Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: JamesV6CDX on 26 January 2017, 17:44:01
-
So last night I went North to collect my impulse eBay purchase. The ad was brief. The car was described as a 2003 late Elite with Bose and all the toys. Last owner for 11 years, who was an old boy, who very sadly passed away a week ago, and the family wanted the car gone asap.
The car was being sold by "MW Performance" in Cheshire. This company started as a GM specialist garage, and then moved to performance stuff, still largely specialising in Vauxhalls.
The ad for this car stated that it was sold as spares/repairs with possible faults, on the basis they haven't checked the car over properly in their workshop.
I very, very nearly walked after exchanging some messages with the garage, didn't go through with the deal, because, my interpretation of them was such that the car had something wrong with it. For example I sent a message similar to "I know you can't offer any warranty and it's sold as seen, but can you just confirm if it starts and drives without any major faults, such as inability to change gears or serious engine knocks". The response to this was simply "you might be better off looking for something more local to you", which again just didn't fill me with any confidence.
I made the decision regardless, that, for £595, I wouldn't lose even if I were to break it. And I needed something to keep me mobile. So in light of there being not much else around, apart from a 3.0 Manual on ebay (which I suspect will be a rustbucket with dodgey brakes) I went for it.
The garage said on the phone there was a lot of interest (which I believed) and that the first person to pay secured it. For this reason I didn't wait a day, to potentially travel and find it had gone, so I paid in full over the phone.
Upon arrival at their very modern and presentable workshop my fears were soon put to rest. The Omega was outside, and whilst not valeted (I wouldn't expect this) it was clean inside and out and looked presentable. The owners of the garage Marc and Louise were extremely friendly and basically told me they had maintained this car for the last ten years. From what I could gather the ad was written as spares and repairs purely because the car is not in the same league as the modern cars they sell worth tens of thousands.
I needn't have worried, because they were clearly being very honest and just trying not to raise buyers expectations to not expect dealer service and warranties on an old motor.
The drive home was excellent. The 2.6 V6 has absolutely bags of power, possibly the swiftest and smoothest of the baby V6 range I've driven. It's recently had Eibach springs fitted all round, which makes it sit lower than I would ideally like at the front, but it handles much better than you would expect any second hand cheap Omega to - with brand new tyres on the front, and good ones on the back. Brakes pull up well, discs look perfectly serviceable and there is plenty of meat on the pads.
Couple of faults I noted on the way home
- Thermostat is goosed. Stuck open. The car is "overcooling". At 5 deg external temperature, the needle sits just below the 80, and, at 2deg external temp, at motorway speeds, it only just lifts off the bottom. When this happens the heat in the cabin reduces too.
- Warning on the screen for a bulb out. They seem OK, so might just be a false alarm.
- Sticky drivers door lock
Cosmetically the car is very good. As per the pics, there is some surface rust just starting on the rear arches, but they are by no means badly gone, and all of the metal is still solid, so this will be able to be nipped in the bud easily enough once the weather warms up.
Mechanically it's all fine as far as I can tell. All fault lights come on with the ignition and go off upon engine being started. There's no EML lit, not even the precat code issue.
Apologies for the quality of these pics. They are after 200 miles of salty road grime and drizzle, and it was also just starting to snow and poor light, so they don't do the car any justice at all, but will give you a general idea:
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/11.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/10.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/16.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/14.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/6.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/7.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/8.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/1.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/4.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/2.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/9.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/13.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/17.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/15.jpg)
-
The one thing I can say, is that, there is next to no service history, which is a real shame. There are records of a few oil changes etc, and a few major jobs such as new alternator, new crank sensor, new springs and shocks etc etc - but no actual service schedule.
Here's for the scary thing. And this can be verified. This car hasn't had a cambelt kit in over 100,000 miles, and ten years :-X :-X :-X
The aux belt is so fragile it's not just split, there are chunks missing from it ::)
There is some mayo under the oil filler cap but none on the dipstick. Coolant is lovely and red.
The oil itself is dark and nasty and is crying out for a change.
