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[davemish]

My Omega, like some others, has a coolant leak which was diagnosed as a head gasket leak and which was changed at great expense by the local Vauxhall agent. I am still getting coolant loss which is not consistant and does not seem to be external. Someone in the forum suggested that someone elses problem could be a HBV. Can someone tell me what HBV is?  :-?

[dbug]

Welcome to OOF  

You should post this - I was going to say in General Help & b*gger me its moved - fast work Hotel21

HBV = Heater Bypass Valve - it lives behind engine plenum at back.

[hotel21]

Moving to gen help....

HBV is the abbreviation for the Heater Bypass Valve, which is the usual suspect for unexplained coolant loss which gives a drip/leak on the rear of the engine, drivers side of the gearbox.  There is a pic somewheres of where its located and a thread on how to change it.  Will add this shortly, when I find it!!  

welcome to the forum, by the way....  

[Darth Loo-knee]

here is a link to a picture of a HBV  
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1192574064

[davemish]

Thanks for info!

However the engine is inline not V6 so does that place the HBV somewhere else?

[RobG]

No

[davemish]

Update on Coolant loss.

The local vauxhall garage has replaced the HBV and it seems to have cured the problem, time will tell Thanks all for your interest
I hope I'll be able to report 100% success later

[ians]

Update on Coolant loss.

The local vauxhall garage has replaced the HBV and it seems to have cured the problem, time will tell Thanks all for your interest
I hope I'll be able to report 100% success later

was that the same one that replaced your head gaskets at great expense when all that was needed was a new HBV?

[Black cxd v6]

How much did there charge you? I am needing the same job doing on mine.

[davemish]

£1226 - good luck!!

[johnnycboy]

£1226 - good luck!!

Robbing barstewards . makes you blood boil, hope you got some money back on the not needed HG. :question

hopefully all is well now

[big-o-bob]

I changed what I think is the same valve myself.  I don't know much about machanics, but some how managed it myself, with the aid of a haynes manual and torque wrench.

If we are talking about the same valve, it was a plastic valve located at the back of the engine (V6), a sod to get to and I had to remove a fair bit off the top of the engine.  Even then it was tight.

Being on the heater circuit, mine was only losing coolant whilst the heater fan was switched on, which would explain the coolant loss being inconsistant in your case.

Seems a bit expensive to me, as I would have thought a competent mechanic would have had it finished before dinner time.  

[Lizzie_Zoom]

I changed what I think is the same valve myself.  I don't know much about machanics, but some how managed it myself, with the aid of a haynes manual and torque wrench.

If we are talking about the same valve, it was a plastic valve located at the back of the engine (V6), a sod to get to and I had to remove a fair bit off the top of the engine.  Even then it was tight.

Being on the heater circuit, mine was only losing coolant whilst the heater fan was switched on, which would explain the coolant loss being inconsistant in your case.

Seems a bit expensive to me, as I would have thought a competent mechanic would have had it finished before dinner time.  

That is indeed the HBV, it is a sod to work on.

However, for next time, you do not have to remove anything from the top of the actual engine; you just remove the wipers and the plastic tray running beneath them to gain (still very difficult) access to the HBV.

[HerefordElite]

£1226 - good luck!!

ouch  

if the dealer diagnosed coolant loss as HG then i'd be kicking their arse for a hefty compensation claim

thieving barstewards  

[Entwood]

£1226 - good luck!!

That must be the rip-off of the century !!  They are charging for their own incorrect diagnosis ??   I'd be phoning Trading Standards and the Citizens Advice people very soon ..