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Topics - Dave DND

Pages: [1] 2 3
1
Sorry if this the wrong thing to post here, but as so many of you seem to play with Ex-Police cars, I`m hoping you can help me out.

Very good mate of mine has just aquired an Ex-Police BMW and he is looking to restore it to its former glory. Trouble is that he cannot locate the blue lights for the front, nor anything that seems suitable for modification to make them appear correct.

He is after the fairing lights of either this style:



or this style



and this is what he has to work with




There are also a few other bits and bobs that need sorting, and was wondering if anyone has any good contacts within the Police, or any pointers of where he could start looking.

Thanks for your help   :y

2
Must be complete and working

01803-391680 / 07801131144


3
Hi,

Trying to assist a customer who has completely ballsed up a wiring job in his car and damaged the yellow 26 pin connector that goes into the rear of the stereo display (basic one)

Has anyone got a spare connector with a few inches of cable hanging out of it, so we can chop off this one and replace it

Thanks   ;)

4
The Vauxhall Omega PowerSounder is indeed a very hot topic of conversation, covering both myths and legend, and hopefully, (whilst not a definitive guide), this may shed some light on a few things, and prevent the same old questions being asked on here.


Powersounder – What is it?

Back in the mid 1990`s, the insurance industry applied a new set of rules for vehicle security, and around 1996 (ish) legislation was passed to ensure that ALL new cars designated for the UK had to meet the new security criteria as laid out by the MIRRC at Thacham. Essentially, cars fell into two basic categories, Cat 1: an Alarm and Immobiliser, and Cat 2: an Immobiliser only – there are others, but irrelevant for now. The Cat 2 Immobiliser was now mandatory, but part of the criteria for Category 1 was that the Alarm system had to include some form of battery back up facility, so that the vehicle was still protected in the event of a main battery disconnection. Unlike other vehicle Alarm systems, the Sigma system as fitted to the Omega, only fell short of this particular requirement for Cat 1 status, and rather than designing a whole new system, an additional siren (or Powersounder) with its own internal battery was fitted to work alongside the existing alarm. The rechargeable batteries of the Powersounder are kept in a charged state due to them being connected across the terminals of the main vehicle battery.


The dreaded "tell-tale" signs of Failure

If the main battery is low in voltage, due to cold weather or lack of use, then it is not uncommon for a “beep” to be heard from the Powersounder whilst the starter motor is cranking. However, whilst a “beep” every once in a while is fine, a “beep” EVERY time you start the car is not. If it becomes more frequent, or the siren starts to sound more erratically, then it may be illustrating an underlying problem. One of the most common symptoms of an imminent Powersounder failure is that of battery drain on the main vehicle battery. If your Battery is continually going flat over a few days, then you need to identify the cause. The first thing to check is main vehicle battery condition and state of charge – Do not assume because the car starts easily that the battery is in good health. Its worth getting it checked professionally, and many battery centres will offer this service free of charge as it takes but a few minutes to perform a “drop test”. If the main Battery and associated charging circuits are ok, then the Powersounder may well be worth investigating next.


Main Vehicle Battery Removal Procedure

Because the Powersounder is there to prevent some tea leaf removing the battery to disable the alarm system, it does also mean that you cannot simply disconnect the battery without the siren going off, unless you follow the correct procedure to disarm the Powersounder first.

1 - Loosen the car battery terminals ready for quick disconnection
2 - Turn the ignition ON and then OFF again (no need to start car)
3 - Disconnect the car battery within fifteen seconds to avoid the Powersounder going off

Reconnection of the Battery is straightforward, and not uncommon for a loud “chirp” when doing so.

5
FTAO Moderators

Many moons ago, I wrote a guide about using non standard discs on the Omega CD players - I know it was moved to one of the help sections, but can`t help but wonder if it may be better served as a sticky topic in this section? especially as we have just had a thread again. If you agree, could someone move it for me please?

