1994 Vauxhall Corsa LS 1.5 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Head gasket blew at around 120,000 miles, after many problems with servicing and repairs with local Vauxhall dealerships I decided to maintain and service it myself.

Unsurprisingly, I've not had a problem with it since.

Beware of alternator problems, turbocharger is situated a little close and likes to 'cook' it.

General Comments:

Brilliant little car, regularly returns in excess of 50mpg no matter how hard you drive it.

Surprisingly quick for a diesel, especially when the turbo spins up. Quite capable of surprising the life out of smaller hot-hatches like Nova SRs and so on (especially when tuned!)

Avoid Vauxhall dealers like the plague however, the last 40K miles of self-servicing proves this. No problems whatsoever. Find a local mechanic you trust and use them instead.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th September, 2000

12th Apr 2003, 12:45

I agree the engine is fast given it's a 1.5 turbo diesel. It does have good amounts of torque, but it needs revving high to get the turbo working. The handling could be better as it rolls a lot. The seats are a bit tacky and the dashboard build quality is poor.

The diesel engine is nippy, but we're talking 0-60 in 13 seconds topping out at 105 mph and that is not faster than nova Sr's! Its the most economical car for its performance.

2nd May 2009, 11:58

Nice little banger. Just t-cutted a red one, and it's gone white. I think it's called primer.

28th Feb 2010, 13:46

A friend of mine once worked for Vauxhall as a mechanic. The horror stories he used to tell me about what the mechanics got up too... not good.

1994 Vauxhall Corsa GSi 1.6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Speedo cable broke.

Sticking throttle position sensor.

General Comments:

A big step up in build quality and refinement from a Nova.

Cracking engine is let down by poor throttle response below 3000rpm but after 3500rpm it really flies. A bit concerned about about heavy oil consumption.

Handling not very good as standard but I fitted Koni suspension which has made an incredible difference.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 28th August, 2000

5th Jan 2001, 09:24

More or less the same problems with my '94 GSI 16v. Except all recall problems were fixed under the Network Q warranty before I purchased the car, however the throttle position sensor has been replaced once, but I'm still experiencing problems.

18th Mar 2001, 05:47

I also have a 94 GSI - which has given numerous problems. The throttle position sensor (TPS) is particularly sensitive to resistance - this is how it operates! I found that my engine management light was illuminated - when check the ECU was finding low voltage from the TPS (code 22). After replacing the sensor (really awkward job!) the fault continued. I traced the problem to be in the engine wiring harness. There is a main multi-plug under the plastic plenum on the left hand side which seems to get very hot when the engine is running. I found that with this unplugged there was no resistance between one side and ECU and other side and TPS. However when plugged together there is a few ohms resistance present. When there is a current across the leads the resistance may well increase??

Anyway the fix : Take out all the pins and solder each one of the crimpings. My has never given me any trouble ever since.

Just a shame that I had to find it myself after Vauxhall just repeatedly (and expensively) changed items hoping to try and fix it - could try and be a bit more technical next time guys.

The drive-ability thing - apparently the BJUM (later) type cal for the ECU is supposedly much better (I have this one). Check to see if you have it. ATP can sort you one out if you have the earlier type. It tells you on the ECU cover if you look in the drivers side foot-well.

Anybody got any advice on the gearbox. I have tried a multi-grade oil (75W 90) to get the shift quality up as mine is beginning to get very difficult to select. I will be most unimpressed if the synchro's are shot since my 94 Corsa has only covered 53,000 miles!!!

Hope things work out.

James.