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7531

General Car Chat / Re: Track rod ends and drop links

« on: 15 September 2010, 21:15:14 »

Well the 2nd visit to WIM was successful, although all the settings on the system were OK, their knowledge is such that some small adjustments have removed the slight tendency to "drift" to the left .. car now drives true and nice.

Mr Chris (gixer) has kindly agreed to help me change the rear doughnut bushes, which the guys at WIM say are not bad for a car with 100,000 but are past their best and could do with changing, so a pair of lemforders ordered from all german parts.

AFAIK the only jobs then outstanding are to free off the rear trackrods .. which are solid .. and do the ATF change that is overdue (as I hate doing that job ...   )

As were mine, so I took them right off, marked the settings with a nail punch, and did the job on the bench, all ready for my WIM visit on Friday.

7532

General Car Chat / Re: Track rod ends and drop links

« on: 08 September 2010, 18:43:57 »

Outer track rod ends were changed at Newent .. but although we counted the turns the tracking was obviously miles out and the car was almost undriveable. Adjusted by eye Sunday morning and things were much improved for the drive home.

Got onto them again today with some bits of timber and a tape measure ... things improved yet again but the steering wheel is a tad offset.

Also changed both droplinks ... female dog of a job .. not technically difficult but awkward. Drivers side was not too bad .. just lack of room to swing the breaker bar, so used the large torque wrench in undo mode .. not ideal but about an 1/8th of a turn every  go .. took forever.

Passenger side was worse ... cable for brake pad wear in the way one side, headlight level adjuster in the way the other.. eventualy took that right off. Got things going then the nut just would not budge .. so had to hacksaw through the bolt with a "junior hacksaw" ... took forever .. but the jobs done.

Car now feels much better ... goes in a straight line and doesn't "clank" going over bumps.

Booked into WIM for a full alignement tomorrow PM ... and yup .. the "blag" seems to have worked ... OOF discount and a further 15% off with the letter they sent   Nice one guys   

They're going to check the rear doughnut bushes for me .. depending on what they say Chrisgixer may well be getting a begging PM and the offer of folding notes .... I just don't have the kit to do that job after watching at Newent... 2 big jacks needed at least .. as well as the "custom made" blocks  ... 

I have one Nige, and would be happy to help in about a month or so. I might have to do mine sometime as well.

7533

General Car Chat / Re: oh.... the joys of omega ownership

« on: 12 September 2010, 19:21:43 »

a) as for the consumption...i've noticed that fuel economy in urban driving is fairly bad (almost 15l/100km), while in open road drive is suprisingly low (below 10l/100km).

b) regarding the build quality of the car...it is definitely not the robustest car ever made. Just compared to a carlton 2.0, it does break allot. BUT, IMO, problems with v6 engines are in a big part down to a faulty maintainenance. i had one v6 omega on which the camcover gasket was done badly 3 times in the row in a period of 6 months. in each of this 3 attempts, mechanic-guy was obviously hasty. on 4th attempt, in the other garage, it was done thoroughly and slowly, and after that-> no more oil leaks 

Odd that, must be just the petrol models, as I've always felt that my TD was machined out of a solid piece of metal.

7534

General Car Chat / Re: oh.... the joys of omega ownership

« on: 10 September 2010, 20:07:38 »

I presume that is for me.

Well, since Omega 20 or was it 21 was sold, I have owned a number of cars. Ford Galaxy 2.3 Zetec LPG Auto - cracking car and one of the most comfortable I have driven. Also, Landrover Discovery - utter crap, Mitsubishi Shogun x 3, 2x v6's and 1x 2.8TD - cracking cars.

As for comparable to the Omega, I by chance bought a Renault laguna 3.0v6 Executive last November. Unlike any omega I owned, everything works, it has no rust anywhere at all, it is 100% reliable, has more toys, drives beautifully and for a 3.0v6 Auto, it gives me up to 36mpg depending on what I am doing.

In the 10 months we have owned it I have done two things to it. 1, put a new tyre on after it got a puncture. 2, MoT'd it. That is it.

I have not had to look at handbrakes not working, wishbones, rocker gaskets, door check straps, non working pixels on the computer, oil coolers, radiators. In fact. Nothing whatsoever. Just put petrol in and enjoy - just like it was meant to be.

Now, before anyone says anything, I would NEVER ever have bought a Luguna. I always hated them, heard they were ultra unreliable etc etc, but due to breaking the Galaxy I needed anything Automatic the next day. It was all I could find. Never intended to actually keep it more than the time it took the V5 to come back.

But after driving it 400+ miles the day after buying it without it missing a beat, with the cruise on, listening to the CD multichanger with the climate keeping the cabin just as I wanted, with the sumptuous electric leather seats, I decided to keep it a bit longer.

Some bone-end caught the front bumper 3 weeks in to owning, which cost his insurers £500, so the car actually stands me at £100. can't go wrong.

