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1426

General Discussion Area / No driving licences!

« on: 12 November 2007, 16:57:50 »

" The Spanish traffic department has revealed that last year across Spain, almost six thousand drivers who were involved in fatal accidents did not have a driving licence. 2,610 of these drove cars, 152 drove trucks, 18 drove buses, 308 were at the wheel of vans and the remainder were driving motorcycles or mobylettes".

I wonder how many don't have insurance? How many didn't have licences that were involved in non fatal accidents?

I wonder what the statistic is in the UK?!!

varche

1427

General Discussion Area / Omega Export business opportunity?!

« on: 10 November 2007, 14:01:12 »

Secondhand car prices are just ludicrously low in the UK people just don't know it!

Have a look at this lovely motor on Polish "Autotrader"

http://www.otomoto.pl/index.php?sect=show&id=C3746547

97 estate, looks clean, about 180k Miles, long MOT £3,500!

That is about what that car would fetch in Spain as well.

Anyone enterprising enough to set up contacts and export RHD cars now we are all in the same EU? Should be easy enough to turn a profit of £1000 a motor even after paperwork, transport, any transfer tax, income tax, translation of service history, Ryanair flight back and so on.

varche

1428

General Discussion Area / Bio fuel and omega diesels

« on: 03 November 2007, 11:49:54 »

Anyone use bio fuel (bought or home made) on their diesel Omegas? Any problems?

8 years ago it was a toss up between a diesel elite or petrol. We found a petrol one first. Often wonder what would have happened if it had been the other way round. No shortage of waste oil here in Spain, people just tip it away in a corner of their olive grove - no application of hazardous substances rules! A bit of methanol or whatever and one of those barrel machines and away you go.

1429

General Discussion Area / Over the moon - ABS/Speedo back!

« on: 26 October 2007, 18:03:51 »

Well I have had a most trying couple of days changing my ABS ECU. Just come back from testing it out. So many things work again.

Speedo
Cruise control
Mileometer
MID display - average this and that functions
ABS

I will say that whoever said it was a job they wouldn't wish on anyone was not lying.

I followed Issunaz suggestions and removed the minimum of stuff- battery, top hose and moved the 3 multiplugs at the end of the battery by undoing the philips screw holding the plate to battery tray. I gently held the power steering pipe back an inch using a plastic tie. Then it was just a pfaff undoing the six screws. Special thanks to Issunaz who supplied an extended T20 Torx bit and lots of late night advice - top man. I also used a Torx "allen key" . You need lots of patience.

Had a small disaster when the pink plastic sliding plug affair snapped when I tried to gently lever it out. Thank goodness for some flat thin nose pliers I have.

Also a big thanks to forum members for advice. I just wouldn't be tackling these jobs without this forum. Bit of a saving from the "over a £1,000" quote I had back in the UK.

Next job knock sensor /lack of power.

an over joyed olive

1430

General Discussion Area / What Lotions/potions/stuff for the toolbox?

« on: 24 October 2007, 17:12:44 »

I have a pretty good selection of tools now including Torx sockets, keys, torque wrench and so on for my varied works on the Omega.

As I am now starting to do more jobs with inspiration from OOF I wondered what none tools stuff people would have as an ideal. Looking through my tins I have Jizer, Swarfega, copperslip (38 years old I think), tube of loctite, tube of gasket goo, WD40, tin of clean grease.

People keep talking about carb cleaner, brake cleaner, penetrating oil as opposed to WD40 and so on.

What is your list please preferably with brand name recommendations?  

olive

1431

General Discussion Area / Auto gearbox thrust washer -is this the end?!

« on: 06 October 2007, 16:26:18 »

Took the two pans off the auto box and unsurprisingly in the front pan was the pieces of thrust washer. As we need the car day by day I am putting it back together but feel totally gutted. This is the third oil change in 140k, the car has been used but not thrashed.

How long can I expect the car to continue functioning without the thrust washer?

I guess the solution would be to put an AR35 box in but the cost of getting one to Spain and the difficulties on my own of replacing it are a problem. If I lived in Britain I think I would sell it/break it for parts and buy another without this and other issues. The problem is that although cars are cheaper in the UK than Spain you have to pay a hefty import tax based on a book value (ours would be around £2100 pounds so tax of  £357!)

Perhaps I ought to bite the bullet and buy something like a Vitara and end my relationship with Vauxhall!!??  

Perhaps a gearbox party?

Perhaps someone on here is selling a decent similar pre facelift Omega that I could use mine for spare parts for!

Where is that beer.

olive   :-?  

1432

General Discussion Area / Dual cct brakes - my A**e!

« on: 24 August 2007, 13:20:42 »

Earlier this year we punctured a brake line on the Omega whilst towing a trailer load of logs. A particularly large rock was the cause and the fracture was under the car below the rear passenger area.

What interested me was after the first few applications of the brake pedal all braking was lost (apart from the handbrake and engine braking). Mrs olive was driving us at the time and safely got us home including a downhill section!

