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1

Maintenance Guides / Re: How to change a Track Rod End (Tie Rod)

« on: 17 April 2007, 22:58:03 »

Fitting the new part

Now that you have the old arm removed from the car, open the new one and make them the same length as in the picture below.  I recommend doing this on a piece of cardboard to prevent damage.  Place the old track rod as it was mounted on the car (i.e. with the letter "R" the same way).  Now place the new track rod next to the old and make the new one the same length as the old.  To do this, simply turn both of the rods until it matches the old unit.  The picture below shows the parts to turn and the track rods at the same length.

The old track rod and the new are equal lengths - the arrows show which parts to turn to make the length correct[/i]


Unscrew the nuts and keep them somewhere safe.  Then remove the plastic boot protectors (if fitted).  Inspect the black rubber boots on the new rod for any signs of damage.  If damage is present, then return the arm to your supplier for a replacement.  There is no point fitting a known damaged item as if the protective boot has failed, the ball joint will not last too long!  

Fix the new arm to the car starting with the outer joint as this is slightly more difficult to fit.  With this in place, screw on one of the nuts.  Make sure that this is one of the new self locking nuts supplied with the new part.  Next, put the inner bolt of the track rod end into its locating point.  As for the inner joint, screw the new bolt on to the nut.  Make sure that the ball joint is in the same position - for the outer joint the ball joint should be on the bottom of the hub fixing, whilst the inner joint should have the ball joint facing the front of the car. The picture below shows the correct positions - the nuts have not been tightened as yet.

The new track rod end in position, but not yet tightened fully


The next task is to tighten the nuts.  On the new track rod end, I found that both bolts were 19mm. After a few turns of the socket, you may discover that the nut is not tightening any further and the ball joint is turning with the nut.  If this proves to be the case, simply get your breaker bar or stout screwdriver and lever upwards on the bottom of the ball joint.  At the same time, turn your socket and the nut will then start to tighten.  I have not pictured this part for the outer joint, but I have for the inner joint, which is, once again, shown below.

A breaker bar being used to tighten the inner ball joint nut[/i]


Do not do the nuts up too tight as you will want to torque the bolts up.  Haynes says that the torque settings are 26 lbf ft for the inner balljoint (which seems very low to me) and 74 lbf ft for the outer balljoint.  Finally, using your two 13mm spanners or a 13mm spanner and socket, tighten the two pinch bolts in the middle of the arm.  Haynes do not give a torque setting for these (I could not find it at the front of the Suspension and Steering chapter in anyway) so I just tightened them tightly.  Recheck that all the bolts are tight.  The track rod is now fitted and the work is almost complete.

Whilst the road wheel is removed from the car, it is a good opportunity to check the chassis for any corrosion, the under seal for any defects and accumulated mud, the brake discs and pads, the brake pipes both metal and flexible and, lastly, the condition of wiring that exists, such as the ABS sensor.

Remove the wheel bolts that are stored in the hub and apply a smear of copper ease to it.  Refit the road wheel in the normal manner.  Lower the car to the ground and finally tighten the wheel bolts.   Haynes says that the wheel bolts have a torque of 81 lbf ft.  Refit any centre wheel trim and be sure to stow your locking wheel nut socket and centre wheel trim safely.

Finally, at the earliest opportunity go to a decent tyre centre and have your alignment checked - you do not want to be replacing tyres in a few months time owing to uneven wear.  There is a member on here who can advise further above this - I believe that his user name is "wheels in motion".  There are several centres across the country that are recommended by other users on here.  My local one is in Watford which I will go to when the car is on the road again.

Sit back proud in the knowledge that you have done this yourself and saved a good deal of money in the process!

2

Maintenance Guides / How to change a Track Rod End (Tie Rod)

« on: 17 April 2007, 22:53:21 »

Changing a track rod end

This is not a difficult job to do - I completed the task in around ½ hour.

