Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Opomes on 30 July 2018, 21:41:04
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Hello,
I've been through the topics that discuss the HBV change and it seems like a 5 min job after removing the wipers and plenum, but all-in-all my question: How long does it take to replace the HBV according to a workshop specialised in fixing Opels/Vauxhalls? Or how long does the procedure take according to the manufacturer? Any quotable/showable information is very welcome. I didn't find this from the '99 Haynes manual.
Also how long would a workshop diagnose if a coolant loss can be blamed on only the HBV and not anything else.
I am asking this so i won't be ripped off by the workshop. Too late to tackle to problem myself.
Best regards.
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Don't pay more than an hour.
And it should be less than that.
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Only way I was able to diagnose was...
a) smell of burning coolant from the rear of the engine (points to, but does not guarantee it's HBV)
b) got my thin, girlish fingers back there, withstood the rather sharp sensation of touching plastic at 90+oC, withdrew, to discover the tips of my fingers were wet. (that pretty much guarantees it's HBV!...though may not just be HBV :P )
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Being as you're In Estonia, you don't need to remove the wipers...
Plenum off, 5 mins.
HBV, 20 mins tops.
Plenum back on, 5 mins.
Done.
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Thanks so far, but a Captain mentiones that it's a 0.9h job according to Vauxhall ( https://oldsite.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1173083927/9#9 ). Can anyone lead me to the actual page/manual where it written down.
The problem is that I came on vacation (currently in Italy) and the coolant started disappearing right after I crossed the border to Italy. Now it's in a local workshop (can't speak the language, hosts helps me translate), since I don't have nearly any tools and don't know where to shop for parts. If i understand correctly they started off with 1000€, then went to 300-400€ and now when I go back I'd like to state clearly how much the parts are worth (showing the internet website that sells the HBV) and how long labour hours are expected from the manufacturer. I understand that with no reservation the price might be higher, but it just does not seem to be a 300-400€ job. In Estonia I would've undertaken the task. One thing (that often goes wrong) I didn't check was the HBV :(. Murphy's law ;D?
I doubt that anyone reading this is in Italy, but if you speak Italian, are near Conegliano and wish to help me with this either tomorrow or the day after, give me a shout.
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Were it me, in the middle of nowhere, It's actually doable - just - with a
13mm spanner/socket (wipers)
flatbladed screwdriver (annoying clips under the windsreen rubber to remove scuttle - dont refit them, they're a timewaster pain)
and a pair of pliers to undo the hose clamps (of course actually proper hose clamp pliers are better/quicker, if you have them)
Only reason I go via scuttle, not plenum is - although it's tight and a pain, I'd rather cock up refitting the scuttle/wipers than cock up refitting the plenum, as there's a fair few things you can trap/misalign if you don't get it bob on, also need a torque wrench handy as those studs are going into alloy - 8Nm MAX.
As I say that's just me. Certainly not a 400euro job, no. But they may well be factoring in that 'buffer' of having never done that job before. Same way as you leave a bit early if you're travelling somewhere you've never been.
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Were it me, in the middle of nowhere, It's actually doable - just - with a
13mm spanner/socket (wipers)
flatbladed screwdriver (annoying clips under the windsreen rubber to remove scuttle - dont refit them, they're a timewaster pain)
and a pair of pliers to undo the hose clamps (of course actually proper hose clamp pliers are better/quicker, if you have them)
Only reason I go via scuttle, not plenum is - although it's tight and a pain, I'd rather cock up refitting the scuttle/wipers than cock up refitting the plenum, as there's a fair few things you can trap/misalign if you don't get it bob on, also need a torque wrench handy as those studs are going into alloy - 8Nm MAX.
As I say that's just me. Certainly not a 400euro job, no. But they may well be factoring in that 'buffer' of having never done that job before. Same way as you leave a bit early if you're travelling somewhere you've never been.
Sorry, but that is plain stupid.
Not refitting these will only serve to encourage water behind the scuttle. If you ever wondered how scuttle foam gets absolutely saturated, here's why.
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Surely of you haven't the tools with you ,but are capable of fixing it yourself,just buy the few tools required and do it yourself.
Cheap tool set must be available and if you can buy the part happy days .Even with limited equipment should only take 1 hour max and part should be around £20
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It's too late to do it myself. The car's already in the workshop and the HBV is getting replaced. I wasn't very bright when i took it to the workshop immediately, but the majority of us hold a PhD in being smart afterwards.
I did get a quote from an Estonian company that officially sells and fixes Opels. 90 something €, including the part and 1 hour of labor.
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I wasn't very bright when i took it to the workshop immediately, but the majority of us hold a PhD in being smart afterwards.
This is no help to you, but that phrase made me chuckle! (It's also so very true)
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I wasn't very bright when i took it to the workshop immediately, but the majority of us hold a PhD in being smart afterwards.
This is no help to you, but that phrase made me chuckle! (It's also so very true)
Isn't it a management requirement?
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Were it me, in the middle of nowhere, It's actually doable - just - with a
13mm spanner/socket (wipers)
flatbladed screwdriver (annoying clips under the windsreen rubber to remove scuttle - dont refit them, they're a timewaster pain)
and a pair of pliers to undo the hose clamps (of course actually proper hose clamp pliers are better/quicker, if you have them)
Only reason I go via scuttle, not plenum is - although it's tight and a pain, I'd rather cock up refitting the scuttle/wipers than cock up refitting the plenum, as there's a fair few things you can trap/misalign if you don't get it bob on, also need a torque wrench handy as those studs are going into alloy - 8Nm MAX.
As I say that's just me. Certainly not a 400euro job, no. But they may well be factoring in that 'buffer' of having never done that job before. Same way as you leave a bit early if you're travelling somewhere you've never been.
Sorry, but that is plain stupid.
Not refitting these will only serve to encourage water behind the scuttle. If you ever wondered how scuttle foam gets absolutely saturated, here's why.
How is it "plain stupid" as you so politely put it? How does water run up inside the lower rubber of the screen? They only serve to hold the plastic scuttle panel in underneath the rubber, surely, they don't provide and real kind of 'seal'.
Always happy to be corrected on fact, that's how we learn, less so to be called stupid. Oh well. ::) :y
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If the seal/support frame isn't correctly seated, and the fasteners not in place, the the scuttle is free to float around and will freely allow water underneath.
Also, being free to move around will eventually remove the paint allowing rust to form, which will ultimately cause screen issues as the screen is bonded to the same piece of metal.
Besides, if GM could have got away with not fitting the fasteners, then they would have.
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Son Ben today complained that his 3.2 was losing coolant, on a run to Carmarthen last weekend he was forever topping it up. I diagnosed HBV failure and replaced it by removing the scuttle. Whole job took 1.5 hours.