Vauxhall / Opel Corsa (D: 2006-2014)

M32 & M20 gearbox bearings

Some Vauxhall Corsa D models are fitted with the infamous M32 gearbox. A typical problem with this 6-speed transmission is bearing wear. In particular, the 6th gear bearing.

When this bearing starts wearing out, the gearbox becomes noisy when driving in 6th and 5th gear. If not fixed, this problem leads to total gearbox failure (a hole in the gearbox).

The M20 gearbox is almost identical, so it suffers from the same problems.

The M20 & M32 gearboxes are used in so many vehicles and bearing failure is so common in high-mileage vehicles, that I’ve dedicated a full page to the M20 & M32 gearboxes.

Follow the link above to learn more about the symptoms of bearing failure, the solution to the problem and how much it costs to fix a dying M32 gearbox.

 

The M20 & M32 gearboxes are used in the following Vauxhall Corsa D models:

• 1.3 CDTi – M20

• 1.6 Turbo – M32

• 1.7 CDTi – M32

Easytronic transmission failure

The Easytronic is an automated manual transmission. While I’m not a fan of this technology, the Easytronic is one of the better automated gearboxes used in mass-produced cars.

The gears and the clutch are operated by three electric motors. There are no hydraulics (apart from the master & slave clutch cylinders), which makes this transmission simpler and more reliable than Fiat’s Dualogic/Selespeed automated gearboxes.

The Easytronic is pretty much the same thing as the Durashift EST transmission used in the Ford Fiesta Mk5. Both gearboxes have nearly identical clutch actuators and gear selector motors (just in a slightly different arrangement to accommodate different manual gearboxes).

While the Easytronic is a light-weight and efficient gearbox, do not expect it to be as smooth as a conventional automatic transmission because it doesn’t have a torque converter to cushion the gear changes. It is, after all, a manual gearbox with actuators attached to it.

When buying and test driving a car with the Easytronic gearbox, look out for the symptoms of malfunction:

• Flashing “N”  or “F” letter appearing on the dashboard instead of the gear number

• Car refusing to start (blown brake light bulbs may cause this too)

• Clunking noises when changing gears

• Excessively hard gear changes

• A sensation that the clutch is slipping (worn clutch)

• Juddering when taking off from a standstill

• Car dropping out of gear while driving

• Car refusing to engage gear when trying to take off from a standstill

While the Easytronic is reasonably reliable, below are the three things that you should know before buying a used Corsa D with this transmission.

I. If the transmission fails, you will have a problem (unless you can fix stuff yourself).

The Easytronic uses brushed electric motors to operate the gearbox.

The brushes in these motors will eventually wear out, and the transmission will stop working – it’s one of the most common reasons for Easytronic failures. Replacing the brushes is fairly easy and inexpensive if you can do it yourself, or when you find someone experienced with these transmissions. They aren’t common though, so it may not be that easy.

If you go to the dealership instead, they will most likely offer to replace one of the actuators for something like £1000. If they don’t replace the right component the first time, there goes another £1000.

Trying to fix a faulty Easytronic box is often expensive, which is the norm for automated and dual-clutch transmissions. This is unless you can diagnose problems yourself or know a garage that’s experienced with these transmissions and can fix the actual problem (as opposed to replacing half of the transmission). They are actually fairly simple once you understand how they work.

 

II. The Easytronic has a standard dry clutch, which is a consumable item, just like in any manual transmission.

The Easytronic cannot creep like a traditional automatic transmission because it doesn’t have a torque converter. Taking off and crawling at very low speeds is achieved by partial clutch engagement (slipping), which makes it wear.

Don’t treat it like a regular automatic gearbox because it’s not. You should always let the clutch engage fully in 1st gear when you are crawling in traffic. Also, don’t use the gas pedal to stop the car from rolling backwards on an incline.

