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[drozd]

Moved from newbie section....
Hi there, I'm new, to the forum, I've always really liked the Omega, but have for the last 6 years been car sharing "renault " now I'm ready to buy my own , but dont want to make a mistake, I would like petrol, lots of extras, leather or a dark interior, and cheapish is that too much to ask?I have a few questions If these have been answered before please could you point me to the link "I have been Googling " what is the best engine to go for, what is the face lift model and what year did it come in "edit found out that one". if any members here had up to £1800 to buy one what would their model of choice be? is there any mechanical things that are a common problem to watch out for?

[mathewst]

Facelift model came at the end on 1999, you had prefacelift, minifacelift which are almost identical, and facelift from end of 1999 till 2003.
Which engine to buy is a matter of personal choice.
I have 2.2, but most people on the forum have V6 models. If you want a lot of extras you need at least CDX model (no leather but also a few toys in it) or better like mv6 or elite.

[LordShiplane]

Hi.. Welcome to Oof

If you do want to become an owner my personal choice would be  "obviously duh " the newest model (saloon or estate)you can afford in Elite spec = all the toys, majority of which came with leather as standard. 2.6V6 or above as the engines are pretty much indestructible and can go on to v high mileage..always ask if the cambelt has been changed cos if this is overlooked your goose can be cooked
Get one with a fully marked service book and if any niggles crop up their are many faces on here to help/guide you through.
One problem that seems to reoccur is the HBV which can be a pain but generally Omega ownership is a pleasure

hope this helps

[duggs]

Omegas are generally ALWAYS a good buy for amazing comfort with a quiet ride.

As said, make sure the Cambelt has been changed along with all the pulleys etc etc. They should be changed every 40k or 4 years. A lot of car has a lot of things that can play up...and the "toys" are high on the list.

When I buy my next one I'll defo go for a CDX or ideally an Elite. Personally I wouldn't go for a MV6 as the rides a bit harder and interior, on most, not quite as luxurious.

I would strongly suggest the V6 is the way to go. The 2.0 and 2.2 are under powered, although great crusiers, not very quick..Omegas weigh a lot !

Most Omegas have their  faults but they are a fantastic ride.....and despite the wife saying they are "Grandad" cars...she loves the comfort.

My 12 yr old V6 CD has just come back from a 130mph fling up and down the German Autobahns and
it was a pure joy. Never driven anything so quiet or stable at such speeds. (Suspect she'd go a lot faster...but wife would have put me in the dog house for months).

Good luck with your hunt.

[drozd]

Thanks for the advice guys, I've started looking already... am I right in saying if its got body coloured bumper and side trim its a facelift?

[mathewst]

Facelift have different lights (front and back), different bonet, window switches are on the door card, door cards are also different control table is completely different (middle section) Try google (images) and look for pics of omega facelift interior and omega prefacelift.
You'll notice the difference immediatelly

[cem_devecioglu]

agreed on newest model advice..

Omegas are cheap to buy but when new parts become necessary the total cost can be non-economical so check the condition of the car very detailed..

here is some short check list (you can find some others from the net also):



* the tires , brand, thread depth , production date , unusual wears (means some irregularity in front-rear geometry)  new good tires are expensive..

* the air conditioning system , heating and cooling properly .. and no irregular noises..

* the paint condition (under some light) for repairs , scratches, non-matching colors or some bad paint job..

* the gaps between body components equal and normal..   check the gap of all tires to bumpers ..

* road computer for dead pixels

* electrical components like windows, cd-player , sunroof, rear curtain etc.

* no EML (orange-yellow) light must be existent on the dash..

* Engine (most complex part to check)
listen to engine while its idling starting from cold (must)  , a fine idle with no irregular -unusual sounds  (except from hydraulic tappet noise )  is a good candidate to buy.. check the coolant and oil condition ..

* gearbox - depends on type..  (best check is to try it on the road)

* condition of bushes both at front and rear..

* also check under the car for exhaust parts  , oil and other leaks , and some extra repair traces..

and definitely try it on the road..

good luck
 

[Waglet]

Totally agree about the cambelt check. I had an immaculate 2.5 V6 CDX with only 65K on the clock. Was going to get cambelt changed at next service, unfortunately it went before the service was actually due. Last changed 4 years 1 month ago! Gutted!

[jonnycool]

Last changed 4 years 1 month ago! Gutted!

How unlucky is that!

[drozd]

Totally agree about the cambelt check. I had an immaculate 2.5 V6 CDX with only 65K on the clock. Was going to get cambelt changed at next service, unfortunately it went before the service was actually due. Last changed 4 years 1 month ago! Gutted!

         OOPs how many miles was it last changed at?  I think when I get mine I'll get the belt changed whatever the history said.

