Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Webby the Bear on 25 September 2010, 18:37:13
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hi guys,
i read your posts and wonder how you guys know all this info on your engines? i know nothing apart from how to check/top up oil, coolant and screen wash hhahaha ;)
i am so rubbish. how do i get sum basic knowledge so i can do basic repairs/checks???? :):):)
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Have a read through the how too guides and ask questions :y
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hi guys,
i read your posts and wonder how you guys know all this info on your engines? i know nothing apart from how to check/top up oil, coolant and screen wash hhahaha ;)
i am so rubbish. how do i get sum basic knowledge so i can do basic repairs/checks???? :):):)
Take your car to bits and then try to put it back together again :y
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You go to evening classes in car mechanics if available, then have an old car that you can dismantle and reassemble 8-) 8-)
That's how I did it at 17, after also going out with a boyfriend at 12 who helped his engineer father take his old car engines apart, with me watching!! :D :D :D :D :D :D ;)
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You go to evening classes in car mechanics if available, then have an old car that you can dismantle and reassemble 8-) 8-)
That's how I did it at 17, after also going out with a boyfriend at 12 who helped his engineer father take his old car engines apart, with me watching!! :D :D :D :D :D :D ;)
Lizzie.....really.... ::) :-* :-* :-*
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You go to evening classes in car mechanics if available, then have an old car that you can dismantle and reassemble 8-) 8-)
That's how I did it at 17, after also going out with a boyfriend at 12 who helped his engineer father take his old car engines apart, with me watching!! :D :D :D :D :D :D ;)
Lizzie.....really.... ::) :-* :-* :-*
Well, he did live next door so all was ok! :D :D :D :D
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Only a suggestion but you could drive over here in your Omega. Have a holiday.
Actually it wouldn't be a holiday as you would be busy fixing the faults that a 1000 mile journey had created on your car, helping me fix things on my Omega(while I sipped ice cold beer shouting instructions).
Also you could help the endless stream of Spaniards calling in asking for help with their cars, tractors etc Yesterday I was asked to weld some rollers. Can you weld? You soon will and also swear in Spanish. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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know how you feel Webby as Im pretty clueless myself! Theres lots of basic and general info about car mechanics on the web but the practical is often different from the theory! Like anything else its hands-on practical experience that counts. The guys/girls on here are always most knowledgeable and helpful and through them Ive attempted some easy jobs myself.Sure its taken me probably 20 times as long as it wouldve done than them but I did get a sense of satisfaction from doing things myself and your confidence grows with each thing you do -as well as saving yourself some money along the way! The other factor of course is having the time, the place and-more importantly-the tools to do such jobs. As a kid my best mates dad used to work for BSA and I used to help him strip down and re-assemble bike engines. No idea of what I was really doing of course but I enjoyed it. Over the years my mechanic neighbour helped fix the cars weve had and I always helped out there too but ,apart from the confidence factor, I simply dont have the time/place/tools to do more. But if you really want to learn more then most colleges will do a suitable course Im sure, though fitting it around work might be a problem.Good luck :y
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hi guys,
i read your posts and wonder how you guys know all this info on your engines? i know nothing apart from how to check/top up oil, coolant and screen wash hhahaha ;)
i am so rubbish. how do i get sum basic knowledge so i can do basic repairs/checks???? :):):)
Take your car to bits and then try to put it back together again :y
actually agree with you on this one steve. :y
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evening class at your local college (most colleges have this)
start with the basic course last i think 8 weeks
then if you want to learn more there is also an advanced course
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hi guys,
i read your posts and wonder how you guys know all this info on your engines? i know nothing apart from how to check/top up oil, coolant and screen wash hhahaha ;)
i am so rubbish. how do i get sum basic knowledge so i can do basic repairs/checks???? :):):)
Take your car to bits and then try to put it back together again :y
actually agree with you on this one steve. :y
Many a true word spoken in jest! :D
Keep your miggy long enough & you'll be a fully fledged spanner strangler for sure ;D ;D ;)
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Quite honestly, "basic car mechanics" won't help you at all when it comes to something like an Omega V6. Or, for that matter, any car made in in the last 20 years.