It basically needs a bloody good service, so I have ordered the following bits:
1 ) Cambelt kit
2 ) Water Pump
3 ) Aux belt tensioner wheel
4 ) Aux belt
5 ) Oil, air, fuel filters
6 ) Spark plugs
7 ) Cabin filter
8 ) Thermostat
9 ) Black Sealant
10) Cam cover gaskets for both banks with O rings
Despite being poorly serviced, she's been kept straight and clean and is in overall good condition, with no serious faults, so I feel she can be brought back to goodness :y
-
Oh and remember a few months ago I mentioned I picked up several bottles of Dex3 from B&Q being sold off for £1 each?
When the weather warms up a bit, It'll be getting a transmission oil change too :)
-
Looks like you got a good 'un there James :y :y
Mind and not over do it now
-
Looks good to me for that price, well done.😉
-
Good result there James . . .and a CID as well :o :o
Mr MigV6's eyes will be turning green ;D ;D
-
Looks like you got a good deal there, looks very tidy :y
-
Good result there James . . .and a CID as well :o :o
I was pleasantly surprised to find that - also, the telephony stuff all works a treat, so my car has it's own sim card and phone number... never had that in an Omega! The Satnav is also very good too!
-
Posted on wrong thread! Deleted by me.
-
That's a bargain buy James, and you're more than capable of doing the important stuff in a few hours with your eyes closed. Just don't overdo it and take your time.
Shall we keep an eye out for a grey Elite for sale when you've sorted out the turbo on the Beemer? ;)
-
That's a bargain buy James, and you're more than capable of doing the important stuff in a few hours with your eyes closed. Just don't overdo it and take your time.
Shall we keep an eye out for a grey Elite for sale when you've sorted out the turbo on the Beemer? ;)
Yes, I will post up when the time comes to either break or sell. It might not be until late spring because I am doing quite a bit to the BMW whilst it's off the road.
I will only be looking to recover my purchase price, and something towards the servicing work done, but will discuss this on here further when it becomes for sale.
As much as I'd like this to be a keeper the reality is, it won't safely carry my dog, so it's going to have to be a stopgap
-
Very nice. Why not scrap/sell the BMW and keep the mighty Omega. :y
-
Very nice. Why not scrap/sell the BMW and keep the mighty Omega. :y
Because it won't safely carry his dog. He said that, can't you read ???
-
I really think you should add:
11) grey glueing sealant - drop oil pan and clean / unblock oil strainer
(I will be doing this myself to the project MV6 before I start driving it regularly)
-
Looks as tidy as any Omega these days and for a bargain price. :y :y
-
I will only be looking to recover my purchase price, and something towards the servicing work done, but will discuss this on here further when it becomes for sale.
Shame its not a proper Omega, as I might be in the market for another soon....
-
I will only be looking to recover my purchase price, and something towards the servicing work done, but will discuss this on here further when it becomes for sale.
Shame its not a proper Omega, as I might be in the market for another soon....
Considering some 3.0 cams when I do the belt.
Although it already flies.
Thoughts ?
-
Very nice. Why not scrap/sell the BMW and keep the mighty Omega. :y
Because it won't safely carry his dog. He said that, can't you read ???
I'm sure your whippet would love a ride in James new car. A bit of enthusiastic cornering and the mutt would probably puke up his tripe dinner. :P :P :P :P :P :P
-
I will only be looking to recover my purchase price, and something towards the servicing work done, but will discuss this on here further when it becomes for sale.
Shame its not a proper Omega, as I might be in the market for another soon....
Considering some 3.0 cams when I do the belt.
Although it already flies.
Thoughts ?
3.0 Block as well?
Isn't that what DLK put together a few years ago? (3.0 Block + 2.6 heads)
-
Considering some 3.0 cams when I do the belt.
Although it already flies.
Thoughts ?
You bought it as a runaround because it doesn't need hours of tinkering. Leave it be... for now.
-
Considering some 3.0 cams when I do the belt.
Although it already flies.
Thoughts ?
You bought it as a runaround because it doesn't need hours of tinkering. Leave it be... for now.
