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1

Omega General Help / Re: Back from the dead...

« on: 26 September 2013, 19:26:38 »

I've bought scrapyard batteries before with no problem, apart from the time that one had a leak that I hadn't noticed and the acid ate away a good portion of the battery shelf.....      Some scrapyard batteries might have suffered trauma..... 

As to what to do with your Omega, only you can decide that one! 

Actually, I was dead lucky with the battery.  It's got a sticker on it showing that it was supplied by the RAC in December 2012.  It's a Bosch 680mAh job - the dead one - in my garage until I can find the receipt for it and take it back to Halfords - was also a Bosch, but rated at 780mAh, and that cost me £104 if I remember correctly, which isn't actually very likely.

2

Omega General Help / Back from the dead...

« on: 25 September 2013, 14:35:39 »

Not sure whether that's the car or me...

Just been up to the local scrapyard and bought a battery for £15.  Put it in the car, and it started first time.  I let it run for a few minutes, and it gave no problems - not bad after something like 2 months just sitting there.  I switched it off and disconnected the negative terminal of the battery to stop whatever drained the last battery draining this one.

Can't put the new battery on charge, as my battery charger is now dead - collateral damage, I'd call that. 

I didn't drive the car round, but as far as I can remember - which really isn't very far - the only problem on the road was that the ABS may not have been working.  And, of course, the speedo and several other bits were out of action because of the problem which has been diagnosed here as being ABS/ECU failure.  Also, the stereo didn't seem to be working - can't remember if that was a problem before.

I'm pleased with my replacement car, so the Omega has to go.  So the question is - what do I do next?

Options seem to be:

• Drive it straight to the scrapyard
• Sell it as it stands to an enthusiast
• Dismantle as much of it as I can for parts for sale here, then get it towed away
• Repair the ABS/ECU and then sell it to an enthusiast

The tax runs out at the end of the month.

All (polite) suggestions welcome. 

(if this is posted in the wrong place, please move it.)

3

Omega General Help / Re: Deader than a boxful of door nails!

« on: 14 September 2013, 11:21:49 »

.....

No idea if power sounder still fitted - don't even know what it does or where it's fitted.  Definitely no beeps.

     How long have you been on this forum?

Driver's side under the scuttle. It's a battery backed up siren for the alarm, ie it sounds in the event of you disconnecting the battery in preparation for stealing it (unless you disconnect the battery within 15 secs of turning the ignition off ........ that must ring a bell (ha ha) somewhere  )

Several hundred years! Problem is that I have a lousy memory, and it's getting worse by the day due to age and general decrepitude, which is why I've stopped using the forum on a regular basis. 

But now you mention the location of the powersounder, I do remember investigating it before.  So if it hasn't been disconnected yet, it's either broken or not causing any sort of problem.  Will have a look when it stops raining.

4

Omega General Help / Re: Deader than a boxful of door nails!

« on: 13 September 2013, 18:57:57 »

Still got your powersounder fitted mate?  Heard any beeps before battery went flat - typically when switching engine off and removing key?

No idea if power sounder still fitted - don't even know what it does or where it's fitted.  Definitely no beeps. 

5

Omega General Help / Re: Deader than a boxful of door nails!

« on: 13 September 2013, 15:51:00 »

....

Is the problem with the jump leads heating up  .....

Cheapo or decent jump leads? 

As far as I know, they are (or were) fairly good ones.  Had a cheap set once, but they looked so flimsy, I was too frightened to use them.  The insulation isn't quite what it was before I tried to start the car this morning, so I may have to replace them.

6

Omega General Help / Re: Deader than a boxful of door nails!

« on: 13 September 2013, 15:46:38 »

open bonnet, put brick on bonnet alarm switch, double lock the car wait 15 minutes then put a clamp ammeter round the battery earth connector. Should read below 80ma. Without a clamp meter it is not quite so simple but not difficult, have a search on the forum.  These devices are good for pinning down the faulty fused circuit http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350781232763 if you need to keep it simple.

No offence, but I didn't understand that. 

• as far as I know, there isn't a bonnet alarm
• I'm definitely not double locking the car - I had to call the garage to open it
• Haven't got a clamp ammeter - don't even know what it is - don't want to buy one as I would hope never to need it again
• wouldn't have a clue how to interpret any results

But thanks anyway.

7

Omega General Help / Re: Deader than a boxful of door nails!

« on: 13 September 2013, 15:02:59 »

£36.26 inc VAT  http://www.tayna.co.uk/065-Numax-Car-Battery-P966.html  Not the best batt in the world but would do.

Actually that CCA is low you would be better with an 096 battery currently £48 delivered on ebay

It's quite easy to check the charging system and for leaks with a voltmeter.

How do I check for leaks?  The car was in and out of the garage for a couple of months and they were supposed to be looking for the problem.  (Don't use that garage any more - utterly useless.)

