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61

Omega General Help / Re: Help! Error code P1700

« on: 30 April 2022, 08:48:35 »

If you have an Android phone I suggest that you pay £15 for a Bluetooth OBD adapter & download the Scanmyopel app (I think it was £7 for the full version when I downloaded it). Scanmyopel can read codes and live data from the engine, gearbox & ABS/TC ECUs.

The most common cause of gearbox codes are the selector switch or failed gear change solenoids.

Auto gearbox selector switch removal and cleaning

62

General Discussion Area / Re: Eye test

« on: 21 April 2022, 09:03:23 »

I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about.

I had an eye test once. Primary school.  I was shitting myself, in case it turned out I was going to be a Speccy.  Fortunately I passed* with flying colours.



*Though the oppswits never picked up I'm colour blind, useless tossers.

my school eye test at age 12:
Take your glasses off and read as much as you can on the chart.
Me - if i take my glasses off I can't see the chart
Just do as your told and stop being cheeky
Me (takes off glasses)- I  can't see the chart
Just read what you can - you can read can't you?
Me - i can tell you what I can remember from before I took my glasses off or I can put them back on & try ?
Sigh, OK, what can you read with glasses?
Me (reads whole chart)
Have you been examined by an optician?
Me - (very quietly) where do you think I got the glasses?
Self preservation kicked in at this point and I left before it got any weirder 

63

General Discussion Area / Re: Dead Person

« on: 19 April 2022, 10:12:48 »

Liz Sheridan 93

I needed to Google this individual.

Not the most feminine of women.

I used google, still none the wiser. She seems to have restricted her appearances to shows I would pay money to avoid watching.

64

General Car Chat / EV car chargers

« on: 12 April 2022, 11:05:44 »

https://news.sky.com/story/isle-of-wight-councils-electric-car-charging-points-hacked-to-show-porn-12584211

65

General Car Chat / Re: Sports car for an old git

« on: 05 April 2022, 10:38:38 »

4+1/2 litre, no roof, plenty of space for someone with big bones 

66

General Car Chat / Re: Sports car for an old git

« on: 01 April 2022, 11:21:04 »

Nissan Z cars (350Z & 370Z) seem to have an enthusiastic following.

67

General Car Chat / Re: CV joint

« on: 31 March 2022, 10:32:35 »

When SWMBO's Galahambra needed a new CV joint the car was barely drivable but it wasn't that obvious which joint was toast.

I got the car up on axle stands and rotated a front wheel back and forth while holding each CV to feel for play - one had a little more play than the others so I changed that shaft (so 2 CV joints) and that fixed the issue.

I wouldn't be surprised if the other side needs changing after a few more miles.......

68

General Car Chat / Re: Zafira B - slight wheel wobble

« on: 29 March 2022, 10:00:29 »

When a CVJ on SWMBO's Galaxy developed some play the symptoms started as a slight wheel/steering wobble that you could switch on/off with small changes in throttle opening.

The drive shafts are fairly heavy and I think what was happening was that a small amount of throttle would load the CVJ and centre the shaft. Ease off and the shaft was off centre. Lift off totally and engine braking loaded the joint again.

The play didn't seem excessive to me but the weekend we drove from Cornwall to Kent (and back) was enough to go from irritating to barely drivable.

A new CVJ fixed the problem.

69

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: instrument supply

« on: 16 March 2022, 18:50:44 »

Post 1998, they are all electrically the same (but programmed for different options, and obviously the V6, diesel and 4cyl petrols have different speedos/tacho combos).

Pre 1998, they are not programmable, so any replacement has to be from same spec car.

failure of the instrument cluster seems to be getting more common. I assume that it is a result of aging electrical components 

My initial thought was that there might be a simple fix involving the replacement of a voltage regulator or capacitor. I hadn't realised that later ones are programmable. I wonder if they are suffering from 'memory rot' (which also seems to be affecting the Philips head units).

70

Omega General Help / Re: Coolant Leak in 2.6 Y26SE & Pressure Tester Kit

« on: 11 March 2022, 10:16:31 »

There are core plugs pressed into the rear of the cylinder head. Not known of one failing on an Omega though.

I made a pressure tester from an old Omega A (Carlton in UK) pressure cap. The cap has a coolant level switch which I cut off and replaced with a Schraeder (tyre) valve which made it easy to pressurise the system using a tyre pump.

