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1

Omega General Help / My ATF change

« on: 16 May 2014, 17:18:04 »

Now the weather is nice, I'm doing my ATF change.

This is because I have juddering in first when pulling off (sometimes) and 3rd gear doesn't always engage, revs like in neutral until I blip the throttle.

Before I go further, thank you for the excellent maintenance guides!

I used a cheap 5LTR siphon to suck ATF from sump, before unbolting and removing. I thought my oil had never been changed as it is very dark and smells a bit burned. But, it must have been done before as the sump has no gasket, just black sealant. The sealant has worked well as there is no evidence of leaks, so I will be using it again when refitting.

Here are some pic's so far. I'd be interested in opinions about the magnet at the bottom of the sump and the goo stuck to it. I thought it looke like iron filings stuck on it, but when I dipped my finger in, it doesn't feel metalic, just a grey slime.

2

Omega General Help / HID bulb removal

« on: 08 February 2014, 11:41:33 »

Getting to the bulb was pretty straightforward. Battery out, rubber cap off, plastic cover off after removing 3 screws, ignitor plug off.

Tried pulling and twisting bulb lightly to see what gives But don't want to be more brutal in case I break something.

How do you get the bulb out?

3

Omega Gallery / Excuse for the cherry(s) on top

« on: 30 December 2013, 21:19:36 »

Evening all. Hope you all had a good Christmas.

Found that horses tail coming out of my exhaust 

Rusty at back box join as well, so time for a new back box. 

I have two spare cherry bombs. Been on my Deuce and my old Oldsmobile. Still look perfect. I've ordered a couple of 45 degree bends to hook them up in place of the original back box. If they sound good, will stay on there. Either have both exit as twin pipes, or fab one to exit on the opposite side as the other.

Been itching for an excuse.  Will keep updated and with sound clips.

4

Omega General Help / 2.6 Autobox P1600

« on: 19 September 2013, 14:45:43 »

Hi guys, as you may, or may not, know I've had an ATF top up problem recently. Got a B and Q pump and 5 litres of ATF to try topping up this weekend coming as not convinced I did it properly last time.

Today my wife was driving me home from opticians and the spanner light came on with car going into limp mode, must be autobox limp as the car stayed in third gear.

Put my scanner on when arrived home and there is one code stored in the autobox. Opel manufacturer specific P1600

Any ideas? All I can find on Google is replace ECU. Could it just be low ATF?

5

Omega General Help / 2.6 ATF filling question

« on: 31 August 2013, 11:35:38 »

Had a problem gear change with passengers in car. Which I thought indicates ATF needs topping up.

Jacked car off ground as level as possible, left engine running and warm, undid the level plug, nothing coming out so filled with 3/4 litres of Dex3 as that is the limit due to physical impossibility to lift bottle further.

All fine but not tested with passengers since. Had MOT this morning and they let me use the pit to top up further. Armed with another new bottle of ATF, I had engine running, undid level plug, nothing coming out, so proceeded filling. Got a 1/4 litre in and suddenly, WOOOOOSH, it started pushing the ATF out. Got finger in the hole and refitted nut and washer while it was coming out. Drove home fine.

Question is. Why did it suddenly woooosh out, as if I'd unblocked a drain?

Not sure how much ATF I lost but it was still coming out when I refitted the nut.

6

General Car Chat / Vauxhall Combo 1.3CDTi howl?

« on: 28 July 2013, 14:33:33 »

Have had van since 17K now on 149K. Regular serviced by myself.

A couple of weeks ago went into limp mode, spanner light on, no fault codes on my scanner (not tech2) all ok on restart.

Found EGR jammed. This has a plunger pushed by solenoid to open, shut valve. I freed it and also found turbo actuator very hard to moved. Freed that as well.

Long first call drive at work, all ok, drive back it lacked power as if turbo not working and in limp mode. However, it would start accelerating ok when it felt like it, so suspect it was not in limp mode now. Then after several miles it started making a howling noise. First impression was turbo trying to spool up to speed but not getting fast enough. Then there was a sort of popping, barking sound like a pressure cooker suddenly releasing pressure.

