Astra Techline GT - Front end scrapes on everything!
Discussion
Hello,
I have just purchased a new to me, (2014) Astra Techline GT. It was a trade in against an Insignia as I needed to downsize and get a smaller car.
This has a sports styling kit on which looks okay I guess for a small hatchback.
The problem is though, it has this huge plastic rubbing strip on the front bumper (which is already pretty low to the floor) so clearance from the road is minimal.
I didn't notice this on the test drive, but the front scrapes on everything. Every speed bump, car park ramps (multistory). Especially my driveway, it sounds dreadful with the sound of plastic grating across the floor. It's cringe-worthy as I prey for the front not to break away or push upwards / outwards.
The front bumper however looks fine without a mark on it. The rubbing strip is also brand new (the car has 30k miles on it) and there is no way the previous owner hasn't had this issue, so guessing it was replaced before I bought it. In 2 days, I have chewed it up already.
Now my concern is what to do as the car is under warranty still. I think it's a rubbing strip, but the sound is dreadful and my biggest concern is it pushing the front end to much and breaking the mounting clips or something.
I took the rubbing strip off, but it left a line of visible mounts and gaps on the front bumper which at 70mph made the car sound like a whistling kettle.
Anyone else encountered this issue?
I have just purchased a new to me, (2014) Astra Techline GT. It was a trade in against an Insignia as I needed to downsize and get a smaller car.
This has a sports styling kit on which looks okay I guess for a small hatchback.
The problem is though, it has this huge plastic rubbing strip on the front bumper (which is already pretty low to the floor) so clearance from the road is minimal.
I didn't notice this on the test drive, but the front scrapes on everything. Every speed bump, car park ramps (multistory). Especially my driveway, it sounds dreadful with the sound of plastic grating across the floor. It's cringe-worthy as I prey for the front not to break away or push upwards / outwards.
The front bumper however looks fine without a mark on it. The rubbing strip is also brand new (the car has 30k miles on it) and there is no way the previous owner hasn't had this issue, so guessing it was replaced before I bought it. In 2 days, I have chewed it up already.
Now my concern is what to do as the car is under warranty still. I think it's a rubbing strip, but the sound is dreadful and my biggest concern is it pushing the front end to much and breaking the mounting clips or something.
I took the rubbing strip off, but it left a line of visible mounts and gaps on the front bumper which at 70mph made the car sound like a whistling kettle.
Anyone else encountered this issue?
Agreed, sounds non-standard if it's as bad as you say. My wife has a Mk5 Astra with the XP styling kit and it's also been lowered 30mm, likewise my car has a front spoiler and a huge overhang and neither have any issues with day to day driving unless nosed in towards a excessively high kerb. Plus, if a standard spec M6 Astra struggles to navigate the roads without scraping, then owners of much more exotic machinery must be really struggling.
Any images of your car / the rubber skirt in question?
Any images of your car / the rubber skirt in question?
TooMany2cvs said:
Doesn't look like it should be scraping quite as badly as you suggest.
Has yours been lowered?
I will take a photo shortly and post it of the front bumper. (The only picture I have is head on, and you can't really judge from it).
I am thinking it might have been lowered now. I will phone the dealer and ask anyway, might as well get it checked out properly while I can
- They all do that sir*
h - its not just the techline, my wife has the SE, my brother has the GT Techline and both scrape, brothers just had his front end rebuilt including new rubber splitter as the old one fell off, done exactly the same.We have a few prefacelift J's and they are fine even the one with the OPC bodykit, my wife hates going over speedbumps due to the scraping - not present on our test drive but shes sworn any new car will be tested over bumps
strain said:
*They all do that sir*
Unfortunately any facelift Astra J scrapes like a bh - its not just the techline, my wife has the SE, my brother has the GT Techline and both scrape, brothers just had his front end rebuilt including new rubber splitter as the old one fell off, done exactly the same.
We have a few prefacelift J's and they are fine even the one with the OPC bodykit, my wife hates going over speedbumps due to the scraping - not present on our test drive but shes sworn any new car will be tested over bumps
I am sorry to hear that!Unfortunately any facelift Astra J scrapes like a b
h - its not just the techline, my wife has the SE, my brother has the GT Techline and both scrape, brothers just had his front end rebuilt including new rubber splitter as the old one fell off, done exactly the same.We have a few prefacelift J's and they are fine even the one with the OPC bodykit, my wife hates going over speedbumps due to the scraping - not present on our test drive but shes sworn any new car will be tested over bumps
So was his front end badly damaged due to the constant scraping? Or does it take just one higher speed scrape to do more damage? So far I have been literally crawling over speed bumps I know will catch :/
I have thought of replacing the rubbing strip entirely. The one on the techline is over-sized (suppose more styling) but the Astra SRI or Elite is literally just a thin stripe. Wounding if that would make a difference.
I hope this works.
The first image is from the side, the front bumper has already broke and has pushed out. Clip looks broken. Guessing I have done that on the speed bumps going to work this morning.
The second is the clearance from the floor. Also the front stripe has broken in the centre from the scraping.
TDEvans21 said:
The first image is from the side, the front bumper has already broke and has pushed out. Clip looks broken. Guessing I have done that on the speed bumps going to work this morning.
The second is the clearance from the floor. Also the front stripe has broken in the centre from the scraping.
That's not broken - it's simply the two halves have separated and one half has twisted slightly.The second is the clearance from the floor. Also the front stripe has broken in the centre from the scraping.
As well as the fit of the front bumper, the colour match is somewhat... idiosyncratic...
Let's have a better pic of the car itself, see what the ride height looks like.
Davie said:
Maybe I'm being dim and missed something here but the first two images posted, the car looks silver and the second set... it's grey...?
It's not just you, a few people have mentioned it to me.I have also just found a receipt mixed in with the owners manual for a body work repair job (insurance covered - £450). Maybe it was on the front bumper and they have done a respray?
I will phone the garage after work and see if they can clarify a few things. Mainly what the repair was, and has the car been altered. It was a mainstream lookers garage the car was bought from and they also done the repair work on the invoice.
I think I am panicking because I have only had the car less than 48 hours.
Davie said:
I don't mean a different shade between the wing and the bumper, I mean a completely different colour altogether... are the images posted of the same car?
They are most definitely the same car. Both taken today. I will get some more pictures shortly. In work at the moment sadly.
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