Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega Electrical and Audio Help => Topic started by: Andy H on 17 June 2012, 23:59:02
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Set off this afternoon from Hastings to go to Cornwall. Got as far as Chichester before the alternator warning came up, all the instruments went to zero and various warning lights started going on and off seemingly at random :(
Pulled into a layby, checked the connections & fuses but couldn't find anything obviously wrong. Restarted engine and & no warning lights :) set off again & the symptoms resumed. After a few hundred yards the only light still showing was the spanner light &the engine was running sweetly so we carried on. At the next roundabout I realised that the gearbox was in 'limp home' mode (ie 3rd gear) but there didn't seem to be any immediate reason to stop so we carried on to the Rownham services on the M27 and called the AA.
The AA van appeared after about an hour and confirmed that the alternator wasn't charging :( made some phone calls and discovered that none of his contacts had a replacement alternator. He put in a request for a recovery lorry & left. ::)
About an hour later another van turned up (no recovery lorry available) & propoed to use one of his spare batteries to allow me to drive to Honiton (the edge of his patch).
I am now sat in a supermarket car park in Honiton in the dark with a knackered alternator waiting for the next AA man to materialise.
Wish me luck
PS anyone know what a new alternator should cost me?
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Typical service from the AA IME, and very poor at that >:(
I assume you did check that the battery terminal crimps were good and sound?
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Wish me luck
PS anyone know what a new alternator should cost me?
Good Luck. :y :y :y
Sorry, no idea. :-\ :-\
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I couldn't find any poor crimps or anything that felt hot. I haven't got my multimeter with me but the first AA man .checked for voltsge drop.
They both said that they wanted to see me home but EU regulations prevent them travelling more than 100 km from their base :( :(
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Wish me luck
PS anyone know what a new alternator should cost me?
Good Luck. :y :y :y
Thank you ;)
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Wish me luck
PS anyone know what a new alternator should cost me?
Good Luck. :y :y :y
Thank you ;)
I bet Rob G could meet you en-route with a new-to-you alternator! ;D ;D ;D
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At this rate we won't get home before 3am so you are probably correct :(
I will be driving SWMBOs car until this is fixed & will be up this way again next week.
Where does RobG reside?
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At this rate we won't get home before 3am so you are probably correct :(
I will be driving SWMBOs car until this is fixed & will be up this way again next week.
Where does RobG reside?
Bristol :y
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was he in a service van or not, did he have a stowaway or dont you know, eu laws are only if the vehicle fitted with a tacho, you allowed to run 60 miles from base without a tacho disc or card inserted or if you have card or disc in your allowed to run outside if tacho laws run to, think he was one of the lazy gits that seem to pop up who couldnt be arsed to rear load your car due to being auto then mess around to lock steering in place with straps and tow you whole distance, id be logging a complaint, i used to do the job so know rules and he having you over, aa were renound for sending patrols all over just to do a wheel change, one lad i know went 150 miles
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Wish me luck
PS anyone know what a new alternator should cost me?
Good Luck. :y :y :y
Thank you ;)
I bet Rob G could meet you en-route with a new-to-you alternator! ;D ;D ;D
Got a V6 alternator, but couldn`t have met en-route :(
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When mine went mate, the whole car ground to an eventual halt. I had a charged battery on the front seat and jump leads out of the window and under the bonnet just to get it to the electrical specialists! Must have looked completely stupid driving up the road! Everything dies, PAS, Servo, etc you might as well be on a push bike! I remember it cisting £180 (might have been with replacement battery, memory fades) but £180 sticks! Easy to change for yourself though but I expect you are up and running again by now!
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..... but £180 sticks! ...
If it's any consolation, I was talking to a bloke last year that'd had an alternator failure on his diesel Vectra. The recovery firm took him to the nearest repairer - Vauxhall - who replaced his alternator & presented him with a bill of £365! :o It had originally been over £400 but they reduced it slightly when he questioned HOW MUCH???
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Home now. Got in at 3.30 after taking 14 hours to travel 250 miles..........