Have pulled hoses off turbo. they have some oil inside. Veins clean and spin by hand. Although there is some play, but I have no idea how much play is acceptable.

This weekend I have blocked off the EGR valve at the inlet manifold, with a steel blanking plate. Took van for a test drive. All ok, spanner light on, but expect that with blanked EGR. Then got into town and the howling started, got rid by booting revs. Got home and it started howl again.

In short, starts howl and bark. Power down when howling, can sometimes get rid by blipping to high revs, sort  of kick starting turbo? Not in limp mode, no codes on my scanner.

I did a video of it. You have to listen particularly around 1.22 into film for the way the howl ends with a bark.

As far as I can see there are no dogs in my engine bay, lol

Any ideas?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmVtSeeyTQc

7

Omega Gallery / Home made side window blinds for saloon

« on: 16 March 2013, 21:28:18 »

Thought I would have a go at making some of these as they only seem to be available for the estate Omega.

I spent a good while searching for window blind material unsuccessfully, until I happened across some midge mesh. It seems to be the same stuff that car roller blinds are made from. Mesh fibreglass.

I bought some mesh, some flexible edging strip (6mm), hook and eye velcro strip.

First I cut the material slightly bigger than the windows. I then used a credit card to push a fold of material into the edging strip. I didn't put edging on the lower profile.

I put one face of velcro around the window frames and the other around the edging strip on the blinds. After fitting and a few days of cold and warmer weather, the velcro glue parted company with the top edge of the blinds!! 

So, I bought some Evo stick contact adhesive, cut the velcro strips on the blinds in half along it's length so it didn't wrap around the edging. Stuck the thinner velcro to one side of the edging.

So far this seems to be successful, but will see after the weather gets warmer. If it works, I'll make one to cover the whole rear window instead of the roller I have there now. Also, I have trimmed the edges visible on the interior pic, since taking these snaps.

ETA. The cost.

Mesh, 2 metres £10.90 inc P and P

Rubber edging £8.15 inc PandP

Velcro £4.60 inc PandP

Glue was about £4

Thats a pair of side window blinds for the Omega saloon at £27.65 

8

Omega Gallery / Custom boot badge and a few other bits..

« on: 13 March 2013, 18:39:11 »

Last few months I resprayed my rear spoiler  again. Better shine this time but slightly darker than before, but it looks fine.

Made some rear side window blinds which look good but need a bit more work before I post some pictures.

Fitted my rear parking sensors , 2 off, into my nice new rear number plate.

Debadged the car. But didn't want to remove the boot logo and leave holes. So I made my own logo to put over it. (patented, lol  )

A bit tongue in cheek. Omega sign.

This pic taken before I did a final skew on the sign. (looks a bit wonky)





Debadged and blinds. But Omega not fitted yet in this picture. Not really good light to see blinds, but when I've finished them I'll show how I made them.

9

Omega General Help / Pitted spoiler I painted question

« on: 27 December 2012, 18:53:53 »

A few months ago I prepped and painted a front and rear spoilers for my Omega.

The front spoiler was GRP gelcoat. I rubbed down, etch primed, primed, paint coats, clear coats, polished, waxed and it looks brilliant still.

The rear spoiler was primed already, although pitted. I used stopper and filler to correct, rubbed down, primed, painted, clear coated, polish and waxed. The finsish was not as good as the front and after a few months had very small spots on it. I just rubbed it down and the raised spots have gone leaving black spots on a now smooth surface.

It must be a reaction somewhere along the line. I used Halfords paint on the front spoiler and with the rear oneI used Vauxhall paint and clearcoat with Halfords primer.

Do I need o strip it back to how I got it or will rubbing smooth and etch primer before repainting do?

10

Omega General Help / Another demist problem cause and solution

« on: 08 December 2012, 12:18:15 »

Always have had difficulty demisting the car. Having to have the demisters on full all the time in wet or winter conditions.

Could hear the recirculating motor working and assumed the flap was too.

Last few days were particularly bad, so had a good look this morning.

1/ I have the wrong pollen filter (White), so have ordered an active carbon one.

