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1

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Psychic ability required. . ?

« on: 15 January 2008, 20:22:51 »

Hi everyone -- great advice, as ever. The Samaritans can't begin to compare. It's not merely the techhie how-to stuff (thanks laidback for the Halford's tip!) If I ever feel suicidal I'll come on here and listen to one of Dave's bedtime stories.  

Yes, I think I'd better get a pass anyway, as Kevin pointed out.

Oh. As to the ICE, it's all original equipment, obviously a bit old now, but the knob still works.

The ICE, Dave. The ICE.

2

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Psychic ability required. . ?

« on: 15 January 2008, 19:34:22 »

Ah well. . . Doh!  

Thanks, folks, for responding so quickly -- entwood, give me a bit longer to develop more faith in my dismantling abilities, and I'll take anything out. Well, the radio equipment, I mean. But, er, not yet. Even though I've no doubt your solution is a good 'un I'll likely damage myself or the car or both. . .

TheBoy / Jules: thanks for the advice -- I'll call in my Vauxhall main dealer (around the corner from where I live) and ask about the car pass and pricing, and I'll also chase up the auto-electricians my garage mentioned and see what kind of cost they have in mind.

Heigh-ho. 'S not been the best of starts to 2008. Hopefully the next 52,000 miles will be entirely trouble free. Though perhaps that's too much to ask, even of an Omega. (Thank Gawd for this forum, then!)

3

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Psychic ability required. . ?

« on: 15 January 2008, 17:43:19 »

Our Omega was fixed last week by our regular (non franchise) garage but when setting off, the ICE read S A F E.  I asked the garage owner if he'd renewed the brake pads on the CD player. He said, ah, that must've happened when we were reading the runes. Or codes.

(I may be a member here. But Ive still a lot to learn. :-/

Anyway. He said, when you get home, just re-code it off your card. So I've been almost a week now, looking for the blasted card. It ain't here. Cat must've ate it.

So although the Omega now runs as smoothly as ever, it's more silent than ever. Though Mrs G never liked Glenn Miller anyway.

I rang our garage today, said I am sadly bereft of encoding. Unfortunately, the garage owner is on holiday for a fortnight. The receptionist said the best thing to do was for me to go to an auto-electrics place not far from here and they would sort it out.

Hopefully, this won't prove to be terminally expensive. But apart from that option -- and the exercise of psychic powers on my part -- is there any kind of "factory default" code numbering for the ICE in CDXs of September '02 vintage?? Like, er, 1-2-3-4 or something?

4

Omega General Help / Re: Newbie & shuddering start to 2008

« on: 05 January 2008, 18:23:54 »

Desparate rush, so apologies for brevity!

1) alexandjen: I'll *try* diplomatically. . . !

2) alan: you've hit the nail on the head. Really. A relationship with a garage is (and I guess, must be) a little like a relationship with your doctor. You have to trust -- well, you do when you're like us, lambs that are so obviously ready for slaughter -- and until it's inarguably evident that the trust has been breached, well. . .

Our local garage has looked after the Omega for over three years and nothing's ever been too much trouble. (For example, when it was a case of replacing the Michelins on the front wheels, the price they charged for sourcing and fitting the tyres was way, way less than even the prices I'd found on the Internet -- never mind the 'standard' pricing at ATS etc.)

They charge us £80 a year for the annual service and £40-odd for the MoT, and when we lived nearer to them -- we've moved away from the village now -- the receptionist used to down tools, as it were, and pop me into her car and drive me home. Then she'd come and pick me up when the Omega was ready. No extra charge.

Another recent tale: our son was recently stopped by the police (!) on a really miserable winter afternoon when he thought he had his headlamps on dipped beam, but it turned out, only one was working. (He has an old Mondeo). The police issued him with a notice to get it fixed in seven days or else. Fair enough. He's never been in trouble with the police before so was in a panic. We were away so knew nothing about it. He rang the garage, explained what happened, and they said come round now, we'll fit you in. (And truly, they're rushed off their feet all the time.) They broke off from what they were doing and fixed the problem there and then. They stamped the back of the police 'certificate' to say they'd done it. And they charged him £5 for everything, including labour. We're thinking, that's a lot less than the Ford dealer would've charged. And he'd maybe have had to wait a week until they had a slot anyway. . .

