[joemailey]

After having the Insignia for 6 months I have a few questions I need answering:

I'm still having trouble with my clutch, It seems difficult to take of using the Insignia. Almost as if the car has like a flat spot or something when I try to drive off at lights or when stopped, Like there is no bite point in it and if I don't do it exactly right the car just drops flat.

My dad said the other day maybe the clutch might need adjusted.

Every time my dad drives the car he stalls it at least once or twice. Which is very unusual for him. He has been drive for 35years or so. He can drive anything ranging from HGV(40ft lorry) to small forklifts, basically the man can drive anything with wheels and probably few things with out wheels :D

Some days I can drive it find other days I even stall it. about 90% of the time when I reverse I stall it as they just isn't any power in the car unless I revv the engine a good bit. only way I can get a bit of Power out of the car when taking of is I put the foot down a a bit more than I should have to which in return revs up the engine a good bit.

How is everyones steering? Mines feels extremely light. Every bump in the road I hit my steering feels extra light as if the wheel aren't on the ground and the car sometimes pulls to left or right.

I've also noticed when I brake occasionally the car pulls to the right?

[cameron66]

After having the Insignia for 6 months I have a few questions I need answering:

I'm still having trouble with my clutch, It seems difficult to take of using the Insignia. Almost as if the car has like a flat spot or something when I try to drive off at lights or when stopped, Like there is no bite point in it and if I don't do it exactly right the car just drops flat.

My dad said the other day maybe the clutch might need adjusted.

Every time my dad drives the car he stalls it at least once or twice. Which is very unusual for him. He has been drive for 35years or so. He can drive anything ranging from HGV(40ft lorry) to small forklifts, basically the man can drive anything with wheels and probably few things with out wheels :D

Some days I can drive it find other days I even stall it. about 90% of the time when I reverse I stall it as they just isn't any power in the car unless I revv the engine a good bit. only way I can get a bit of Power out of the car when taking of is I put the foot down a a bit more than I should have to which in return revs up the engine a good bit.

How is everyones steering? Mines feels extremely light. Every bump in the road I hit my steering feels extra light as if the wheel aren't on the ground and the car sometimes pulls to left or right.

I've also noticed when I brake occasionally the car pulls to the right?

I suspect you may have the 1.8vvt engine, which mine is. It is very easy indeed to stall, though I've got used to it now and is no longer such a issue. You do need to give the engine more revs when pulling away compared to any other car I've driven, I think because its such a heavy car... too heavy IMO for such a puny engine.
It is extremely easy to stall when pulling away, and something I dont like either, and is something I still have to watch when pulling away especially starting away on a slight incline.

Its probably worse when you'rve come from a poweful diesel car which I did, as you tend to drive similar to your previous car, ie. low revs etc. I still try and keep the revs down (I hate a noisy car), but unfortunately this engine is totally xxxx unless you give it a few revs, same when climbing hills.

The steering on mine is good, certainly not light as some people have reported, actually wish it was a touch lighter. That may be due to the fact I have the 245/45/18 tyres fitted which are very wide, also when the car was delivered the pressures had been set at 43psi all round, which made the ride far too hard, I lowered them to 35 in the fronts and 32 in the rears, so that would affect the steering too of course. Only thing I noticed when I first had it was a slight tendency to feel a bit of tramlining through the steering, due to the wide tyres, but this has reduced to almost nil as the tyres have bedded/worn in after 3k miles.

No issues regarding any pulling left or right when brakiing at all, it stops in a straight line.

[brummie]

Joemailey

What edition (eg Exclusive) and Engine do you have?

With regard to the steering every review I have read commented on how light the steering was.

All your other problems do not sound right, have you spoken to a dealer.

[mitch1408]

I dont have mine yet so can only talk about the test drives i took. I stalled both the 1.8 petrol and the 2.0 160 Diesel. They both seem like there is a very small window in which to give it the revs otherwise it stalls! I cant comment on reversing it as the wife parked it up but she didnt stall :eek: (yes it was embarrassing!!) I suppose, as Cameron said, its probably to do with the engine size and the car being quite heavy!

There were no problems with it pulling to one side under braking, but i have had this with previous cars, it turned out the brake calliper had "gone". This caused one side to apply more pressure than the other, causing more wear on the pads which in turn needed a new caliper, pads and disks! Id get that looked at mate otherwise it could turn out to be expensive!

