Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: mc9 on 29 March 2009, 11:04:39
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Started the car this morning and went to the petrol station. Noticed that the engine temperature guage wasn't working and no heating (electronic climate control). Just went out to start the car and the battery is flat (again).
This car has some big problems and an expensive visit to a Vauxhall specialist is going to be needed. Unless anyone out there has any ideas?
We bought the car just before christmas, so not too familiar with it yet.
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If your engine never seems to get to operating temperature (no heat in the car, and nothing showing on the temp gauge) this could be your thermostat stuck open. What's fuel consumption like? If your stat is stuck open and your engine's permanently running cold you'll have no performance and you'll be using a lot of fuel.
Re the battery, it's either battery itself which is on the way out and losing its charge, or there's something on the car which is draining the battery overnight. Try replacing the battery, if you've got another which you know is good, or try disconnecting the battery when you're not using the car and see if the battery stops going down. (Make sure you've got the radio code before you disconnect the battery, and you'll also have to reset the electric windows when you reconnect.) If the battery still goes down even though it's disconnected then it's the battery itself, if not then something on the car's draining it.
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Started the car this morning and went to the petrol station. Noticed that the engine temperature guage wasn't working and no heating (electronic climate control). Just went out to start the car and the battery is flat (again).
This car has some big problems and an expensive visit to a Vauxhall specialist is going to be needed. Unless anyone out there has any ideas?
We bought the car just before christmas, so not too familiar with it yet.
You could swap it with mine ;) :P
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Started the car this morning and went to the petrol station. Noticed that the engine temperature guage wasn't working and no heating (electronic climate control). Just went out to start the car and the battery is flat (again).
This car has some big problems and an expensive visit to a Vauxhall specialist is going to be needed. Unless anyone out there has any ideas?
We bought the car just before christmas, so not too familiar with it yet.
Where are you? Worth filling out your profile ;)
I suspect the 2 problems are unrelated.
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Here's the story.
Bought car December last year.
Water pump disintegrated in January -- new pump and thermostat fitted by garage. Water temp was running at a steady 97deg, until yesterday.
Noticed water temp was lower than usual, about 87deg (cold day).
Just taken car for a run after fast charging battery. Warm up now seems slower than normal. Water temp is varying over a range of about 5deg -- runs warmer with climate control on LO, cooler with heating on HI. Average is around 92deg.
Is this a jammed thermostat? It's new but could it be jameed with a piece of the old wter pump?
Not sure if the battery discharge probem is related.
I'm in Luton, Beds
mc9
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Is this a jammed thermostat? It's new but could it be jameed with a piece of the old wter pump?
Not sure if the battery discharge probem is related.
It's possible that something like a bit of old gasket has found its way into your new stat and jammed it open. (Silicone gasket compound is notorious for breaking off and getting into places you'd rather it didn't! :o )
I think it's unlikely that the battery problem is related, in fact off the top of my head I can't think of any way it could be.
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Here's the story.
Bought car December last year.
Water pump disintegrated in January -- new pump and thermostat fitted by garage. Water temp was running at a steady 97deg, until yesterday.
Noticed water temp was lower than usual, about 87deg (cold day).
Just taken car for a run after fast charging battery. Warm up now seems slower than normal. Water temp is varying over a range of about 5deg -- runs warmer with climate control on LO, cooler with heating on HI. Average is around 92deg.
Is this a jammed thermostat? It's new but could it be jameed with a piece of the old wter pump?
Not sure if the battery discharge probem is related.
I'm in Luton, Beds
mc9
ah, sounds like simple stat issue. Dead easy to replace on 2.5TD.
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Cooling problem first:
You say that after the water pump/thermostat were changed, it normally runs at 97 degrees - I reckon that's too hot anyway.
2.5TDs normally seem to run at around the 90 - 92 mark. First, I'd try another thermostat, and while it's out, ensure that there's no foreign matter etc in the recess/housing. You'll also need to add 5 litres of antifreeze, (that's 50% strength). Another common occurrence on these is a silted-up rad, but try the 'stat first.
Battery:
You could try Cybertrucker's idea, but I'd be checking-out the alternator output first to be sure the battery is actually being sufficiently charged. If you don't have access to a multi-meter, any auto-sparky should be able to do this check in a matter of minutes, so shouldn't cost much.
Try updating your profile - a helpful fellow OOF-er may well be close to hand!
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Thanks for the help.