Is the problem with the jump leads heating up caused by very high internal resistance in the completely dead battery, or is there another problem causing it?

Since I bought the battery only a few months ago, is there likely to be some sort of guarantee I can claim on, or are they (quite justifiably) going to blame the car?

8

Omega General Help / Re: Deader than a boxful of door nails!

« on: 13 September 2013, 14:55:52 »

Even when ok there will be a 20-30mA drain at all times and hence a good battery will be absolutely flat after 100 days.
If leaving a car for any time you must either disconnect the battery, regularly charge the battery or leave a fully managed battery charger connected.

I only left it for 18 days!

9

Omega General Help / Re: Deader than a boxful of door nails!

« on: 13 September 2013, 14:28:48 »

Yeah, that's the question - what killed it?  The last battery (not an expensive one) lasted 2 years, then died quite suddenly - I had to keep charging it earlier this year, so I bought what I assumed was a good battery to replace the dodgy one.  Looks like some fault in the car circuitry has finished this one off too.

Don't want to spend another £100 on a battery - the car's got to go.  Probably cheaper to pay someone to tow it to the local scrap yard.  I hated saying that.  

10

Omega General Help / Deader than a boxful of door nails!

« on: 13 September 2013, 12:22:49 »

Sorry I haven't been around much.  My Omega is still sitting on the driveway.  Bought another car, as multiple problems (ABS/ECU, speedo, etc.) put it out of action and I needed a car to go on holiday.  Came back from holiday, Omega dead, couldn't get in as locked shut, very busy, finally got the garage to get the car open yesterday.  Tried to charge battery - no response.  Turned out my charger had died - not the fuse.  Tried my jump starter box - nothing, but the leads got hot.  Voltmeter shows battery giving 0.32v - definitely not good. 

Tried a jump start from my other car this morning.  No sign of life from the Omega and the jump leads started smoking within 30 seconds.  Nearly burnt my fingers removing them before the whole lot went boom. 

It's a newish battery (earlier this year), good brand (Bosch).  Now suspect whatever is wrong killed my charger - that's £40 down the drain!  What's wrong?  What do I do next?  Why didn't I ask the bloke from the garage to start the car while he was here?

Anybody wanna buy a dead Omega?

11

General Car Chat / Re: Moving to the darkside

« on: 06 August 2013, 20:05:50 »

Don't think I could live with a car that has a range of 124 miles.  What happens when it begins to run out of juice?

I'm retired and I don't actually do a lot of mileage, but I'd need to keep a second car for those occasions when I want to go a bit more than 124 miles, like the annual holiday (day after tomorrow, yippee!) when I might cover 1600 miles (Scotland, then Wales, then back to Suffolk).   And what happens if you plan things wrong and get stuck in traffic when you're getting near to the maximum? 

Altogether too stressful for an old bloke.

12

General Car Chat / Re: Auto. Suppose I select an incorrect gear...?

« on: 04 August 2013, 13:33:21 »

Where it does make a difference on DBW is around the lanes and around town, as it hangs on to gears longer, and changes dwn earlier, so coming off a roundabout, or out of a slower corner, its already in the right gear. Its pretty much essential to use it.

The 3.0l with v9 software, less important, as the adaptions make more difference...   ...unless tunnie has been driving my car, in which case Sport is needed until the gearbox relearns

I think I must be too cautious.  Or perhaps Brackley lanes are wider than Suffolk lanes.  Due to the fact that much of the time the lanes are "single track with passing places" and forward visibility is about 100m to 150m, maximum speed is rarely above 40mph for any distance, and you might just as well leave the gear lever in 'D'.  My nerves aren't up to racing round these roads - too much chance of meeting someone racing in the other direction.  Evasive action is the order of the day.

Mind you, I don't say it wouldn't be fun.

13

General Car Chat / Re: Auto. Suppose I select an incorrect gear...?

« on: 03 August 2013, 00:47:48 »

Ta!

14

General Car Chat / Re: Auto. Suppose I select an incorrect gear...?

« on: 03 August 2013, 00:00:43 »

It doesn't add power, torque or re-map the ECU..... All it does is tell the transmission not to change up so soon - which kick-down does on WOT.

Wot's WOT?

15

General Car Chat / Re: Auto. Suppose I select an incorrect gear...?

« on: 01 August 2013, 21:16:16 »

.

Never found much use for the 'S' button either - TBH I'd forgotten it was there on the Omega.

You're not driving it hard enough then. Sports settings make a noticeable difference to the gear shift points. 

My Omega used to go like a bat out of hell if you floored it anyway.  S button didn't seem to do much. 

In the days when I commuted from Suffolk to West London, I actually spent a week using it more or less permanently.  As I recall, it didn't actually improve my driving experience, and I had to buy more petrol.