Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: SMD on 08 December 2012, 14:56:28

Title: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: SMD on 08 December 2012, 14:56:28
Had a peek under my brothers Astra H today and noticed a puddle of oil around the airbox tube which sits above the engine. The oil is black as a moon less night and will be changed in due course. I have a picture but am not able to post it currently.

Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: Andy B on 08 December 2012, 15:00:25
....
 and noticed a puddle of oil around the airbox tube which sits above the engine.  .....

and the engine fitted in said Astra is a ...........  ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: SMD on 08 December 2012, 15:03:31
Sorry for the vagueness of my OP, car is 1.4 petrol
 :P
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: SMD on 08 December 2012, 21:09:37
(http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t440/Zaf_Yousef/IMAG0524.jpg)

(http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t440/Zaf_Yousef/IMAG0525.jpg)
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 08 December 2012, 21:50:13
Jesus, that needs a bloody good service (including the air filter) and the breathers cleaning......looks to have suffered neglect
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: symes on 08 December 2012, 22:13:07
Its an Astra=Thrashed mercilessly no doubt as they usually are-oil/air filter/plugs change and breathers cleaned would help :y :y
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: SMD on 09 December 2012, 00:40:58
Its a 56 or 57 plate and 50k. Probably had only one service in its entire life. I would not have have bought it had I been there but nothing that can't be fixed hopefully. As said about oil, it looks like it hasnt been changed for a few years!

So blocked crankcase breathers causing cam cover gaskets to leak?  ;D   How are the breathers cleaned on these? I can do the service on it but what about the oil leak and cam covers (do they work similar to the Omega?)
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: SMD on 09 December 2012, 16:55:13
Does anyone where where the breather box is? I guess cleaning is similar to the Omega i.e spray carb cleaner inside tubes/hoses?
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: Andy H on 09 December 2012, 17:32:17
Looks to me as though the cover on top of the engine *is* the breather box.

I can't see any sign of oil where the cam cover meets the cylinder head. What I can see is oil at the join where the breather pipe and the air intake clamp onto the throttle body which makes it look as though it has either got a split in the plastic or has been run with the clamp loose.

How many cylinders has it got? Colleague at work has recently bought a 1.4 (4 cylinder) Astra which had some mysterious problem with a non-return valve in the cam-cover. It ran like sh1t until he fitted a new cam cover. HTH....
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: SMD on 09 December 2012, 18:08:33
Its a 4 cylinder 1.4 engine. So I'll just take it apart (hoses, air intake) and clean it up and tighten any jubilee clips
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 09 December 2012, 18:35:43
Jesus, that needs a bloody good service (including the air filter) and the breathers cleaning......looks to have suffered neglect

Probably been serviced every 20k at a vx dealer then  ::) ;D
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 10 December 2012, 08:29:44
You normaly see that type of oil around the throttle in that sort of quantity when the air filter is all but blocked up......hence give it a GOOD service
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 10 December 2012, 08:30:32
Does anyone where where the breather box is? I guess cleaning is similar to the Omega i.e spray carb cleaner inside tubes/hoses?

Its much more similar to the 2.2 type approach, no breather box on these.
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: SMD on 10 December 2012, 10:30:39
Thanks Mark. Had a look at the maintenance guides on the 2.2. On this engine, it looks like the breather pipes are the two on the right and one on the left?

So I'll take them out along with the air intake hose, clean them out and replace air filter and give the box a good clean.

Sorry to keep repeat myself but I just want to get a build a picture of what I need to do
Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 10 December 2012, 12:09:35
The breather pipes are the two on the right, the one on the left is a coolant pipe.

The throttle body is going to need to be removed for a full clean to.

Title: Re: VX Astra H oil leak
Post by: SMD on 10 December 2012, 15:54:36
Am I correct to assume the throttle body is attached to the air intake, where all the oil is? What should it be torqued to when refitting?