Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: goonv6 on 19 December 2009, 15:59:38
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We live at the bottom of a hill and its iced up with sheet ice at the moment. The Miggy went up with absolutely no probs, straight past the Mercs and Lexus's that were stuck! However, went to inspect rear tyres and found they were bald :o today so £120 later and I have a nice new set.
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Yep my TD been stood for 10 days, and it's still got the original battery on, over 9 years old.
Fired up first turn of the key this morning, no probs -3.5 on the temp reading.
Mick
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Mine fired first turn of the key, indicated temperature -1.5 degrees C. :)
Keeping the back end going in roughly the same direction as the front is a bit of a challenge at the moment as most of the roads round here are bereft of anything looking like grit!
Heated seats are worth their weight in gold in this weather! 8-)
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Ahh, heated seats, I remember them well... :(
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Erm - I dont think they are that good actually - mine is parked up and I am using the wife's 4 wheel drive Ford Galaxy.
Last February when we had the last big snowfall I was in a line of moving traffic in my Omega and the first significant hill we got to my car just would not go up it - much to the disgust of everyone behind me.
Just my opinion....
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Yep my TD been stood for 10 days, and it's still got the original battery on, over 9 years old.
Fired up first turn of the key this morning, no probs -3.5 on the temp reading.
Mick
My Diesel Omega has been parked up for about 4 months not started (battery removed).
Shoved a semi-charged battery on it the other day, gave it two goes on the glow plugs and turned the key...
Started STRAIGHT away! No missfires or anything! Couldn't belive it! I half expected the battery to be flat thinking about it!
In terms of engine time cranking over, it actually started faster than my V6 does and that gets used daily! :o
Not bad for 189,000 miles derv! :P
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well it hit -18 last night and hasnt gone above -2.5 for about a wek, and still the omega pulls everywhere, even getting where most cant, i do have to have the T/C off because it cuts in way to much.
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Erm - I dont think they are that good actually - mine is parked up and I am using the wife's 4 wheel drive Ford Galaxy.
Last February when we had the last big snowfall I was in a line of moving traffic in my Omega and the first significant hill we got to my car just would not go up it - much to the disgust of everyone behind me.
Just my opinion....
Must agree. Living in Boston we are completely berefit of any hills whatsoever, but coming out of Asda the other night when it was snowing heavily, I had to pull out of a junction and up the tiniest of uphill gradients. Auto box in snow mode, cars in front pulled away no probs, I pulled away so slowly my son thought he was going to have to get out and push. Just cannot get any traction.
They are bloody good fun on quiet roundabouts though :y :y :y :y
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Erm - I dont think they are that good actually - mine is parked up and I am using the wife's 4 wheel drive Ford Galaxy.
Last February when we had the last big snowfall I was in a line of moving traffic in my Omega and the first significant hill we got to my car just would not go up it - much to the disgust of everyone behind me.
Just my opinion....
Must agree. Living in Boston we are completely berefit of any hills whatsoever, but coming out of Asda the other night when it was snowing heavily, I had to pull out of a junction and up the tiniest of uphill gradients. Auto box in snow mode, cars in front pulled away no probs, I pulled away so slowly my son thought he was going to have to get out and push. Just cannot get any traction.
They are bloody good fun on quiet roundabouts though :y :y :y :y
summer tyres maybe?
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Thats all we have over here. I used to travel to Germany all the time, to Frickenhausen just outside Stuttgart, and was always amazed how well the bog standard Mondeos coped in the snow. Then I was told it is a legal requirement to have snow tyres between certain dates of the year. Thats why you see so many cars that should have alloys on with just steel wheels.
If I had snow tyres they'd only be needed for a maximum of one week every year.
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Mine's fine... I must confess, I have filled the Petrol tank and the LPG tank so got plenty of weight in the back, dropped the tyre pressures slightly and off we go... No problems here at all, but I do have to turn the TC off occasionally to get going and steering on the throttle just has to be done ;D ;D ;D
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Appalling lack of traction on untreated roads even when loaded with a full PA system (Which isn't light) and using 'Snow Mode'. No problems with the wifes' Fiesta though (front wheel drive)
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Erm - I dont think they are that good actually - mine is parked up and I am using the wife's 4 wheel drive Ford Galaxy.
