Servicing setbacks

Everything had been meticulously planned for a seamless completion of part two of our Astra project series. For instance, I’d taken the Astra to my local garage, MJ Motors, for a second opinion on the gunge inside the coolant expansion tank and the mystery radiator cooling fan that seemed to always be running. They and several CM readers alike correctly diagnosed the cooling fan problem as a fault with the thermostat’s electrical components and the brown muck inside the expansion tank was caused by failure of the oil cooler.

With time to spare, I ordered a replacement oil cooler and thermostat assembly from Autovaux. They sell genuine and aftermarket items, so we could determine the most cost-effective way to fix these items. And we also had several service jobs to tick off, so I ordered engine oil, coolant, filters, spark plugs and a timing belt kit including an auxiliary drive belt. All of the parts were sent direct to MJ Motors and they booked a couple of days for me in their diary.

Then, four days before I was due to take the Astra to MJ, my youngest son tested positive for Coronavirus. My wife and I tested each day, which showed we were negative, but as the date for visiting MJ Motors approached, I wasn’t happy to potentially spread the virus.

At the time,