Omega Owners Forum
Newbie Area => Newbie Welcome Area => Topic started by: landrover.2 on 22 March 2016, 13:22:11
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Hello
I would appreciate some advice about wether a supplementry Transmission Oil Cooler is required to protect the gearbox when towing long distances in the UK and across Europe The Caravan when loaded weighs around 1600 kg. Or is one already fitted to the car. ex factory. The car will do about 5000 miles per year.
The gear box fitted to this Omega has the forward gearing designated as D 3 2 and 1. The chassis number is 008503
In the past with older cars with an auto gearbox in the late 80's and early 90's I have experienced serious overheating and consequential high repairs caused by gearbox failure. I have no wish to repeat this.
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The Omega already has a transmission oil cooler.
It also has a lock up on 3rd and 4th gears to bypass the torque converter (when conditions permit)
I have only towed trailers with my 2.6. Once moving there was no obvious extra load but I imagine the wind resistance from a caravan might justify selecting 3 to get the box to select 3rd gear plus lock up instead of 4th gear and lots of slip in the torque converter
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Welcome to the forum. Plenty of great help can be obtained on here for your Omega. :y
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Hi and welcome to the forum :y
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Hello
I would appreciate some advice about wether a supplementry Transmission Oil Cooler is required to protect the gearbox when towing long distances in the UK and across Europe The Caravan when loaded weighs around 1600 kg. Or is one already fitted to the car. ex factory. The car will do about 5000 miles per year.
The gear box fitted to this Omega has the forward gearing designated as D 3 2 and 1. The chassis number is 008503
In the past with older cars with an auto gearbox in the late 80's and early 90's I have experienced serious overheating and consequential high repairs caused by gearbox failure. I have no wish to repeat this.
Same weight as mine. I have towed for around 15 years with 2 omegas .. the 2.5 for 8, and the 3.2 for the last 7, probably the best towcars I have had in 30 odd years of towing.
Both autos - I wouldn't tow with anything else - No additional cooling required in any way shape or form. Stick it D and just drive it, the auto box will look after itself magnificently, the ONLY time I do different is a) long downhill gradients - Loire Valley, Tarn Valley etc drop it into 3, or even 2 at around 40mph to save the brakes b) Long uphill pulls when stuck behind a slower vehicle and the box is "hunting" between gears .. drop into 3 for comfort, but remember to go back to D at the top of the hill ... too easy to forget and start rocketing off .. not good with a 'van on!!
I accept the problem on "older" cars .. I had to fit a transmission cooler to the scorpio, but didn't have one built in like the Omega.
The only thing I do different to the "book" is an oil/filter change /breather clean every 5000 miles and I check the gearbox oil level every 10,000 miles ... if the oil runs out too easily - a sign of extended polymers due to wear ( it actually expands as it wears out) then I drop the sumps and change as much of the transmission oil as I can .. usually just under half. That seems to happen every third check .. so about 30,000 miles
Enjoy 'vaning with an excellent towcar ... (3.2 is even better but that's another story)
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What he said ^^^. :y
I towed our 1600kg caravan(s) with a 2.5 auto and then the 3.2 auto for many years with no issues. :y
As Entwood said, knock it down to hold it back a bit on long downhill runs. :y
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Enjoy 'vaning with an excellent towcar ... (3.2 is even better but that's another story)
:y
Awesome pulling power on long inclines compared to the smaller engines. :y
Welcome to the forum. :y
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I agree with the above totally.
I originally bought my first 3.2 saloon in 2004 as a replacement tow car. I previously had Cavaliers, but being fwd, the wheels used to loose traction with heavy trailers, plus they were underpowered and almost certainly overweight. The 3.2 Omega fitted the bill perfectly - a heavy car, rear wheel drive, auto, good power plant, and no problems with the gearbox cooling.
I tow a caravan, a car trailer (loaded) or a dolly with a car on it, and have had no problems at all.
And I have kept the standard self levelling suspension which is great with heavy trailers attached. Tows with ease.
Best tow car (and the best car in its own right!) I have ever had imo.
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Welcome to OOF :y
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Welcome to OOF. :y