Yeah. My thoughts are just so the essential service items to keep it reliable :y
-
I will only be looking to recover my purchase price, and something towards the servicing work done, but will discuss this on here further when it becomes for sale.
Shame its not a proper Omega, as I might be in the market for another soon....
Considering some 3.0 cams when I do the belt.
Although it already flies.
Thoughts ?
I've been wholly underwhelmed by every 2.5 with 3l cams I've ever driven, including my own 2.5 which was also powered by Superchips finest silicon. Given my let go, admittedly after a proper spanking, I'd have reliability concerns given my driving style. Granted, is a noticeable improvement on standard 2.5. Presumably, 2.6 is similarish, only suffering from the compromises in power that the later V6s suffer.
If it ain't a keeper, no point spending much on it, just do enough so it will see you through, to minimise any loses when you sell.
Personally, I'd only consider 3.0/3.2 Omegas.
-
I will only be looking to recover my purchase price, and something towards the servicing work done, but will discuss this on here further when it becomes for sale.
Shame its not a proper Omega, as I might be in the market for another soon....
Got a nice 3.2 elite here. Just needs minor tweeks to the CID. ;D
Trouble is, that although I'm already getting tempted to change for something else, after 9 months of ownership. I will never get back what Ive spent, so makes sense to get more use from my spending.
-
Nice one James. :y
When you break it :P can I have first refusal on the Eibach springs, rear calipers, drivers seat (if heaters working)and rear bumper please :y
-
I'm very biased since it's the same colour as Ezekiel, but that looks far far too good to break! Use it and if you can bear to part with it once the Panzer is fixed, I'm sure someone will give it a good home!
-
Looks nice....and within walking distance of my house! Could have had a look for you.
-
Very nice! One of my favorite colours for the Omega too. :y
-
32.3mpg from an auto 2.6 is impressive. I suppose you were taking it gently on the journey home. I don't get that out of my 2.5 manuals.
The MOT history is reassuring, nothing of any consequence since new. Probably had new wishbones at some time. Interesting how an apparently competent and responsible small garage never bothered to change cam belt and pulleys, and got away with it. The 2.6 I bought in 2015 was just the same, as was the 2.5 I bought in 2016.
-
32.3mpg from an auto 2.6 is impressive. I suppose you were taking it gently on the journey home.
I reset the trip computer before I left, and when I pulled up outside my house 200 miles later, it read 34.1 MPG :y It's only dropped because I did a couple of miles locally.
The 34mpg included 30 minutes of idling in traffic, early into my journey, when I hit roadworks.
I was also impressed by the MPG, as I thought it would be quite severely reduced by the thermostat overcooling so much.
you were right I was taking it steady though. Knowing how much of a timebomb the cambelt is, the 200 mile drive home was a bit of a squeaky bum moment ::)
-
Photos will be interesting when you get the cover off!
I can sort of understand an owner not wanting to stump up the significant cash a cam belt costs, but the state of the aux. belt is difficult to excuse.
-
Nice one, looks far to good to break. :y
-
Looks very well, James
and will all the bells and whistles working .
Once all fix you will have piece of mind knowing that its a good runner and will last :y :y
Nice find
-
Nice car, would question the garage though.
Upon arrival at their very modern and presentable workshop my fears were soon put to rest. The Omega was outside, and whilst not valeted (I wouldn't expect this) it was clean inside and out and looked presentable. The owners of the garage Marc and Louise were extremely friendly and basically told me they had maintained this car for the last ten years. From what I could gather the ad was written as spares and repairs purely because the car is not in the same league as the modern cars they sell worth tens of thousands.
Never done a cambelt change on it ?
-
Perhaps they were taking the old boys money but doing the bare minimum :-\. The Indy guy who looks after mine knows all the service intervals and does it accordingly.
-
Nice car, would question the garage though.
Never done a cambelt change on it ?
We don't know both sides of the story though - it could be the case that they were breathing down his neck because it needed to be done, but he didn't want to spend several hundred pounds doing it...