Featured Car
My 1998 2.5 V6 minifacelift.

Tools and Items Required

Tools
19 mm socket (standard)
19 mm socket (deep)
wobbler extension bar for 19 cm socket
18 mm socket
socket ratchet
wire brush
ball joint splitter (available at Machine Mart for about £7.00)
spanner of correct size for ball joint splitter
13 mm socket and 13 mm spanner or two 13 mm spanners
breaker bar or stout screwdriver
Torque wrench

Items
New track rod end.  Official part description - Tie Rod Kit, part number V0009193094, price £62.08 (Ex VAT and Trade Club Price, April 2007)
Dismantling Lubricant (I use Plus Gas)

Warnings
As ever, do net get under the car if it is only supported by a jack.  Axle stands MUST be in place first.  I also recommend that you wear Latex Gloves (the same that Doctors / Nurses use).  These are available at a reasonable cost at independent car shops.

Description
The track rod end is located between the wheel hub and the central tie rod to which the steering box connects by means of the steering idler.  There is already a guide to changing the steering idler - http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90626.0.  Very often the ball joints wear and the MOT tester will fail them as a result.  Replacing the track rod end is very simple.

Preparation
A few days before doing the work, I recommend that you give the bolts on the side concerned a good soaking with plus gas.  This will make removal of the nuts much easier.

Before starting the job, find a suitable place to park the car, bearing in mind that you will need to jack up the side of the car concerned.  Remove the centre wheel cap if fitted and loosen (but do not remove) the wheel bolts.  Please note that the pictures show my car jacked up on both sides with axle stands in place.  This is because I was changing the exhaust at the same time.  You will only need to jack and support the side of the car concerned.  When jacking the car, use a piece of wood between the jack and the car to protect the chassis.

Removing the old part
Remove the wheel bolts and then the wheel.  To keep the wheel bolts safe, I reinsert them in to the hub having smeared the threads with copper ease.  The track rod will be exposed as the picture below shows.  Whilst I replaced the complete track rod, you can, in fact, replace the ball joints separately.

The old track rod end


Whilst it remains on the car, look at the way the old rod is fitted.  I am replacing the off side (drivers side) arm and there was a letter "R" marked on the outer part of the track rod.  The outer part connects to the wheel hub whilst the inner part connects to the centre tie rod.  The picture below shows where the letter is stamped on the arm.

The "R" mark on the track rod end is arrow (The "R" does not show that well)


With your wire brush, clean up the nuts that secure the track rod in place.  With this done, give them another dose of Plus Gas and set about removing them.  The inner bolt requires a 18mm spanner or socket whilst the outer bolt requires a 19mm spanner or socket.  Why I do not know.  As the outer bolt has a long thread, a standard socket (or at least none of the sockets I had) were deep enough.  Therefore I used a deep socket and wobbler bar to remove this.  The wobbler bar is an extension for a socket and ratchet which allows the ratchet handle to be operated at an angle.  This is necessary to clear the brake disc.  The pictures below show the process:

The inner joint being undone


The outer joint being undone with deep socket and wobbler bar


Now that the bolts are removed, use your ball joint splitter to separate the ball joint from the fixing.  For those of you who have not used a ball joint splitter before, the pictures below show how.  In summary, the fork of the tool slides between the ball joint base and the operating arm makes contact with the ball joint bolt.  The tool is then tightened (the arrow in the picture shows this) which puts a constant and even pressure on the bolt.  Very suddenly, and with a loud crack, the joint will release sending the ball joint splitter crashing to the floor along with the track rod end.

The ball joint splitter in position[/i]


The ball joint splitter being tightened using the arrowed bolt[/i]

3

Maintenance Guides / Re: How to fit line level outputs to a CCR2006

« on: 22 March 2007, 11:51:36 »

VERY nice guide there mate!  The only thing I would add, if I may, is a general warning about not heating the chip up too much with the soldering iron.  Although, having said that, I suspect that only people who are used to working inside such equipment would give it a go.  I would also have got some small heat shrink and placed this over the legs of the capacitors - however, they are not likely to move much I suppose.

