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[diyjoe]

Thanks to everyone who gave advice and suggestions on the stiffness of hand controls some 9 months ago , the problem disappeared  over the period of time as my hand grew stronger gripping the hand control. I now have another problem, when in stationary traffic on a hill to stop the car running back and remain stationary I have to feather the hand accelerator i.e increase engine speed. The hand book states this is taboo and the hand brake should be applied to stop roll back.  If I apply the hand control brake by pressing down by the time I let it off and pull up on the same lever to move forward no matter how quick I am the car moves backwards. If I use the cars parking hand brake I can hold it and release gradually to accelerate with the hand control but then I have no hands on the steering wheel.

Yesterday I was in this situation on a steep hill holding the car stationary with increased engine speed, no brakes on, but when I moved forward the engine just roared and I rolled back and a brake had to be applied very quickly I was lucky nothing behind me.  I had no drive forwards or reverse. RAC called out who flat bedded the car home. This morning I tried the car on my drive which is uphill and all appears to be OK. Has anyone any advice they can give me please? I had no warning lights come on and will probably need to drive the car to my repair garage a few miles away, or auto gearbox specialist 20 miles away.

[Doctor Gollum]

How many miles has the car done?

[Shackeng]

Thanks to everyone who gave advice and suggestions on the stiffness of hand controls some 9 months ago , the problem disappeared  over the period of time as my hand grew stronger gripping the hand control. I now have another problem, when in stationary traffic on a hill to stop the car running back and remain stationary I have to feather the hand accelerator i.e increase engine speed. The hand book states this is taboo and the hand brake should be applied to stop roll back.  If I apply the hand control brake by pressing down by the time I let it off and pull up on the same lever to move forward no matter how quick I am the car moves backwards. If I use the cars parking hand brake I can hold it and release gradually to accelerate with the hand control but then I have no hands on the steering wheel.

Yesterday I was in this situation on a steep hill holding the car stationary with increased engine speed, no brakes on, but when I moved forward the engine just roared and I rolled back and a brake had to be applied very quickly I was lucky nothing behind me.  I had no drive forwards or reverse. RAC called out who flat bedded the car home. This morning I tried the car on my drive which is uphill and all appears to be OK. Has anyone any advice they can give me please? I had no warning lights come on and will probably need to drive the car to my repair garage a few miles away, or auto gearbox specialist 20 miles away.

I always do this on my Omega Auto (by foot obviously), i.e. treat it like holding a manual box on the accelerator and clutch without the latter.
As, like most of us, I've never read the manual , I was unaware of the restriction.

[Sir Tigger KC]

If I use the cars parking hand brake I can hold it and release gradually to accelerate with the hand control but then I have no hands on the steering wheel.

If you are worried about not having your hands on the wheel when doing a hill start, can't you hook your thumb over the wheel and gently pull back on the hand control with your fingers to increase the revs while releasing the handbrake with your left hand? 

At this point you should be moving slowly forward so I'd have thought this should be sufficient to keep the car in a straight line? 

[Bigron]

I'm sure that I've read on here that holding the car on a hill like that WAS acceptable - I do it regularly, anyway - and the explanation was that all it does is to warm the ATF up a little, but the cooling fan copes with that perfectly well.
Must I change my habits? 

Ron.

[diyjoe]

My hand book definitely states no increase in revs to hold car on incline but most people I speak to do.  I will give it a go just holding wheel with thumb to let off hand break.  As far as I can gather from an ex Vauxhall mechanic the autobox needs attention every 80,000. i.e oil, filter, electronics and tension? The only reference to it in the service record book is a small one liner *in extreme situations service every 40 -60,000.   I thought the auto box was for the life of the car affair. Mine has 114,000 on the clock and never been looked at?

Eric

[diyjoe]

Forgot to mention, drove 5 miles today not a sign of auto problems.

Eric

[Shackeng]

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90441.0

[Sir Tigger KC]

Mine had 240,000 on the clock when I recently sold it and as far as I know the ATF had never been changed. 

I did top up the ATF  few times over the years if the change got a bit lumpy and I think I had similar issues once or twice where the box seemingly couldn't find a gear and the engine revved up.    The ATF top up always seemed to smooth the box though. 

I got a quote from an autobox specialist once to change the ATF and filters and it was about £280.    So I topped it up again! 

[Bigron]

£280, your Sirship? You were having your leg lifted!
I've not done that job myself, but had it done on a previous Omega: an hours work, drain old ATF, remove and clean filter and renew ATF - about 1/4 of what you were quoted, surely?

Ron.

[Sir Tigger KC]

That's why I didn't get it done Ron!   

[Shackeng]

Easy job, done for the price of the ATF and filter.

[atann]

Mine had 240,000 on the clock when I recently sold it and as far as I know the ATF had never been changed. 

I did top up the ATF  few times over the years if the change got a bit lumpy and I think I had similar issues once or twice where the box seemingly couldn't find a gear and the engine revved up.    The ATF top up always seemed to smooth the box though. 

I got a quote from an autobox specialist once to change the ATF and filters and it was about £280.    So I topped it up again! 

How do you check and top up the ATF? Mine likes to hold on to second too long sometimes.

[Bigron]

Look in the Maintenance Guides.....

Ron.

[Kevin Wood]

The only real issue with holding an auto on the throttle is that it puts heat into the transmission fluid. In an ideal world, it's better to use the brake, of course, but in your circumstances, the safest thing to do is probably to use a bit of throttle. As long as you don't sit there for minutes on end holding it on the throttle it will be fine. Unlike doing so by riding the clutch in a manual car, there's no wear occurring in an automatic gearbox. Just do what's easiest for you.