Let us know how it goes :)

[joemailey]

Hi folks its the 1.8.

My tyre pressure is set at 32 all round the car. Like the book says. I generally don't have many passengers in the car, just my self and load is light.

I have the plus pack which gives me the 18" wheels. So I'm assuming my tyres are the same as cameron66.

I upgrade from a MK5 Astra 1.4 to an Insignia Exclusive 1.8 with plus pack.

I've just noticed recently that the steering is really really light. If I hit any sort of bump or hump on the road it feels like I have no grip at all.

Sometimes when I break the car pulls to the right, but I'm not sure if that is cause by me hitting a bump on the road at the same time or not.


Just doesn't feel right at all compare to my Astra. After a long trip to the west of Ireland it felt a tad unsafe travelling down bumpy roads at any speed. As I was constantly fighting with the wheel as the slightest bump pulled me to one side or the other.

I'm just unsure if this is a normal thing our not I've only been driving for a year and a half. But from previous experience in the astra the steering was no where near as light and the clutch was suited better.

[joemailey]

I have just let my work colleague drive my car to check the steering.

Steering seems fine until you hit around 50MPH then it starts to lose feedback. According to my friend he said it feels completely unsafe when you hit 60MPH.

This was tested with turning the wheel side to side.

Now good thing about this was he just recently drove his father Insignia identical model to mine own. Said the steering was nothing like how mine felt when it went over 50.

Any ideas as to what it could be and how to explain it to Vauxhall?

[cameron66]

I personally found the diesels okay, I actually thought it was just my 1.8 that did this, but a 1.8 Insignia courtesy car I used a while ago was the same. I'm used to it now, and I dont think I've stalled it at all in the last 2 months.... well maybe once/twice...lol

Its as though there is a totally flat spot with no power whatsoever around 900 to 1000 rpm and unless your on a dead flat road or a downhill, even when very slowly slipping the clutch in its real easy to stall it.

As the OP stated reverse is even worse, you really have to give it some revs especially when trying to reverse back up the slightest slope. I've noticed this myself, as I have to reverse up a short slope in order to get my car out of the driveway. Its almost as though in reverse the gearing is a little too high, certainly feels like I have to give it more rpm than I should be doing IYKWIM.
Dont like doing it, but you dont have any choice. I still find occasionally when reversing I've not given it enough revs, and it will start to die on me, so its clutch back in and increase the revs a touch more. At low revs, you cant just press the accellerator more like you would normally as it does'nt seem to want to pickup properly when under load.

I assumed this was how the car was and adapted the way I drove to suite the idiosyncrasie of the car, which one does with every new car of course.

So I am a bit surprised to hear its still proving to be a pain for the OP after having the car 6 months though, hmmmm.. strange.
What's the dealers comments been regarding this stalling problem, or is he just saying there's nothing wrong. ? as is usual.

I'm not impressed by this 1.8vvt engine at all, I feel my old 1.6 which was in a Zafira I had some years ago, which was my last petrol car had much better power and accelleration. JMO Once the cars rolling at a reasonable speed its not bad at all, but power and almost non-existant torque low down is very poor.

[sofuse]

My tyre pressure is set at 32 all round the car. Like the book says.

I thought it was 32F and 29R for the pressures.

[cameron66]

Hi folks its the 1.8.

My tyre pressure is set at 32 all round the car. Like the book says. I generally don't have many passengers in the car, just my self and load is light.

I have the plus pack which gives me the 18" wheels. So I'm assuming my tyres are the same as cameron66.

I upgrade from a MK5 Astra 1.4 to an Insignia Exclusive 1.8 with plus pack.

I've just noticed recently that the steering is really really light. If I hit any sort of bump or hump on the road it feels like I have no grip at all.

Sometimes when I break the car pulls to the right, but I'm not sure if that is cause by me hitting a bump on the road at the same time or not.


Just doesn't feel right at all compare to my Astra. After a long trip to the west of Ireland it felt a tad unsafe travelling down bumpy roads at any speed. As I was constantly fighting with the wheel as the slightest bump pulled me to one side or the other.