How do I change the thermostat? Can't see a guide in the maintenance section.
mc9
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i agree with sethsmate regarding your temp quiery, as for the battery situation i would check & clean all connections to the battery, check the aux belt is tight, & another thing you could check is to see if the ign light glows slightly with ign off & key out [best done at night], if it is slightly glowing itll be the alternator at fault :y
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i agree with sethsmate regarding your temp quiery, as for the battery situation i would check & clean all connections to the battery, check the aux belt is tight, & another thing you could check is to see if the ign light glows slightly with ign off & key out [best done at night], if it is slightly glowing itll be the alternator at fault :y
Cheers Alf ....
As an aside, I had a fellow tractor-owning OOF-er here recently with the same battery/charging problem, who'd had weeks of hassle. Turned out to be an insecure battery earth clamp - simple as ...... !
Moral of the story - check the obvious first!
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I still think MC9 should swop cars with me :P ;D
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when i first got mine it was doing odd things, i found the crimps on the battery although tight had corroded inside the crimp itself causing intermittent problems, so cut them off & re-crimped & protected them with vaseline, had no problems since :y
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when i first got mine it was doing odd things, i found the crimps on the battery although tight had corroded inside the crimp itself causing intermittent problems, so cut them off & re-crimped & protected them with vaseline, had no problems since :y
Great minds think alike Alf!
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Cooling problem first:
You say that after the water pump/thermostat were changed, it normally runs at 97 degrees - I reckon that's too hot anyway.
2.5TDs normally seem to run at around the 90 - 92 mark. First, I'd try another thermostat, and while it's out, ensure that there's no foreign matter etc in the recess/housing. You'll also need to add 5 litres of antifreeze, (that's 50% strength). Another common occurrence on these is a silted-up rad, but try the 'stat first.
Battery:
You could try Cybertrucker's idea, but I'd be checking-out the alternator output first to be sure the battery is actually being sufficiently charged. If you don't have access to a multi-meter, any auto-sparky should be able to do this check in a matter of minutes, so shouldn't cost much.
Try updating your profile - a helpful fellow OOF-er may well be close to hand!
Different age cars have different markings on gauge. So rather than suggesting temps, better just to say midpoint on gauge (a good tractor will be midpoint - yours sounds a tad low)
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Thanks for the help.
How do I change the thermostat? Can't see a guide in the maintenance section.
mc9
Ever pass Brackley (M1 Jn15a, then 17m down A43)? If you do, I'll show you how to change stat on condition you write a Guide ;)
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Cooling problem first:
You say that after the water pump/thermostat were changed, it normally runs at 97 degrees - I reckon that's too hot anyway.
2.5TDs normally seem to run at around the 90 - 92 mark. First, I'd try another thermostat, and while it's out, ensure that there's no foreign matter etc in the recess/housing. You'll also need to add 5 litres of antifreeze, (that's 50% strength). Another common occurrence on these is a silted-up rad, but try the 'stat first.
Battery:
You could try Cybertrucker's idea, but I'd be checking-out the alternator output first to be sure the battery is actually being sufficiently charged. If you don't have access to a multi-meter, any auto-sparky should be able to do this check in a matter of minutes, so shouldn't cost much.
Try updating your profile - a helpful fellow OOF-er may well be close to hand!
Different age cars have different markings on gauge. So rather than suggesting temps, better just to say midpoint on gauge (a good tractor will be midpoint - yours sounds a tad low)
Point noted Jamie .........
Saying that our tractor temp does indeed climb to the mid-point on the gauge when I let it rip, so not unduly concerned.
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Having thought about this some more, I'm wondering if the temp guage sensor or wiring are faulty. When idling the engine seems to get to a good temp and the fan cuts in, but the temp guage doesn't move at all.
Where is the temp sensor on the tractor engine?
mc9
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Having thought about this some more, I'm wondering if the temp guage sensor or wiring are faulty. When idling the engine seems to get to a good temp and the fan cuts in, but the temp guage doesn't move at all.
Where is the temp sensor on the tractor engine?
mc9
ecu and dashtemp sensors mounted in head, about 6" apart. From memory, one is around cylinder 2, other around cylinder 4/5. Can't remember which is which, but dash one has onely 1 pin.
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Did the "top hose Temp test" this morning when I started the car:
-- top hose started to get warm after two minutes
-- tepid warm after 10 mins
-- comfortably warm to hold after 15 mile drive.
The heating system is working.
Temp guage had moved but not by much.
