Astra Start Problem

[Gaynorvj]

Hello

I have 1999/v reg vauxhall astra 1.6 8v but at the moment its sitting on the drive and wont start. It's been quite intermittent starting some days then others not. Took the kids to school it started ok, stopped off at shops, it started ok, then wouldn't start after dropping them off. At first it starts up after rev ving then I hear a whirring noise as it slowly dies and cuts out within seconds. The ECU light comes on when it starts.

I am not sure whether the immobiliser has cut out, or the key fob chip needs replacing. The thing is, the car is stuck on the drive and we cannot get it started so we cannot get it to a garage. The ECU was fixed 18 months ago and I wondered if the ECU could be decoded to start the car or if the disconnection of the battery would work.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[furrycheeky]

Put the key in and turn on the ignition watching the engine light. It should come, on dim briefly, then stay on permanently. The dimming is the check of the key, if its flashing at this point then its not going to start as it is not accepting the key.

Pulling the battery and leaving for 30 mins and reconnecting is an easy way to reset the ECU and does no harm except the radio code. Its worth a try.