I'm just unsure if this is a normal thing our not I've only been driving for a year and a half. But from previous experience in the astra the steering was no where near as light and the clutch was suited better.

I think I know exactly what you mean, I thought this too, though maybe to a lesser degree, I think its because of the size of the tyres, mine still bounces around quite a bit, and is no where near as comfortable a ride as my previous Vec-c 150 was, I can certainly feel every slight rut in the road, and in some cases as you say it will affect the steering, especially on rough roads. Smooth surfaces no problem at all on mine.

I dont think its such a issue on the standard 17" wheels, and indeed the ride comfort is much better on the 17" wheels too.
It sounds like your steering may be lighter than mine, as I do get acceptable feedback through the steering wheel. I would definately get the dealer to drive it, and would be interested to hear what they have to say.

I suspect however that these large tyres are responsible for much of it, and may be more noticable on the Exclusiv models where you dont have ride comfort adjustments like some of the other models.

[joemailey]

Going to repost this as it seems to have been lost a little:

I have just let my work colleague drive my car to check the steering.

Steering seems fine until you hit around 50MPH then it starts to lose feedback. According to my friend he said it feels completely unsafe when you hit 60MPH.

This was tested with turning the wheel side to side.

Now good thing about this was he just recently drove his father Insignia identical model to mine own. Said the steering was nothing like how mine felt when it went over 50.

Any ideas as to what it could be and how to explain it to Vauxhall?

[cameron66]

Going to repost this as it seems to have been lost a little:

I have just let my work colleague drive my car to check the steering.

Steering seems fine until you hit around 50MPH then it starts to lose feedback. According to my friend he said it feels completely unsafe when you hit 60MPH.

This was tested with turning the wheel side to side.

Now good thing about this was he just recently drove his father Insignia identical model to mine own. Said the steering was nothing like how mine felt when it went over 50.

Any ideas as to what it could be and how to explain it to Vauxhall?

Sorry Matey for going OT a wee bit there,

what you are discribing is a obvious fault rather than a characteristic of the car which I thought you meant.
It does sound like you need to get it in to the dealers quite quickly and get this checked out.
It could be anything from Power steering fluid levels to something more drastic. A couple of owners have experienced track rod end ball joints coming away resulting in total steering failure, but your's sounds like issues with the power steering itself. TBH I doubt anyone can give a accurate assessment what its likely to be until the vx mechanic can give it a good going over. I suggest you get it into the dealer ASAP.

Discribe it to them as you have done above, get them to drive it for themselves.

[PRO-INSIGNIA]

Going to repost this as it seems to have been lost a little:

I have just let my work colleague drive my car to check the steering.

Steering seems fine until you hit around 50MPH then it starts to lose feedback. According to my friend he said it feels completely unsafe when you hit 60MPH.

This was tested with turning the wheel side to side.

Now good thing about this was he just recently drove his father Insignia identical model to mine own. Said the steering was nothing like how mine felt when it went over 50.

Any ideas as to what it could be and how to explain it to Vauxhall?

I think you might have a problem Joe. Especially if you have only noticed it recently. I think on the Insignia the steering rack gets a road speed signal so that as you go faster the steering should get a bit heavier so you get a bit of steering feel.
Either the steering rack is not getting this speed signal or the part in the steering rack that add resistance when you go faster has failed.
If I were you I think you should take it in to your dealer.:(
Hope this helps.

[joemailey]

Booked in to see the dealer on wednesday, we're going to take her for a spin.

[joemailey]

I was testing a bit more when I was driving home from work today.
It is almost like the steering is up and down. One second its really light, next second its fine.

It is strange and hard to explain.

[cameron66]

It sounds like its a problem with the motor which keeps the hydraulics pressurised. The Insignia like the vectra uses a EHPS sytem, IOW its a electrical hydraulic powered system. It uses a electric motor to maintain the hydraulic pressure, instead of using a belt driven from the engine, its more economical, and easier to adjust its characteristics to suite the car more.

Its possible the motor or its regulation circuit which provides the pressure to the system is varying for some reason outside of its normal range.

Interesting to know what it was when they suss it out, but thats where my £1 is. Thats where I'd be looking if the power steering assistance was all over the place, assuming its nothing silly mechanically, though I think if that was the case you may have heard some noise of some sort, and it would have been apparent at lesser speeds on rough roads, and it would'nt have affected the amount of steering assistance.

