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511

Omega General Help / Re: ET

« on: 09 April 2022, 20:40:09 »

This listing on Ebay may answer your query / confirm some of the details you wanted...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275234047993?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=JI_KrmIjQWm&sssrc=0&ssuid=GCEcaYdASwi&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

512

Car Parts, bits For Sale & Wanted / Re: Omega Elite self levelling air pump wanted

« on: 04 April 2022, 19:10:26 »

That's my problem - I very rarely throw anything car related away ....then I forget what spares I actually have 

513

General Car Chat / Re: ACTUAL IMPORTANT ADVICE

« on: 03 April 2022, 16:50:18 »

If the cut item, usually metal, is not supported correctly, the cut will close up, resulting in the edges nipping the cutting disc; in the worse cases causing the disc to shatter and chunks fly off taking your head off. This also unnecessarily tightens the centre spindle lock making it virtually impossible to slacken even using a longer key, resulting in more brutal methods of removal and damage to the locking pin.
I don't know whether the method of storage has an aging effect on cutting discs, but I keep mine in a dry environment.
Didn't know about the 'use by' or 'best before' dates though.
I have always bought what I consider to be better quality / well known branded discs - 'cheap shop' discs for little money are false economy imho in both quality and durability. Cheap discs don't last two minutes.

514

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

« on: 01 April 2022, 10:10:01 »

I agree that a Triumph Stag would be tremendous Sunday afternoon car, but having owned one for 10 years, not ideal for anything other than that - a Sunday afternoon jaunt. Unless you know a lot about its history, and understand them inside and out, there could be a lot if gremlins lurking. If are keen on regular maintenance too....but yes, what an awesome sounding 3.0 V8.
From the tales of woe I've heard, and experience in more modern convertibles, then I personally would stay away from anything classed as a convertible, especially fabric tops - the amount of vehicles I see with water ingress issues is enough to put any one off. Great if kept under cover and used on the odd sunny day, but otherwise a solid roof would definitely be my choice.

515

Car Parts, bits For Sale & Wanted / Re: Omega Elite self levelling air pump wanted

« on: 30 March 2022, 16:54:50 »

Did you ever get fixed up with s/l pump?
Looking for something else, I came across one.
PM me if it may be of use to you.

516

General Car Chat / Re: Astra J held to Ransom by Eden Vauxhall over failed MOT

« on: 26 March 2022, 21:23:18 »

That Gov.UK list is for only very minor faults, and my interpretation of the link doesn't include tyres or an alledged 'corroded' rear spring.
James' argument is that the tyres are legal; theirs is that they are illegal. Whether or not they are actually legal or otherwise, their stance is such that as they were allegedly a 'dangerous' fail, they couldn't permit the car to be driven on a highway, and therefore get the job of replacing the tyres.
If James is happy that the tyres are legal, he should be able to take it away, repair the defects, and return it within 10 days for a partial retest, and probably have to pay the retest fee. Many smaller garages don't charge for this, but the way this has gone, they are not likely to waiver the partial retest fee.
This has probably been said previously, but as this topic is now so long, I'm not going back through it to check.
I think there are several morals to this  - preferably use your local previously known MOT man, don't use franchised dealers who are likely to try to get 'up sell', and don't fall for the 'free MOT for life' or 'MOT's only £25' marketing rubbish....

517

Omega General Help / Re: Sticky surfaces

« on: 24 March 2022, 19:56:31 »

I think the benefit of the Lidl Cien acrylic (pink) nail varnish remover is that it does the job a lot faster, without damaging the components, with less apparent effort.
I removed the light switch from the dash, and then removed the individual fog light switches from it in order to clean the surfaces thoroughly. The boot release button just pulls out and is a lot easier to to clean - less than 5 minutes.
The window / mirror switches really need the door card removing to assist the release of the wiring plug due to the length of spare loom, and the way it's routed, but once off the vehicle, cleaning it satisfactorily with the Lidl stuff is remarkably quick and easy.
Each to their own preferred method of course.

518

Omega General Help / Re: Sticky surfaces

« on: 24 March 2022, 16:05:19 »

I have tried Ambersil foaming upholstery cleaner, and Tarspot remover without much success personally.
I have also tried meths, brake cleaner, 'sticky stuff' remover, and even petrol, but the problem then is that anything too harsh takes the white symbol off switches (boot release button as an example).
But......I have recently tried something that works a treat, and cleans off the sticky 'soft touch' coating, without damaging the plastic surface underneath. It leaves the hard plastic satin finish underneath looking brand new, nice and smooth to the touch, without any stickiness whatsoever, without removing any switch symbol.
It is Lidl's 'Cien' nail varnish remover. They do two types; the standard acetone nail varnish remover in a blue bottle, but also one for acrylic nails in a pink bottle, which is not as harsh. It also has a handy dished push dispenser on the top which holds the fluid to dab your cloth or cotton bud into.
I have recently done door window / mirr or switches, light / fog light switches and boot release buttons, and they look a treat. It didn't damage or remove the relative symbols on them either, which harsher cleaners can.
Others may have their favourites, but having tried all the others recommended, this product certainly worked better on mine with exceptionally good results
It is important however to use the pink version for acrylic nails 

519

Omega General Help / Re: Part number please for a ..........

« on: 23 March 2022, 20:55:53 »

02 plate 3.2 Mv6 estate rear wheel bearing ?