 ;)

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90496.0

6
Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Speaker Buying Guide
« on: 07 February 2012, 10:41:10 »
From the number of questions I get asked on a daily basis with regard to upgrading speakers, it is very clear that there is a lot of confusion out there over some of the terminology that is used and the suitability of the products available. So I have written a few notes that will probably muddy the waters a little further.

The answer to the most commonly asked question:
What size speakers do I need in my Omega? Speakers are usually referred to by the physical size of the hole that is left when you take them out. Generally speaking, the front doors of the Omega use a 16.5cm speaker with a separate tweeter, (although you will often find these referred to as 17cm components), and 13cm Coaxial ones in the rear doors – but check as there can be a few exceptions.

Speaker Adapter Rings:
These specially shaped adapters will allow the fitment of a standard shaped aftermarket speaker into a non standard shaped hole left by the removal of the original speaker. You may also find that by using adapters from a different vehicle (that effectively move the speaker away from the door a little), that you can then use a speaker with a much larger magnet without the problem of the deeper speaker fouling the window mechanism. Both Vauxhall Cavalier and Corsa adapters have been very popular for this.

Speaker Types: Co-Axial Vs Components
The larger part of the speaker cone will produce the deeper Bass sounds, and the smaller speaker, (or Tweeters) will reproduce the higher treble sounds. Now if you think of a car speaker, it will generally fall into one of two types, either a big speaker with a smaller tweeter placed in the middle (Co-Axial) or a big speaker with a small separate tweeter (Components).

Co-Axial speakers will reproduce sound in the same direction that the speaker is pointing, and if the speakers are low down in the doors, then that is where your sound will stay.

The advantage of a Component speaker is that you can relocate the tweeter, and with a bit of careful positioning, this is enough to make the sound appear as though it is coming from much higher up, and not low down in the kickwells. Tweeters are traditionally placed near the tops of the doors or the base of the “A” post, as making the sound appear nearer your head can really bring the sound “alive”.

Part II to Follow

7
Been racking my brains trying to recall who did a two Ohm speaker that could be used for a BOSE replacement.

We used to do a coaxial set of speakers by JBL called GTO628 that were a 2 way 6 1/2" speaker and were rated at 2 Ohms.

Infinity Reference Series also did a 2 Ohm component set  6030CS (6.5") and 5030CS (5 1/4")


I am not able to obtain these myself, nor have any other pointers at the moment as to who may or may not stock them nowadays, but maybe someone out there who is bored over christmas can do a bit of googling and come up with something that they can add here.

 ;)

8
Thanks to all of you in the Oof Electrical and Audio section who have supported me and my Car Audio Company over the last year, and I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2012.

Happy Easter to you all !!


9
Without a doubt, one of the most confusing aspects of the Audio system in the Omega, is that of the BOSE system. There are many questions, rumours and half truths out there, so I thought I would put a few of these down here, in the hope that it may help you to understand the system.

Back in its day, the Omega BOSE system was indeed a stunning system to be heard, and had the benefits of extra subwoofers for a more rounded sound, and speakers that were designed to complement the interior of the car. This was all powered by a dedicated head unit and amplifier.

However, time has moved on, and it is the wish of many of you to want to alter or change some of the components of the BOSE system to bring it in line with the 21st century, and in doing so, many of you are encountering some problems.

Do I have BOSE fitted?
There are a few quick things to check – If you have subwoofers on the back shelf or a subwoofer in the quarter panel on the Estate, then it is an indication that you may indeed have the BOSE system. If you do not have these extra subwoofers then the answer is definitely not.

Head Units
Not all standard OEM head units are compatible with the BOSE system. Generally, the NCDxxxx and CCRTxxxx head units were the models of choice, although some models (not all) of CCR2006 could be programmed for BOSE outputs. The output of a BOSE enabled stereo is of a different voltage level to that of conventional car audio and this can lead to some compatibility issues that we shall discuss later.

