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[LC0112G]

I think it probably is dead this time. C30XE Y reg Omega Elite Auto.
 
Driving up to the smoke on Saturday, comming of the M3 onto the M25 clockwise. As I was merging in I noticed the Red Oil Pressure lamp come on on the dash. This was accompanied by a loud tapping noise which was noticable over the heights of Agnetta and Frida at full blast so pulled over as soon as i could. The engine was running a bit lumpy and basically stalled as I stopped. The Amber oil level lamp was not on. Anyway, popped the bonnet and opened the oil filler cap. Seemed very hot and quite dry in there. Pulled the dipstick, but couldn't make out if there was an oil level on it.

I did have 5L of VX 15W40 with me, so I tipped in about 2L. Started the engine but the fuel pressure lamp stayed on, and it sounded very tappety. So I jumped to the conclusion of a serious problem thei the oil circuit - broken oil pump, of holed piston or bad head gasket leak. In an effort to get off the motorway I tipped in the rest of the oil started up and tried to drive on. The tapping was much much wors as I gently accelerated along the hard shoulder to regain a safe speed to rejoin the carrageway. The i looked in the rear view mirror. f*k me - a smoke trail the Red arrows would be proud of. So basically game over. Whilst waiting for recovery I looked under the car - oil was comming out of the back of the engine either focker covers, breathers or crankshaft oil seal. But it was also dripping from somewhere at the front of the engine on the off side.

I got the care recovered to a local Vauxhall Garage - Bedfont on the A30 near Heathrow. They're gonna do a quick inspection on Wednesday, but i've told them that unless it;s a simple fix It'll likely end up at the scrapyard. Whilst there today emptying out my stuff, I took a look at the dipstick, The oil level is now half way up the dipstick tube. Probably shouldn't have put all that oil in, and may explain the red arrows effect.

So - assuming it;s not just a faulty oil pressure switch - are there any common causes of oil pressure loss? The water is still clean and pink so I don't think it'll be oil cooler related.

Cheers
Malcolm

[Andy H]

The V6 has a fine strainer in the pick up pipe. Many (most?) Omegas have a build up of sludge in the sump which can migrate to the pick up and block it.

It would be a shame to scrap the car. Good V6 engines can be picked up for pocket money.

[Darth Loo-knee]

Sorry to say but Vauxhall will more than like try to remove your pants....

Only ever changed 3 oil pumps on all the 6's I have worked on...... not saying its not possible but quite rare

[2woody]

Hiya Malc - its Mr Granger....

bottom end failure is kinda the Vauxhall V6 engine's party piece. I've maybe changed ten units over the years due to big-end failure caused by oil pressure loss. Usually what happens is that the strainer gets blocked with bits of sump sealant or cam cover "O" rings.

On the positive side, they're actually very easy to change. I could give you a hand - its better than scrapping the car.

[LC0112G]

Thanks guys,
So am I to conclude that by the time you hear the knocking the engine is likely to be FUBAR? Is there any point in instructing the garage to drop the sump, clean out the strainer/oil pick up, bolt back together and restart it in the hope that it was the lifters tapping due to loss of oil pressure - or is it almost gauranteed that the main/big ends are already knackered??

Sorry to say but Vauxhall will more than like try to remove your pants....

Yeah, I'm well aware of the usual abilities (or lack thereof) of the Vx dealer network to quickly, cheaply and correctly diagnose faults.  Trouble is, when you're broken down on a motorway 130 miles from home in a place you don't know, your options are severly limited when the recovery driver wants to know where you want the car taken. As it stands I've authorised a £60 half hour inspection and told them that Im likley to scrap the car if repair costs are un-economic.

On the positive side, they're actually very easy to change. I could give you a hand - its better than scrapping the car.

Hi Stu, problem is the car is in London, so I've got the costs of repatriating it back to sunny Somerset first. The car is showing the first signs of rust in the wheel arches, and on the sills by the rubber door shut strips. It'll pass the MOT for a year or two think, but I'm not convinced this car is a keeper long term. There are probably parts on it that are worth salvaging - working CDR2015 sat nav (MID not CID) etc, but I doubt the costs of getting the car back from London will be covered. It's basic bangernomics - probably cheaper to buy a new car than try and repair this one, unless I can get away with just telling the dealer to clean out the strainer and nail it back together.