I used to do all my maintenance and repairs 40 years ago. Now, when I lift up the bonnet, I can't even name most of the parts I'm looking at. A couple of years back, when the car just stopped and I had to call the AA, the bloke who came along said that if it wasn't something obvious, he didn't stand a chance of identifying the problem, and even if he could identify it, he probably wouldn't be able to fix it.
So much of the modern car depends on electronics that it just isn't possible for the ordinary man in the street to do very much as he doesn't have access to £30,000 worth of diagnostic equipment.
The wizards you encounter on OOF are exceptions, and it will take many years of dedicated toil to achieve their level of expertise.
However, there is a price to pay for this! I won't go into details, as I wish to remain a member of the forum. :) :) :)
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Only a suggestion but you could drive over here in your Omega. Have a holiday.
Actually it wouldn't be a holiday as you would be busy fixing the faults that a 1000 mile journey had created on your car, helping me fix things on my Omega(while I sipped ice cold beer shouting instructions).
Also you could help the endless stream of Spaniards calling in asking for help with their cars, tractors etc Yesterday I was asked to weld some rollers. Can you weld? You soon will and also swear in Spanish. ;D ;D ;D ;D
lol i get the same thing!! lost count of how many tractor pieces i have welded up!! was actually doing another one today, in between removeing and intercooler from a cdi merc, and repairing a td merc from the year 92 where the brake pads had fallen out and he hit a tree with the front end!! oh and getting a tractor off the campo on a very steep slope cos the bloke didnt know how to use the fiddle brakes to steer it and had got it stuck!! and that tractor is a 1963 renault fitted with a perkins diesel from god knows what!!! :y
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as to learning car mechanics, yes you could go to evening classes as suggested by some, but if money is tight or time is tight then do it the easyway, by a very cheap non moted or taxed small car of whichever model you can find it dont matter who makes it, place it on your driveway read up about the particular model on the interweb, begin by identifying the parts, then slowly remove various different systems and put them back together when you have worked out how they work, start with easy stuff such as wheel removal or disc pad replacement, then to other parts be prepared to get dirty, arm yourself with enough tools to do the particular job you want to learn about,take it slpw and after around six weeks you will begin to know what people are talking about, if you have mates that are in to cars and have a project then go and hang out wth them assisting where you can, you will soon pick it up,
and dont listen to people who say they know all about cars!!been a mechanic(not a fitter) for over 30years and still learn things everyday!!! :y
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Quite honestly, "basic car mechanics" won't help you at all when it comes to something like an Omega V6. Or, for that matter, any car made in in the last 20 years.
I used to do all my maintenance and repairs 40 years ago. Now, when I lift up the bonnet, I can't even name most of the parts I'm looking at. A couple of years back, when the car just stopped and I had to call the AA, the bloke who came along said that if it wasn't something obvious, he didn't stand a chance of identifying the problem, and even if he could identify it, he probably wouldn't be able to fix it.
So much of the modern car depends on electronics that it just isn't possible for the ordinary man in the street to do very much as he doesn't have access to £30,000 worth of diagnostic equipment.
The wizards you encounter on OOF are exceptions, and it will take many years of dedicated toil to achieve their level of expertise.