[bigdods]

a few other things to check

Pull out a spark plug lead on each side and check there is no oil in the spark plug well. If there is it will need new cam cover gaskets, bit of a tricky job (but there is a guide on here), expensive if you ask a garage to do it

Check that the EML light comes on the goes out when the ignition is switched on. It has been known for the bulb to be removed.

If its a 2.5 or 3.0 v6 take a paperclip and do the test (see guide on here for how to). This will show you any fault codes store in the ECU. For the 2.6 or 3.2 I think there is a similar thing you can do using the brake pedal (not sure I have a 3.0 and keep a paperclip handy)

Check that the coolant is red not blue and that the header tank doesnt have any oil in it. If it does it means a replacement oil cooler and thats quite a few £££.

Uneven wear on the front tyres (usually a strip about 2 inches wide worn bare on the inside) indicates geometry problem. Can be fixed for £60 at WIM plus new tyres around £80 each inc fitting

take it for a drive, check for juddering under braking. This may be knackered discs but could also be wishbone bushes. Not expensive.

test everything. Elite has heated mem seats, check full range of adjustment. Check rear view mirror motors work etc. Check aircon on all settings.

[drozd]

a few other things to check

Pull out a spark plug lead on each side and check there is no oil in the spark plug well. If there is it will need new cam cover gaskets, bit of a tricky job (but there is a guide on here), expensive if you ask a garage to do it

Check that the EML light comes on the goes out when the ignition is switched on. It has been known for the bulb to be removed.

If its a 2.5 or 3.0 v6 take a paperclip and do the test (see guide on here for how to). This will show you any fault codes store in the ECU. For the 2.6 or 3.2 I think there is a similar thing you can do using the brake pedal (not sure I have a 3.0 and keep a paperclip handy)

Check that the coolant is red not blue and that the header tank doesnt have any oil in it. If it does it means a replacement oil cooler and thats quite a few £££.

Uneven wear on the front tyres (usually a strip about 2 inches wide worn bare on the inside) indicates geometry problem. Can be fixed for £60 at WIM plus new tyres around £80 each inc fitting

take it for a drive, check for juddering under braking. This may be knackered discs but could also be wishbone bushes. Not expensive.

test everything. Elite has heated mem seats, check full range of adjustment. Check rear view mirror motors work etc. Check aircon on all settings.

Thanks I'll do as many checks as I can,  though I don't think sellers will allow spark plug removal or sticking paper clips in their electrics still no harm in asking. is the 2.5 and 2.6 the same basic engine?

[Turk]

Welcome to the OOF. 
Up-date your profile with car details etc so folk know what car any query relates to,  and reduce the size of your avatar . 110x110 max size.

[drozd]

Welcome to the OOF. 
Up-date your profile with car details etc so folk know what car any query relates to,  and reduce the size of your avatar . 110x110 max size.

Thanks I havent bought one yet but as soon as I do I'll fill it in.

[swamp rat]

I've owned 2 Omegas both CDX. A 2.5V6 and the current 2.2 - bought this one because I needed a new car quickly after I killed the first one and really wanted a manual. Haven't noticed any real difference in petrol consumption - a little bit cheaper on maintainance with the 2.2 only having one downpipe, 2 x O2 sensors etc. Anyway, having driven both all I can say is my next car will be another Omega, it will be CDX or Elite, it will be a V6, it will have a leather interior and it may not necessarily be manual.
I'm sure none of the above helps you any but it got it off my chest.

[bigdods]

a few other things to check

Pull out a spark plug lead on each side and check there is no oil in the spark plug well. If there is it will need new cam cover gaskets, bit of a tricky job (but there is a guide on here), expensive if you ask a garage to do it

Check that the EML light comes on the goes out when the ignition is switched on. It has been known for the bulb to be removed.

If its a 2.5 or 3.0 v6 take a paperclip and do the test (see guide on here for how to). This will show you any fault codes store in the ECU. For the 2.6 or 3.2 I think there is a similar thing you can do using the brake pedal (not sure I have a 3.0 and keep a paperclip handy)

Check that the coolant is red not blue and that the header tank doesnt have any oil in it. If it does it means a replacement oil cooler and thats quite a few £££.

Uneven wear on the front tyres (usually a strip about 2 inches wide worn bare on the inside) indicates geometry problem. Can be fixed for £60 at WIM plus new tyres around £80 each inc fitting

take it for a drive, check for juddering under braking. This may be knackered discs but could also be wishbone bushes. Not expensive.

test everything. Elite has heated mem seats, check full range of adjustment. Check rear view mirror motors work etc. Check aircon on all settings.

Thanks I'll do as many checks as I can,  though I don't think sellers will allow spark plug removal or sticking paper clips in their electrics still no harm in asking. is the 2.5 and 2.6 the same basic engine?