Cheers
Malcolm

[Kevin Wood]

... unless I can get away with just telling the dealer to clean out the strainer and nail it back together.

Sounds to me like the engine has gone to meet its' maker. No mileage in spending out trying to get that to run again, after it's run for a significant time with no oil pressure IMHO.

[terry paget]

My son Ben (in a 2.0 manual petrol Omega) did a similar thing three years ago at Peasedown. Rang me, said his engine had stopped. I attended, engine cranked but rattled, found no oil on dipstick. I towed him home. I put oil in, it did start, but rattled horribly. I stripped for spares, driving it about my drive. Suddenly it went bang and a rod came out of the side of the crankcase - oil everywhere . The oil pressure warning light bulb had failed.

[Andy B]

Bugger! And you've only just changed the cam belt 

[LC0112G]

Next question then. Anyone reccomend a cheap car recovery company to get a car from near Heathrow down the M3, A303 to Yeovil in Somerset? I *think* I can hire a self drive recovery truck for about £100 + fuel, but it would mean taking a day off work to go get the car. It's about 115 miles one way, so 230 ish return. I've probably got till Wednesday to make a decision on what to do.

Bugger! And you've only just changed the cam belt 

Yeah - and done the front wishbones plus two new tyres. Part of me is thinking why throw good money after bad, the rest is thinking at least I know what's good/bad about this one

Cheers
Malcolm

[2woody]

I'd be interested in it, but couldn't get there until the middle of next week.

[terry paget]

Bugger! And you've only just changed the cam belt 

Hi Andy. If that sympathy was meant for me, don't worry. Ben's wreck was three years ago. The wife's car, on which I changed the cam belt two weeks ago and turned the crank with cam belt off, is still running well. Like the wife, it seems indestructible.

[Andy B]

Bugger! And you've only just changed the cam belt 

Hi Andy. If that sympathy was meant for me, don't worry. Ben's wreck was three years ago. The wife's car, on which I changed the cam belt two weeks ago and turned the crank with cam belt off, is still running well. Like the wife, it seems indestructible.

No, it was for Malcolm. He'd only just changed the cam belt in the last couple of weeks 

[LC0112G]

Ok, garage have rung back. They have diagnosed a blown head gasket. Now I'm reluctant to say they're wrong, but IMHO.....

[TheBoy]

Ok, garage have rung back. They have diagnosed a blown head gasket. Now I'm reluctant to say they're wrong, but IMHO.....

If it fired all the oil out of the exhaust, more likely to be a failed stem seal IMHO. Though if it was dripping, more likely a normal oil leak, eg oil cooler pipes.

Fact of the matter is it was driven without oil pressure, hence engine is no good IMHO  .  And probably was before you managed to pull it up and put the extra oil in.

[LC0112G]

Ok, garage have rung back. They have diagnosed a blown head gasket. Now I'm reluctant to say they're wrong, but IMHO.....

If it fired all the oil out of the exhaust, more likely to be a failed stem seal IMHO. Though if it was dripping, more likely a normal oil leak, eg oil cooler pipes.

Fact of the matter is it was driven without oil pressure, hence engine is no good IMHO  .  And probably was before you managed to pull it up and put the extra oil in.

Yeah - never had one of these engines apart, but I doubt a CHG fault could cause enough oil pressure loss to cause the dash lamp to come on, unless it was already pi**ing oil out somewhere, or smoking like a steam train. It wasn't smoking before I stopped and put the extra 4-5L in. and the oil leaked and smoke after stopping at the side of the road was, IMHO, due to me (massivley) overfilling it.

So that brings us back to (the likely) oil starvation caused by a blocked strainer, which as you say, I'd expect to cause serious bottom end damage sooner rather than later.

Plan at the moment is to recover the car tomorrow, and do a cheap and cheerful sump off, strainer clean, nail back together and start her up over the weekend. If it sounds like a bag of spanners having done that, then plan B.