It's a shame it's not got a full service history, I think servicing wise it's been a little neglected to be honest, I will be interested to see the state of the filters when they come off :y
-
Nice car, would question the garage though.
Never done a cambelt change on it ?
We don't know both sides of the story though - it could be the case that they were breathing down his neck because it needed to be done, but he didn't want to spend several hundred pounds doing it...
It's a shame it's not got a full service history, I think servicing wise it's been a little neglected to be honest, I will be interested to see the state of the filters when they come off :y
I would be interested to see the state of the oil pickup. A blocked filter won't starve the engine of oil because there is a spring loaded bypass to allow oil to flow if it does get blocked. A partially blocked strainer is enough to cause cavitation and prevent the pump from lifting the oil from the sump.
-
So last night I went North to collect my impulse eBay purchase. The ad was brief. The car was described as a 2003 late Elite with Bose and all the toys. Last owner for 11 years, who was an old boy, who very sadly passed away a week ago, and the family wanted the car gone asap.
The car was being sold by "MW Performance" in Cheshire. This company started as a GM specialist garage, and then moved to performance stuff, still largely specialising in Vauxhalls.
The ad for this car stated that it was sold as spares/repairs with possible faults, on the basis they haven't checked the car over properly in their workshop.
I very, very nearly walked after exchanging some messages with the garage, didn't go through with the deal, because, my interpretation of them was such that the car had something wrong with it. For example I sent a message similar to "I know you can't offer any warranty and it's sold as seen, but can you just confirm if it starts and drives without any major faults, such as inability to change gears or serious engine knocks". The response to this was simply "you might be better off looking for something more local to you", which again just didn't fill me with any confidence.
I made the decision regardless, that, for £595, I wouldn't lose even if I were to break it. And I needed something to keep me mobile. So in light of there being not much else around, apart from a 3.0 Manual on ebay (which I suspect will be a rustbucket with dodgey brakes) I went for it.
The garage said on the phone there was a lot of interest (which I believed) and that the first person to pay secured it. For this reason I didn't wait a day, to potentially travel and find it had gone, so I paid in full over the phone.
Upon arrival at their very modern and presentable workshop my fears were soon put to rest. The Omega was outside, and whilst not valeted (I wouldn't expect this) it was clean inside and out and looked presentable. The owners of the garage Marc and Louise were extremely friendly and basically told me they had maintained this car for the last ten years. From what I could gather the ad was written as spares and repairs purely because the car is not in the same league as the modern cars they sell worth tens of thousands.
I needn't have worried, because they were clearly being very honest and just trying not to raise buyers expectations to not expect dealer service and warranties on an old motor.
The drive home was excellent. The 2.6 V6 has absolutely bags of power, possibly the swiftest and smoothest of the baby V6 range I've driven. It's recently had Eibach springs fitted all round, which makes it sit lower than I would ideally like at the front, but it handles much better than you would expect any second hand cheap Omega to - with brand new tyres on the front, and good ones on the back. Brakes pull up well, discs look perfectly serviceable and there is plenty of meat on the pads.
Couple of faults I noted on the way home
- Thermostat is goosed. Stuck open. The car is "overcooling". At 5 deg external temperature, the needle sits just below the 80, and, at 2deg external temp, at motorway speeds, it only just lifts off the bottom. When this happens the heat in the cabin reduces too.
- Warning on the screen for a bulb out. They seem OK, so might just be a false alarm.
- Sticky drivers door lock
Cosmetically the car is very good. As per the pics, there is some surface rust just starting on the rear arches, but they are by no means badly gone, and all of the metal is still solid, so this will be able to be nipped in the bud easily enough once the weather warms up.
Mechanically it's all fine as far as I can tell. All fault lights come on with the ignition and go off upon engine being started. There's no EML lit, not even the precat code issue.