Let us know what the dealers verdict is afterwards

[Slider]

I also have the 1.8 and found that I had to change my driving style quite considerably to get and keep the car moving at a reasonable rate. At first I was alarmed with the seemingly high revs I had to use making the car very noisy - although I seem to have got used to this now. I have never had the stalling problem but perhaps this is because I have always had a bit a of a lead foot when pulling off. However I used to find it a bit of a struggle reversing on the drive. With regard to the lightness of the steering I think my experiences are similar to Cams, so perhaps you do need to get yours checked out.

There is a driving tip in the brochure for the insignia which I find optimistic at best, it suggests changing gear at 2500 revs to save fuel (petrol engines), I suspect that if I did this in mine and there was any slight uphill incline I would start going backwards.

[Melbury]

I also have the 1.8 and found that I had to change my driving style quite considerably to get and keep the car moving at a reasonable rate. At first I was alarmed with the seemingly high revs I had to use making the car very noisy - although I seem to have got used to this now. I have never had the stalling problem but perhaps this is because I have always had a bit a of a lead foot when pulling off. However I used to find it a bit of a struggle reversing on the drive. With regard to the lightness of the steering I think my experiences are similar to Cams, so perhaps you do need to get yours checked out.

There is a driving tip in the brochure for the insignia which I find optimistic at best, it suggests changing gear at 2500 revs to save fuel (petrol engines), I suspect that if I did this in mine and there was any slight uphill incline I would start going backwards. I too had to adjust my driving technique
after a 1/2 doz stalls, my young lad said " Dad you cant handle it " but I mastered it soon after and on anticipating a stall I deftly dip the clutch pedal a bit and then it dosent happen. Yes all this is really town driving mostly and hill starts but the chance of a stall is rarely now. I find driving on the long run is sweet and smooth. Steering is ok too.:)

[mitch1408]

How did things go at the dealer mate?? :D

[joemailey]

How did things go at the dealer mate?? :D

Been busy hence the lack of an update.
Dealer couldn't find an issue with the steering. Althou the "test drive" wasn't much of a test drive.
Will keep a close eye on it and then bring it back again in few months.

[cameron66]

IOW the usual response from the dealer, no action taken until something fails then they may consider doing something. :(

I've had 2 offers for mine which is still less than 3 months, so it may be sold within the next few days. :)

[PRO-INSIGNIA]

IOW the usual response from the dealer, no action taken until something fails then they may consider doing something. :(

I've had 2 offers for mine which is still less than 3 months, so it may be sold within the next few days. :)

What are you going to replace Insignia with Cam?

[cameron66]

What are you going to replace Insignia with Cam?

Weve decided it will likely be a BMW 3 series 320D ES Auto saloon, spent most of today looking at a few, Not buying new this time, but have seen a couple of 58 plate one's with 7.6k and another at just under 10k miles. Had considered the series 1, but unsure about the stubby chopped of rearend. The diesel 320d is quite nippy and fairly quiet, the one I'm leaning to has full leather, and a few toys like satav, they also have another same model without the toys, roughly same price which is a 09 reg. Just waiting for them to come back with PX figure for mine, as its not in their book with the Insignia being so new. The VX dealer has also offered me a figure to buy it back in, and as VX have increased the prices again since I bought mine 11 weeks ago I think its a reasonable figure, not brilliant... but I expected to drop about 2k on it.

[cameron66]

Update.

Well I have decided to buy a new one again, but have now pretty much decided to go for a series 1 120D Auto S-Sports Coupe, its the one that has the small boot, which looks much better than the hatchback compacts which look as though the back end has been chopped off.

Its not got much room in the rear, just got enough room for 2 adults, but plenty in the front as you would expect, and the driving position and seats are nice, few toys in its basic form even cruise control is a optional extra, which I'm having of course, but no fancy lighting controls...lol

However it does knock out 175bhp and 0-62 in just over 7 secs, so its no slouch, just fancied something a little sportier looking this time, and definately faster, it quite economical for a Auto at 52.9mpg avg. You can call it my last fling. :D

There's only the wife and I so it should be big enough, though we may need to lose some weight to squeez in..lol. Much lower and smaller then the Insignia. I've yet to decide the colour but leaning towards a metalic dark grey or silver.
Have appointment in the morning to sign everything up and pay the deposit. Maybe able to get it within 10days if they can locate one, as they have few branches or it will be end of Sept or even November before I get it, if it has to be ordered direct from BMW. Insignia goes in next week.