 

III. The 6-speed Easytronic transmission (1.3 CTDI) is based on the M20.

You can expect the same problems (worn-out 6th gear bearing) as with the manual M20 and M32 gearboxes. Additionally, the actuator system is a different design than in the 5-speed unit, and there is less information about it available. To be avoided…

The 5-speed Easytronic transmission is based on the manual F13 or the F17 gearbox. Both of them are fine.

The bottom line is this:

If you’re mechanically inclined, you can get a used Corsa D with the Easytronic transmission. If you’re not, this transmission defeats the purpose of the car, which is to be affordable and simple.

If you’d like an automatic Corsa D but you are wary of buying one with Easytronic, the only engine that had a conventional automatic gearbox was the 1.4L naturally aspirated petrol unit (90 PS or 100 PS). It has a 4-speed Aisin transmission, which should be reliable when treated well (remember to change the ATF).

1.4T – PCV valve failure (A14NEL engine)

Before I get to the point, let me briefly explain what the PCV valve is.

The positive crankcase ventilation system (PCV) is present in every modern vehicle, and its purpose is to evacuate crankcase gases generated by piston blow-by. These gases are fed back into the engine through the intake manifold, and without the PCV system, the engine crankcase would pressurize.

The PCV system is usually made of pipes, channels and chambers that separate oil from the blow-by gas. The only moving part is the PCV valve, which is just a one-way valve that controls the amount of gas being fed into the intake tract.

One important thing to know is that in petrol engines, the intake manifold is under vacuum when the engine is idling or under low load. This is because of the throttle plate that restricts the amount of air entering the engine.

At low loads, the throttle plate is mostly closed and the engine is trying to pull more air than it is allowed to, which generates a vacuum between the throttle body and the engine itself. This vacuum sucks the crankcase gases through the PCV valve.

There is also another air pathway between the engine and the air intake. This one is connected to the intake before the throttle body and its where the blow-by gasses go when the throttle plate is open (full throttle) and there is very little vacuum generated in the intake manifold.

In a turbocharged engine, the PCV system is more complex because the turbocharger generates boost pressure. Hence, the intake manifold is pressurized when the turbocharger is doing its thing.

In these conditions, blow-by gasses are fed into the intake duct before the turbocharger. However, when there is no boost, the system operates exactly the same as in a naturally aspirated engine.

I hope I made this reasonably clear. Now, let’s get to the point.

The PCV valve is usually a tiny, £20 part attached somewhere near the engine valve cover. The General Motors 1.4 Turbo engine has two PCV valves – one is integrated with the air intake manifold and the other one is at the turbocharger inlet.

There is also a rubber diaphragm inside the valve cover that regulates the flow of gases. To sum up, there are thee key components in these engines – two PCV valves and the rubber membrane in the valve cover.

The intake manifold PCV valve in the 1.4 Turbo engines is a rubber membrane that resembles a… nipple. It covers a series of small holes. When there is no boost generated by the turbocharger, the membrane gets pulled away from the holes and lets the crankcase gasses enter the intake manifold. Under boost, this valve is closed and the one at the turbo inlet opens.

The problem is that the PCV valve inside the intake manifold sometimes gets detached and swallowed by the engine. A detached PCV valve isn’t going to damage the engine because it’s only a little piece of rubber, but the boost pressure entering the engine valve cover and crankcase will quickly damage the diaphragm in the valve cover.

In other engines, replacing the PCV valve is a 10-minute job and a new valve typically costs £20 or less. In this case, you have to replace the entire intake manifold when the PCV valve inside fails. If it’s the vacuum regulating rubber disc in the valve cover that failed, you will need to replace the entire valve cover (luckily, it’s not expensive).

If you are experiencing any problems with the PCV system, it’s important to check all three key components – both PCV valves and the membrane. A PCV valve failure will cause the valve cover diaphragm to fail soon after. When inspecting these parts, also look for air leaks.

