Bad Corsa: Black Smoke & Power Loss, Turbo Failure?

Hey there! Those symptoms sound really familiar. I had similar issues with my 2013 Vauxhall Astra 1.7 CDTI last year. The whistling sound and black smoke were exactly what I experienced, turned out to be a faulty wastegate valve on the turbo. Got it checked at my local Vauxhall specialist garage. The wastegate wasn't opening and closing properly, causing boost pressure problems. The mechanic showed me how the valve was stuck partially open, which explained the power loss and that annoying whistle. They had to replace the entire wastegate actuator assembly. It wasn't a quick fix, had my car in the garage for two days. It's definitely a serious issue that needs sorting ASAP because it can lead to bigger turbo problems if left unfixed. Since getting it fixed, my Astra's been running like new, no more smoke, no whistling, and power's back to normal. I'd suggest getting it checked soon, preferably at a shop that specializes in turbos/diesel engines. Hope this helps!

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! That's really helpful, and it does sound exactly like what I'm dealing with. Would you mind telling me roughly how much the whole repair cost you? Also, have you had any other turbo-related issues pop up since getting it fixed? Just want to know what I might be in for! Cheers!

Hey again! Glad I could help! Yeah, I went ahead and got it fixed at my local Vauxhall specialist last week, best decision ever! The total bill came to 860€ for fixing the wastegate valve defect. Seems the mechanic was spot on with the diagnosis of the boost pressure system malfunction. Since the repair, my Astra's been running absolutely perfect, no more issues whatsoever! The black smoke's gone, that annoying whistle disappeared, and the power's back to what it should be. Honestly, it feels like driving a different car now. Haven't had any other turbo problems since then, and it's been such a relief. My mechanic did a thorough job checking everything while they were at it, so I'm pretty confident it's all sorted. Trust me, getting it fixed properly is worth every penny, you don't want to mess around with turbo issues! Let me know if you need any other info. Good luck with getting yours sorted!

Thanks! Really appreciate all the info. Actually, I took your advice and got it sorted at a specialist garage yesterday. Funny enough, it was exactly what you said, faulty wastegate! Cost me about 800€, which wasn't as bad as I'd feared. The mechanic was really thorough, showed me the old part and explained everything. He even spotted and fixed a small boost leak while he was at it, no extra charge. Car's running like a dream now, no more black smoke, whistling's gone, and it's got its power back. Even my fuel economy seems better! Guess sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and get things fixed properly. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction, saved me a lot of headache shopping around for mechanics. Really glad I asked here first! Cheers!