My 3 second hand, 3 yr old, 40k omega has failed to start twice, both times first thing on a morning. First time it started after rescue to Vauxhall garage, second time diagnosed crankshaft sensor failure. NBow seems ok (touch wood). Has anyone else had this problem? If the sensor is working intermittenty, surely I'd get a misfire occasionally? Or is it all too complicated...
Bit annoying the changes interval for cambelt - £260 for replacement.
Andy
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I had exactly the same problem; the only major problem to date (touch wood). Mine's a 2.5 petrol.
My symptoms were failure to start when the engine had been stopped for an hour or so after being run at full temperature before the stop. If I opened the bonnet and let it cool, it'd be fine (looked very professional at customer sites). No running problems, no misfire, just no start.
Eventually, it packed up completely, was towed to a main dealer, and was diagnosed as a crankshaft sensor which was replaced (£140 or so) and no problems since. It was the only job I've had done by a main dealer so I had comeback if it wasn't what they said it was.
Hope this helps. Great car otherwise, though, isn't it?
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I have an '98 40k MV6 but never this problem. The cambelt replacement interval is a mystery though. I've seen either every 40k, every 60k or every 80k.
I had mine done by my local "little man" at last service - £330 all in, including replacement of that huge belt which goes round all the pulleys and gubbins at the front of the engine, and replacement of the pulley wheel (?) at the bottom.
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smokie
No surprise you've seen various recomendations - Vauxhall have altered the recommendations for cambelt changes regularly over the last few years.
A simplified version (ie it may have a few errors!)is that was 4yr/40k for everything up to '97, when they appear to have gone to 8yr/80k for everything.
Following the various problems they have gone back to 6yr/60k for 1.4 - 1.8 petrol engines (1.0, 1.2 and 2.2's now have chains), 1.7 diesels 100k/10yr, 80k/8 yr for everything else - based on my handbook provided in Jan 2002.
Oh, and at least one dealer has said to me 'I'd do it at 40k'!
No wonder people are confused!
You know the advice from this site of course.
Regards
John S
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Thanks for the advice - my main dealer says Vauxhall have recently (ie last month) recommended ALL rubber cambelts on all modela are replaced at 40000 miles. Ignore any 80000 advice given over the last 3 years. Money for the boys, eh?
Now the airbag warning light has started coming on - any ideas about this one??
Andy
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Andy
Thanks for the update. Consistent with some off the cuff dealer advice I was given 6 months or so back. I noticed that HJ has said Vx were now recommending a 40k change, it's back to square one eh?
I'm led to believe that Vx have contributed up to 100% for repairs when belts have failed on Vx serviced cars within the stipulated mileages. I wonder if this latest recommendation will be made a prerequisite of such repairs? Such a move would require the dealers to make this clear at service time when trying to 'sell' what may appear to be an unnecessary belt change to an uninformed owner.
Given the comments I don't believe anyone reading this site would go beyond the 4yr/40k change.
Money for they boys - well, yes, it's a running cost, but far cheaper than an engine blow up.
Air bag light - not a clue, but most comments I've seen seem to relate to wiring problems or need for reprogramming of the elctronics.
Regards
John S
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Can you give me some legal advice?
My 1997 Omega 2.5 had cambelt tensioner failure at 47,000 miles, when my garage said the recommended replacement interval for the belt itself was 80,000, but when there was (apperently) no replacement policy for the tensioner.
Of couse when the tensioner went everything failed, leaving me with a bill for £2600 + VAT. Do I have a chance of claiming some recompense, eg small claims court, and if so would it be against the Vauxhall dealer (bought second hand) or Vauxhall themselves. Vauxhall Customer Service say they'll do nothing for me, but it seems to me that any component whose premature failure will cause major engine damage should either have a replacement policy or the supplier should be to some degree liable.
Nigel
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I think you will find that the current Vx policy is every 40k miles, cambelt + tensioner.
With the benefit of no experience whatsoever, I'd say you have as much chance of recovering any cost as...well...speed camers being outlawed. The car is (almost) 5 years old so I can udnerstand Vx saying no. I think a court would see it as wear and tear. Oh, the joys of motoring...
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Airbag light coming on is usually a loose connection to the seatbelt grabber.
Have you had passengers in the back seat recently? If so they may have caught the wiring connector with their feet.
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The side airbags are also checked by the light - so it could be something as simple as a damaged waterproof membrane in either door. The door bags operate by side air pressure - NOT frontal impact.
Hope this helps ......
Regards ....... Robert
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Definitely turning into an Omega forum!
I was absolutely astonished at the previous post of £2600+VAT repairs when the cam belt went. What exactly needs to be done on a cambelt failure that could cost the price of another car? I assume that if it does fail, the pistons would hit the valves and possibly damage them, together with the cam rod on the top. Anything else? Although I was informed by a previous service centre that I rang from my service book when I bought the car that the cam belt had been replaced, together with the water pump at 72K, I am now feeling somewhat nervous about these cambelts! How can such a flimsy rubber belt be employed where the risk of it breaking causes so much damage? It specifies in my handbook 80K, as far as I was informed it was replaced at 72K and now I've done nearly 92K miles. I suppose I had better start saving to get it changed again at 100K? Is it safer to have it done at a dealer or better to go to say Halfords? Mines a 16V engine.
Simon
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SVPworld (incorporating PSRworld)
www.svpworld.com
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How can such a flimsy rubber belt be employed where the risk of it breaking causes so much damage? ..... Simon
Simon,
I think this is why chain driven cams are generally preferred to belts. However a large number of engines still employ belts with no adverse effects as long as they are replaced according to the
manufacturers recommendations.
The "old" Omega, especially on V6 models, has had well reported problems with early cambelt failure. IIRC, the new 2.2, 2.6 and 3.2 engines are all chain driven. Which must be good news for any prospective Omega buyers out there.
Chad.R
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