However, there is a price to pay for this! I won't go into details, as I wish to remain a member of the forum. :) :) :)
I used to think the same J, and had "stopped" doing any work on cars from the time I got the Granada Scorpio, in the same belief as you. That continued through to the old omega - the blue one - which developed a problem that the "dealers" said was extremely rare and would cost over £1000 to fix, "and to the complexity of the electronics this might not be the full solution". At the time I did not have £1000 to chuck at a "possible" fix, so in desperation I started to search on t'web. I found here with an exact description of the fault and the fix, and the information that it was relatively common knowledge - ABS ECU. Armed with that knowledge, and some help from forum members, the ECU was removed, sent for repair, and replaced, in less than a week, for less than £150. Since that point neither car has been to a garage except for WIM - geometry - and MOT's. I have learned, and been instructed, by forum members all the way through, or folks like Elite Pete, Daz, or Chris Gixer have done the work for me, the first time, but have taught me how to do the job should it need repeating.
I accept there are some jobs I'll probably never attempt, but I can now do one hell of a lot more than I could, and I can certainly do all the "routine" stuff without hesitation, and I'm more confident in attempting other work, knowing there is a wealth of support at the end of the phone line .. either by calling or by broadband !! :)
There are 2 major advantages to that ..
1 . Cost
2. I know the job has been done properly.
Just my views .. nowt else .. :)
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hi guys,
i read your posts and wonder how you guys know all this info on your engines? i know nothing apart from how to check/top up oil, coolant and screen wash hhahaha ;)
i am so rubbish. how do i get sum basic knowledge so i can do basic repairs/checks???? :):):)
Take your car to bits and then try to put it back together again :y
actually agree with you on this one steve. :y
Many a true word spoken in jest! :D
Keep your miggy long enough & you'll be a fully fledged spanner strangler for sure ;D ;D ;)
Got to agree with Phil on that one i knew very little before i got my first omega, come to think of it i still know very little and thats not just cars ;D.
But from following the guides on here asking questions and help from other members your confidence and skill level will grow (Hopefully not at the same rate as your bits left over box) :y :y
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With all the good advice that has been given there is one more key fact; start collecting the best tools you can afford as you need them ;) ;)
Without the correct, and quality tools, any job on the car is just that bit more difficult, and with some jobs impossible! :D :D :)
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Quite honestly, "basic car mechanics" won't help you at all when it comes to something like an Omega V6.
So much of the modern car depends on electronics that it just isn't possible for the ordinary man in the street to do very much as he doesn't have access to £30,000 worth of diagnostic equipment.
The wizards you encounter on OOF are exceptions, and it will take many years of dedicated toil to achieve their level of expertise.
However, there is a price to pay for this!
yep.. agreed.. modern day cars are quite complicated even for experienced mechanics if they dont have a deep understanding of engine management system.. because its highly dependant on electronic sensors..
and although most service workers even using equipment like tech II (or other), after some point they go on a trial error basis ..
however basic understanding of mechanics+engine management system will at least help .. also probably you will be able to service simple items at least with some tools..
also I must note best practice is hands on job.. (and if you have an experienced person near you that will be perfect)
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Suck, Squirt, Bang. Blow
All you need to know ;)
The rest is just nuts and bolts
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Suck, Squirt, Bang. Blow
All you need to know ;)
The rest is just nuts and bolts
dont you mean suck, SQUEEZE , bang , blow?
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Doh [smiley=embarassed.gif]
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The thing I find with these cars is not that they are complex, but there is bugger all room in the engine bay to get to anything, especially if you have hands like spades as I do.
Take exhaust manifold removal for instance, you could remove one From a Cortina in 20 mins, but it would take the average home mechanic a day to get one off a V6 Omega even though they are bolted to the engine in exactly the same way as a Cortina manifold.
In many ways Omegas are otherwise a lot easier to mantain than cars of 30 years ago in that you dont have the hassle of ignition point adjustment / timing, valve clearance adjustment, Mixture settings ect.. that had to be attended to on a regular basis, and if you think changing Omega wishbones is a pain, you have probably never tackled the kingpins on an Austin Cambridge. :P
All things considered, I reckon Omega maintenance and repair is a lot easier than you might think, especially with all the FREE expert guidance available on here :y
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been watchin the wrong maintenance video i feel... #19
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The thing I find with these cars is not that they are complex, but there is bugger all room in the engine bay to get to anything, especially if you have hands like spades as I do.