Apologies for the quality of these pics. They are after 200 miles of salty road grime and drizzle, and it was also just starting to snow and poor light, so they don't do the car any justice at all, but will give you a general idea:
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/11.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/10.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/16.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/14.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/6.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/7.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/8.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/1.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/4.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/2.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/9.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/13.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/17.jpg)
(http://www.uk-chat.co.uk/omegas/elite/15.jpg)
Flintshire ::)
Good customers of mine. I would have happily had a look for you, I'm there a couple of times a week. They have a lovely Monza there but they wont sell it to me :(
-
I did think of you mate, but don't see your posts v much anymore so wasn't sure if you were still about for want of a better expression :)
Cheers tho. When you next go there please tell them I'm chuffed with it :y
-
So driving back from a medical appt earlier..... after 300 trouble free miles since purchase.... just died, with no warning at all, about 15 miles from home. Didn't just cut out at idle, died mid rev range in a national speed limit >:(
Anyhooo.... quick pedal trick - yep, P0335. Crank sensor ;D
Let it cool, started again, tried to run the gauntlet, but cut out after 5 miles, I then gave up, got a lift home and left her parked in a safe place.
Returned armed with a good crank sensor I happened to have in the garage - now all sorted :y
There's something to be said for knowing a car, as well as we know these. I'd have been scratching my head with many other cars. But, quick pedal trick, new crank sensor, no garage bills, no being off the road
-
So driving back from a medical appt earlier..... after 300 trouble free miles since purchase.... just died, with no warning at all, about 15 miles from home. Didn't just cut out at idle, died mid rev range in a national speed limit >:(
Anyhooo.... quick pedal trick - yep, P0335. Crank sensor ;D
Let it cool, started again, tried to run the gauntlet, but cut out after 5 miles, I then gave up, got a lift home and left her parked in a safe place.
Returned armed with a good crank sensor I happened to have in the garage - now all sorted :y
There's something to be said for knowing a car, as well as we know these. I'd have been scratching my head with many other cars. But, quick pedal trick, new crank sensor, no garage bills, no being off the road
Yeah, knowing the fault is almost as good as erm... having a reliable car :D ;)
Might as well put the HBV in the boot now ::) ;D
-
Hat, coat and gloves are easier to change at the roadside should you need to turn the heating down to stem the leak... :D
Incidentally, I wonder how many recovery firms would attend to fit a part that you carry in the boot 'just in case'?
Surely feeling the need to carry a part suggests that you either knew or were expecting it to fail... Which in turn implies that you willingly drive the car knowing it could fail at any moment, and therefore nullifying any breakdown cover :-\
Hypothetically speaking of course...
Carrying the spare bits if away from home makes sense as it will keep you mobile with the minimum of fuss ;)
-
Spare wheel / tyre ?
I have yet to use the spare wheel in an Omega. I have needed a crank sensor twice (but I didn't have one with me ::) )
-
DG, tyres often fail - hence you carry a spare - and recovery agents are happy to change them, so I think it's ok to carry spares for known problems.
Ron.
-
Hat, coat and gloves are easier to change at the roadside should you need to turn the heating down to stem the leak... :D
Incidentally, I wonder how many recovery firms would attend to fit a part that you carry in the boot 'just in case'?
Surely feeling the need to carry a part suggests that you either knew or were expecting it to fail... Which in turn implies that you willingly drive the car knowing it could fail at any moment, and therefore nullifying any breakdown cover :-\
Hypothetically speaking of course...
Carrying the spare bits if away from home makes sense as it will keep you mobile with the minimum of fuss ;)
If you drive an omega, you know it could fail at any moment. So recovery companies shouldn't really cover them. ::)
-
Hat, coat and gloves are easier to change at the roadside should you need to turn the heating down to stem the leak... :D
Incidentally, I wonder how many recovery firms would attend to fit a part that you carry in the boot 'just in case'?
Surely feeling the need to carry a part suggests that you either knew or were expecting it to fail... Which in turn implies that you willingly drive the car knowing it could fail at any moment, and therefore nullifying any breakdown cover :-\
Hypothetically speaking of course...
