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106

Omega General Help / 2.5 exhaust maifold to cat section gasket

« on: 20 March 2019, 13:30:38 »

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAUXHALL-OMEGA-B-FRONT-EXHAUST-PIPE-TO-MANIFOLD-GASKET-GENUINE-NEW-1994-2003/152404971810?epid=2232620552&hash=item237c0b5122:g:JVYAAOSwMHdXQtAh
1999 2.5 petrol manual estate
This car is due MOT soon. Last two tests it has struggled to pass emissions test. Left hand catalyst section rattles all the while, cat matrix probably broken. I have bought a cheap cat secttion in case I need it. Shall I also need a new gasket, if so is above the one?

107

General Car Chat / Head gasket replacement on an Astra 1.8

« on: 13 March 2019, 12:55:41 »

I imagine that changing the head gasket on an Astra 1.8 petrol is similar to the job an Omega 2.2. Am I right?

108

Omega General Help / Exhaust for 2.5 estate

« on: 13 March 2019, 10:07:52 »

2000 2.5 manual petrol estate
Pre MOT check on above car has revealed a blowing exhaust. Is ATE forum current choice? Can someone give me a reference please?

109

General Car Chat / Astra door & h/brake light coming on occasionally

« on: 11 March 2019, 17:17:09 »

Astra H manual 1.6 esate Life
While driving along the exclamation mark light occasionally comes on, ccompanied by a bonging sound. Initally I feared an engine fault, but code reader said no codes stored, and the engine light symbol was not illuminated. I find opening any door brings on the light, as does applying the handbrake. I do not have a driver's handbook. Could anything else turn on this light?

110

General Car Chat / Vauxhall Astra advice

« on: 08 March 2019, 14:18:39 »

This forum is wonderful for the Omega. It is good for many other cars too, Jags, MBs, even Teslas, to which many Omegas owners have progressed. Before I joined this forum I dared not tackle big jobs, like changing clutches. Haynes does cover them, but the way he would have me leap from section to section, performing 4 spanner jobs in each one, used to frighten me. James V6CDX made clutch jobs sound easy, and I found I could do them.

Is there a similar forum for the Astra? Googling it, I found a black background forum, similar to the the Rover Streetwise forum, hard to explore and less friendly than the OOF.

My current wish is to change the bulbs in my instrument display. Is it simple, like on the Omega? 

111

General Car Chat / Astra code P0110-14 air intake air pemperature sensor circuit - high input

« on: 07 March 2019, 15:45:12 »

2008 AstraH 1.6 manual petrol estate
Daughter's car, swopped for my Omega 3.2, trouble free since I changed the oil for 10W40 and replaced the fan relays.
I met her at the station  in it today, and on the way home a warning light briefly cme on, and something bonged; lasted about 5 seconds. After lunch I plugged in my diagnoser, and codes P0110-14 and P0111-61 came up, though on running the engine only the first code showed, reading Intake air temperature sensor circuit high input. Switching to live data, engine running, Input air temp read 33 degrees, rising to 34, 36 and 38 with time.

Is this a problem? I am vexed that my daughter witnessed this, now she doesn't believe I have done 1000 trouble free miles in the car.

112

General Car Chat / Any views on the Meriva?

« on: 03 March 2019, 13:00:56 »

A year ago my sister gave her 10 year old Meriva 1.6 manual to her grand-daughter Katya. Yesterday Katya's mother bought a Suzuki Vitara, and is giving her Honda Jazz to Katya. They seem to think the Meriva is very old and should be sold on. I used to service the Meriva and know it well, it seemed a decent car, mileage was 61000. Should I put in a bid for it?

113

Omega General Help / poor earth rear nearsise light cluster

« on: 02 March 2019, 13:57:25 »

2.5 petrol manual estate
When indicators flash the rear lights dim in sympathy, and the reversing sensor beeps. The earth lead is easily pulled out of the loom socket. How is this best rectified?

114

Omega General Help / Codes 129 & 132 EGR valve voltage low

« on: 01 March 2019, 11:59:19 »

1999 2.5 petrol manual estate
EML came on this morning for 5 minutes, then went off again. Reader said codes 129 and 132 EGR voltage low, and EGR wrong. feedback wrong. I know left hand cat rattles, might this be the cause, or could it be something else?

115

General Car Chat / Astra brake pads part no. needed

« on: 01 March 2019, 10:22:15 »

I was passing trade club Trowbridge this morning so popped in to buy some front brake pads for my Astras. Storeman demanded more information. I said car was a 2008 petrol manual 1.6 estate, not enough, he said. I was of course in an Omega. I have changed the pads in 3 Astra 1.6 cars, a 2004, a 2008 and a 2010, seemed all the same to me.
Chassis number is WOLOAHL3582191434. All I want is a set of trade club front brake pads; do they really differ?

 

116

Omega General Help / HBV failure, plenty on e-bay

« on: 20 February 2019, 17:21:54 »

This morning son Ben complained his Omega 3.2 was loosing coolant. I checked it out, and found coolant pouring out behind the gearbox. I changed the HBV, which seems to have cured the fault. Replacing  my spare, I see some on e-bay at £6.98, and more at £11.41. I recollect they used to cost more than this from Vx, more like £30. I imagine they are all from the same Chinese factory. Any comments?

117

General Car Chat / Astra 1.6 rattle on cold start

« on: 08 February 2019, 11:36:56 »

Astra 1.6 Life petrol manual estate 08 reg 112510 miles.
This car was bought for my daughter living in Enfield. She complained that warning lights kept coming on, so I collected it and left her my Omega 3.2 for transport. It now runs all right, but has a worrying rattle on cold start, that has been there since I bought it. The oil light goes out immediately on engine start, but the engine rattles for about a second afterwards. Listening with bonnet open and my head level with the cylinder head noise appears to come from the centre of the cylinder head. I have removed the gauzes from the variable valve timing (VVT) solenoids as advised by DG, but rattle remains.

On restart no rattle occurs, but after an hour's cooling it does. It's as though once the oil reaches the head all is well.

Please advise.

118

General Car Chat / Connectors with yellow inserts

« on: 29 January 2019, 03:50:12 »

The Astras have a cable connector new to me. It has a yellow insert whcih appears to be a locking device. Haynes does not mention it, and all his pictures are in black and white. He simply says 'unplug the cable' and leaves it to me to decide how best to do it. In very cold weather a blast from a hot air blower may help. Intuition suggests I pull the yellow insert outwards, then the cable should release, but this can be tricky, and if pulled too hard or too far the yellow piece breaks. I broke one on the VVT connectors. Please advise.

119

General Car Chat / Mokka versus Corsa - any comments?

« on: 28 January 2019, 21:28:31 »

My sister bought a 2 year old automatic Mokka last year, paid £16000 for it. She kept bumping into things, big car she said, poor lock. She is looking to change it for something smaller, looked at a couple of Japanese cars, then went back to Dave Fowler Cars, where she bought the Mokka, and was persuaded to take a Corsa for a test drive. She liked it, found it easy to park, and is tempted to buy it. It is a petrol automatic. Forecourt price was £9999. He offered her a straight swap. She has just asked my advice. Please advise.

120

Omega General Help / Black sealant 15 03 295

« on: 27 January 2019, 10:05:57 »

I need some more black cam cover gasket sealant. Haynes says Vx 15 03 295, but when I search it on e-bay nothing pops up. Has it been superceded?