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[Rods2]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Miost people including myself were Omega repair novices when we joined OOF. But once you get to doing all your own repairs and servicing using the excellent guides on here it won't be long before you are a Cateras expert. 

It is very common with crank sensor failure for the engine to cut out when hot, you may get the gearbox going into limp mode and you may or may not get any engine codes. The crank sensor is easy enough to replace and costs about £55 ($80) here with a trade card. There are two types of plug semi-oval and square, so check this before you order if it is the crankshaft sensor.

[Olddavid]

I cannot thank everyone enough for all your advice. I know how hard-won it is. Smooth as silk now. If I was so inclined, here is where I'd put up smiley faces. But I'm not so inclined. So, again, thanks.

[sandune]

Hiya  have read your posts and all the respective replies. So now the starting problem is systemic to a failing "crank sensor"

[Olddavid]

I'm starting to feel like the guy who longs for the days when he had "only" a broken leg. It appears DIS is failing. Car runs fine in a very narrow bandwidth - 24-3000 RPM. Even then, it feels like its trying to miss rather than free flow. However, apply ANY load i.e. uphill, pass or let the revs drop below 2500 and its immediately running on 4 - at best. It shudders like hitting roadside rub strips, at which point I turn it off, disconnect neg. cable, smoke a cig, then re-connect and start the process all over again. I managed to drive it 90 miles yesterday in 3 and half hours to get it home by using this technique. Well, my first line of attack is to dis-assemble my valve cover gasket repair and check if anything obvious was neglected, the replace the DIS ignition module, then? Should I replace the Crank Position sensor as a pre-emptive move? Should I replace the plug wires (they have only 200 miles on them) as they could possibly be the cause of the short. I should mention that my EGR valve on the intake plenum has RTV for a gasket as I broke the paper one and no-one had a replacement. Could that possibly be a detriment? I have traced the vacuum lines til blue-faced with frustrated tedium, looked at wires in the dark to see if I could detect electrical flashover, quixotically connected various 8 guage ground wires to various electrical devices hoping they needed more robust connecting.........with the expected non-result. I have found thoughts of parking it with the keys in the ignition in the "Felony Flats" area of town while innocently shopping with my significant other. I calculated that you guys have 10-20 of these for each one in America, ergo, your extensive experience with the cars is what I've been lucky to tao into for these past weeks. I, as always, thank you for any consideration and advice. Dave - the lost Yank - Peterson

[Andy H]

Difficult to advise from a distance but I have had the crank sensor fail on both the omegas I have owned.

On our cars we can check for codes by using either a paperclip or 'the pedal trick' depending on the age of car and ECU fitted Paperclip Test & Pedal Trick

I don't know if this feature is present in the Catera

[Olddavid]

Would the failed crank sensor emulate the mis-fire the DIS initially exhibited? Or am I looking thru the looking glass at Alice? With no end in sight?

[Andy H]

Quite possibly. Did you get any warning lights?

The Omega ECU before 2000 couldn't detect problems with HT, after 2000 it can detect missfires. (I am assuming that the ECU in the Catera is like our pre 2000 ECU)

If you get a missfire and a warning light then there should be fault codes (although the code for 'no RPM signal' clears as soon as the signal returns).

If you get a missfire and no warning light then the problem is probably HT related.

[Olddavid]

By HT, you mean high tension, as in ignition wires, yes?

[Andy H]

By HT, you mean high tension, as in ignition wires, yes?

Yes, (and spark plugs and ignition coils).

[Andy B]

By HT, you mean high tension, as in ignition wires, yes?

HT leads = High Tension leads