Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: theolodian on 12 October 2006, 21:52:28

Title: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: theolodian on 12 October 2006, 21:52:28
OK, so first motorway trip since doing cam cover gaskets.  Suddenly get low oil level warning!  Confirm, and it comes back again.  Pull over into services, have coffee, check oil.  Oil level is fine, only 1/4L from top?!?  No low oil level warining at startup.  Get on highway, low oil level warning again every 20mins or so.  Warning at shutdown but not startup.

OK, so the oil probably has 8K or more on it.  However, the more likely culprit is that when I did the cam cover gaskets one of the o-rings went missing.  I rooted around as much as I could in the head looking for it, but apparently it has found its way into one of the drains and is partially blocking it.  Anyone want to show me on a pic of some heads where the oil drains are so in case I have a chance to go back in I can look for it?

Or are the oil level sensors know to fail?  My coolant level sensor is playing the same game, except it does it at startup usually.
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: TheBoy on 12 October 2006, 22:25:54
Both sensors are known to fail, esp coolant one due to people 'missing' the expansion bottle when filling - clean up contacts. Actually, probably worth cleaning contacts on oil one as well - I seem to recall you had a fair bit of oil running down front of engine...?
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: theolodian on 12 October 2006, 22:48:27
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Both sensors are known to fail, esp coolant one due to people 'missing' the expansion bottle when filling - clean up contacts. Actually, probably worth cleaning contacts on oil one as well - I seem to recall you had a fair bit of oil running down front of engine...?
Is that it?  That thing has got to be trashed!
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: road_rescue on 12 October 2006, 22:48:55
I had the oil sensor on mine go funky- states oil lack if less than 1/2 way up normal- apparantly its common
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: theolodian on 12 October 2006, 22:55:19
How much are the oil and coolant level sensors, and should I do the oil one when changing the oil?
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: TheBoy on 12 October 2006, 22:57:13
dunno, sorry.

i don't think coolant one is available seperately - part of bottle. though cleaning contacts and washing out bottle usually sorts it ;)
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: TheBoy on 12 October 2006, 22:58:51
also, as you oil is a bit old, maybe some fresh stuff may unclog the beast...
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: theolodian on 12 October 2006, 23:00:29
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also, as you oil is a bit old, maybe some fresh stuff may unclog the beast...
Been sitting in the trunk for 2 weeks.  Was I supposed to do something else with it?   ::)
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: TheBoy on 12 October 2006, 23:03:53
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also, as you oil is a bit old, maybe some fresh stuff may unclog the beast...
Been sitting in the trunk for 2 weeks.  Was I supposed to do something else with it?   ::)
No, the oil will work fine there. Obviously not do engine any good....
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: jonny2112 on 12 October 2006, 23:32:09
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also, as you oil is a bit old, maybe some fresh stuff may unclog the beast...
Been sitting in the trunk for 2 weeks.  Was I supposed to do something else with it?   ::)

 [smiley=grin.gif] [smiley=grin.gif] [smiley=grin.gif] [smiley=grin.gif]
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: theolodian on 13 October 2006, 21:57:35
Looking more and more like I was right about the o-ring.  Drove 60 miles on A roads today and no warning  :-?
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: Eliteman Steve on 14 October 2006, 00:34:34
Maybe because at sustained high revs (just like on the motorway) ' the oil pump is sucking all the oil out of the sump , giving a lower than normal reading , so if oil is 3/4 between the 2 marks it thinks it's even lower ? It's done it on mine occasionally on the motorway , but oil was never below halfway point on dipstick .
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: TheBoy on 14 October 2006, 08:36:04
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Maybe because at sustained high revs (just like on the motorway) ' the oil pump is sucking all the oil out of the sump , giving a lower than normal reading , so if oil is 3/4 between the 2 marks it thinks it's even lower ? It's done it on mine occasionally on the motorway , but oil was never below halfway point on dipstick .
Just before the MV6 broke down in France last year, it kept intermittently for about 100 miles complaining oil lack.  It was about 1/4 over min, and on motorways.  Topped it up anyway, but only made it about another 200 miles...

I don't think the oil lack and crank sensor failure are related....
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: CaptainZok on 14 October 2006, 11:48:43
Had that on mine once whilst on motorway, topped oil up to max and it cured it
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: theolodian on 14 October 2006, 16:13:37
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Had that on mine once whilst on motorway, topped oil up to max and it cured it
Should I consider an oil flush treatment to clear out the head drains?
Title: Re: Cam cover gasket job not so successful
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 14 October 2006, 18:27:07
First step = oil and filter change, topping up to the Max mark (but not over).

check the level again once it's been run after the change, because the filter will take some oil.

This could well sort it, but I wouldn't worry hugely about that little o-ring - I can't see it lasting very long in the engine - there's probably nothing left of it after a motorway run and the peices have probably melted in with the existing oil :P