Take exhaust manifold removal for instance, you could remove one From a Cortina in 20 mins, but it would take the average home mechanic a day to get one off a V6 Omega even though they are bolted to the engine in exactly the same way as a Cortina manifold.
In many ways Omegas are otherwise a lot easier to mantain than cars of 30 years ago in that you dont have the hassle of ignition point adjustment / timing, valve clearance adjustment, Mixture settings ect.. that had to be attended to on a regular basis, and if you think changing Omega wishbones is a pain, you have probably never tackled the kingpins on an Austin Cambridge. :P
All things considered, I reckon Omega maintenance and repair is a lot easier than you might think, especially with all the FREE expert guidance available on here :y
Definitely agree with this! I've found that the main part of most jobs on migs is moving other bits out the way just to get access, even then it's awkward! Wouldn't wish o/s exhaust manifold gasket on anyone!
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thanks for all the info guys. i went on the maintenance guide to see how i can clean my ICV (as i have an uneven tickover) but i dont really understand it :(
i agree though it wud be very satisfying to do this stuff myself :)
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Stick your location in your profile, you might find someone lives near you and is willing to show you the basics. You'll learn a lot faster if things are explained, in person, as work is done.
:)
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The thing I find with these cars is not that they are complex, but there is bugger all room in the engine bay to get to anything, especially if you have hands like spades as I do.
Take exhaust manifold removal for instance, you could remove one From a Cortina in 20 mins, but it would take the average home mechanic a day to get one off a V6 Omega even though they are bolted to the engine in exactly the same way as a Cortina manifold.
In many ways Omegas are otherwise a lot easier to mantain than cars of 30 years ago in that you dont have the hassle of ignition point adjustment / timing, valve clearance adjustment, Mixture settings ect.. that had to be attended to on a regular basis, and if you think changing Omega wishbones is a pain, you have probably never tackled the kingpins on an Austin Cambridge. :P
All things considered, I reckon Omega maintenance and repair is a lot easier than you might think, especially with all the FREE expert guidance available on here :y
Definitely agree with this! I've found that the main part of most jobs on migs is moving other bits out the way just to get access, even then it's awkward! Wouldn't wish o/s exhaust manifold gasket on anyone!
Apart from the other very wise bits of advice, this is one thing I always look for if using a workshop manual, (especially Arthur's) it is amazing how often five minutes taken in removing some obstruction, can save hours on the job itself. :y
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Quite honestly, "basic car mechanics" won't help you at all when it comes to something like an Omega V6. Or, for that matter, any car made in in the last 20 years.
I used to do all my maintenance and repairs 40 years ago. Now, when I lift up the bonnet, I can't even name most of the parts I'm looking at. A couple of years back, when the car just stopped and I had to call the AA, the bloke who came along said that if it wasn't something obvious, he didn't stand a chance of identifying the problem, and even if he could identify it, he probably wouldn't be able to fix it.
So much of the modern car depends on electronics that it just isn't possible for the ordinary man in the street to do very much as he doesn't have access to £30,000 worth of diagnostic equipment.
The wizards you encounter on OOF are exceptions, and it will take many years of dedicated toil to achieve their level of expertise.
However, there is a price to pay for this! I won't go into details, as I wish to remain a member of the forum. :) :) :)
I used to think the same J, and had "stopped" doing any work on cars from the time I got the Granada Scorpio, in the same belief as you. That continued through to the old omega - the blue one - which developed a problem that the "dealers" said was extremely rare and would cost over £1000 to fix, "and to the complexity of the electronics this might not be the full solution". At the time I did not have £1000 to chuck at a "possible" fix, so in desperation I started to search on t'web. I found here with an exact description of the fault and the fix, and the information that it was relatively common knowledge - ABS ECU. Armed with that knowledge, and some help from forum members, the ECU was removed, sent for repair, and replaced, in less than a week, for less than £150. Since that point neither car has been to a garage except for WIM - geometry - and MOT's. I have learned, and been instructed, by forum members all the way through, or folks like Elite Pete, Daz, or Chris Gixer have done the work for me, the first time, but have taught me how to do the job should it need repeating.