Carrying the spare bits if away from home makes sense as it will keep you mobile with the minimum of fuss ;)
If you drive an omega, you know it could fail at any moment. So recovery companies shouldn't really cover them. ::)
Regrettably, that is exactly why I've given them up, and throwing money at them didn't make any difference as garages don't really understand the concept of preventative maintenance. They fix and replace things when they are broke, not before. :(
-
I never said it was a bad idea ::) simply throwing it out there that it could be used as an excuse to weasel out of providing a service that you thought was covered ;)
-
Been behaving fine since the crank sensor was fitted :y
Few jobs now done, incl cambelt kit, water pump, thermostat, aux belt, aux belt wheel, spark plugs, all the filters, new coolant, and fully synth oil. Oh and of course breathers all thoroughly cleaned through.
Nothing to report ref the state of the old cambelt kit. It was very slack on the tensioner side, but the timing was set pretty much correctly. I actually think the belt has been done, because there were the telltale amateur tippex marks on the sprocket ::)
Sadly someone ham fisted has worked on this engine at one point. The hollow union that screws into the plenum (which the servo vacuum hose connects to) was clearly cross threaded. (I noticed this previously) as it goes in at an angle. Having sprayed carb cleaner around it, it's not leaking, so I've left it for now. (I'm worried if I remove it, I won't get it to tighten again).
Additionally someone has had a go at the b@stard bolt for some reason in the past. It was a 10mm hex head as opposed to the normal torx bolt, and the engine lifting eye was missing! It's imperative not to screw the coolant transfer pipe in so far that it's bracket hits the head - it's not meant to go back that far as it will usually put the bracket under too much stress and break it. (They are v brittle). For that reason, we had to implement a small bodge and use an old cambelt pulley washer, in place of the lifting eye, to act as a suitable spacer.
Lastly, when I removed the bottom bolt from the aux belt tensioner, I noticed it was pretty much only finger tight. When the bolt came out, it had evidence of thread on it, from it's hole. Upon cleaning it up and attempting to tighten it, the bolt would not tighten. Being in the side of the cylinder head it was a small heart in mouth moment - however, I managed to chase the thread through, with a tap, to clean it up, and then use a longer stainless bolt, with some thread lock. This then bit, and torqued up perfectly with no signs of letting go, providing a perfectly safe and lasting solution.
It was one of those annoying things which turned a three hour job into a five hour one >:(
The old coolant pump was one of those thin flange shite ones with lots of play. So I'm pleased this has been binned.
Snags aside, the Elite is now fully serviced and cambelted. I put new wiper blades on there whilst at it. I didn't do the cam cover gaskets, they were bone dry and there is a receipt somewhere for them being done in 2016 I believe.
There was mayo on the oil filler cap, but not in the oil itself - the old gloopy oil, and the fact the breathers were gunky (but not blocked) will account for this. Oil replaced with fully synthetic. Since I've done this, I've noticed a few seconds of lifter noise at startup, but it's no cause for concern as it disappears after literally a couple of seconds, and it also happened once before.
Can now be driven with peace of mind, for the next 40k or 4 years :y
-
Been behaving fine since the crank sensor was fitted :y
Few jobs now done, incl cambelt kit, water pump, thermostat, aux belt, aux belt wheel, spark plugs, all the filters, new coolant, and fully synth oil. Oh and of course breathers all thoroughly cleaned through.
Nothing to report ref the state of the old cambelt kit. It was very slack on the tensioner side, but the timing was set pretty much correctly. I actually think the belt has been done, because there were the telltale amateur tippex marks on the sprocket ::)
Sadly someone ham fisted has worked on this engine at one point. The hollow union that screws into the plenum (which the servo vacuum hose connects to) was clearly cross threaded. (I noticed this previously) as it goes in at an angle. Having sprayed carb cleaner around it, it's not leaking, so I've left it for now. (I'm worried if I remove it, I won't get it to tighten again).
Additionally someone has had a go at the b@stard bolt for some reason in the past. It was a 10mm hex head as opposed to the normal torx bolt, and the engine lifting eye was missing! It's imperative not to screw the coolant transfer pipe in so far that it's bracket hits the head - it's not meant to go back that far as it will usually put the bracket under too much stress and break it. (They are v brittle). For that reason, we had to implement a small bodge and use an old cambelt pulley washer, in place of the lifting eye, to act as a suitable spacer.