Typical symptoms of PCV system failure:

• excessive oil consumption, blue smoke may be coming from the exhaust pipe

• hissing sound in the engine bay (valve cover sucking in air through an opening where the membrane is)

• intermittent Check Engine light, possible error codes: P0106, P1101, P0236, P0107

• rough, unstable engine idle and poor performance

• oil leaks (boost pressure entering the engine can force oil past engine seals)

Luckily, it’s relatively easy to check if the PCV valve and the membrane disc in the valve cover are okay. First, you need to remove the plastic engine cover. Then, with the engine running, check if the engine doesn’t suck air in through the valve cover membrane housing. If it does, you will need to replace the valve cover as the membrane in it has failed.

As for the intake manifold PCV valve, with the engine off, remove the hose going to the PCV valve in the manifold. Shine a light inside the manifold and see if the PCV valve is still there. If you can see the nipple, it’s fine. The locations of these parts are marked on the photo below.

Apparently, the intake manifold was updated in 2011 to improve the reliability of the PCV system, which is good news because this engine became available in 2012 in the Vauxhall / Opel Corsa D.

1.6T – cracked 4th piston

There have been cases of cracked pistons in these engines, particularly in the Corsa D model. To make it more interesting, it’s only piston no. 4 that cracks.

Obviously, a failed piston is a pretty big problem and will cost a lot to sort out. It’s not standard maintenance and not something you’d ever expect to happen to your car. I think the piston problem is caused by a combination of factors so let’s review what we know first:

• Most of the piston failures happened in the 192 PS 1.6 Turbo Z16LER engines in the VXR Corsa D. Out of these, the majority were tuned cars. Stock engines can fail too, just less often. The percentage of engines that fail isn’t large, so there is no need to panic. Well… You can start stressing out if you’re running over 200 PS with stock fuel injectors…

• The 192 PS Z16LER is the same engine as the 150 PS Z16LEL – the difference lies in the ECU settings. The Z16LER is simply tuned for more power. The newer engines starting with letters “A” or “B” are also almost identical, except that they have variable valve timing added to reduce emissions. Basically, the 150 PS version has the same internals as the 210 PS Nürburgring edition.

• The fuel injectors in these engines are just adequate for around 200 PS. If you ask for any more power, the injectors will max out before reaching the top of the RPM range. A maxed out injector cannot deliver the amount of fuel required and the air-fuel mixture will become leaner as the RPM goes up under full load. Lean mixture = excessive heat = cracked piston.

• The pistons are cast and not very durable, otherwise, they would not crack (duh!). People who tune these engines with stock injectors risk breaking their 4th piston. When it goes, they usually replace all pistons with stronger, aftermarket forged ones. This solves the problem.

• Many of the Corsa VXR buyers were below 25 years old. This age group is inclined to go berserk in a 192 PS VXR or the more powerful Nürburgring edition.

There must be another factor that makes only the 4th cylinder fail, while the others are usually fine. I’ve got some ideas as to why it happens. Here they are (these are just speculations, not facts):

• The 4th fuel injector is the last in the fuel rail, which could make it go lean faster than the other three.

• The 4th cylinder is the one furthest away from the water pump. Perhaps, cooling of this cylinder is not as good.

• The intake manifold may distribute air unevenly and feed the 4th cylinder with a bit more air, leaning out the mixture.

• It could be detonation (knocking). 98 RON fuel is recommended by the manufacturer and this could be the reason.

I think it’s time to construct the case:

A young, excited driver has the engine in his car reprogrammed to deliver more power – as much power as the stock hardware can deliver. On a cold morning, he gets in the car and takes off with the tyres squealing, seconds after turning the engine on.

The stock injectors can’t keep up with the driver so the temperature inside the cylinders suddenly rises to dangerous levels. Because of the engine design, the 4th piston gets hit the hardest. The unlucky 4th piston, which was cold seconds ago, goes through a thermal shock. The sudden change in temperature causes high stress inside the relatively brittle cast aluminium alloy.

This is a perfect scenario for piston failure and indeed the piston goes pop! It may not crack immediately, but repeat this a few times and the piston will be on its way to piston heaven.