Get one on the admins to sticky this at the top or something - it would be a shame for this to move further down the board and not be noticed!

4

Maintenance Guides / Scuttle Drain Cleaning

« on: 31 December 2006, 00:14:42 »

Background
There has been a lot of threads about misting up windscreens / windows, non working heater fans and controls etc of late.  These issues can be caused by the scuttle drains being blocked.  This prompted me to check mine.

The scuttle drains allow water from the roof and windscreen to drain from the enclosed areas under the windscreen.  If left to become blocked, water cannot escape and this causes damp air to be drawn into the cabin.  Not only this, but if left for long enough the scuttle will rot out.  If allowed to accumulate long enough, the electronics that control the heater fan motor will be destroyed.  Therefore, it is essential to keep these draining points open not only on the Omega, but any car.

This is an easy thing to prevent, it certainly was on my minifacelift, and I have detailed the process below.

Featured Car
My 1998 2.5 V6 minifacelift.  The principles apply to any Omega.  Please note that earlier cars have a different arrangement where the near side drain emerges in the wheel arch area.  Later cars (from 1998 onwards) drain into the engine bay.

Tools & Items Required

Items
Length of "ring main twin & earth" electrical cable - about 1 metre
Vacuum cleaner (not the wife’s best one!)
Hose Pipe or jug for water

Tools
None!

Preparation - you not the car!
I recommend that you wear old clothes along with an overall of some kind.  If the drain is blocked badly, you will get splashed with dirty and smelly water.

Locating the Drains
There are two drains which are indicated on the picture below.  

Scuttle Drain Points


The one on the drivers side is easy to access.  The second is located at the bottom of the pollen filter compartment and is not so easy to get to.

Cleaning the pollen filter compartment drain
Firstly, remove the rubber seal and lift the pollen filter flap exposing the pollen filter.  Ideally, this should be removed.  If it is old and clogged, this is an ideal time to change it!  There is a plastic clip at the top of the filter on each side.  Carefully undo these and remove the filter.  If reusing it, keep it somewhere safe away from the working area to avoid damage.

Pollen compartment cover


You now have access to the drain point which on my car is right at the bottom of the compartment.  I had a few leaves and other debris in there which I removed by hand.  I had a vacuum cleaner at the ready, but this was not necessary.  I can imagine that in severe cases it would be.  

Using a piece of twin and earth cable (you can get a metre of this from a hardware shop or B&Q, Wickes etc.  Do not buy lighting cable - go for ring main cable as this is thicker).  Feed this into the bottom of the pollen filter compartment and through the black rubber grommet.  The cable should emerge the other side of the compartment.  On my car, it showed on the chassis leg.  

Black Rubber Drain Grommet Location (Arrowed)


Cable through Drain Grommet (Arrowed)


Now that the cable is through the grommet, give it plenty of movement around and around whilst applying water at the same time from, ideally, a hose or a jug.  This will ensure that all the dirt is removed.  The pictures below above show the cable and grommet process.  When clear water comes from the drain point at a nice rate (when the drain is clear, it should pour out) remove the cable.  

If you are able, run your fingers along the seal between the bulkhead and the inner wing.  I found a lot of crud here and removing this further aids the flow of water to the drain.  When all this is done, to reassemble you, as they say, reverse the removal process!

Cleaning the offside drain
This is the easy part.  The drain grommet here can be removed without any tools.  Firstly, ensure that there is no dirt on the black plastic surrounding the drain.  Then, using nothing more than your fingers, you can remove the grommet fairly easily.  When done so, use the cable to poke any dirt through rendering the drain grommet clear.  Then simply press it back into position.  The pictures below show the process.