Whatever happened to dual cct brakes??!! e.g. Offside Front Nearside rear.  

olive

1433

General Discussion Area / Perseid Meteor shower tonight

« on: 12 August 2007, 13:30:31 »

For anyone interested in meteors, tonight is a good time to watch them.

find somewhere without a lot of light pollution, open a bottle, lay back and enjoy the free spectacle. Last night was pretty good here. We found the most were from the North East (look for the W of stars in the sky!)

olive  

1434

General Discussion Area / Saw a car crash twice today!

« on: 10 August 2007, 15:08:32 »

Not had such a laugh for ages. I was coming down a steep hill in a local village when a young woman came round the corner looking at something across the way and veered off the road into a pile of empty wooden pallets as she left the road going uphill. She presumably dipped the clutch at which the car (peugeot 206) rolled backwards quite quickly across the grass and a very deep and quite wide ditch, then bounced up onto the main road and across before coming to a halt an inch from a wall.

The only damage apart from her pride was one of the plastic inner wheel arches came off. Her reaction? She got out of the car and rang someone on her mobile.

fantastic stuff , if only I had had a video camera!

olive

1435

General Discussion Area / Got a set of jump leads in the car now!

« on: 26 July 2007, 10:10:48 »

So am out for a drive with the ladies in the car including the 84 year old mother in law. It is a hot day. We visit loads of shops and stuff. Air con on full - it is 34 deg C.

Stop later at the motorway services and go to set off. Car wouldn't start. Dull click, lights go off on dash board. Up with the bonnet. My god the heat.  Couldn't see anything wrong. Decided to ring the breakdown people (all Spanish car insurance includes compulsary breakdown recovery). We don't have a mobile phone so go to use the payphone. It was out of order.

Back at the car , after a coffee, the parts were cool enough to do some faulting. Positive leads loose to battery. Tightened up. Still wouldn't start. Back into the petrol station and £7 later came out with jump leads. A guy pulls up alongside in an old peugot 106 and it started.  

Now got THREE pairs of jump leads so will carry a pair in future. Hope Tunnie didn't throw his out!  

olive

1436

General Discussion Area / How good is Omega Owners forum!!

« on: 16 June 2007, 13:25:21 »

Just cured the dreadful squealing on the car thanks to the forum. The consensus was that it was the aux belt slipping. Armed with a new belt (many thanks Laidback66) I set to and changed it this a.m. and it has gone. The old belt was in a poor condition and was stretched.

The last major job the forum helped with was the misfire which turned out to be the DIS pack. I would never have had the confidence to tackle these jobs without the wealth of expertise and support on this forum even though I have Mr Haynes for bedtime reading.

Thanks everyone for your help.

olive

1437

General Discussion Area / Vauxhall parts mail order companies -Who do u use?

« on: 06 June 2007, 15:55:17 »

Who do you use in the UK?

I know of Megavaux and Autovaux.

I am trying to source an auxillary belt 93181718 for my Omega. The alternative, as I live in Spain, is to go to an Opel agent 40 miles away. In the past they have had to order everything I wanted from "Germany" as petrol Omegas are very very rare in Spain. In fact you don't see many at all of any flavour.

olive

1438

General Discussion Area / How to join two satellite co oax cables?

« on: 30 May 2007, 12:59:08 »

Hi folks

An easy question I am sure.

I want to join together two lengths of satellite co ax cable so that we can watch sat TV in another room. Is there an adaptor available to do this? Something that will screww into the normal metal connectors on each end?

If there is, is there something that can turn the connection through 180 degrees as Mrs olive isn't too keen on miles of cable looped everywhere. I currently have the second cable poking into the room parallel and alongside the one back to the dish. I can't make the connection anywhere else.

Thanks in advance before I go to the Spanish shops!

olive

1439

General Discussion Area / Choice of Music advice needed

« on: 06 May 2007, 13:12:13 »

As you can see I live in inland Spain.

When I lived in the UK and had broadband it was easy to download music and know what was going on music wise. Now it is a very rare occasion when I go to a supermarket or "music shop".  Can anyone suggest CD's to get on the next trip please?

I like Faithless stuff - the latest one was bought about 9 months ago. Other likes- Dirty Vegas, Coldplay, U2, classic chillout, dance. Anything with a good sound that I can have blaring away while I fix the latest thing to drop off the Omega.! I am getting a bit fed up of tapes of Pete Tong from 15 years ago.

olive    

1440

General Discussion Area / Which spark plugs are these ?

« on: 21 December 2006, 11:57:56 »

Good news, at long last I have fitted a new DIS Pack to my 2.5 V6 and the dreadded misfire at 2000 rpm has gone. I also fitted new VX spark plugs of the part number recommended on the forum.

The ones I took out are GM 93183992. they have three electrodes unlike the twin electrode ones I fitted.

Are the ones I took out the original fitments or incorrect!!!

olive