I think that a lot is down to the driver and how the car is treated. If you already own a car with the 1.6T, sell it quickly before the piston explodes! Just kidding…

 

If you are worried and you want the engine to last, you should follow these directions:

• Do not tune these cars at all unless you are going to upgrade the injectors. Even with larger injectors, you are increasing the risk of failure.

• Never drive the car hard until the engine is warmed up. Always let the engine cool down before shutting it down. Don’t drive it hard in the last couple minutes before shutting it down and let the engine idle for 15-30 seconds before turning it off. This is good for the turbocharger too.

• Choose the higher octane fuel available in your country. This decreases the risk of detonation.

If you follow the rules above, you should be fine, in my opinion. However, there will always be a very small risk that the 4th piston will pop. This applies even to unmodified cars as some have failed. These engines are not bad but keep in mind that they should not be abused.

The fuel injectors are small so engine tuning is not advised unless the injectors are uprated. You may get away with stock pistons and a remap but I would not take the risk. You are safer with 150 PS, and this is the variant I would choose if I was buying a second-hand Vauxhall Corsa D.

Here’s how I see it:

• 150 PS is safe (Corsa)

• 180 PS is okay if you’re careful (Astra & Insignia)

• 192 PS is risky (Corsa VXR)

• 210 PS is asking for trouble (Corsa VXR Nürburgring Edition)

• 220+ PS is like dating a stripper – fun for a while, but you know it will end up badly

If you are going to buy a car with the 1.6 Turbo, look out for the symptoms of piston problems: rough running or misfires, unwanted engine noises, increase engine smoke, lack of power. Also, try to find out if the car was not abused by the previous owner.

1.3 CDTi  – timing chain wear

The 1.3 CDTi was an engine designed by Fiat and General Motors (mostly Fiat) when the two companies formed a partnership. It’s not a bad unit since Fiat is the godfather of Common Rail diesel engines. In Fiat cars, this engine is known as the 1.3 Multijet. “Multijet” stands for multiple fuel injections per combustion cycle.

The only major problem with this little engine is the timing chain.

The camshaft in this engine is driven by a single row timing chain not much bigger than a bicycle chain. In my opinion, it’s not a very robust design and an area to watch.

Generally, when a timing chain is used, the intention is for it to last the “lifetime” of the engine (very roughly 200k miles). Therefore, there is no replacement interval specified for the timing chain. As I see it, trying to reach 200k miles on the original chain and tensioner is very risky.

If the chain wears and elongates (stretches), or the tensioner stops working properly, the typical symptom that develops is a chain rattle that lasts for a couple seconds after a cold start. In severe cases, the chain noise may remain for longer after the engine has started. The “Check Engine” light may appear too.

Here’s what timing chain noise sounds like:

 

Any chain stretch symptoms should not be ignored in the 1.3 CDTi, regardless of the mileage. If the timing chain jumps some teeth, you will be looking at valvetrain damage. You may choose to replace the timing chain preemptively like you would with a timing belt, or you can wait until symptoms develop.

In my opinion, engines that have done more than 100k miles will probably qualify for a full timing chain service (new timing chain, guides, tensioner and gears).

If you are looking to get one of these cars, make sure there is no chain rattle after starting the engine. This needs to be a cold start when the car has stood still for a couple hours (ideally overnight). If the chain rattle is persistent, it means the chain or the tensioner is on its last leg.

Summary of problems & additional information

• There are reasons to celebrate –  the M20 & M32 gearboxes received an update in 2012. With larger bearings and extra oil channels, the cycle of twitching gear levers and bearing replacements is finally over. Long live the updated M32 gearbox! I don’t know if I have to state the obvious, but if you are planning to buy a Vauxhall Corsa and the model you like is fitted with the M32 or M20 transmission, make sure you get a car with the updated gearbox.

