Dead Battery or More? Astra's Starting Struggles Solved

Hey there! I've got some experience with cars, nothing too fancy but I've dealt with similar issues. I had the exact same symptoms on my 2014 Vauxhall Insignia last year. Those flickering lights and starting problems got me worried too! Turned out it was a defective control unit that was draining the battery. Took it to my regular workshop, Mike's Auto, and they diagnosed it pretty quickly. Had to replace the unit completely, set me back about 600 Euro, but it fixed the problem for good. No more flickering lights or starting issues since then. What engine variant does your Astra have? And have you noticed any other warning lights on the dash? Would help me give you more specific advice based on my experience.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Yeah, mine's got the gasoline engine, and I've just hit 165269 KM. Had my last service about 2 months ago. What's interesting is that I haven't spotted any warning lights on the dash, just those annoying flickering lights and the starting trouble. Your Insignia story's got me thinking, maybe I should get the control unit checked too. Did Mike's give you any early warning signs to watch out for with the control unit issue? Really hoping I won't have to shell out that much cash, but better safe than sorry, right?

Hey again! Thanks for the follow-up about your Astra. You know, thinking back to my Insignia situation, I remember the symptoms started pretty similarly, no warning lights at first, just those annoying flickering lights and starting issues. The weird thing with my control unit problem was that it started really subtle. The first sign I noticed (besides what you're experiencing) was that my car would sometimes take an extra second to respond when I pressed the key fob. Mike actually told me that's pretty typical with control unit issues. But honestly, your mileage (165269 KM) is pretty close to what mine was when I had the problem (around 170000 KM). Quick tip though, before you jump to conclusions about the control unit, maybe get your battery tested first? Mike did that for me initially (free of charge), and while it wasn't my main issue, it's a good starting point. Could save you some cash if it turns out to be something simpler. By the way, since you mentioned no warning lights, that's exactly how mine started too. The warning lights only showed up later when things got worse. Give Mike's a call if you want, they're pretty good at diagnosing these things without trying to upsell you unnecessary stuff. Let me know what you find out, I'm curious if it's the same issue I had!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! That's really helpful about the key fob response, now that you mention it, I've noticed mine's been a bit sluggish too lately. You're definitely right about getting the battery tested first, no point jumping straight to the expensive stuff if it might be something simple. I'll take your advice and start with that. I actually know a garage near me that does free battery testing, so I'll head there tomorrow. Really appreciate you sharing your experience with Mike's too, it's always good to know what to expect cost-wise if it does turn out to be the control unit. I'll definitely keep you posted on what I find out. Fingers crossed it's just the battery, but at least now I know what else to look out for! Thanks again for all your help!