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[Darth Loo-knee]

Nigel how far are you from the Scotland Meet tomorrow? I can put a little pressure in the system to find the leak whilst you are there. If it is something I can fix whilst you are there I will
Daz

Here is the link

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1244483287

[NaughtyNigel]

Thanks Loo-Knee, that is a great offer.

You are about four hours from me, but it would be worth it to get this problem fixed - or at least to find out what the problem is.

I should know in an hour or two whether the local independent has found anything. They are very good, but as always, time is never on their side.

I will let you know later today. It would be great to come, but I will bring plenty of antifreeze, just in case.

I might even bring my helmet to have a go on that F1SE 

Before I go, I have been reading some of the threads about water leaks in the Vee. If I were to remove the plenum chamber, could I see from there where the water was coming from, or would I need to remove the inlet pipes and fuel gubbins as well?

NN

[sjc]

Both my 3.0L Omegas suffered coolant leaks recently.

One was actually squirting out from behind the plenum (roughly where the breather hoses attach) when you revved the engine - this turned out to be the hose from the coolant bridge to the HBV had a small nick in it, no idea what had caused this as I'd only had the car a few days.

On the other one it was the HBV itself and it was ok when the climate control was having to produce heat but coolant was trickling off the back of the block when no heating was required.  The valve was leaking from the seal on the "plunger" and I guess it'd been sitting in the same position over the winter and spring and only started to leak with the recent warm weather when it needed to bypass the matrix.

So, as already suggested, see if setting it to Lo or Hi makes any difference, if it does then I'd say the problem is the HBV for sure.

With the plenum off you can't really see that much in the V, you've really gotta take the injector manifold and inlet bridge off for a proper look I'm afraid.

[markfree]

If you want to see if there is any coolant in the V then remove the 2 front bagpipes which connect to the throttle housing and you will see the thermostat housing - shine a torch in there and you might see coolant (you've got a leak).
For further investigation you will have to remove Plenum, injector bridge and inlet manifold - but it's not a big job and will take an hour or two depending on your expertise.

[NaughtyNigel]

Interesting.

One thing I have noticed is that the climate control blows warm-ish air when set to Lo, (engine hot) unless the aircon is switched on. Presumably this means the HBV is not bypassing as it should?

From what you and others have said I am tempted to remove the plenum and the other bits and peices to have a proper look inside the Vee. I will change the plugs whilst I am in there. (They were last done at 60,000 miles ago, but the old ones seemed like new so I haven't done them since).    

I guess that removing the plenum will also give a much better view of the HBV behind.

Edit: Just thinking: how is it so many Omega owners seem to live in Scotland?   :question 
NN

[sjc]

If you want to see if there is any coolant in the V then remove the 2 front bagpipes which connect to the throttle housing and you will see the thermostat housing - shine a torch in there and you might see coolant (you've got a leak).

That's a good idea... seems so obvious, dunno why I didn't think of that when I was checking mine!

Edit: Just thinking: how is it so many Omega owners seem to live in Scotland?   :question 

Maybe there's just a lot of Jocks on here cos we're too tight to give our money to cowboy garages so we'd rather fix our Migs ourselves! 

BTW, I'm an ABS and TotalCarlton member too, only recently migrated to an Omega.

[NaughtyNigel]

If you want to see if there is any coolant in the V then remove the 2 front bagpipes which connect to the throttle housing and you will see the thermostat housing - shine a torch in there and you might see coolant (you've got a leak).

That's a good idea... seems so obvious, dunno why I didn't think of that when I was checking mine!

Too obvious! I did't even know there was any fresh air between the cylinder heands and the plenum at the front. Doh! 

I'm sure with a small Maglite torch and a mirror I could see enough to work out if the problem is in the Vee or not. That's my next job then. 

Thinking about it, I have been smelling hot antifreeze for about two years now, but I had never seen anything until last weekend, so the chances are its just been boiling away inside there.

NN

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

Nigel, just spotted you're very close to me. Drop me a PM when you get your car back, if they've found nothing.

[NaughtyNigel]

Thanks for the kind offers of help everyone, but I think decision time has come.

I have just got the miggy back from the local indy garage, and they have confirmed that it is actually the port side (passenger side) head gasket which is bulging out and leaking coolant to the outside world; although the oil remains perfectly clean, and the engine seems to run as well as it ever has done. 

They say the starboard side head gasket is doing the same thing, but not as badly.

Looking underneath the plenum from the front of the engine (using a torch) I can see pink staining from the antifreeze along the port side cylinder block.

They have added a professional quality leak sealer to the cooling system (like Rad Weld but better they tell me) to see if that solves the problem for now.

So, the plan is that my wife will continue to use the car for now, and we will see what happens over the next few weeks. I think I am unlikely to pay the going rate for a new head gasket to be fitted (quoted price around £850), and I don’t really have the time or inclination to do the job myself these days. (At one time I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but that was before the days of Torx fasteners and ECUs).  :-/

That being the case I might just revert to Plan A, and offer the old girl for sale to someone here in Omegaland who can nurse her back to health. 

NN

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

They have added a professional quality leak sealer to the cooling system (like Rad Weld but better they tell me) to see if that solves the problem for now.

 

[NaughtyNigel]

They have added a professional quality leak sealer to the cooling system (like Rad Weld but better they tell me) to see if that solves the problem for now.

 

Not ideal, is it? 

I think I still might just take the plenum off at the weekend to have a proper look inside.

NN

[Darth Loo-knee]

Before you get to upset about your car, it is not unheard of for the head gaskets to go, but I have seen and worked on a number of cars that garages have said the head gasket has gone when it hasn't. If you can make it tomorrow (PM Dave for his address) I will pressure test your car myself and see if they are actually right or not.
If your head gasket was shafted you would be losing water, plus your car would not be running correctly. They could be trying to get £850 off you
For the sake of a ride over to meet some of the guys and gals you could save yourself a few quid
Daz

[NaughtyNigel]

Before you get to upset about your car, it is not unheard of for the head gaskets to go, but I have seen and worked on a number of cars that garages have said the head gasket has gone when it hasn't. If you can make it tomorrow (PM Dave for his address) I will pressure test your car myself and see if they are actually right or not.
If your head gasket was shafted you would be losing water, plus your car would not be running correctly. They could be trying to get £850 off you
For the sake of a ride over to meet some of the guys and gals you could save yourself a few quid
Daz

So I'm told, they don't actually want to do the job! (Too much other work to take on a big job like head gaskets on a V6 engine). 

Right now I am undecided what to do. My plan at present is to remove the plenum and inlet manifolds this weekend to see exactly what is going on. It was leaking again half an hour ago, so I am not too keen on driving it four hours each way!

Anyhow, I will PM you for your address, etc. just in case.

Thanks again.

NN