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SebMueller86

Dead Insignia: ECU Relay Issue or Something Else?

Hey all, having issues with my 2009 Vauxhall Insignia diesel. Car completely refuses to start. I suspect it might be the ECU main relay, but need some real-world confirmation. Has anyone dealt with this problem? What did your mechanic diagnose and how was it fixed? Would appreciate hearing your experiences and repair costs. Thanks!

Summary of the thread

A 2009 Vauxhall Insignia diesel is experiencing a complete failure to start, suspected to be due to an ECU main relay issue. Similar symptoms were reported by another owner with a Vauxhall Vectra, where the problem was diagnosed as a faulty main relay, a common issue in Vauxhalls with high mileage. A temporary solution of tapping the relay was suggested and successfully started the car, indicating the relay as the likely cause. The owner plans to visit a mechanic for a permanent fix, reassured by the shared experience and advice.

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4 comment(s)

GerrySchwarz

Hey there! *Some experience with cars here* I had a similar issue with my 2007 Vauxhall Vectra diesel last year. It also wouldn't start at all, totally dead. After trying the obvious stuff (battery, starter), my trusted mechanic diagnosed a faulty main relay. Cost me around 120€ to get it fixed, including parts and labor. Pretty straightforward job for them, took about an hour. What symptoms exactly are you getting? Does it crank at all? Also, which engine variant does your Insignia have? Might help to know more details to confirm if it's the same issue I had.

SebMueller86 (community.author)

181886 km on the clock here. Mine's got the diesel engine, and yeah, when it happens, there's absolutely no response when I turn the key, no cranking, nothing. Just complete silence. Had it serviced about 2 weeks ago, everything was fine until yesterday. Your Vectra experience sounds spot on with what I'm experiencing. Did your dash lights come on at all when it happened? I'm hoping it's just the relay like in your case because that repair cost sounds way better than what I was fearing. Thanks for sharing your experience!

GerrySchwarz

Hey again! Yeah, that's exactly like what happened with my Vectra, same symptoms and everything. The dash lights would come on fine, but turning the key was just... nothing. Dead silence. And my car had similar mileage too, around 175k when it happened. Since you mentioned yours was recently serviced, that makes me even more convinced it's the relay. In my case, funny enough, it started playing up right after a service too. My mechanic said it's actually pretty common in these Vauxhalls around this mileage, something about the relay contacts wearing out over time. Quick tip from my experience, before you take it in, try giving the relay a few taps (if you can locate it). Sometimes that would temporarily get mine working, which was another clue it was the relay. But yeah, given how similar this sounds to what I went through, I'd bet good money it's the same issue. Let me know how it goes! Always good to hear if these tips help out fellow Vauxhall owners.

SebMueller86 (community.author)

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! Just tried the tap trick you mentioned and, would you believe it, the car actually started! Definitely taking it to the garage tomorrow though, not risking getting stranded somewhere. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, especially about the post-service timing and mileage similarities. Feels much better going to the mechanic with some idea of what I'm dealing with. Will update the thread once it's fixed in case anyone else runs into the same issue. Thanks again, you've saved me a lot of worry!

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VAUXHALL

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INSIGNIA