Speakers
BOSE speakers are causing some real headaches on here. The main problem is that the impedance of them is only 2 Ohms, unlike conventional car audio that is rated at 4 Ohms. The other cause of concern apart from being a non-standard size, is that they are constructed from paper cones, which 20 years on have mostly bio-degraded making finding good quality second hand ones in short supply now. Should you wish to replace the BOSE speakers and retain the BOSE system, then you will need to find a suitable 2 Ohm replacement speaker, and very few people make those nowadays.

Amplifier
The BOSE amplifier was the heart of the system, and is generally speaking pretty reliable. It drove both the cabin speakers and the subwoofers. However, whilst around 60W per channel at 2 Ohms was quite an achievement 20 years ago, that would equate to a head unit of around 25W per channel nowadays, and a quick glance at modern head units will indicate that we have long passed that, with around 50W per channel now being the norm. It should also be noted that the input voltage requirements of the BOSE amplifier were also of a non standard level and range which is why BOSE would only work with certain OEM configured head units.

Subwoofers
The subwoofers seldom give any cause for concern, but would be sorely missed should you choose to remove them. It is doubtful whether the BOSE system would have achieved its reputation if these subwoofers were not present though, and it must be  pointed out that adding a discreet subwoofer to any system can significantly improve the sound.

Part II to follow

10
General Car Chat / This V12 engine is too small for an Omega !!!
« on: 12 December 2011, 10:14:08 »
Shamelessly pinched from the Buggy Club, but I thought you guys would appreciate this !!

You have to admire the hard work that has gone into this engine - its a long vid, but worth watching

http://www.wimp.com/tiniestengine/

 :o

11
General Discussion Area / Ghostly car advert - A must see !!
« on: 08 November 2011, 22:57:52 »
Ghostly car advert - shamelessly pinched from the Buggy Club UK

READ ARTICLE BEFORE VIEWING

This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming
the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car,
like a ghostly white mist.

The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon.

Watch the front end of the car closely as it clears the trees in the middle of the
screen and you'll see the white mist crossing in front of the car then
following it along the road......Spooky!

Is it a ghost, or is it simply mist? You decide. If you listen to the ad,
you'll even hear the cameraman whispering in the background about it near
the end of the commercial. A little creepy but pretty cool!

(Suggest to Double click upon picture to enlarge to full screen)


Video here... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3385579284690408654#
 :o

12
Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Omega Airbag ECU`s wanted
« on: 08 October 2011, 10:19:35 »
Hi,

I`m currently playing around with resetting the crash data on various models of Airbag ECU`s and was wondering if anyone out there in Ooferland has any spare ECU`s that they would care to let me have a play with.

Not worried if they are from cars where the airbags have been deployed, as I`m looking to reset these, and I`m more than happy to return these once finished with in a fully reset condition

Can anyone help at all ?

 :)

13
Many of you will ask the question about the problems associated with playing copied discs, and the resultant straining and premature burning out of any optical device (laser) as a result of using non-compatible discs, and then there will always be a flood of people who will reply that they can play copied discs and have achieved different results with different recording speeds etc etc

OK, lets put this one firmly to bed.

There are many formats of disc that all look similar, CD, SA-CD, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-T, VCD, DVD to name but a few. They are all very different in the way that they work, and although everybody accepts that a  DVD will not play in a CD player, people refuse to apply the same logic across the other formats.

Even though some of the radio instructions manuals clearly state . . . . .

"The CD changer does not support the playback of rewritable (CD-RW) discs. When using self-recorded audio discs (CD-R)playback errors may occur depending on the quality and surface of the CD-R used.
(Page 32 of instruction manual for NCDC 2011,2013 & 2015)"

. . . . It still gets ignored.


The Omega was designed to play one format of CD and one format ONLY. And if your disc shows this label on it, then it should be a compatible disc and is designed to be played.