Drain Grommet Location (round black circle)


Drain Grommet Removed and Cleaned


Replacing Drain Grommet with fingers only

5

Maintenance Guides / Re: Changing the Oil on a V6

« on: 30 December 2006, 23:09:27 »

Filling with oil and initial start up
Carefully lower the car to the ground and refill the engine with 5.75 litres of new oil.  You may wish to use a funnel to aid this process.  Add the first container of oil which will more than likely be 5 litres (if Vauxhall oil it will be, if Castrol it will be 4.5 litres).  Wait a short while for the oil level to settle and then check the dipstick.  The level should, at this point, be around the minimum mark.  Carefully add a little oil at a time until the level reaches the maximum mark.

Ensuring that the oil filler cap is on, start the engine but DO NOT rev it.  Observe the fact that the oil light takes a little longer to extinguish than normal.  If the new oil filter had been left empty, this would be even longer!  With the engine running, check that oil is not leaking from either the sump drain plug or the filter.  Switch off the engine.  After clearing away the tools recheck the oil level and top up if necessary.  The level will more than likely reduce slightly after the first start up as the filter is fully filled, the hydraulic valve lifters are filled etc.

Make a note of the work that you have carried out in your service records and rest in the knowledge that you have another 3 thousand miles or so before you need to do it again.

The Environment
Finally, and I am sure that I do not need to remind about this, but please dispose of the old oil at your local dump where recycling facilities exist (or should exist).  I recently saw someone pouring their old oil down a drain on the public highway whom I am afraid I reported for this environmental vandalism.

6

Maintenance Guides / Re: Changing the Oil on a V6

« on: 30 December 2006, 23:06:58 »

Filter preparation
I like to write the date and mileage onto the new filter so that I can see at a glance when I last changed it.  This is why I have listed a marker pen above.  When I have done this, I prime the filter by pouring new oil into it and shaking it round and round so that the paper element inside absorbs the new oil.  This means that when the engine is started when the new oil is inside, the filter is partially full and the oil pressure will build up much quicker thereby ensuring less metal to metal contact upon initial start up.  Assuming that you are wearing the latex gloves, dip your little finger into the new oil that will be on the top of the filter and smear it on the black rubber sealing ring.  This will prevent the new filter sticking to the engine block.



New Filter Primed with new Oil


Finishing the Draining
As we have jacked one side of the car up, the engine sump is not level.  Carefully lower the car to ensure that all oil can escape.  When the car is lowered, I pour in a little fresh oil in order to give that "final flush".  The picture below shows this.



Oil will still be flowing from the drain plug on the engine, so I use this time to perform a general check of things in the engine compartment like the drive belt tightness and condition, hoses, battery connections, brake fluid, evidence of any fluid leaks etc.  By this time the flow of oil will have stopped.

Closing the Sump
Using some of the tissue paper, thoroughly clean the sump plug, particularly the black sealing ring and threads.  Now move your drain container further under the car so that you can replace the sump nut.  Start off by hand to ensure it is not cross threaded and then tighten with the socket wrench.  Please note that there is no need to tighten it up like a wheel nut as so many garages do.  I let it tighten up and then give it a ¼ turn to "nip it up".  This achieves the fluid tight seal that is required and makes it easy to undo the next time.  The manufacturer states 10Nm for the torx type sump plug, and 55Nm for the older Hex bolt with copper washer.

Removing the old Oil Filter
Raise the passenger side of the car once again and support it with an axle stand.  Get under the car and take the new oil filter in it’s box and a supply of tissue paper with you.  Locate the oil filter which is at the far back of the engine on the passenger side.  The picture below shows the filter as viewed from the top of the engine.  There is not a great deal of room to move but it is quite accessible from under the car.  Unscrew the filter.  If it is tight, you may well require a filter removal tool.  Once again, be prepared for oil to flow as the seal from the engine block is broken.  Once removed, place the old filter on top of your drain container or on your newspaper.  With the tissue paper, clean the old oil from the filter mounting point and the surplus that will be on the engine block and surrounding the black plastic part near a metal pipe.  This is the all important crank sensor which needs to be kept clean.  Whilst you are in this area you could also make sure that the serrated metal pipe leading away from it is not close to the solid pipe.  This is the oil cooler pipe and there have been issues in the past with the crank sensor cable being routed too close to the oil cooler pipe.