71

General Discussion Area / Re: "Sealed for life" Washing Machine Bearings

« on: 11 March 2022, 08:52:08 »

Not read all the posts on this. Can't be arsed

But, I believe that most white goods are designed to last about 5 years. Anything more is a bonus. The days of stuff lasting a lifetime have long gone.

I moved a few years ago, quite a distance. Left all the white goods behind in the old house, the extra cost of the removal company not very much less than new stuff, and as the old stuff was old anyway . . .

Moved 8 years ago. Just replaced dishwasher, more to come 

Just wondering where my old red Omega is now. James came down, fixed it and drove it away a few years back. He does like fixing things 

I bought it from James, played with it for a year then sold it to a mechanic who had served his apprenticeship with Vauxhall and had been looking for a 3.2 Omega to look after :-)

Don't know if he still has it 

72

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 2.6 spanner + eml light flashing, throttle body clicking + non starting

« on: 11 March 2022, 08:05:41 »

Ignoring the anti-theft codes (maybe these are unrelated and due to swapping between keys )
Also ignoring the ABS/traction faults (maybe because the calculated stalled engine speed did not match the speed of ABS ,gearbox etc )  the symptoms are just like what I had a while back .
Fuel delivery (lack of )
I ordered a new Bosch pump ,but when I went to fit it ,noticed a split in the fuel line between the outlet of the pump and the metal pipe of the pump assembly 
the split in the pipe must open up occasionally and pumping the fuel back into the tank , so no external evidence of a leak .

the fuel line was deteriorated ,but again ,no visual evidence because the pipe is inside the tank  .

not saying you have a dab pipe , it could be the pump itself perhaps ,or wiring issue 

mine's a 53 plate 2.6 saloon CDXi ,not that the above couldn't happen to any model

if you get a crank but no start ,maybe try cracking open the 19mm fuel union that sits above 1.3.5 

NO squirty = fuel pump NO worky 

The ECU doesn't run the pump until it senses pulses from the crank sensor. (unlike some, VW for example, that pulse the pump when you first turn the key to pressurise the fuel pipework)

Yes
but 
 if you have cranked the engine and it's failed to start then the pump will have pressurised the rail
so cracking the union above 1.3.5 should squirt fuel *

*provided you don't leave it ages after cranking ,no leaks and the pump is pumping

The pump won't run if the if the ECU doesn't see pulses from the crank sensor. Don't assume that cranking the engine will cause the pump to run (even though it should).
Over 14 years & 170,000 miles I had 3 'failure to proceed' events caused by the crank sensor failing. (I also had charging problems due ageing wiring and a blown alternator regulator.)
The cars are older now so there will be failure modes that I didn't see in a 10 year old car.

73

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: 2.6 spanner + eml light flashing, throttle body clicking + non starting

« on: 10 March 2022, 08:31:38 »

Ignoring the anti-theft codes (maybe these are unrelated and due to swapping between keys )
Also ignoring the ABS/traction faults (maybe because the calculated stalled engine speed did not match the speed of ABS ,gearbox etc )  the symptoms are just like what I had a while back .
Fuel delivery (lack of )
I ordered a new Bosch pump ,but when I went to fit it ,noticed a split in the fuel line between the outlet of the pump and the metal pipe of the pump assembly 
the split in the pipe must open up occasionally and pumping the fuel back into the tank , so no external evidence of a leak .

the fuel line was deteriorated ,but again ,no visual evidence because the pipe is inside the tank  .

not saying you have a dab pipe , it could be the pump itself perhaps ,or wiring issue 

mine's a 53 plate 2.6 saloon CDXi ,not that the above couldn't happen to any model

if you get a crank but no start ,maybe try cracking open the 19mm fuel union that sits above 1.3.5 

NO squirty = fuel pump NO worky 

The ECU doesn't run the pump until it senses pulses from the crank sensor. (unlike some, VW for example, that pulse the pump when you first turn the key to pressurise the fuel pipework)

74

General Discussion Area / Re: Abu Dhabi F1 wont contain spoilers

« on: 19 February 2022, 00:11:52 »

It wasnt too much for Charlie Whiting.

I am probably mistaken but my perception was that the job killed him.

75

General Car Chat / Re: Stretch Belts

« on: 02 February 2022, 09:57:35 »

Sounds easy enough

The A/C compressor is tucked in tight underneath the the crankshaft, the belt is very short and only goes round two pulleys so I don't see it stretching that easily - I will get hold of some man sized cable ties first