Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 20 April 2017, 19:26:59

Title: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 20 April 2017, 19:26:59
Took me a while to realise what had happened. :)

(http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q668/Jan_Bowles/Photo0036_zpsucxfjhog.jpg)

(http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q668/Jan_Bowles/Photo0039_zpsirtmgqz9.jpg)

(http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q668/Jan_Bowles/Photo0037_zpshsy5tspu.jpg)

(http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q668/Jan_Bowles/Photo0035_zpsija18vzh.jpg)

(http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q668/Jan_Bowles/Photo0034_zpsvv8z9bv8.jpg)
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 20 April 2017, 19:28:50
Front spring on the mighty VectraSignum
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 20 April 2017, 19:32:15
Front spring on the mighty VectraSignum

Yep.....passed the MOT a couple of weeks ago with the spring already broken.

Even though it is a much sought after Signum  ::) I'm hoping for an inexpensive and simple fix.
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 20 April 2017, 20:04:38
About £40 plus an hours labour per side :y
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: annihilator on 20 April 2017, 20:40:20
quite common for them to go and take the tyre out at the same time which is fun on the front being fwd.
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 20 April 2017, 20:43:39
quite common for them to go and take the tyre out at the same time which is fun on the front being fwd.
Fords are especially prone to this as the spring seat is narrower than the body of the spring... tail snaps and the spring drops down past the seat and screws itself straight into the sidewall ::)
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Pmacca2000 on 22 April 2017, 15:39:57
Looks like a lucky if not expensive escape
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Nick W on 22 April 2017, 15:58:38
quite common for them to go and take the tyre out at the same time which is fun on the front being fwd.
Fords are especially prone to this as the spring seat is narrower than the body of the spring... tail snaps and the spring drops down past the seat and screws itself straight into the sidewall ::)


Fords(Mk6 Fiestas in particular) usually rub on the tyre. This gives plenty of warning to do something about it. Unless the driver is too deaf stupid to notice.
Lagunas on the other hand, seem to fire the spring directly into the tyre. That's assuming the gearbox held together long enough to drive the car. Not that there are many Lagunas left to do this ;D
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Webby the Bear on 23 April 2017, 11:28:20
Had a Fiesta in last week with the exact same thing. Guy was like "I think I've broken a coil spring but there's this really horrible smell as well"  ::) only god knows how long he'd driven it in this state. The tyre was absolutely destroyed.
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: citroenguy on 23 April 2017, 20:09:34
One of the advantages of hydraulic suspension in no bloody springs that can break  :y 
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Nick W on 23 April 2017, 20:22:27
One of the advantages of hydraulic suspension in no bloody springs that can break  :y


It's not as if the spheres last forever. Pipes and hoses start to be an issue at similar mileages too.
There is something beguiling about a proper Citroen that's working correctly.
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: citroenguy on 24 April 2017, 08:40:03
The spheres are easy to change. My new C5 from 2004 has 100k miles on it and is untouched. My dads 2007 C5 went 180k without anything done to the suspension. Mine is a bit harder than it schould be, so i'm probably change the spheres this summer after 13 years on the car...

Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: aaronjb on 24 April 2017, 09:01:04
There is something beguiling about a proper Citroen that's working correctly.

<insert joke about those not existing here>
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Lazydocker on 24 April 2017, 09:44:46
The spheres are easy to change. My new C5 from 2004 has 100k miles on it and is untouched. My dads 2007 C5 went 180k without anything done to the suspension. Mine is a bit harder than it schould be, so i'm probably change the spheres this summer after 13 years on the car...

In theory. But it's not like they always undo easily ::)
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: TheBoy on 24 April 2017, 10:51:29
One of the advantages of hydraulic suspension in no bloody springs that can break  :y
But you run out of brakes, as some shared fluid between brakes and suspension ;D.

That caused dad to clench tightly when it happened to us one day ;D
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: citroenguy on 24 April 2017, 11:01:24
One of the advantages of hydraulic suspension in no bloody springs that can break  :y
But you run out of brakes, as some shared fluid between brakes and suspension ;D.

That caused dad to clench tightly when it happened to us one day ;D

C5's have "normal" brakes.

And on older models big red lights will light up. And even with a big leak there schould be enough pressure in the brake accumulator.
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: TheBoy on 24 April 2017, 11:03:06
T'was on a GSA, which only had those (typically Citroen) stupid little lights, easily missed.  First thing he knew was it wasn't slowing down.

He claimed it was a fart, I'm not so sure ;)
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Kevin Wood on 24 April 2017, 11:16:18
Lights?

I'd want alarm bells and an ejector seat so I could point the bloody thing at the nearest cliff and bail out. :o
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: citroenguy on 24 April 2017, 13:13:37
Lights?

I'd want alarm bells and an ejector seat so I could point the bloody thing at the nearest cliff and bail out. :o

Would you want that on your Omega too, when a brake line fails?
Title: Re: Could have been nasty.
Post by: Kevin Wood on 24 April 2017, 13:16:51
Lights?

I'd want alarm bells and an ejector seat so I could point the bloody thing at the nearest cliff and bail out. :o

Would you want that on your Omega too, when a brake line fails?

One line in each of the two redundant circuits, presumably? ;)