Fitting the new Oil Filter
Place your little finger in the oil on top of the NEW oil filter and smear this around the ring on the engine block.  On a cold day, the engine is nice and warm on your finger!  Now screw the new filter on, taking care not to cross thread it.  Place the old filter in the box that the new one came in.  As with the sump nut, there is no need to tighten it with force.  Let it tighten up naturally and, when resistance is felt, simply give it another ¼ of a turn.  Some of the new oil will have escaped and I wipe this off the filter housing with the tissue as I like the filter to look clean.  At this point, you could look at the exhaust and check it’s mountings along with checking for any fluid leaks from the gearbox, rear axle, brake and fuel lines etc.  As you crawl out from under the car, bring the oil drain container with you along with the old filter newspaper, tissues etc.

7

Maintenance Guides / Changing the Oil on a V6

« on: 30 December 2006, 23:01:00 »

Changing the Oil on a V6

Seeing as there is not an oil change guide for the V6 and we have one for the four pot and the diesel, I thought that I would do one for the V6. This covers the metal spin on type filter, though the paper element type is similar...

This is a simple and easy job to do.  It is essential to change the oil around every 3 thousand miles or so.  This will help keep the breathers clear and prolongs the life of the engine.  Without going into too many technicalities, oil does many things for the engine, not just lubricating it.

Featured Car
My 1998 2.5 V6 minifacelift.  The principles apply to any V6 (or any other engine for that matter).  Please note that later engines have the paper element filter not the spin off canister filter as featured here.

Tools & Items Required

Items
5.75 Litres of your favourite oil - I use Vauxhall’s Own
New Oil Filter - again I use the genuine filter
New sump plug washer (not reqd if your car has the newer torx sump plug)
Drain Container
Newspaper
Marker Pen
Good supply of clean tissue paper (the blue stuff that the AA use) or kitchen roll etc.
Latex Gloves
Funnel

Tools
Trolley Jack
Axle Stand
Socket Wrench
T45 Torx Bit for sump plug (older cars use standard bolt)
Oil Filter Removal Tool (optional not required if filter is fitted correctly)



Warnings
Do not get under the car if it is supported only on a jack.  An Axle Stand MUST be in place first.  I recommend that you wear Latex Gloves (the same that doctors use).  I saw these in Halfords at a huge price of £7.99 - they are available at independent car shops for half this.  Both new and used oil is carcinogenic (causes cancer in large enough quantities) so you do not want it getting on your skin if you can help it.

Preparation
Firstly, you want to get the oil nice and hot.  To do this, I go on a fast motorway run of around 30 miles.  This brings everything nicely up to temperature and ensures that all the contaminants will be flushed out of the engine with the old oil.  Locate a suitable place to park the car remembering that you will have to jack up the passenger side and that you will require space at the front of the car.

Jack up the front passenger side of the car as shown in the pictures.  I use a piece of wood to protect the chassis as shown in the pictures.





Draining the old oil
Position your drain container on top of old newspaper under the drain plug.  I have a proper drain container which I reuse.  You can use anything, an old washing up bowl, an old oil container with a side cut out etc, but I have found that the proper item is much better.  Using some tissue paper, clean the area surrounding the sump plug (pictured below).  Next, using a socket wrench and a T45 Torx Bit, loosen the drain plug on the sump which is shown in the picture below.  The thread is quite coarse and it feels tight, almost as if it is cross threaded.  Do not worry about this, it does loosen up at the end of the thread.  Making sure that the drain container is positioned under the drain plug and that it’s drain plug is open, loosen the drain plug by hand.  Be prepared for hot oil to come out at quite a rate and try not to drop the drain plug as it does so.  Monitor the oil going into the container for a while to ensure that oil is not being dispensed onto the ground below.  The picture shows the old oil being released from the engine.  Once satisfied, loosen the oil filling cap as this will help increase the flow of old oil into the container below.

