell for you ..

atleast the average part is matching so i am happy.

The original GM ignition coil comes for Rs 16,000 it has a guarantee of a year if I remember correctly. It's available at all GM workshops.

There is a Taiwanese/Chinese import that comes for Rs 1,600 (yes, 10% of the OE cost!!). It has no guarantee. You step out of the shop and that's it no returns. It has a failure rate of about 20% but once it starts working nothing goes wrong for 5 years or so (The OE lasted 7 years). You shall have to ask around in the chor bazar kind of places for the import or ask your mechanic if you have a trusty one or the best choice would be ask some of the mumbai members if you do not know where to go. (As far as I am aware, moderator GTO seems to know these kind of places if I am not wrong.)

It takes about 20 mins to replace so it is not a major hassle.

Be rest assured that if anything was ringing bells in my head I would come right here and post!!

[evo]

Outrageous Price. A friend sold his Corsa Sail in great nick for Rs. 35,000. I doubt the saloon can command anything more than 50K.

[pnredkar]

Hi,

Stumbled across this thread just now. I have been driving a Corsa 1.4 GSI (Oct 2003 model) for 6 1/2 years or 55k kms. Here are my inputs:

- Corsa loves System-G. If you use it regularly, add 1ml per litre of petrol. If you don't use it regularly, use double the amount (2ml/litre). You will get rid of the stuttering/knocking.

- Ground clearance is good at 175mm. However, it is the soft-sprung suspensions which cause it to scrape the speed-breakers. If you drive slowly enough, you don't graze any in Bangalore.

- Someone complained that the engine temperature rise when AC is off. I had this problem. Turned out a problem with the thermostat. Fixing the thermostat fixed the issue completely.

- The clutch and steering are harder/heavier than other cars that I have driven.

- I have recently upgraded my wheels/tyres to alloys and tubeless Bridgestone Turanzas (185/65 R14). Had a long trip of about 1700km after the change. I like these tyres.

- For city driving, the low turning radius (< 5m, not sure whether it was 4.75 or 4.9m) is a blessing.

- Some good/peace of mind features in the Corsa: engine-protection plate, backward bending ORVMS.

- Servicing cost is not very high (about Rs. 2000/- with the basic consumables). I do not know the spare part price as I did not have to use it much. The original parts are still in good shape. Had a few niggles here and there, but no rattles.

To summarize: This is a car that has been built to last.

Regards,
Prasad.

[nsbhagwat]

Originally Posted by pnredkar

I do not know the spare part price as I did not have to use it much. The original parts are still in good shape. Had a few niggles here and there, but no rattles.

To summarize: This is a car that has been built to last.

Regards,
Prasad.

Totally agree with you Prasad. No rattles on my sail 1.4 even after 5 years (my year old Ritz has that music). Some spare parts like the central locking actuators are pricey (3000 a piece).

Nikhil

[Jimmy_u]

Hello Viraat13,

Thanks for the update, i haven't had a chance to go to the company garage for a checkup but will keep you posted.

I am religiously using system-g and the knocking has reduced to a great extent.

1 fresh issue , wen starting the car it shudders a little like the starter motor does not have enough juice to crank it up, but it does start .

Will need to identify this issue.

-------------------------------------------------------

Dear pnredkar / nsbhagwat

Thanks for the feedback ,appreciate your inputs, for now am using the car mostly in bombay ,planning couple of long trips over the weekend ,let see how the car behaves then.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by Jimmy_u

Hello Viraat13,

Thanks for the update, i haven't had a chance to go to the company garage for a checkup but will keep you posted.

I am religiously using system-g and the knocking has reduced to a great extent.

1 fresh issue , wen starting the car it shudders a little like the starter motor does not have enough juice to crank it up, but it does start .

Will need to identify this issue.

Did you get a new ignition coil??

Just as I expected it. It will be fine after a while.

Could be the ignition coil or the battery. Have it checked out!