Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Chopsdad on 07 January 2007, 19:02:36

Title: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 07 January 2007, 19:02:36
Mrs Chopsdad has a 05 reg Meriva with 20,000 miles.  We've owned it from 6m when it was ex-demonstrator.

I noticed the other day that the filler cap had mayo on the underside and took the main breather off just to check it was clear. And this is what I found.......

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o317/chopsdad/IMG_1258.jpg)

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o317/chopsdad/IMG_1262-1.jpg)

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o317/chopsdad/IMG_1263-1.jpg)

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o317/chopsdad/IMG_1264-1.jpg)

What do you think?????????????
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Del Boy on 07 January 2007, 19:04:34
Fu*kin hell
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Omegatoy on 07 January 2007, 19:13:56
bet that does loads of short journeys looks like it never gets the oil hot enough to burn out the condensation!!! run it up the motorway for half an hour in third gear should heat the oil up nicely then!!
Omegatoy
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: tunnie on 07 January 2007, 19:32:45
bugger me!!  :o :o

Thats worse than my dads 90k miles megga and that was clened for the first time yesterday!!  :o

As OT says give that thing a blast down the motorway, and generally drive it like you stole the thing!!  ;)

After its all cleaned out of course, you might want to get the Mrs to give it some longer runs once a week  :y
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 07 January 2007, 20:06:50
The car has been ours for 14m now and drives the M6 20 miles to work and back twice a week.  The shortest run is the school run on the other 3 days which is 4 miles via country lanes.  She drives it nice - not like me cos it's a 1.4 and needs the full rev band to make it speed up, but it's life is not stereotypical of short runs - my Megga has a harder life.

Rocker will be full of crap too and oil is of course black and 4/5 on the dipstick.  Coolant down 10mm.  Are we sure the head's not blown?????
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 07 January 2007, 20:08:32
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Fu*kin hell

My thoughts exactly - the 'sick' on the papertowel was blown out - I made real sure not to suck  :D
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 07 January 2007, 20:19:33
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Fu*kin hell

My thoughts exactly - the 'sick' on the papertowel was blown out - I made real sure not to suck  :D

Thats amazing considering the car isnt 2 years old yet!  :o

Dont forget 3yr/60k warranty.....if in doubt...take it to vx dealer....bloody useless...but might sort the prob out  ::)


Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Martin_1962 on 07 January 2007, 20:21:01
Mrs CHopsdad - sure it isn't Chopsmum?

That is bad though - looks like a warantee job if it has had long runs
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 07 January 2007, 20:37:44
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Fu*kin hell

My thoughts exactly - the 'sick' on the papertowel was blown out - I made real sure not to suck  :D

Thats amazing considering the car isnt 2 years old yet!  :o

Dont forget 3yr/60k warranty.....if in doubt...take it to vx dealer....bloody useless...but might sort the prob out  ::)



I was thinking the same but what would they do - and what would they 'dangle berries' up?  Could be a sneaky way of getting a free oil change and the breathers cleaned out though, and cruise enabled if I ask nicely, so yes I think a trip to Vx in order  ;)
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 07 January 2007, 20:38:54
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Mrs Chopsdad - sure it isn't Chopsmum?


The name may change but she still shouts when I play with her engine  ;D
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 07 January 2007, 20:45:28
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Fu*kin hell

My thoughts exactly - the 'sick' on the papertowel was blown out - I made real sure not to suck  :D

Thats amazing considering the car isnt 2 years old yet!  :o

Dont forget 3yr/60k warranty.....if in doubt...take it to vx dealer....bloody useless...but might sort the prob out  ::)



I was thinking the same but what would they do - and what would they 'dangle berries' up?  Could be a sneaky way of getting a free oil change and the breathers cleaned out though, and cruise enabled if I ask nicely, so yes I think a trip to Vx in order  ;)

Well only upside is you dont have to pay for them messing about with it  ::)
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 08 January 2007, 08:33:39
Headgasket failure is unusual on the Ecotecs.....but, its under warranty....so no piint in messing.