Last February when we had the last big snowfall I was in a line of moving traffic in my Omega and the first significant hill we got to my car just would not go up it - much to the disgust of everyone behind me.
Just my opinion....
Chuck some bags of sand in the back,as i always remember the old man doing some years back,done the trick though. :y
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I did think of weighing the back end down but the width of the tyres doesn't do the car any favours - too wide for snow - also I have the 4 wheel drive to use so I just jump in that.
I used to work for Paddy Hopkirk years ago and he once told me about a time he was driving a mini betwen stages and was driving in thick snow and wasn't hanging around, it was at night and he could see a pair of headlights in his rear view mirror gaining on him, thinking it was another competitor he tried to go even faster but the car behind eventually caught him and as it overtook him he realised it was a Citroen 2CV with 2 nuns in it - how true it is I dont know ;D
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The backend of mine is thrown around as well,but, I have a bigger and wierd problem..
When driving over black ice or snow, the brakes of my mig do not like to be pushed into - they make a noise and undo themselves..
I almost could not stop near the end of a minor road - is there is a problem with my brakes or some sort of setting which I can turn off?
Please advice!
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The backend of mine is thrown around as well,but, I have a bigger and wierd problem..
When driving over black ice or snow, the brakes of my mig do not like to be pushed into - they make a noise and undo themselves..
I almost could not stop near the end of a minor road - is there is a problem with my brakes or some sort of setting which I can turn off?
Please advice!
Sounds like the ABS having a moment... No ABS system is perfect, especially on snow/ice.
The secret is to use the brakes as little as possible (use the engine) and gently :y :y
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Thanks, I did think of the ABS but wasn't sure.
Well - I do tend to use the brakes gently and having a automatic I am used to driving in the 'Drive' mode - is it better to use the manual 1,2 & 3 option in these conditions?
PS: New to these conditions so any advice is recieved with many thanks!
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Don't really have a problem myself, particularly when you consider the 235 tyres, auto gearbox, and a bucketload of power.
Smooth driving is key, bit of extra weight over the rear axle and a couple of psi less in the tyres helps
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Thanks, I did think of the ABS but wasn't sure.
Well - I do tend to use the brakes gently and having a automatic I am used to driving in the 'Drive' mode - is it better to use the manual 1,2 & 3 option in these conditions?
PS: New to these conditions so any advice is recieved with many thanks!
To a point .. yes ... engine braking in an auto is not fantastic in "D", so the selection of 3, 2, 1 will give much increased engine braking... BUT ... big BUT ... do it gently !! If you drop it into second at 40 you will probably come close to losing control !!!
Driving on snow/ice is all about gentleness and smoothness.... do NOTHING in a hurry ... same rules apply to manuals as autos .... highest gear possible and gently does it.
The loss of control is all about too much right foot ... the engine cannot accelerate itself .. only you can do it. ... :)
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You can get some form of engine braking into a bend by tapping the Sport button before the bend.
However I wouldn't do that in slippery conditions! ;D
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[size=9]Thanks. I was only doing 20 mph when I could not brake thanks to ABS. Reading on the forum, I have now learnt a few tricks and will remember to keep it gentle.
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[size=9]Thanks. I was only doing 20 mph when I could not brake thanks to ABS. Reading on the forum, I have now learnt a few tricks and will remember to keep it gentle.
[/size]
Very, very gently :y :y :y
Only use 3,2,1 to slow down carefully... As Entwood said, if you slam it into 2 at 40mph you're pushing your luck ;) ;)
Incidentally, I almost always use the engine anyway, even in good conditions :y :y
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autos are better in the snow to get moving i find, you can be very gentle with power delivery, with the manual the power gets dumped quicker unless you sit there slipping the clutch.
Its the opposite when slowing, as you can use the clutch / gears to slow quite well.