• The 1.6 Turbo and 1.7 CDTi were mated to the M32 gearbox (including the Corsa VXR). The 1.3 CDTi, when mated to a 6-speed transmission, has the M20 gearbox, which suffers from the same problems as the M32. The 5-speed 1.3 CDTi has the F17 gearbox, which is fine. Get the 5-speed variant or the updated 6-speed M20.

• As for the Easytronic transmission, I don’t recommend buying a second-hand Vauxhall Corsa fitted with one. The basic models of the Vauxhall Corsa should be simple and easy to fix. The Easytronic isn’t bad, but it isn’t common and fixing it is often expensive, which defeats the purpose of the car.

• If you’d like an Opel / Vauxhall Corsa D with an automatic transmission, the only model that had a conventional automatic transmission (torque converter) is the 1.4L. It has a decent Aisin transmission. The only potential problem with this gearbox is the gear selector lever, which may get stuck in “park”. This is a fairly common electrical issue (faulty solenoid, gear lever microswitch or brake pedal switch). Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to fix.

• When buying a petrol-powered Corsa with variable valve timing (VVT), look out for camshaft adjuster rattle during a cold start. Read the article about timing belts and chains for a more detailed explanation. By the way, the first letters in the engine codes used by Vauxhall indicate the emission standards: Z = Euro 4, A = Euro 5, B = Euro 6. For example, Z16LER = Euro 4, A16LER = Euro 5. Most Euro 5 engines made by Opel / Vauxhall have VVT.

• The 1.4L Turbo is a good unit. A timing chain is a bonus (provided you buy a car in good condition that doesn’t rattle when started). The only issue with these engines is a complicated PCV system with too many plastic and rubber parts. As these rubber and plastic parts age, we are likely going to see more PCV system failures. The 1.4L engine is my number one choice in the Corsa D. It’s reasonably powerful, cheap to insure and has a gearbox that won’t eat its bearings.

• As for the naturally aspirated petrol engines available in the Corsa D, they are simple and a bit outdated, which is a good thing for reliability! No turbochargers, no dual-mass flywheels and no gearbox problems. If you just a want a low-maintenance commuter car and don’t care about acceleration, these are the engines to get. Just make sure there are no symptoms of timing chain wear when buying one of these cars.

• The 1.6T engine comes with a small risk of 4th piston failure, particularly the 192 PS and 210 PS versions, which are the ones that experienced the majority of cracked pistons. If you bought one, always let the engines warm up and cool down properly before using the full available power. Also, do not remap these engines unless you are going to upgrade the injectors as well.

• The 210 PS 1.6T Nürburgring Edition has the same engine as the 150 PS version, with the same cast aluminium pistons. I would be very careful at 210 PS as it’s close to the maximum that you can get out of this engine in stock form. Normally, manufacturers leave a safety margin in turbocharged cars. That’s why remapping them is so popular – you can get 20% or 30% more power with just a software modification. This is not the case with the 210 PS 1.6T engine. You could maybe squeeze 5% more power out of it but I don’t recommend it at all. No safety margin here.

• As for the 150 PS 1.6T, I wouldn’t worry about it. There have been cases of cracked 4th pistons in non-VXR engines as well, but it’s a very small risk. Ideally, try to find out if the car wasn’t trashed by the previous owner (especially with a cold engine).

• Follow this link for an article that might help you decide if a Common Rail diesel engine, like the CDTi, is the right choice for you.

• The Fiat 1.3 Multijet… I mean the 1.3 CDTi may develop problems with the timing chain in higher-mileage cars.

• Not all diesel Corsa D models have diesel particulate filters (DPF). It was optional with the 1.3 CDTi engines (until 2008 for the 75 PS variant), while the 1.7 CDTi had a DPF from the start. Don’t rely on this information alone – get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) decoded to be sure. You can also check the label on the B-pillar (driver side). If the number inside the little square is 0.50 then the car has a DPF.

• There is an Easter egg hidden in the Vauxhall / Opel Corsa D. When you open the glovebox, you will find a shark on the glovebox hinge 🙂

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Diesel engines - technical details

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