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[Doug Nelson]

Hi, Need a bit of help please.

Just bought a 2003 B Auto CDX Est 2.2 16V in really good condition that had two issues. 1: Pulling slightly to the left nearside and 2: the electric drivers seat rise and fall trying to engage, but not moving.

The 2nd I had on my first Omega a few years ago and that turned out to be an over extended worm screw thing under the seat. Though this time my mechanic has tried to loosen it with no success and is fearful of causing damage...

The bigger problem is the steering/brakes.
01: Initial examination in garage, all seemed pretty OK
02: Garage test drive. Result, slight pulling to left (as I'd noted), general braking all OK, but when pressed hard at the very end near the stopping point there is a distinct jump either to left or right. Whichever way the car chooses to go at that moment.
03: Next garage examination showed slight play on nearside lower arm, but according to garage well within parameters.

My mechanic doesn't like spending my money (A good thing) and baulked at me telling him to change both lower arms (After all the play was only going to get worse). However that has made no difference to the problem.

He has checked everything, steering box, all other arms and run a full diagnostic with nothing showing at all.

Our combined thoughts went to camber / tracking, but my concern is going to somewhere general that simply does what the machine says and that I fear won't help.

So my questions are:- Does anyone know anyone in the Tyne and Wear area that they'd trust to track the wheels properly (If indeed that's the issue) and how much force will it take to crack the seat worm screw.

I have to say at the outset that my mechanical knowledge is around zero. I can just about be confident enough to say that tyres are generally round and black.

[Doctor Gollum]

Arms not fitted correctly... Bolts not tightened with the wheels on the ground...

Geometry not set after arm change/set up by a blind gimp...

Address both. Correctly and report back 

[Doug Nelson]

OK... A bit frosty if not plain hostile.

This is my first interaction on this forum and not quite the friendly, we don't bite feeling I was expecting. I will relate this to my diligent gimp mechanic. I'm sure he'll be impressed.

Guess I'll have to look elsewhere for an answer.....

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Not all mechanics are familiar with the foibles of the omega. When fitting bottom arms the bolts for the front bushes must be tightened with the weight of the car on the wheels, unless polybushes have been fitted, then it wouldn't matter.
Also, when the arms (aka wishbones) have been changed the car needs 4 wheel goemetry setup ,by someone who knows what they are doing. They are quite sensitive to wheel alignment being wrong, and will soon tear out front tyres of it isnt right.
Lots of info on the site on this subject, as it has come up often over the years. 

[Nick W]

OK... A bit frosty if not plain hostile.

This is my first interaction on this forum and not quite the friendly, we don't bite feeling I was expecting. I will relate this to my diligent gimp mechanic. I'm sure he'll be impressed.

Guess I'll have to look elsewhere for an answer.....

Paraphrasing:


Omega front wishbones must be fitted following the correct procedure, part of which includes tightening the front bolts with the car on its wheels. Not doing this will damage them very quickly


Omegas are very sensitive to incorrect wheel alignment. Altering any of the settings without correcting the alignment of all four wheels will make the car drive abominably




This is such a common problem that the forum should send every new member a post stating it.
Stick around, we'll grow on you

[Doctor Gollum]

OK... A bit frosty if not plain hostile.

This is my first interaction on this forum and not quite the friendly, we don't bite feeling I was expecting. I will relate this to my diligent gimp mechanic. I'm sure he'll be impressed.
I did say either/or...

Guess I'll have to look elsewhere for an answer.....

Paraphrasing:


Omega front wishbones must be fitted following the correct procedure, part of which includes tightening the front bolts with the car on its wheels. Not doing this will damage them very quickly
About two days for the bushes, followed about five days later by the front tyres. Net result: car drives like a drunk iceskater.

Omegas are very sensitive to incorrect wheel alignment. Altering any of the settings without correcting the alignment of all four wheels will make the car drive abominably
See above...




This is such a common problem that the forum should send every new member a post stating it.
Stick around, we'll grow on you

Also, re the seat...

Does it clonk when the switch is pressed? If yes, sit in the seat and try rocking the seat as you pressed the button alternatingly. Should free up after a few goes... Heat won't solve anything... The support bushing is nylon iirc and won't appreciate being melted 

Hello, and welcome btw

[Doug Nelson]

Migv6,  Nick W, Thanks for the advice.

I've trawled the internet and local papers etc, but car guys who know the Omega appear to be a bit like hens teeth and certainly don't go out there way to promote themselves because I'm struggling to find one. The only ones calling themselves specialist are main dealers and I'm not taking my car there.

My mechanic is solid but not an Omega specialist. He's sought help from a number of garage guys he knows, but they're coming up empty too. That's why I don't want to take it to any old set up place as I'm sure they'll do their best but will not get it right and it'll be a useless exercise. There must be someone in the North East who knows how to set it up properly. I just haven't found them yet.

Re Doctor Gollum.... Done the seat agitation with no joy, just the motor clunk. I had no intention of applying heat. Don't know where that came from. On my last car we ended up losing a socket which stuck solid as the worm screw was turned. What we wondered was in applying pressure is there a risk of breaking the plastic, that's all.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Search the forum for "WIM settings, copy them or print them off. Take them to an outfit with a Hunter alignment machine and ask them to set your car to those settings.
One potential problem before you do this is that the rear track control arms are probably seized solid and will need to be freed of with heat or replaced before you have four wheel alignment done.
Front tca adjusters also need to be freed off, but don't tend to seize up like the rears do.

[Entwood]

Seat mechanism "clunking" but not moving ... check very thoroughly with a torch and mirror for any coins/keys etc that may be jammed in the moving bits, both motors/cogs/levers etc etc ...  IME its usually the "fore/aft" that they get jammed in, but have had 1 euro coin (bloody thing) get jammed in the "up/down" .... especialy on the left hand side where it is difficult to see (and happened to be the coin pocket side of my shorts on holiday) .... I was, eventually, able to spot the little sod, but it took a lot of faffing to remove it ....     I was about to resort to removing the seat to get to it when I managed to get it to move with a rather long screwdriver and a bit of brute force !!

[cam.in.head]

Hi there welcome along .
Couple of things to try to help you.
The seat motor can get stuck at the end of its travel and jam up. It is a motor which screws a threaded bar in and out. On mine it freed up by turning the nut on the end with a long extension and ratchet. Once freed (and it didn’t take much) all was well.
As regards the actual brakes. The caliper main piston can seize or become stiff ,as can the pads in the slides themselves but the more usual cause is the actual slider bolts that the whole caliper moves on.(the ones you undo to replace pads/ swing caliper up with)
Just a thought incase they weren’t checked.

[Doug Nelson]

Thanks all for the assistance. re-fitting the lower ams and tightening bolts on the ground and changing the idler arm just for the hell of it. Trying to find a place to set the geometry which is posing a bit of a problem. ... All the help is greatly appreciated.

[Doctor Gollum]

Thanks all for the assistance. re-fitting the lower ams and tightening bolts on the ground and changing the idler arm just for the hell of it. Trying to find a place to set the geometry which is posing a bit of a problem. ... All the help is greatly appreciated.

The arms will need replacing* not refitting as the bushes get trashed the instant the car is put back on its wheels if tightened before lowering.

Re alignment, any motorsports companies locally or Porsche etc specialists?

Also, give Wheels in Motion a call... They have affiliates around the UK...

*incidentally, the arms can technically be refitted... Once the front bushes have been renewed.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

If the front bushes have torn chop them out an replace with polybushes.