Lastly, when I removed the bottom bolt from the aux belt tensioner, I noticed it was pretty much only finger tight. When the bolt came out, it had evidence of thread on it, from it's hole. Upon cleaning it up and attempting to tighten it, the bolt would not tighten. Being in the side of the cylinder head it was a small heart in mouth moment - however, I managed to chase the thread through, with a tap, to clean it up, and then use a longer stainless bolt, with some thread lock. This then bit, and torqued up perfectly with no signs of letting go, providing a perfectly safe and lasting solution.
It was one of those annoying things which turned a three hour job into a five hour one >:(
The old coolant pump was one of those thin flange shite ones with lots of play. So I'm pleased this has been binned.
Snags aside, the Elite is now fully serviced and cambelted. I put new wiper blades on there whilst at it. I didn't do the cam cover gaskets, they were bone dry and there is a receipt somewhere for them being done in 2016 I believe.
There was mayo on the oil filler cap, but not in the oil itself - the old gloopy oil, and the fact the breathers were gunky (but not blocked) will account for this. Oil replaced with fully synthetic. Since I've done this, I've noticed a few seconds of lifter noise at startup, but it's no cause for concern as it disappears after literally a couple of seconds, and it also happened once before.
Can now be driven with peace of mind, for the next 40k or 4 years :y
Great work - sounding like a good buy :y
-
Incidentally, I wonder how many recovery firms would attend to fit a part that you carry in the boot 'just in case'?
Surely feeling the need to carry a part suggests that you either knew or were expecting it to fail... Which in turn implies that you willingly drive the car knowing it could fail at any moment, and therefore nullifying any breakdown cover :-\
had this happen to me when my crank sensor went. car would not start at all. on the call i did tell them it was likely the crank sensor but didn't mention the spare in the boot. breakdown driver arrived, car of course started first time and he followed me towards home for a few miles just in case. i think otherwise he might have fitted it, they are meant to spend up to an hour of labour. alternative was a tow home. actually thinking about it he looked the sort of bloke who would much prefer a long tow to an hour under the car so maybe not. This was a local contractor to rescuemycar.com, I think an AA or RAC employee would be more inclined to fit it.
bit annoying as it took me over an hour - took the scuttle off and had problems with the bolt. would take minutes now its re-routed, quicker than calling them out.
-
Oil replaced with fully synthetic. Since I've done this, I've noticed a few seconds of lifter noise at startup, but it's no cause for concern as it disappears after literally a couple of seconds, and it also happened once before
The oil in mine was quite thick and dirty when i bought it .. but the engine was as quiet as a mouse . Since doing 3 quick oil changes mine too is tappety on start up .. also after treating with wynns its still tappety :( Doesnt affect the cars running at all and the oil stainer was cleaned as well before the oil changes . I was thinking of putting a thicker oil in to see if it stops the noise :-\ I have 10/40 semi skim in at the moment .
-
Oil replaced with fully synthetic. Since I've done this, I've noticed a few seconds of lifter noise at startup, but it's no cause for concern as it disappears after literally a couple of seconds, and it also happened once before
The oil in mine was quite thick and dirty when i bought it .. but the engine was as quiet as a mouse . Since doing 3 quick oil changes mine too is tappety on start up .. also after treating with wynns its still tappety :( Doesnt affect the cars running at all and the oil stainer was cleaned as well before the oil changes . I was thinking of putting a thicker oil in to see if it stops the noise :-\ I have 10/40 semi skim in at the moment .
Put hypoid oil in it, that will slow quieten the lifters down. :)
-
Put in for MOT today after a quick inspection...........
Passed with no advisories :y
-
Put in for MOT today after a quick inspection...........
Passed with no advisories :y
:y :y
-
So did you find the source of the bad knocking noise ?
-
So did you find the source of the bad knocking noise ?
Nope. And neither could the tester. I told him about it before the test and he pulled and pried everything, loaded and unloaded.
Still remains a mystery!