I accept there are some jobs I'll probably never attempt, but I can now do one hell of a lot more than I could, and I can certainly do all the "routine" stuff without hesitation, and I'm more confident in attempting other work, knowing there is a wealth of support at the end of the phone line .. either by calling or by broadband !! :)
There are 2 major advantages to that ..
1 . Cost
2. I know the job has been done properly.
Just my views .. nowt else .. :)
I'm sure you are right. The web and especially OOF are an outstandingly good resource to have available, and the wizards here are phenomenal. But OOF is, I suspect, an exception. Not only is the knowledge here, there is also the willingness to share it, and to physically provide the helping hand.
But it doesn't get round the fact that modern cars just aren't amenable to do-it-yourself repairs as far as the average reasonably competent handyman is concerned.
I learned quite a lot about engines when I owned a Triumph Herald, because I couldn't afford to take it to a garage. When I traded that car in for an Austin Healy Sprite, what I'd learned about engines still applied. I could adjust the timing, tune the carburettors, do an oil change - I even managed a full de-coke on occasion. When I bought a Jaguar S-type, I could still do a lot of the work, but some of it required special kit which just wasn't a practical proposition. And I have to admit that tuning the carbs on the 6 cylinder engine utterly defeated me in the end. But at least I knew the general idea of what I was doing, even if I lacked the skill to complete it to perfection.
Today's cars require much more than the basic skills to maintain and repair. And when a complex engine is shoe-horned into a car the way the V6 is crammed into the Omega, relatively straightforward jobs become to frightening to tackle. For example, I recently asked on here about a problem I was having with the engine revs surging following the coil pack replacement by a garage. I got a consensus opinion back which pointed towards the vacuum pipes entering the plenum have been put back incorrectly. I understand the words, I can see the top ends of the pipes, but can't see where they go and I haven't got the first idea where to start if I want to fix it. And I don't understand the problem well enough to convincingly explain it to the the garage which screwed it up or to another garage.
Never had this problem on the Herald. :)
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Iirc, with the Herald you lifted the front forwards out of the way and then stood in the engine bay while you worked on the engine. No denying the Omega is a bit different in that respect. ;) :D
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Iirc, with the Herald you lifted the front forwards out of the way and then stood in the engine bay while you worked on the engine. No denying the Omega is a bit different in that respect. ;) :D
Indeed Albs, but in those days most cars had plenty of room to get at everything..... :y My Citroen C4 Grande Picasso, when you lift the bonnet, under there hardly even looks like and engine and is so set back I would hate to work on it... ::) 2 months, agreed, over the lease, loathed to send it back though.... :'( :'(
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Iirc, with the Herald you lifted the front forwards out of the way and then stood in the engine bay while you worked on the engine. No denying the Omega is a bit different in that respect. ;) :D
You do remember correctly. There was so much space there, you could have put a spare engine in. :) And the engine itself was very compact for a 1200 cc model.
But then look at all the things it didn't have: power steering, air conditioning, automatic transmission, coolant reservoir, screen washers, oil cooler, fog lights, projector headlights, idle control valve, overhead camshaft, crank sensor, knock sensor - all stuff we take for granted these days. And all stuff that takes up space and requires plumbing in.
I loved my Herald (it was a convertible), but at my age, I'd rather have the Omega and someone to do the maintenance for me. :)
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thanks guys. youre all stars ;) all the info sounds spot on. although im not gonna attempt (if im honest) the icv clean im defo gonna mention this when i hand it over at mot time... that way they may think twice if they were going to rip me off by conjuring up a million dollar problem :y :y :y :y