I'll certainly take your advice about the try-and-see. But as you and others here so obviously appreciate (thank Gawd!) diplomacy is necessary when people like us are involved. As to costs, aargh, yes, we could well do without this, though we still think our Omega was actually a good buy way back when -- ex-Vauxhall, 15 months old, 14k on the clock and we paid £10,000 for her at a 'car supermarket'. And we got two grand in PX for our old Corolla, which was only £250 less than the Toyota dealer was offering us against a six month old Avensis -- thank Heavenes, we didn't buy it!

I think what I'm trying to say, at risk of taking up too much space and too many people's time here, is that for newbies / numpties like us, we kind of have to trust where we can't see. And as noted, the service we've had over the years has been superb (even with this latest incident, where our local main dealer advised that it would be at least a week before they could take the Omega in, should we want them to do the work, whereas 'our' garage said, your Omega needs sorting out now, it really isn't driveable, so we'll fit you in immediately, don't worry.)

3) Marks:  yes, I will. I know I'll get some funny looks but hey, why not -- and, again, sincere thanks for your help (and everyone else here!)

5

Omega General Help / Re: Newbie & shuddering start to 2008

« on: 05 January 2008, 11:09:23 »

Hi Granger

 Am I right in assuming that your garage has a code reader,
John

Morning John -- yup, the garage does have a card reader, apparently they acquired it when they took on the ervicing of the Omega when the manufacturer warranty period ran out. I'm not sure what was flagged up in the scanning process (as is abundantly obvious, I'm a complete ignoramus here!) but the garage said they had hoped to "get away" with fixing just a sensor problem. But it also turned out that the ignition was at fault, too.

I'm going to pop in on Monday morning with a copy of the eBay item that Marks so kindly provided. I do wish I'd found OOF a lot sooner and all the helpful people here. . .

6

Omega General Help / Re: Newbie & shuddering start to 2008

« on: 04 January 2008, 18:45:26 »

Thanks for the reassurance, Craig!

Marks: it's really good of you to go to so much trouble -- I'll make a diplomatic approach to our garage tomorrow, and raise the question of the eBay seller (sincere thanks for that link: that particular seller certainly looks like a superb resource.)

All best & thanks again!

7

Omega General Help / Re: Newbie & shuddering start to 2008

« on: 04 January 2008, 16:07:50 »

Oh, wow. What can I say?

SINCERE THANKS to everyone here for the way you've helped out this particular stumbling, fumbling newbie with words of advice and encouragement -- it's like being lost in the dark, and then a group of folks show up with torches. Brilliant.  

I certainly felt guilty (still do) about arriving here as a newbie (in every sense) with nothing to contribute other than a sort of begging letter, but hopefully I'll have something useful to offer in future, even if it's only my, er, resignation.

In the meantime though I (and Mrs Boss) will stick with OOF so as to read, learn, and inwardly digest. And then completely rebuild our Omega between breakfast and lunch. Um; one day.

For now though, the position is -- and, again, thanks from both of us to everyone here for "clueing" us in to what might or might not be happening -- the Omega limped the four miles from home to the garage this morning, with the accelerator trembling underfoot and vibrations even in the steering wheel.

The "exhaust emission" light was on all the time, though the garage says no, that isn't signifying the need for a new exhaust. What the "scanning" and sundry other inspections produced by way of results are:

1) Crankshaft sensor. Replacement cost: £59 plus fitting.

But there's also, sadly, a 2):

New ignition coil.

Replacement cost: £125 at best (non Vauxhall sourced) £180 at worst (if this part has to be obtained from  the Vauxhall dealer).

Our garage "team" say the ignition coil fault is actually more serious than the crankshaft sensor failure -- it's also a fairly time consuming job to sort out. They're now chasing around to find an "after market"(?) ignition coil at the lower rate from their own contacts, and hope to have it in stock on Monday.

Ah well. Heigh ho. We've given the go-ahead because really, we need the Omega early next week to visit a sick relative. Neither Mrs Boss nor I have the foggiest idea what an ignition coil is but if it didn't need fixing then from past experience, we know our garage wouldn't be telling us that it does -- they're a super bunch of folks (like here, really!)

Many thanks again, then, to everyone here -- oh, and to Craig, special thanks for the photograph! Obviously, we're saving this thread and all the advice given, but the image is especially helpful. (Stu: garage actually said they had 'wondered' about this meter you referred to, but on detailed examination, no, it's OK.)

Finally, Jim: though nothing will shake our loyalty to this model, Mrs Boss and I do, on reflection, seem to have led a most uncomplicated life. . .