TIA 

Are you really going to try and buy a wheel bearing from Vauxhall?


Your local motor factor will supply that for less hassle, and a good one will allow you to pick a brand like Timken or SKF if you don't fancy a gamble on a possibly cheaper one for £47.44  LINK  Those have gone up; when I bought them for my car they were about £25.

Nige/Entwood fitted an aftermarket bearing to the front of his car, it lasted a very short time before it failed. He was in French France when it did & the garage he took it to would only replace both front bearings. I shelled out c£100 from Vauxhall at around the same time for mine & never had a further problem. Sometimes OE is best.

Although not relative to the subject of rear wheel bearings, I bought two new front hubs for the Omega - one was genuine GM, and the other a NOS AP Lockheed unit - both were fitted with Koyo bearings. I do try to stick with genuine GM, but this just reinforces that other makes of equally good bearings can often be bought for less money than GM boxed parts.

520

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

« on: 22 March 2022, 10:01:58 »

As per Chris' suggestion in post #16 -  earths checked and are remarkably clean and rust free

521

General Car Chat / Re: Astra J held to Ransom by Eden Vauxhall over failed MOT

« on: 21 March 2022, 23:20:22 »

I agree with Marks observation that you left the margins a little fine on the tyres, especially knowing that new tyres would fitted, had it passed, soon after the test, with them as you say being only 0.2mm over the legal limit. Did you actually measure absolutely all the way round each tyres circumference and across their whole width, to ensure there wasn't any area of tread that may have actually got down to 1.6mm?

I think you have this the wrong way round: James will have measured more than one spot, and thereby determined that they're barely legal. I wouldn't be surprised to find the tester only glanced at the tyres and used his calibrated eyeball to suggest that they're a failure. Then the salesman service advisor upped the ante with the dangerous to drive/illegal to return the car bullshit because tyres are an easy thing to sell and an excellent boost to his profit percentages.

I haven't got this the wrong way round - I merely queried whether James had in fact checked religiously all the way round the circumference, rather than in several random spots - we know that once a tester at a main dealer gets a sniff of low tyre tread, then they will check the tyre in detail to find any area below the required 1.6mm to possibly get some sell up..
And yes, I should have said 1.6mm across the central 3/4's of the tread depth, not the whole width.....

522

Omega General Help / Re: V6 cam cover gaskets

« on: 21 March 2022, 23:02:01 »

I bought two of these....
Valve cover Gasket 15-38269-01 / 70368178 by Victor Reinz - Single set
Prices vary quite a bit on Ebay - I paid less than £10 per bank, but that was in December.

523

General Car Chat / Re: Astra J held to Ransom by Eden Vauxhall over failed MOT

« on: 21 March 2022, 15:27:42 »

I agree with Marks observation that you left the margins a little fine on the tyres, especially knowing that new tyres would fitted, had it passed, soon after the test, with them as you say being only 0.2mm over the legal limit. Did you actually measure absolutely all the way round each tyres circumference and across their whole width, to ensure there wasn't any area of tread that may have actually got down to 1.6mm?
Many franchised dealers will now match tyre quotes from other tyre outfits for like for like tyres. It would have to be a quote from a tyre supplier and fitter, not an online supplier where you have to arrange fitting yourself.
Although their actions may have left a bitter taste, if they won't match any quotes, you haven't lost anything in taking it away as it is, and then doing the springs (if you consider it necessary) and tyres elsewhere prior to a retest.
If you have got the evidence that the tyres were in fact still  legal, and that your 'corroded' spring isn't severely weakened, I'd love to be a 'fly on the wall' when you go in to put your case forward....

524

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

« on: 21 March 2022, 14:48:09 »

After a few days of use, I would say now the problem definately wasn't anything to do with the loom - the car has started instantly first and everytime since its new ECU was fitted and is now running beautifully.
I appreciate the suggestions for possible culprits though
Although still a strange one why the ECU did give up the ghost - damp possibly? Although it was a gradual / intermittent failure, whereas the one on my 3.2 about 7 years ago was an immediate failure of the ECU due to a battery failure probably resulting in a 'spike'.
Good though to be up and running with a brand new GM ECU at what I consider to be a very reasonable cost

525

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

« on: 18 March 2022, 22:15:10 »

...... and I wouldn't simply swallow the 'It's the Ecu' diagnosis, especially if it's given remotely. A new ecu is the pinnacle of scatterbomb parts replacement and I doubt it will actually solve the problem.

Just a quick update on this saga. Took the Omega to my 'ECU definitely' man. The fault was as he diagnosed - the ECU was goosed. Apparantly, new ones are on back order at VX, and are well over a grand, plus VAT when available.
He has previously successfully wiped and reprogrammed used 2.2's and 3.2's ECUs in the past, but he struggled with the used 2.6 ECU I got for some reason. Fortunately he managed to find a brand new boxed GM unit 'gathering dust' at a fraction of the cost, programmed it, and now the car is starting and running as sweet as a nut - like the proverbial sewing machine
Seems like the intermittant non starting issues, that had got progressively worse since the start of this saga, were nothing other than the start of the ECU failing, and throwing red herrings into the mix. Fortunately other informative topics on here with similar starting issues also pointed towards the ECU failing.
Experience in a particular field is always invaluable in diagnosing symptoms relative to an actual fault, and the recommendation of this particular auto electrician above all others by other VX technicians being a good indication of his ability....