Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Mike1962 on 30 November 2017, 15:19:31

Title: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Mike1962 on 30 November 2017, 15:19:31
I test drove a 2.6 elite today. Gorgeous but a couple of issues.
One being it got inordinately steamed up. It's a cold day but this was ridiculous. The air con was none existent. I had a Citroen Xantia years ago that did it. It was a leaking heater matrix.
Are Omegas prone for the heater matrix?

Any insight?

Mike
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: zirk on 30 November 2017, 15:26:33
Probably the Pollen Filter is damp under the Scuttle Panel and or the Scuttle Panel is cracked, not fitted correctly, leaking water or is damp, both cases relatively an easy fix.

Other issue could be damp carpets or seats, has the Car been stood or not used for a while
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Nick W on 30 November 2017, 15:30:16
Omegas are prone to severely blocked heater matrices which make them utterly ineffective. Flushing is a tedious job that doesn't help much. A new matrix is about £20, but isn't easy to fit.
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 30 November 2017, 15:38:16
I once had my windows steaming up on a Carlton, and I had to replace the heater matrix.  That meant I had to remove all the dashboard.

Fortunately, with the Omega, some wise soul has worked out you can cut a small panel* out to get to the matrix and replace.  That is if you have to! ;)

*http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90621.0
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Mike1962 on 30 November 2017, 15:42:37
The car is quite dry and unsmelly inside. It also heats up really well?
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 30 November 2017, 16:33:40
The car is quite dry and unsmelly inside. It also heats up really well?

In that case what Zirk has suggested is the probable cause.   ;)
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Shackeng on 30 November 2017, 16:41:49
IIRC the AC also needs to be working under these conditions to clear misting. Certainly on my Elite when the AC packed up last winter I had the same issue. Once the AC was fixed - pollen filter and scuttle drain were OK - the problem went away.
HTH :y
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 30 November 2017, 19:58:08
IIRC the AC also needs to be working under these conditions to clear misting. Certainly on my Elite when the AC packed up last winter I had the same issue. Once the AC was fixed - pollen filter and scuttle drain were OK - the problem went away.
HTH :y
This...

We have a couple of rolling boxes at work which have aircon and heating systems that share the vents but are otherwise mutually exclusive so on a damp or cold day the windows steam up and you have to run the air on to clear the windows... When it's - 2 outside this is quite annoying. The alternative is to run the heater which causes it to mist up like a beatch  :D
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Andy H on 30 November 2017, 20:19:47
The other thing that happens is that the servo for the recirculation flap gets confused and sticks on full recirc.

Pressing the recirc button (so it lights up) and leaving it on for a few seconds before pressing it again (so the light goes out) can reset the servo.

When the fan is running it is much more audible when the flap is in the recirc position.
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 30 November 2017, 20:28:16
Another common cause is the air vents in the o/s cubby box thing in the boot being restricted due to stuff being stored in there.
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: 2boxerdogs on 30 November 2017, 22:00:08
Had it once soon after I bought my 2.6, changed the pollen filter & it never happened again.
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: TheBoy on 01 December 2017, 09:53:59
Given the cool temps over the last few days, the A/C won't come on, so you lose the demisting element of the A/C (which the Omega needs really).

As has already been stated, but to the fact the Omega doesn't have the best ventilation in the world, its essential that the exhaust vents at the back are clear - so many people fill this space with crap, effectively blocking them.

If a car has been stood for ages, or has heavy condensation inside, driving for several miles with sunroof on tilt (or rear windows open about and inch), and recirc off can help flush the damp air our.


IME, leaking heater matrices tend to give off that sweet smell, coupled with a slight stickiness on the screen - though I've never suffered one on an Omega, so don't know if you can smell it in one.
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 December 2017, 16:41:10
You smell it long before it soaks up through the carpet :y
Title: Re: Getting all steamed up
Post by: grifter on 04 December 2017, 07:26:08
Got a dehumidifier, run it in car for an hour on full pelt, i done it the other day and it soaked up about 2 cups of water. That was after my wet carpet affair though. Stick on recirculation so cabin is hermetically sealed as best it can be while running it.