. . . Back when she was driving her Austin A40 Farina. And I had my Ford Anglia 105E, albeit that to start it, you had to crawl underneath and keep hitting the starter motor with a hammer.

But I guess it's what passed for Engine Management, long ago and far away. . .  

8

Omega General Help / Re: Newbie & shuddering start to 2008

« on: 03 January 2008, 17:51:37 »

Hi again everyone -- and many thanks for all the help and advice given. Position is, I've been round to the main dealer with the Omega and asked if it might be a sensor problem? They said they couldn't diagnose without "checking the codes" -- but as they're rushed off their feet today, could I either wait for half an hour (or so) or come back tomorrow.

I think it was good of them to offer but unfortunately I've had experience of half-hour-or-so garage waits before and couldn't manage it this afternoon due to a pre-existing commitment -- so drove back home and rang our usual garage (small, non-franchised, family owned, absolute delight) and have arranged to take the Omega in tomorrow morning.

Oh: they asked for a description of symptoms over the phone and instantly said the same as craig and tunnie. I don't know if they have a code reader or not but will ask them tomorrow -- and take 3.2oestate's advice about eBay if they haven't. Over the past 10 years though they've become deservedly popular, looking after Mercs and BMWs as well as our 'umble Omega, so I imagine they may well have invested in diagnostic wotjamacallits.

(PS: tunnie, your faith in our abilities re "You can do the cam sensor at home its very easy. . ." is touching. But sadly, utterly misplaced.  

Sincere thanks to everyone: the guidance is much appreciated and has certainly helped minimise anxiety -- our Omega is at 53k still a beauty and this is the first time anything, of any kind, has ever gone wrong with her.

9

Omega General Help / Re: Newbie & shuddering start to 2008

« on: 03 January 2008, 15:24:46 »

Thanks Sir Craig! Please excuse our total ignorance but. . . can we just get the main dealer to check out the crank sensor, or cam sensor, without having this £business of code reading?

Or, er, are we asking too much here. Before Vauxhall starts asking too much there.

I have this irrational fear we'll be told the Omega needs everything from  cranks and wotsits to a new exhaust system. Gawd, wot a start to 2008 though. . .

 

10

Omega General Help / Re: Newbie & shuddering start to 2008

« on: 03 January 2008, 14:47:04 »

Whoops! Total idiocy here, but have updated profile. . .

Have just rung my wife at her office  -- she ues the Omega more than me -- re Tunnie' question. She says the Omega has been 'reluctant' to start recently when coming home from work. But she thought it was the weather??

11

Omega General Help / Newbie & shuddering start to 2008

« on: 03 January 2008, 14:15:34 »

Hello everyone -- and apologies for making this first post a plea for help! Our Omega 2.2 (automatic) was first registered in September 2002 and purchased by us in December 2003. She's never let us down, and a village garage has looked after annual servicing.

A few months back, however, warning lights for either "engine electronics" (spanner & wheels icon) or "exhaust emission" (engine icon) remained on after start-up.  However: if we turned off the engine and re-started, the warning light would disappear.

The light (either the emission, or the electronics) didn't stay on every time; in fact, 9/10 we'd simply start her up and set off.

Recently though, the incidence has increased of one or other warning light remaining on after start-up. And it's taken three or four re-starts to get the darned things to switch off.  (The lights have never come on when we're driving, nor have they ever flashed during driving, either. If that happened, we'd ring the RAC straight off.)

Today though, we've just been to our local Tesco's (aaargh) and when we set off home again, the "exhaust emission" light remained on after start-up and, worse, the whole car felt really, really juddery. We drove home very slowly but when we parked in the garage, the Omega nearly rammed the back wall -- instead of just inching along in Drive, without using the accelerator, she fairly lurched in. She feels as though she's on the verge of the engine stalling, and yet the revs are steady. . .

Sadly, neither my wife nor I are mechanical geniuses. Nor geniuses of any kind. Though we've both been driving over 40 years, we're not auto experts. So now we're both worried as to what can have gone wrong with the Omega -- we've had a look through the various help files and posts on here but (oh what a confession) we're wholly incapable of doing our own maintenance, and so we don't fully understand much of the tecchie stuff.

Our Vauxhall Main Dealer is less than a mile from our front door, so we're going to drive our Omega round there. It's just that before doing so, we wondered if anyone here could offer a likely diagnosis of the problem? At least we'd have some idea of what the main dealer may be talking about. . . and charging for!

Again, apologies for a first post that's seeking help rather than contributing anything positive to what is an excellent forum.!