Complete Newbie with large engine problem

[bexandpower]

Hi,

Just recently bought  a 3.0 elite. Checked the history and the belt needed changing so i had it done, also had an oil and filter change whilst it was there. The car then decided she would cut out when i was driving her so i had a new crank shaft sensor fitted. All was well in the world of omega driving then last night on my way back from a meal out i heard a really nasty noise coming from the engine (sounded like very badly tuned diesel). So i got nice mr green flag out to come tow me home (even though i am nearly on first name terms with the garage now lol). The mechanic that towed me home said that it could be the big ends? and then suggested that i dont bother getting them fixed either go for a recon lump or get this one recon'd. I'm in a bit of a pickle here as we love the car and dont really want to get rid of it but at the same time i dont want to part with thousands to keep it. Any help or prices on recon lumps would be really helpfull. One thing though the car has only done 89k and the big ends have gone? i could understand it at 200k is this strange or am i just cursed?

[TheBoy]

I would check the cam timing first.  When you did belt, you did use a proper locking/timing kit??

[Taxi_Driver]

Hi and Welcome  

Id be suprised if the big ends have just failed like that. Usually if a problem they get worse over a period of time
Was the timing belt tensioner changed at the same time as the belt? Just thinking if not it may be thats that failed, you may be lucky or not  

Im sure an expert will be along shortly to advise more than i can  

[Taxi_Driver]

I would check the cam timing first.  When you did belt, you did use a proper locking/timing kit??

I see Jaime has   Must type faster next time  

[Matchless]

Very unusual for bigend or crank bearings to give trouble unless something drastic happens to the oil circuit.

I would suspect the valve timing has slipped due to tensioner or idler failure or that the tensioner wasnt tightened up properly.

If you are lucky the noise will be the cambelt slapping against the camcover, but if the belt has jumped more than one or two teeth then you will be looking for a pair of replacement heads due to bent valves and broken valve guides, the 3.0 suffers much more damage than the 2.5 when this happens.

Where are you based? Update your profile to include location...there might be someone nearby who can help with the diagnosis or repair.

[bexandpower]

I had my local garage do the cambelt and tensioner change i asked them to do a full kit as i know what can go wrong with these and as they charged me nearly £300 i should bloody hope it was a full kit. I also had an oil and filter change whilst it was there i was a bit supprised when it went like that all of a sudden i have known big ends to get worse and worse. Oh just one other thing it was not idleing right at all when the noise was going on it was jumpin from 500rpm to about 2000rpm.

[bexandpower]

just one thing if i had a serious oil fault would i not get a fault light on the dash?

[Matchless]

The oil pressure light on most cars only comes on at very low pressure, the bigends and mains need good oil flow at high pressure to avoid over-heating.
I was thinking more of blocked oilways due to past neglect or a collapsed oil filter etc.

Your problem sounds more like valve timing but Im a little puzzled by the idle variation unless its just the response time of the idle control loop as it tries to stop the engine dying completely.

[bexandpower]

So therefore considering that if the timing has been put out by a badly fitted kit the that would be the fault of the garage would it not? I did ask for a full kit that does include tensioner and idler does it not?

[TheBoy]

So therefore considering that if the timing has been put out by a badly fitted kit the that would be the fault of the garage would it not? I did ask for a full kit that does include tensioner and idler does it not?

I've heard some garages do not use timing kit, as they often change belts on cars where cam timing is not adjustable...   ...and they assume Omega is the same.

[bexandpower]

Yeah when i first spoke to the garage i made a point of asking them that it was a full kit and that it was a genuine vx kit

[Eliteman Steve]

Just a thought , but if the timing was not set up properly would the fault not have been apparent as soon as the car was started ? Sounds like something might have slipped?? :-/

[bexandpower]

Just one thing to add i did go over a level crossing just before it happaned

[TheBoy]

Just one thing to add i did go over a level crossing just before it happaned

Didn't belt the sump hard did you?

[iggy21uk]

Not 100% sure about this, if its a genuine Vauxhall kit and its fitted by a garage  you get a Guarantee against
failure .
What does your receipt from the garage say?

Sounds like the timing belt from what you describe