As for my comment about never owning an omega again. Yes, I stand by that. Number of reasons. I had 20+ of them so had enough to last me a lifetime. They are old now and obviously getting older by the day. Newest ones are 7 years old. And, if I am honest, I have gone right off any car that I need to have a 4 post ramp and an indsutrial supply of Snap on tools at the ready 24/7.

 I'm impressed tho' that you kept at it for that long before giving up.

7535

General Car Chat / Re: WIM

« on: 11 September 2010, 19:01:28 »

Well, managed to un.. release the b****r, had to take the track rod off to do it though, but nicely greased for adjustment now. I'd like to know how VX get a torque wrench to the sub-frame bolt, certainly not possible with the car on stands, and weight off the wheels. Might be possible on a ramp with weight on the subframe. :-/

I'd better do the O/S one tomorrow.

7536

General Car Chat / WIM

« on: 11 September 2010, 12:41:16 »

Off to WIM on Friday next, Tony sounds a nice guy. Must get out now and unseize release my N/S rear track rod. 

7537

General Car Chat / Re: Can you tell what its off

« on: 09 September 2010, 18:32:43 »

Looks like an Omega!

7538

General Car Chat / Re: Owned the longest?

« on: 31 August 2010, 18:02:56 »

Jim will win with his Irmsher Elite he has had since new as a company car 1995 or 6 I think

Do I Win!!!

I declare this competion closed,

And the winner is.........................................................................................................................................................................................................


JIM!

The prize is.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Oh B****r, I've just drunk it

Never mind Jim, its the taking part that counts!

7539

General Car Chat / Re: Owned the longest?

« on: 28 August 2010, 22:22:53 »

Jim will win with his Irmsher Elite he has had since new as a company car 1995 or 6 I think

Correct I've had it from new Jan 1996

Glad to hear of someone else who believes in keeping a car for a reasonable time. I never understood how it was going to help the planet if I scrapped a perfectly serviceable car, and a new one had to be built to replace it. :-/

7540

General Car Chat / Re: Owned the longest?

« on: 27 August 2010, 16:29:04 »

August 99. Do you want to swap?

Worse have you ever stopped and added up how much fuel you have put in the damn thing never mind repair/service bills.

I have made arrangements to be buried in Mine. Mrs Varche will then buy a 4x4 far better suited to rural Spain.

B****r, I was sure I'd win this one! I'll keep it till it looks like costing real money, I've only done 99k (chipped, still on the original AR25 after 30k). I usually keep my cars for ever, had a beetle for 14 years, Renault 16 for 11.

By forever, I presume you mean until the car is completely dead

No, I have never had to scrap one of my own cars, (although I did write one off in my youth), they have all gone on to new owners, at least for a short time. The Beetle ran for at least another 5 years. The 16 died of tinworm shortly after I got rid. A shame, as it was mechanically excellent, and comparable to the Omega for comfort.

7541

General Car Chat / Re: Owned the longest?

« on: 25 August 2010, 20:16:10 »

August 99. Do you want to swap?

Worse have you ever stopped and added up how much fuel you have put in the damn thing never mind repair/service bills.

I have made arrangements to be buried in Mine. Mrs Varche will then buy a 4x4 far better suited to rural Spain.

B****r, I was sure I'd win this one! I'll keep it till it looks like costing real money, I've only done 99k (chipped, still on the original AR25 after 30k). I usually keep my cars for ever, had a beetle for 14 years, Renault 16 for 11.

7542

General Car Chat / Owned the longest?

« on: 25 August 2010, 19:24:54 »

Had mine on 5th November (Good date!) 1999, 8 months old.

7543

General Car Chat / Re: Engine issue (non-Omega) any ideas?

« on: 17 August 2010, 23:02:27 »

Definitely worth a compression check, to eliminate valves and rings. Unlikely nowadays I know, but with the smoke etc...... :-/ :-/ :-/

7544

General Car Chat / Re: Omega Estate Replacement?

« on: 09 August 2010, 16:14:47 »

just a thought but why not get a mpv of some sort plenty to choose from and plenty cheap.

Renault arent the best either loads of problems on the latest ones, Chy Voager ok desent oil burns too then there is the galaxy/sharan/alhambra with vw engines,
or vauxhall zafera though i find them a bit small.

Personlly i have a vauxhall sintra 2.2dti 99 model for when we all go out together 8 seats 48-50 mpg on a run 40 round town

 I've never fancied the mpv's, they always seem too high off the ground.

7545

General Car Chat / Re: Omega Estate Replacement?

« on: 06 August 2010, 23:52:47 »

I've also been looking for an Estate replacement, (not required yet), and the BMW 5 series and Saab 93 are too small in the cabin, (I'm 6'4") plus boot size is tight, the only ones that I've seen big enough are the Mondeo and E class estates.