The Sump Drain Plug


Old Oil Draining from engine


Whilst you have the cap off, inspect it.  If there is a creamy "mayonnaise" coating on it, take this opportunity to clean it as in the pictures.  At this point, remove the dipstick and clean all the old oil from this both at the bottom and the yellow top where the two black sealing rings are.  Once this is done, replace the cap, but do not do it up.

Cap with Mayonnaise


Cap after cleaning

8

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: VDO & Delco - What's the difference?

« on: 06 March 2008, 22:09:39 »

"AIRC Delco is Vauxhalls 'brand' for parts."

It is actually AC Delco who happen to be one of the OE supplier to Vaux for parts like batteries and oil filters.  Air filters I think, are Mann.

9

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Traffic master, What Exactly is it.

« on: 17 February 2008, 09:55:36 »

I must admit to never having seen the point of the additional Trafficmaster subscription based button on a vehicle that has a (TA) Traffic Announcement option on the head unit.

You virtually all have the option on an RDS head unit, its FREE to use, it has exactly the same local info as the Trafficmaster announcement

And I bet you all have it turned off . . . . . !!   :-/

This works best when tuned to BBC R1, 2, 3 or 4 and, if your head unit has EON (Enhanced Other Networks) and is switched on, you will hear traffic announcements from other local BBC stations.  The only downside to this is that they can become rather regular and somewhat annoying.

Having said that, I use it quite regularly and find it useful.

10

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: MD

« on: 31 January 2008, 12:55:19 »

Going back to the main subject of this thread, I am sorry, but I am with Martin on this.  I have a MD head unit which could record as well.  I found this really useful.  Unfortunately, the MD section of the Head Unit has failed and I really miss it.

I have a full size MD deck as part of my HiFi setup and still use it although only occasionally.  IMO, MD deserved to do better.

11

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Phone stuff.....

« on: 01 February 2008, 15:33:03 »

Fully agree, fantastic battery life....A proper phone first without all the nonsense that you don't really need anyway...Oh and you can actually see the screen in direct sunlight...Highly recommended, I still got one that I use as a reserve....

Could not agree more - all the reasons stated above is why I still have mine.  Also has InfaRed which I use in conjunction with my laptop and outlook to synchronise the contacts that I have.  It is must easier to enter them on the computer than on the phone!

12

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Mobile phone charger fuse

« on: 07 November 2007, 13:32:10 »

Yes, it does and your calculation is spot on.

13

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: rear view mirror

« on: 03 July 2007, 10:52:08 »

Hi and welcome to the world of Omegas.

Does your mirror have a circle cut out in the silver on the top left hand corner?  If so, then it is the self dimming variety.

Hope this helps.

14

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Alpine F1, Dynaudio System 340

« on: 30 April 2007, 11:56:12 »

Red rag to a bull....as I am very into REAL Hifi......including design work (component level)....

What sort of system to you run at home?  I am also into REAL Hi-Fi.  I can't afford the real top end stuff but my kit is better than the lowest priced.  Mid range I suppose describes it.  

I also live in the town where Stereo (or binaural to give it is original name) sound was invented at the EMI Central Research Labs by a hero of mine, Alan Dower Blumlein.

15

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: CD changer getting worse about skipping

« on: 12 March 2007, 15:33:02 »

I had exactly this problem - the unit never skipped, but would not recognise my CD-R discs.  There were not cheap brands but Verbatim.

I tried the lense cleaner several times but this did not cure the problem.

In the end, I got so fed up, I installed a complete Pioneer set up.