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That is so true, I am used to using the engine to slow when driving a bike but have always relied on brakes for the car - until today :-[
Funny, how I did not apply some common sense this AM, luckily no harm done as there was no traffic on the road..but it is better to be safe than being sorry
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I think this is a problem of modern driving instruction.
When my daughter was learning I was amazed that she was NOT taught to change down progressively and use engine braking, she was taught to stay in the same gear, brake, then change to the "correct" gear to drive away again.
I actually asked her instructor about this and was told the answer was for 2 reasons...
1) Changing down/engine braking does not "tell" drivers behind what is happening, braking does by way of brake lights.
2) Brake pads are far cheaper and easier to change than engines/gearboxes/clutches.
Further research showed that IAM/RoSPA agree with those sentiments .. :(
So modern young drivers "expect" to be able to brake to a halt under all conditions ..... and have no idea what to do when the conditions won't allow such actions !!!
:(
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I think this is a problem of modern driving instruction.
When my daughter was learning I was amazed that she was NOT taught to change down progressively and use engine braking, she was taught to stay in the same gear, brake, then change to the "correct" gear to drive away again.
:(
I was taught this way too, i picked up going through gears from my dad when i was young. He rode a motorbike and went to cars, so went through the gears, when i started driving i did this, and was told not to do it.
I had a full argument with my instructor (not that i am known for those ::))
I argued you were in more control should something unexpected happen
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Well said, my instructor would go on and on about point number 2 (cheap brake pads)...he actually wanted me to change gears directly from say 4 to 1, when required to stop at a signal as opposed to progressive slowing down i.e. 4,3,2,1. It probably made sense but does not help in slippery conditions as you reply on brakes doing the job..
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I think this is a problem of modern driving instruction.
When my daughter was learning I was amazed that she was NOT taught to change down progressively and use engine braking, she was taught to stay in the same gear, brake, then change to the "correct" gear to drive away again.
:(
I was taught this way too, i picked up going through gears from my dad when i was young. He rode a motorbike and went to cars, so went through the gears, when i started driving i did this, and was told not to do it.
I had a full argument with my instructor (not that i am known for those ::))
I argued you were in more control should something unexpected happen
Ditto, ended up learning my instructor way to drive my car and my own make for the bike...
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I think this is a problem of modern driving instruction.
When my daughter was learning I was amazed that she was NOT taught to change down progressively and use engine braking, she was taught to stay in the same gear, brake, then change to the "correct" gear to drive away again.
:(
I was taught this way too, i picked up going through gears from my dad when i was young. He rode a motorbike and went to cars, so went through the gears, when i started driving i did this, and was told not to do it.
I had a full argument with my instructor (not that i am known for those ::))
I argued you were in more control should something unexpected happen
Ditto, ended up learning my instructor way to drive my car and my own make for the bike...
Driving to pass your test, and driving on real roads are completely different things :)
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'Twas interesting then when doing the LGV / PCV training the instructor commented that "you old guys understand engine braking" .... :)
For those that don't know ... it is an immediate "fail" on Lorry/truck/bus to brake and clutch at the same time (except when coming to a halt), and to "skip" a gear on the way down ... you brake OR you change gear ... never both at the same time.... (all to do with potentially winding 40 odd tons of freewheeling energy back into the system should you do it ...) .. and you work your way down the box. It was part of the test to work up the box and then back down in a designated area.
I'm sure the regular (and current) truckers will correct me if it's changed .. :)
:)
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'Twas interesting then when doing the LGV / PCV training the instructor commented that "you old guys understand engine braking" .... :)
For those that don't know ... it is an immediate "fail" on Lorry/truck/bus to brake and clutch at the same time (except when coming to a halt), and to "skip" a gear on the way down ... you brake OR you change gear ... never both at the same time.... (all to do with potentially winding 40 odd tons of freewheeling energy back into the system should you do it ...) .. and you work your way down the box. It was part of the test to work up the box and then back down in a designated area.
I'm sure the regular (and current) truckers will correct me if it's changed .. :)
:)
Not sure about the immediate fail but it is part of the test to start in 1st, go all the way up the box and then all the way back down, to 1st, before stopping ;) ;)