If it is the headgsaket then think of it this way......new cambelt, coolant, oil, oilfilter, cam cover gasket....etc etc.....just bung them a few quid to chuck a water pump on at the same time.
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 08 January 2007, 22:45:29
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Headgasket failure is unusual on the Ecotecs.....but, its under warranty....so no piint in messing.

If it is the headgsaket then think of it this way......new cambelt, coolant, oil, oilfilter, cam cover gasket....etc etc.....just bung them a few quid to chuck a water pump on at the same time.

Thanks Mark I'm off with my polaroids to see the Service Manager tomorrow - no way was I going to put the hoses back in that state.  FYI Mrs Chopsdad says car acting odd today - it seems to go faster when she puts her foot down..........mmmm........wonder why..  ;)
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: tunnie on 09 January 2007, 00:00:45
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Headgasket failure is unusual on the Ecotecs.....but, its under warranty....so no piint in messing.

If it is the headgsaket then think of it this way......new cambelt, coolant, oil, oilfilter, cam cover gasket....etc etc.....just bung them a few quid to chuck a water pump on at the same time.

Thanks Mark I'm off with my polaroids to see the Service Manager tomorrow - no way was I going to put the hoses back in that state.  FYI Mrs Chopsdad says car acting odd today - it seems to go faster when she puts her foot down..........mmmm........wonder why..  ;)

Good luck pal  :y
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Andy B on 09 January 2007, 00:02:22
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.......
  FYI Mrs Chopsdad says car acting odd today - it seems to go faster when she puts her foot down..........mmmm........wonder why..  ;)
Perhaps you should've left the gunge there!  ;)
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 09 January 2007, 00:29:45
I among others would be extremely grateful to hear the outcome of this.

Out of Interest, what year is the schoolbus Mevira?
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Andy B on 09 January 2007, 01:35:45
Does this mean I'll have to open the bonnet on my wife's Astra? She does about 4 miles to work & back each day!  :-/
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 09 January 2007, 20:53:53
Took car and pics to Vx today and booked it in for a "we'll have a look and see what's wrong sir" but whilst service manager was busy I wandered into the hanger and mechanic took one look at pics and hit the bullseye - head gasket.  So I might get one afterall.  Oh and it was much more responsive without the sick - noticeable even on a 1.4 so if you havn't cleaned your breathers - do it asap  :-/
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 24 August 2007, 22:38:54
Here's an old thread you thought was dead. :-[

I had a quick look at the breathers tonight on the Meriva and they are as gunged up now as they were in January when they were cleaned out. Vx also did an engine flush and oil change at the same time.

Coolant down appx 5/6mm from where I marked it and it's done appx 3-4 25 min motorway runs every week since January.

FYI I drive 3m to work and back each day in my Omega and cleaned mine out (it's been 12m) and the only sign or condensation was at the bottom of the metal pipe connected to the sump.  In return I got 36 mpg on a M6 run that ususally returns 31 mpg on cruise. :)

What's up with this Meriva? :-/
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Markie on 24 August 2007, 22:46:32
so what work was done last time - hg failure normally needs a fair few flushes before its gone from the system,,,maybe worth flush flush flushing ...
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: Chopsdad on 24 August 2007, 23:24:28
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so what work was done last time - hg failure normally needs a fair few flushes before its gone from the system,,,maybe worth flush flush flushing ...

All done under warranty.  Had the car all day.  Cleaned breathers, ran engine flush, new oil and filter and ran it up to boiling point a few times but no sign of HG problems.  As the car was 2 years old and used as a demo for 1 year I put it down to short runs but it's current life should not contain this much water so quickly and given drop in coolant (no leaks) I'm starting to wonder..... :-/

Back to the "trained experts" at Vx me thinks  :-?
Title: Re: Meriva breathers - oh crap!
Post by: davlad22 on 25 August 2007, 01:56:44
How bizarre?  :-/

I'd be having it traded in for an omega  :) The wife & kids won't want a car that is potentially unreliable  ;D