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[jereboam]

It’s been an expensive few weeks.
  
·      First off, the airco failed.  Took it in to garage, only needed re-gassing – working fine now.  
·      Then the battery died on the first cold day this month – been expecting that, though.  
·      Then the driver’s door lock failed – works with key (but sets off alarm), won’t work with remote.  Passenger door has been unreliable for some time so booked it in to be fixed.
·      Then the insurance expired and the ratbags upped my premium by 30% for no reason whatsoever and consequently lost my business.  
·      So that made me think about the MOT – reckoned it must be due, but couldn’t find car documents.  They eventually surfaced, and it turned out that the MOT was actually overdue – oops!
·      So, asked garage to do MOT and service.  No problems – no advisories.  But they didn’t manage to fix the door locks – they say I need 2 new solenoids but they don’t know where to source them from – presumably VX too expensive.

So, anyway, last weekend, the wife and I set off to visit the youngest son in Bristol and the in-laws in Wales.  Lousy journey down – overturned lorry on the M4.  Had a reasonable weekend, set off home again.  Just before Reading services, there was a clattering noise which sounded like it came from inside the car – I thought the wife had dropped something which had hit the centre console or door pocket, but she hadn’t.  I stopped at the services and checked all round to see if anything had fallen off – it had just been serviced, so I was thinking about the wheel bolts.  All looked OK and the car was running fine.  We took it easy and got back to Suffolk without incident.  

But now there’s a burnt oil smell every time I use the car, and the electrics seem to be even more erratic than usual.   I suppose it’s got to go back to the garage, but I really can’t work up much enthusiasm.  

Beginning to think bye-bye Omega…

[Tony H]

It’s been an expensive few weeks.
  
·      First off, the airco failed.  Took it in to garage, only needed re-gassing – working fine now.  
·      Then the battery died on the first cold day this month – been expecting that, though.  
·      Then the driver’s door lock failed – works with key (but sets off alarm), won’t work with remote.  Passenger door has been unreliable for some time so booked it in to be fixed.
·      Then the insurance expired and the ratbags upped my premium by 30% for no reason whatsoever and consequently lost my business.  
·      So that made me think about the MOT – reckoned it must be due, but couldn’t find car documents.  They eventually surfaced, and it turned out that the MOT was actually overdue – oops!
·      So, asked garage to do MOT and service.  No problems – no advisories.  But they didn’t manage to fix the door locks – they say I need 2 new solenoids but they don’t know where to source them from – presumably VX too expensive.

So, anyway, last weekend, the wife and I set off to visit the youngest son in Bristol and the in-laws in Wales.  Lousy journey down – overturned lorry on the M4.  Had a reasonable weekend, set off home again.  Just before Reading services, there was a clattering noise which sounded like it came from inside the car – I thought the wife had dropped something which had hit the centre console or door pocket, but she hadn’t.  I stopped at the services and checked all round to see if anything had fallen off – it had just been serviced, so I was thinking about the wheel bolts.  All looked OK and the car was running fine.  We took it easy and got back to Suffolk without incident.  

But now there’s a burnt oil smell every time I use the car, and the electrics seem to be even more erratic than usual.   I suppose it’s got to go back to the garage, but I really can’t work up much enthusiasm.  

Beginning to think bye-bye Omega…

Shop around year on year for the last three years I've managed to get my premium reduced by changing insurers.  

[Del Boy]

Know how you feel, been feeling the same over the past 2 months but my old girl is holding up at the mo, your burnt oil smell sounds like the rocker cover gaskets.

[fatboyfat]

My car has "unpleasant pong" which i am also thinking is cam cover seals,have you seen smoke in engine bay mine has smoke when engine gets hot,also no smell until engine warms up.

[Del Boy]

My car has "unpleasant pong" which i am also thinking is cam cover seals,have you seen smoke in engine bay mine has smoke when engine gets hot,also no smell until engine warms up.

99.9% thats your cam covers m8, mine are doing it again at the mo will do it myself this time But yeah check the spark plug holes see if there is oil in them, if there is then its your rocker covers.

[jereboam]

My car has "unpleasant pong" which i am also thinking is cam cover seals,have you seen smoke in engine bay mine has smoke when engine gets hot,also no smell until engine warms up.

99.9% thats your cam covers m8, mine are doing it again at the mo will do it myself this time But yeah check the spark plug holes see if there is oil in them, if there is then its your rocker covers.

Yeah - I think that's what the problem is too.  They were replaced last year, though.  I have no idea whether he used original parts or cheapo ones - at least I've learned about that from this forum.  As I've mentioned before, my garage owner absolutely hates the Vauxhall V6 engine, for some reason, but he usually does a good job.  However, it took him 3 attempts to identify the oil leak last time, although to be fair, there was a water leak at the back of the engine as well at around the same time.

Anyone got any idea about the noise I heard?  Surely it can't have anything to do with the rocker cover gaskets?

I'll take it to the garage and report back later.

[Tony H]

My car has "unpleasant pong" which i am also thinking is cam cover seals,have you seen smoke in engine bay mine has smoke when engine gets hot,also no smell until engine warms up.

99.9% thats your cam covers m8, mine are doing it again at the mo will do it myself this time But yeah check the spark plug holes see if there is oil in them, if there is then its your rocker covers.

Yeah - I think that's what the problem is too. They were replaced last year, though. I have no idea whether he used original parts or cheapo ones - at least I've learned about that from this forum.  As I've mentioned before, my garage owner absolutely hates the Vauxhall V6 engine, for some reason, but he usually does a good job.  However, it took him 3 attempts to identify the oil leak last time, although to be fair, there was a water leak at the back of the engine as well at around the same time.

Anyone got any idea about the noise I heard?  Surely it can't have anything to do with the rocker cover gaskets?

I'll take it to the garage and report back later.

If he did not clean the breather system at the same time he's wasted his time and your money.

[Elite Pete]

As Tony says, there's no point in replacing the cam cover gaskets without cleaning out the breathers and you should use only genuine gaskets

[doog]

My car has "unpleasant pong" which i am also thinking is cam cover seals,have you seen smoke in engine bay mine has smoke when engine gets hot,also no smell until engine warms up.

my car has an unpleasant pong too
it goes away when the wife gets out  

Doug