Sorry for comtaminating the forum with the alien Pics..lol Not having that colour though I dont think.

Mods... if the pics are in-appropiate please delete them.

[cameron66]

Thought I'd change colour a wee bit so the pics felt at home...LOL(-
Told you Beemers, also suffer from colour mismatch.

Edit.. should have put October above and not November.

[Happy42]

Hi Mate, wish you all the best with your new motor (-

Cheers :)

[cameron66]

Hi Mate, wish you all the best with your new motor (-

Cheers :)

Thanks Matey, the Insignia goes to the buyer early next week, so it looks like my days on here and the other VX forums may be numbered. :(

BTW I was telling a wee porkie re. touching up the pic, it actually appeared like that after I grabbed it from a website when I was looking for some pics of the 120D coupe, so the pics are not of my new car obviously, (- may be a couple of weeks before I receive it or even longer. :(

[cameron66]

you can still pop on & give us your worldy advice ya know!!(-(-

There's all the other motors too, that you could look through??;);):cool:

Thanks Mitch, I will continue to browse and occasionally post if I may, after-all I still occasionally drive my old 56 plate vec-c which is one of the sons business fleet cars now. Maybe borrowing it, until my new car arrives.

AAMOI, I bet you suspected all along that I may end up selling it ? or maybe you did'nt ? :D You probably know my thoughts as well as I do.:D

[john57]

Update.

Well I have decided to buy a new one again, but have now pretty much decided to go for a series 1 120D Auto S-Sports Coupe, its the one that has the small boot, which looks much better than the hatchback compacts which look as though the back end has been chopped off.

Its not got much room in the rear, just got enough room for 2 adults, but plenty in the front as you would expect, and the driving position and seats are nice, few toys in its basic form even cruise control is a optional extra, which I'm having of course, but no fancy lighting controls...lol

However it does knock out 175bhp and 0-62 in just over 7 secs, so its no slouch, just fancied something a little sportier looking this time, and definitely faster, it quite economical for a Auto at 52.9mpg avg. You can call it my last fling. :D

There's only the wife and I so it should be big enough, though we may need to lose some weight to squeeze in..lol. Much lower and smaller then the Insignia. I've yet to decide the colour but leaning towards a metallic dark grey or silver.
Have appointment in the morning to sign everything up and pay the deposit. Maybe able to get it within 10days if they can locate one, as they have few branches or it will be end of Sept or even November before I get it, if it has to be ordered direct from BMW. Insignia goes in next week.

Sorry for contaminating the forum with the alien Pics..lol Not having that colour though I dont think.

Mods... if the pics are in-appropriate please delete them.



I hope you have better luck with your new car, Cameron, it looks a nice model. Shame about the Insignia, you seem like myself and do your homework before finally buying a car, then end up with problems, that just shouldn't happen in new cars. .......All the best.

[cameron66]

I had thought after all the stuff being put right you'd keep it.:confused::confused:

At least i got a pic of it, & a drive too @ Evesham(-(-:cool:
Also the first one to show up @ a meet, so 1st's all round for me.:):):):D

I was very undecided, it's one of my biggest faults my wife tells me. I will take ages pondering over decisions, I'm aways buying things just because I may fancy one, I will research and read up about something I'm thinking of buying even when deep down I know I'm not doing the right thing, and I still go ahead and do it anyway.

Re. the car, I think they are lovely cars, but the wife and I dont really need one quite so large, and mainly I dont think I would ever be overjoyed with the 1.8vvt performance which is underpowered for the cars weight. There are a few other minor things I'm not overly keen on, but its not my wish to criticise the car further on the forum, The car has lots going for it, the 1.8 just did'nt have quite enough of them sufficiently for me to want to keep it.

The trouble was... having had a Insignia what could I really move to in the VX range afterwards, and I kept being tempted by the sons BMW's, so I succumbed yet again! LOL

Take care matey...