Juddering at tickover AFTER long journey

DaveB

I've got a 51 plate 2.2 Astra Coupe auto, and it has been running great up until we had that rain last week....
After the rain, car was empty of fuel so filled up from Esso (don't usually use Esso fuel) then took it on a run to DFS (joys of buying a house....). Ran excellently on the way there, then as I was turning in the car park just felt lots of shaking, as had never happened before. Then, when it came to go home the car wouldn't start, which has NEVER happened since I've had it. I left it a couple of minutes and it fired up, and then there were no problems on the drive home.
Next couple of days the car was fine but yesterday and today it has been juddering again after a journey (never when I first turn the car on) and occasionally struggles to start.
Any ideas what could be up? I'm wondering if its a dodgy batch of fuel that my engine just doesn't like, or am I just kidding myself and its something more sinister?

vocky

possibly the fuel, but might be the coil pack or plugs notsure.gif

batcho

use to work in a petrol stationyears ago and some times after it had rained alot you would get water in the tanks if the fill pipes were at ground level but most now are above ground they use to stock a paste which you would put on the tank dip sticks and it would turn purple if water was present go back to petrol station and ask them if they would dip there tanks and your petrol tank they might do this for you but only if they are sure that they is no problem with there tanks if they refuse or deny knowlege of this paste then you may have dodgy fuel

DaveB

Took the car to the garage yesterday so they could have a quick look, the guy there said he wasn't sure and would have to open it up to have a proper look. When I told him I was selling the car next week he said I shouldn't bother as I'm only selling it to a dealer.

He advised that I should run the car as low as possible on fuel then refill, to see if it was a problem with dodgy petrol. I did this, getting a bit scared along the way as I didn't fancy running out!

Then, with hardly any fuel in and coasting to the petrol station, the emissions warning light has come on! Could this be because it is running on the dregs or is everything going wrong at once?? Should this go away now I've filled up? I only need the damn thing to last another week and I don't really want it flashing up like a christmas tree when someone is looking over it!

Any help much appreciated!

vocky

could well be dodgy fuel, you can reset the eml by disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes.

DaveB

All seems well now, emission light went off about 10 minutes into driving to work tonight, and the juddering at idle is almost gone. Still there but I guess that will get better with time if it was dodgy fuel.