hi please please can any1 help....my vauxhall astra mark4 estate 1.7l dti has been slow starting for about 2 weeks,and yesterday after dropping my daughter 2 school it cut out completly.when i tried 2 start it it took a while,then cut out about 3 miles down the road.it was having trouble starting,and the battery became completely dead..my brother came and towed me back..we charged the battery for a while,then i took it round the block twice and it seemed good to go.went and picked my daughter up 2day and coming back it broke down again...it started after a while,then after a short while later it broke down again...the battery has gone completely dead again and i have left it by the roadside.only 2 weeks ago i had to buy a brand new alternator because i was told it was stopping because i needed a new alternator...which doesnt seem the case?! so if there is any1 that can help me id be so grateful....thanx

Becky, November 2011

error relates to fuel pump, fuel metering problem .

mech monster, November 2011

hi firstly thanx 4 getting back 2 me!yes my battery is older so mayb it is that.would it mess up my alternator like it was? thanx becky ..also i forgot dohh 2 add a fault code came up 0251.do u know what this is? thanx again x

becky, November 2011

sorry i must add,my alternator heated up 2 much....ive replaced but it still seems 2 have the same problem.was it something else that messed up the alternator? thanx becky

becky, November 2011

How old is the battery? Any more than 4 years old and you probably need a new one. The cooler autumn mornings tend to sort out the batteries that are at the end of their life.

I presume the car has been regularly serviced and there are no warning lights up on the dash.

ChicksFan, November 2011