2/ I removed pollen filter and watched operation of flap. Re circulate switched on and the flap was shut. Could not push open by hand. Re circulation switched off and the flap was still shut, although I could open it manually.

3/ Scratch head.

I removed the lower dash cover, three screw clips and off, looked at the flap operation from under the dash. Found the motor was unclipped from it's housing. So it was working but never from the correct home position.

Clipped motor back and job done. Now the demister works fine albeit with the wrong filter for the time being.

11

Omega General Help / Toe in question

« on: 15 September 2012, 11:56:19 »

I want to adjust my toe in. I am using a Trackace laser tool to set up as best I can at home before having it all checked again with a WIM recommended company.

My question is. The track rods have a sleeve between the ball joints at either end.

It looks like I have to disconnect one of the joints to adjust the tracking by turning into, or, out of the sleeve.

Am I right in thinking that turning the sleeve will just move the sleeve and not adjust anything? Undoing ot away from one ball jpoint would tighten it onto the other by the same amount surely?

12

Omega Gallery / My 2.6 CDX now on 30mm Eibach Pro Lines.

« on: 09 September 2012, 19:15:49 »

Before.



After (not settled yet, I don't think)

13

Omega General Help / Camber with 30mm drop?

« on: 09 September 2012, 13:28:36 »

Have fitted Eiback Pro- Line on all four corners of my 2.6 CDX. Had an excuse as the carfailed the MOT with a broken rear spring 

Reading all the info I could find on here, I can see that with my 17" wheels, need to be around 8.8mm inwards at the top of the rim in relation to the bottom of the rim to give 1" 10' camber. This being the standardish setting as advised by WIM.

Reading other info here regarding a 30mm drop with lowering springs, the general consensus arrived at around 1" 25' to be an average between driving like a Sunday plodder and someone more at the limit to give the best tyre wear.

I worked out that 1mm equals 12.5 minutes. So, 8.8mm further in at the top gives 1"10'. I made a tool with a 17" pipe, to which I fitted a 10mm projection spacer at the very top of it and also taped a spirit level and an angle finder along it's length. The spacer is 10mm, which gives 10x12.5= 1' 25"!!



My question is though. To get 1'25" the top of the wheel was pulled as far as the adjustment on the lower shock would allow.

Am I doing something wrong?

14

Omega Gallery / Simple phone holder idea.

« on: 26 July 2012, 19:39:47 »

What I don't want in a car phone holder is something that falls off the windscreen on hot days, or even on the windscreen blocking vision at all. 

Or, something that has to be glued to the dash, or blocks the air vents or any knobs or data displays.

So I made a bracket that fits in the gap between the wood dash panel and the dash behind it. An L shaped bracket would be best but I had an old fence panel holder lying around. I covered it in vinyl to look better than plain galavanised steel. To this I stuck the sticky base for the phone holder and used the strong suction of the holder to attach to that. 20 minute job.

i also fitted a dual USB port that pushes flush into the cigarette lighter socket. I can now charge the phone, connect it to the AUX input on the head unit and use the sat nav APP through the sound system. I don't use the Mig for work so wont use the phone as a phone but I think it will work ok as hands free when the sound comes through the sound system.

















The reason I bought the vinyl, was to cover the front door cupboard front panel because it scratches really easily. Covering was easy assisted by a hot air gun.

15

Omega Gallery / First time Snow foam

« on: 24 July 2012, 21:24:49 »

Got a Snow foam lance for my pressure washer and tried it out this evening.

Snow foamed
Rinsed,
Two bucket wash using lambs wool mit
Rinsed,
Sprayed wet car and drying towel with Maguires Ultimate Detailer
Dried car.

I'm well happy with the finish. I had carnuba waxed the car a few months ago and it now looks like I had just done it tonight.



Also, I've fitted new number plates as I like them with no lettering or borders apart from the number. Halfords do them with the BS marking in opaque white which are virtually invisible. The rear has a stainless surround. Also new Climair sunroof wind deflector and the exhaust trim had now got the rearmost straps fitted.





I'll have to make a vid for YouTube snow foaming the Mig as it's about time there was one on there