No spark plug removal, just pop the HT lead off the end (if its a 2.5 or 3.0 not sure how you do it on the 2.6 and 3.2) and look to see if there is any oil around the spark plug.

Sticking a paperclip in the diag socket is the only way to check out the ECU short of a full diagnostic on a computer. If the seller didnt want me to do it then TBH I'd probably walk away. Some major expensive issues will only be found by doing this.

[drozd]

Thanks, Its amazing how a cam cover gasket can be a big job, I could do it in 10 min on my old Escort. I guess the engine is shoe horned in there.

[mathewst]

Cam cover gasket is not a big job (well at least not on 2.2) if you have the proper tools. And I wouldn't agree on small consumption difference between 2.2 and v6 models.
If I watch out how I'm driving I'm able to get well over 40 mpg on open road. V6 models don't come close to that.
Personally I would avoid auto gearboxes especially v6 models cause they really consume a lot and don't go nowhere as fast as manuals do.
Although I would buy an auto if it was diesel.
Also from what I saw on the forum, auto gearboxes tend to have a mind of their own ( think this doesn't occur on all models) and seen more than a few posts of people having problems with those.
Also one important thing, if you buy 4pot and are going to change cambelt, change the waterpump also (/lesson bitterly learned  )

[SeedyV6]

FWIW, I would recommend reading the full listing of any car you are interested in.

Mine is a facelift 2.5V6 CD, with climate, full leather and 16's. (thinks the standard CD came with cloth and 15's but not sure?)

[drozd]

Thanks for all the advice guys... Yes I think I'll stick to a manual box, I've read a lot of auto horror stories on here, the only trouble is every Elite advertised so far has been an a Auto.

[Rockhampton]

Hi there, I've just recently bought my Omega, and would agree with pretty much all of the advice - I'd also add to make sure it's got the right tyres fitted (unlike mine!).
I've bought an auto (because I prefer them), and there are a lot of horror stories on here, but I'm sure that there are many others who have gearboxes that are just fine - I think there is a bit of luck involved as with any car over about 5 years old - by picking one with a decent service history, I guess you are minimising the risk.
My last car was a Fiat Marea, and if you look at them on the Fiat forum, there are loads of issues - having said that, I had mine for three years, and it was the most reliable car I ever owned, with well over 100k on the clock, and my father in law has it now - as I say, there are plenty of bad cars, but also plenty of good ones.
Good luck in your search !

[jonnycool]

Don't let the auto box put you off mate, it's great for cruising and it's probably the only part of my car i haven't had to look at!

[Rockhampton]

I agree - just put it in to drive and watch her go...

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

Cam cover gasket is not a big job (well at least not on 2.2) if you have the proper tools. And I wouldn't agree on small consumption difference between 2.2 and v6 models.
If I watch out how I'm driving I'm able to get well over 40 mpg on open road. V6 models don't come close to that.

 I don't know, I managed 32mpg driving mine home from Kent... and that was with an average of mumblemumble mph...

[billy no mates]

Don't let the auto box put you off mate, it's great for cruising and it's probably the only part of my car i haven't had to look at!

Auto box is fine, in the last 5 months i have done 14,000 and no problems. Don't be afraid 

[al brown]

There is nothing wrong with auto's on these. The reason you see more auto problems on here is that most v6 came with auto's. There are almost no elite manuals about.
I agree that auto use more fuel, but if that is a worry dont buy an omega anyway as they do like a drink.
I looked for a month for a manual elite before I admited defeat and got an auto, wouldnt change it for a manual now though.
Al

[amba]

I have had 2 v6 auto,s during the last 6 years.The first covered over 225,000 with no issues from gearbox.My second which I still drive now has only 140,000 and only ever changed filter and gearbox oil the once.Kevin Wood did a tech2 upgrade on it at start of year and it hasn,t missed a beat since.Very occasionaly when hard accelerating gets a bit of a kick as it drops a gear down but no real grief.
Think the bottom line is what you intend to use the car for...mine is work every day driving 150miles+ and really wouldn,t go back to a manual as getting lazy in my old age.

[mantahatch]

Facelift model came at the end on 1999, you had prefacelift, minifacelift which are almost identical, and facelift from end of 1999 till 2003.
Which engine to buy is a matter of personal choice.
I have 2.2, but most people on the forum have V6 models. If you want a lot of extras you need at least CDX model (no leather but also a few toys in it) or better like mv6 or elite.

[/highlight]

Slightly disagree there, the MV6 has fewer toys than the CDX. But is much faster and stiffer suspension.

[Rockhampton]

Have to say as well there are plenty of reasonably priced spares & used parts on eBay - there's a lot of good advice on this forum, so the cost of running does not look as bad as some might think.....