26th Oct 2004, 09:10

No problems with my Astra Sri, you won't get the same build quality with a Japenese made car. The Astra's are great, looks, performance, quality. The brakes are always an issue with cars depending on how there driven. The 5.4 Bosch brakes on the SRi are an excellent package and the car pulls up on a dime!

18th Mar 2010, 03:29

Don't buy one!!! So dear to fix and bad noisy brakes.. timing chain cost $3000 to fix. Rattles everywhere. I'm trading mine in for an sp20.

10th Nov 2010, 18:05

Timing belts are always expensive. Maybe you copped it more than others, but cars in general are not cheap to run. Plus dealer mechanics always overcharge by around a 1/3.

28th Oct 2011, 20:12

The 2002 Astra SRi 2.2 does not have a timing chain!

19th Sep 2012, 05:58

Actually the z22se engine in the TS Astra SRi does use a timing chain. It never needs replacement... ever.

8th Jul 2013, 22:09

We have an Astra 2002 SRi with the Z22SE engine. The car is at the mechanics now, and they are saying the timing chain needs replacing? I don't understand the comment that they don't need replacing ever? What is the correct story.

10th Apr 2014, 21:33

The 1.8 Litre Astra’s have a timing belt that needs to be changed EVERY 60,000km. The pretensioners WILL FAIL and YOU WILL NEED A NEW ENGINE IF YOU DON’T TAKE HEED. Same applies to any GM Family 1 or 2 engine that runs a belt from this era. Daewoo, Opel, Holden, Chevrolet etc all suffer the same issues with these engines.

However, the Astra SRi (2.2 litre) has a Z22 Opel engine that runs a chain (same engine as the Zafira I am lead to believe). The chain needs to be inspected (possibly adjusted, but rarely needs it) every 100,000km, but should never need changing for the life of the engine (life-span of an all alloy engine is approximately 300,000km). The Z22 engine is NOT the same 2.2 as the Holden/Opel Vectra. The C22 in the Vectra has a belt, ergo needs to be changed every 60,000km. My SRi Astra has 210,000km on the clock and the timing chain has never been touched. The only problem the Z22’s have is a horrible rattle at startup from cold, as it takes a few seconds for the oil to reach the lifters. They all do it, and I have been told that it is not repairable… One of the reasons it was altered for the model change in 2005 (Holden AH Astra / Opel Mark V Astra) and phased out completely at the end of 2007. Good engine!

26th Nov 2016, 00:34

Timing chains are a wearing item, especially if the engine is not serviced correctly! Anything over 100,000km and the chain should be inspected and timing checked. To say that they never need changing is very misleading and incorrect.

26th Nov 2016, 21:38

As a general rule, the timing chains should not NEED replacing - but they CAN be needed. During the days of double-chain engines, they were as trouble-free as a piston. A batch of chains for several brands were not manufactured correctly (notably VW - who have since switched back to belts - but includes BMW) by a supplier, and the chains can stretch so best inspected at 100K km and then yearly. Sometimes it isn't the chain that is the problem - it's the tensioner that fails and affects the chain therefore. But it is less likely that a chain, correctly built and engine serviced, would need replacing vs. a belt, which is best done every 100K km despite what the manual says (120K km for several makes).

4th Aug 2017, 23:09

Timing Chains.

Automobile engines were originally designed with timing chains. However some manufacturers noticed that a timing belt would produce better efficiency figures for the engine. So they went with belts. This decision was an adverse one for the consumer, because the belts have a poor MTBF period. Simply increasing servicing or engine replacement.

With the GM Vauxhall OPEL 1998 to 2004 TS Series Astra, they had an early on issue of engines blowing their timing belts prior to the scheduled 100k inspection. So as a result they made it mandatory to replace the timing belt every 60k. This means TS Astras 1.8L & 2.0L must have the belt replaced at the following intervals 60k, 120k, 180k, 240k, 300k etc...

The Astra 2.2L has a timing chain. As such it requires an inspection every 100k. However one must also be aware of listing to your engine, no matter what type it is. Because knowing what it normally sounds like, will assist in the early detection of a fault, thus save servicing $$$...