Vauxhall Astra Abnormal Noises

HELENAITCHISON

MEMBER
2007 VAUXHALL ASTRA
4 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
45,000 MILES

Hi I was wondering if you could help me to find out what is wrong with my car - vauxhall astra 1.3 cdti club '07 plate.
Over the past 2 weeks there has been a constant humming "hoover-like" noise which seems to be coming from the rear passenger side. It happens as soon as the key is turned before starting, both when stationary and in motion.
It is getting progressively worse. It was running fine until I got a friend to change a dirty fuel filter for me yesterday morning. Now on my way to and from work this morning, it cut out on me about 8 times whilst only doing 16 miles!

Do you think it is still safe for me to drive? It is just that the nearest Vauxhall garage is 40 miles away, and it will cost a lot to get them to come out to see the vehicle.

Thank you,

Helen

1 Reply

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

Hi Helen,

Thank you for the donation.

Noise problems are almost impossible to detect online but based on your symptom descrition, I believe the fuel pump is bad and has to be replaced.

When ignition switch is turned on, the fuel pump would prime the system for a few seconds. When engine is running, the fuel pump would continue to run.

If the pump is bad, it can result in humming noises.

Try the following.

Turn ignition switch on without starting the engine. If the humming noise stops after a few seconds, that most likely indicates it is from the fuel pump. The pump would work with a barely audibel hum and if the noise is loud, it is definitely bad or failing.

Under such circumstances, it is not safe to drive the vehicle as the engine can stall any moment and fail to restart if the pump fails completely.

If you smell fuel all the time, recheck the fuel filter installation and ensure there are no leaks.