Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Teebee on 11 August 2010, 15:21:56

Title: MOT failure questions
Post by: Teebee on 11 August 2010, 15:21:56
So I took it in today and got a fail ticket  >:( exhaust, front shock, tyre and handbrake.

Tyre is done, exhaust will be eternalcar, that leaves 2 questions.

Does anyone have any cheap recommendations for a new pair of front shocks? (I did toy with a wanted ad but unless they are obviously newish there's no point risking it)

As the handbrake failed on both sides do you think that will be the cable needing adjusting or new shoes and is there an easy way to check that doesn't involve stripping it apart?

More importantly why do I need a handbrake when I have park  :P
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Jimbob on 11 August 2010, 15:48:18
Handbrake is also emergency brake, and the park lock on the gearbox is very flimsy, dont rely on it alone!

with these handbrakes, use em, or lose em  :y

1st thing to try is drive 100metres with the handbrake on, may clean up the shoes / drums enough to pass  :y
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Kevin Wood on 11 August 2010, 16:36:05
Yep, park pawl is just a little metal peg that fits into a slot in the output shaft of the gearbox. Once you've seen one, you will use your handbrake. ;D

Not much use as an emergency brake either.

Kevin
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Andy B on 11 August 2010, 16:59:55
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...... Once you've seen one, you will use your handbrake. ;D .....

I wonder what percentage of auto's ever have their handbrake applied, other than when at MOT.  :-/
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Jimbob on 11 August 2010, 17:06:15
funnily coming from manuals, ive never not used mine, just habit.  :-/
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: CaptainZok on 11 August 2010, 17:09:26
If I'm staying in the car just put it in park.
If i'm leaving the car, handbrake on usually.
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Kevin Wood on 11 August 2010, 17:11:13
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funnily coming from manuals, ive never not used mine, just habit.  :-/

Yep, me too. I always park it in "N", check the handbrake is holding it, then move it into park. Slight incline to my driveway, and I don't like the idea of the transmission holding it.

Kevin
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Evo on 11 August 2010, 17:25:43
If it's not the cable seized; then your handbrake problem is almost certainly due to the actuating lever in the drum rusting. See the photos in Mark's excellent guide:

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1152564750

Needs stripping down to fix.
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Andy B on 11 August 2010, 17:45:10
Quote
Quote
funnily coming from manuals, ive never not used mine, just habit.  :-/

Yep, me too. I always park it in "N", check the handbrake is holding it, then move it into park. Slight incline to my driveway, and I don't like the idea of the transmission holding it.

Kevin

When leaving the car on 'reasonable' sized hills, the handbrake will be on mine too, my drive is level and P suffices.  ;) :y
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: robson on 11 August 2010, 18:41:33
Handbreak used all the time thats what it is there for so why not use it .Using it makes sure that it does not seize up and fail the MOT
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: omegaman2 on 11 August 2010, 18:45:13
try taking up anyplay from underneath first ,it may save stripping down
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Teebee on 11 August 2010, 18:57:33
There was a  :P smiley after that comment  ;) I do use the handbrake all the time.

The handbrake does apply just that it was ineffectual on the test, I think I might as well try taking up the slack and if that fails go the whole hog with new shoes. I was kind of hoping for a golden bullet test as the one thing that cheeses me off is stripping something down only to find it's not what I thought/don't have the right part.

No recommendations for cheap shocks so far though  :(
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Jimbob on 11 August 2010, 19:01:30
dunno what you are classing as cheap, but Vauxhall arnt too bad on TC imho :

Omega        Part Number        Retail Price        Normal Trade        Trade Club
Shock absorbers, front (single)
2.0/2.2 exc. lowered sports chassis - LH       72119076       £89.50       £76.11       £56.80
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
2.0/2.2 exc. lowered sports chassis - RH       72119077       £89.50       £76.11       £56.80
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
2.5/2.6/3.0/3.2 exc. lowered sports chassis - LH       9192249       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
Diesel exc. lowered sports chassis - LH       9192249       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
Diesel exc. lowered sports chassis - RH       9192250       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
2.5/2.6/3.0/3.2 exc. lowered sports chassis - RH       9192250       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
2.0/2.2 lowered sports chassis - LH       9192289       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
2.0/2.2 lowered sports chassis - RH       9192290       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
Diesel lowered sports chassis - LH       9192291       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
2.5/2.6/3.0/3.2 lowered sports chassis - LH       9192291       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
2.5/2.6/3.0/3.2 lowered sports chassis - RH       9192292       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a New Vehicle Warranty, a Sureguard Warranty or a Network Q Warranty, the correct part number for that specific vehicle must be identified by a Vauxhall Retailer using EPC for the warranty claim to be accepted
 
Diesel lowered sports chassis - RH       9192292       £76.00       £64.63       £47.83
# The combination of applications and part numbers listed above for shock absorbers are 'Aftermarket Recommended'. If a Retailer or Trade Customer needs to make a shock absorber related claim on a vehicle still under a
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Teebee on 11 August 2010, 19:09:20
Thank you for that, you're right they aren't that bad, more so considering that my local auto factors wanted 65 quid a pop for them...........
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: tidla on 11 August 2010, 19:13:31
has any one mentioned adjusting the handbrake shoes up first.(wheel off, adjust thru the disc)
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: PhilRich on 11 August 2010, 20:29:36
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has any one mentioned adjusting the handbrake shoes up first.(wheel off, adjust thru the disc)
[/highlight]






Yes, You! ;D ;) :y
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Teebee on 11 August 2010, 20:31:40
Quote
has any one mentioned adjusting the handbrake shoes up first.(wheel off, adjust thru the disc)
Now that sounds like a plan  :y
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: 24_Valve on 12 August 2010, 01:01:16
I think tapper888 might have hit the nail on the head  ;) I had a fail last year for exact same thing... was pulling ok on n/s but very weak on o/s... took it to garage and the fella discovered the star wheel adjuster (2nd to last pic) http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1152564750 was seized! 2 or 3 good shunts with a flat head screwdriver and it started adjusting up  :y other side needed slight adjustment, but again only through discs, not cable adjusters. Was told that the underbody adjusters are last resort for cable stretch only... Garage charged total £25 (cash deal obviously)  :y
Title: Re: MOT failure questions
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 August 2010, 09:41:03
Quote
Quote
has any one mentioned adjusting the handbrake shoes up first.(wheel off, adjust thru the disc)
Now that sounds like a plan  :y

Yep, ensure there is some slack in the cable first, adjust both  drum brakes and then use the central adjuster only to take out some of the slack in the cable if it's excessive.

If that doesn't work, strip down both sides and see what's going on.

Kevin

Kevin