Don't know if the findings above mean anything to anyone?
To me, the engine is running well (paperclip test revealed no fault codes) and the engine temp is good.
Haven't checked the temp sender yet, will do so when I find it (thanks TheBoy).
I'm just curious: after fitting the new thermostat (and waterpump, old one disintegrated) in January, the temp guage was running at just above half way but then quite suddenly it is behaving differently. Strange.
mc9
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Did the "top hose Temp test" this morning when I started the car:
-- top hose started to get warm after two minutes
-- tepid warm after 10 mins
-- comfortably warm to hold after 15 mile drive.
The heating system is working.
Temp guage had moved but not by much.
Don't know if the findings above mean anything to anyone?
To me, the engine is running well (paperclip test revealed no fault codes) and the engine temp is good.
Haven't checked the temp sender yet, will do so when I find it (thanks TheBoy).
I'm just curious: after fitting the new thermostat (and waterpump, old one disintegrated) in January, the temp guage was running at just above half way but then quite suddenly it is behaving differently. Strange.
mc9
Classic symptoms of a failed/stuck open thermostat.
If the thermostat was working properly the hose would remain cold until it opened when you would feel a "surge" of HOT (not tepid) water.
HTH
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Did the "top hose Temp test" this morning when I started the car:
-- top hose started to get warm after two minutes
-- tepid warm after 10 mins
-- comfortably warm to hold after 15 mile drive.
The heating system is working.
Temp guage had moved but not by much.
Don't know if the findings above mean anything to anyone?
To me, the engine is running well (paperclip test revealed no fault codes) and the engine temp is good.
Haven't checked the temp sender yet, will do so when I find it (thanks TheBoy).
I'm just curious: after fitting the new thermostat (and waterpump, old one disintegrated) in January, the temp guage was running at just above half way but then quite suddenly it is behaving differently. Strange.
mc9
Classic symptoms of a failed/stuck open thermostat.
If the thermostat was working properly the hose would remain cold until it opened when you would feel a "surge" of HOT (not tepid) water.
HTH
Top man!
Totally agree with Entwood's diagnosis, and a thermostat is cheap and easy enough to eliminate on a tractor too!
Not worth buggering about with ......
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Hmm two points to add here if the engine boiled when pump disintegrated maybe the viscous fan is jammed on?
also on mine the temp gauge was very low when i first started using it for work didnt think anything of it at the time and ran for a few weeks like it, then one day happend to be looking at gauge and hit a fairly big bump in the road and low and behold temp guage went to it correct position stayed there the rest of the journey too, next morning the gauge was back down in the cold area, as a test i walloped the dash board with me fist and the temp gauge worked again!!! turned out to be the multiconnector on back of dash was not quite seated properly!!! :y
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Hmm two points to add here if the engine boiled when pump disintegrated maybe the viscous fan is jammed on?
also on mine the temp gauge was very low when i first started using it for work didnt think anything of it at the time and ran for a few weeks like it, then one day happend to be looking at gauge and hit a fairly big bump in the road and low and behold temp guage went to it correct position stayed there the rest of the journey too, next morning the gauge was back down in the cold area, as a test i walloped the dash board with me fist and the temp gauge worked again!!! turned out to be the multiconnector on back of dash was not quite seated properly!!! :y
Anything's possible I suppose .......
Could it be something to do with the sunshine out there?!
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Well, I did replace a bulb in the instrument cluster a few weeks ago. But the temp guage does move, it's not completely dead. I reason that the guage would not work at all if it is disconnected. If an intermittent connection it would fluctuate wildly from nothing to half scale deflection. Doesn't do either of those, but gradually gets to a small but steady deflection. However, I must check, so instruments out......
The fan rotates freely, so not seized. Another thing to check when I get home tonight....
The balance of probability seems to favour a bad thermostat, bearing in mind the results of my top hose test. Thermostat replacement appears to be straightforward; uncoupling the fan looks like the
most tricky bit (left-hand thread, yes?). That pipe that runs close to the thermostat, does it obstruct thermostat replacement?
I sure have learned a lot about this car in my short time I've owned it! :-/
Cheers
mc9
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If you're changing the stat get a new gasket or sealant. No that pipe is not in the way. My first TD ran at 92 for 140k mls even towing, but out of 4 TD's it was the only one with a working viscous.
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Not convinced the tractor needs a viscous fan... ...in fact I reckon it does more harm than good, esp on tractors fitted with intercooler fan...