AA man No1 had an AA book 'Advanced repair techniques' listing about £300 for a 140 Amp alternator & £400 for a 120 Amp :o The thing is that if he had been able to fit a spanking new alternator there and then on a Sunday afternoon I would have happily paid for it.
DBug: how much do you want for it & can I collect it on Tuesday?
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Home now. ....
:y :y :y :y
Got in at 3.30 after taking 14 hours to travel 250 miles..........
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Bugger! :(
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Best of luck with it. I do remember £180 though, although it was a couple of years ago. If you are doing the job yourself, there is a recyclers network for used alternators etc, bit of a risk of course but may get you up and running. New one is best but let me know if you need the links.
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Can get a S/H one couriered tomorrow, Bosch 120A
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was he in a service van or not, did he have a stowaway or dont you know, eu laws are only if the vehicle fitted with a tacho, you allowed to run 60 miles from base without a tacho disc or card inserted or if you have card or disc in your allowed to run outside if tacho laws run to, think he was one of the lazy gits that seem to pop up who couldnt be arsed to rear load your car due to being auto then mess around to lock steering in place with straps and tow you whole distance, id be logging a complaint, i used to do the job so know rules and he having you over, aa were renound for sending patrols all over just to do a wheel change, one lad i know went 150 miles
I think both AA No1 & AA No2 were 'service vans' they were half filled with an enormous tool chest & I think that the rear half was filled by the towing dolly. I didn't discuss tachos with AA No1 or No2 but the recovery lorry driver (AA No3) that took us home had to take a break on top of his 1.1/2 hour drive from Plymouth which is why we spent 2 hours sitting in a supermarket car park.
I wouldn't have been happy towing my (automatic) Omega tail first because there is bugger all ground clearance under the front and it has so much overhang that lifting the rear would mean shaving the front spoiler off.
AA No1 had an official looking laminated sheet showing his permitted range and he appeared to have some idea of the range of the other drivers who were on shift. All 3 drivers commented that they were surprised that no other vans were available so assumed that 'something big' must be going wrong on the M5 :-\
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Can get a S/H one couriered tomorrow, Bosch 120A
Thanks Rob. I won't be in tomorrow as driving SWMBO to Exeter (in her car). Couriers can never find our house so I usually spend 1/2 a day on internet & then phone trying to track a parcel that is recorded as 'delivery refused by customer' >:(
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Best of luck with it. I do remember £180 though, although it was a couple of years ago. If you are doing the job yourself, there is a recyclers network for used alternators etc, bit of a risk of course but may get you up and running. New one is best but let me know if you need the links.
I can't log on to Trade Club at the moment to check the VX price, I guess someone has been trying to use the old password >:(
The alternator on my previous Omega died at a similar mileage (158K) & I fitted a reconditioned alternator from a Bosch Service Centre. That was about 5 or 6 years ago & I think it cost me £180 then.
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April 2011 TC prices
R1530055 140amp £170.90 + VAT
R1530056 120amp £96.38 + VAT
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You could always just fit new bearings and a regulator pack yourself, probably change from fifty quid then
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You could always just fit new bearings and a regulator pack yourself, probably change from fifty quid then
I would have done that with my previous car but I couldn't track down a supplier :(
If someone can point me in the right direct I would extremely grateful :y
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Bearings can be got from simply bearings.
The regs are available via the bay of e.
You need your alternator off to get the type number to match the reg up.
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This is the place I use for spares:
http://www.alternatorman.co.uk/services.htm
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Excellent :y
Alternator should be on the bench very soon (just as soon as I can remember how I got the last one off ::) )
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Bagpipes off, disconnect battery, Aux belt off, two bolts, pull alt. forward, disconnect wires
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It's out. :) Started off by unclipping header tank and removing air filter but the bagpipes had to come out at the end to leave a big enough opening to pass the lump through ;D
Regulator is different to the last one I had (which was the same as in the maintenance guide) with the corroded spring connector.
This one is all nuts, screws & washers. No spring contact.