It was never designed to play the discs that came out for the computer though, as unlike audio tracks, they much smaller pits and troughs to record the data, and although you may initially get away with playing these, the laser will struggle to focus and burn itself out fairly quickly. Imagine how knackered your eyesight would be if you constantly had to squint at something that you couldn't quite see clearly. If your disc has this label, it is NOT compatible and you should not use it.


The Re-Writable format widely used nowadays wasn't even commercially available when the Omega CD player was designed, so there is no way that it could be deemed or designed as compatible, and the data written to the disc is even smaller, meaning that laser deterioration can actually be measured whilst playing these discs. If your CD has this label, then kiss goodbye to the stereo if you continue to play them at all, let alone for any length of time.



Another thing to remember is that a laser is a costly item to replace, and with Philips Ceasing trading around 2001, and Blaupunkt Ceasing around 2009, spare parts are getting exceptionally hard to source - so look after the one you have.


 ;)


14
Not strictly an Omega question, but I`m having a play with LED`s and rear lights on my Beach Buggy at the moment, and this may even have some relevance.

Ok, tin of worms time I know, but just wondering what the official / unofficial line is from the MOT guys amongst you regarding LED rear lights -

I know the rules / regs regarding placement of lights and correct wattage bulbs of 21W flasher and 21W/5W for stop and tail, but many of the modern cars nowadays have LED rear lights instead that do not actually conform to these wattages. Although LED lights look bright, due to their efficiancy they run way under the power figures qouted for recommended wattages and I have never seen an MOT station measure the brightness output, so I just wondered if there were any guidelines as to what you would recommend for someone like me who is looking to build / convert a new rear set.

Does the number of led`s make a difference ? I know that there needs to be a brightness variation between tail ones and brake ones, or does it go on a percentage of bulbs showing between stop and tail ?

Roughly speaking, my plan is to go for around 30 medium intensity leds for tail with an additional 100 high intensity leds for brake, 50 high intensity for indicators, and 30 high intensity for reverse, (each side) within the original lenses.

Before you ask why not use the off the shelf LED conversion bulbs, well, its a fair question, but if you have ever tried some of those bulbs behind Classic Car lenses, you would have answered your own question.

They are pityfull - and in my mind bloody dangerous as they are often so dim.

The replacement stop / tail bulbs generally have a maximum of 24 or 36 leds, 30% of which don`t even point outwards, and the variation between tail and brake is not that good. On tail, there are usually only 9 bulbs running at 75% intensity, and when used behind a smoked lens can hardly be seen at all. From research I have done so far, Motorcycle plastics and modern plastics of lights lens`s seem to be a little thinner and allow light to pass through much more readily, wheras some of the older classic car lens are so thick, that even a filament bulb can often appear dim.

I tried fitting an LED replacement on one side and a 10 Watt bulb on the other and there was no difference - (I have tried both red and white LED bulbs for comparison) and surprisingly, the red bulb gave a slightly better light behind a red lens than the white one, but still wasn`t great.

If I am going to brake, then beleive me, people will see my brake lights !!

But it was this variation that got me wondering as to how they were "perceived" by the guys who make the decisions on the front line, ie: MOT testers. There must be a point where they think that it either isn`t bright enough, or the variation of intensity between tail and brake is insufficient?

So how would this be challenged or proven ? Or is it such an obscure problem that there is no real definative answer, and simply, "common sense rules"?

Any thoughts ?

 :-?

15
Apologies for asking something that has already been covered to death, but I know that some of you out there are clued up on headlights, so thought I would ask for help.

I am looking to replace a set of H4 bulbs in one of my cars, and because of the project in mind, looking to keep within the confines of legality, so am sticking with 55/60W bulbs. However, I know that there can be a great variation of colour output depending on the ????K rating and am looking for something that will give me a nice "pure white" output. I don`t want them to go so high that they become "blued" or "purpled" and it must be said that this effect is not necessarily for road use or driving, its a purely "cosmetic" colour that I am trying to get for a car.

Any suggestions on the K rating I should aim for?

 :-?

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