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[cd 2.2]

Just went to Tesco's this evening and all was going fine until I left the car on idle for 5 minutes ... Our 2 year old exploded with vomit, shortly followed by the car making a high pressure popping noise and proceeding to drop all 6 litres of her coolant on the floor 
From what I can see the bottom rail on the radiator is dripping all the time when you fill up the coolant and the coolant system isn't pressurising 

Is the radiator easy to replace, is it separate radiators for coolant and gearbox and is there anything else in that region that could be leaking (seems to be mostly drivers side) ?   It is to note that I have been flushing out the coolant system, trying to remove the blue crud the previous owner had filled it with along with all the K-seal (been rather interesting colours coming out including at one point, deep purple filled with gold glitter and not able to see through)

Cheers in advance Graham
p.s If you read this phil, I will get that radiator when my car stops breaking 

[dbug]

Radiator easy to replace - gearbox oil cooler built into drivers side of rad.

[Andy H]

Radiator easy to replace - gearbox oil cooler built into drivers side of rad.

2003 will have a separate oil cooler in front of the radiator for the auto-gearbox.

[Entwood]

Radiator is easy to replace regardless of which oil cooler is fitted .. The replacement will probably  have the cooler built in anyway .. you just ignore those connections if your car has the external cooler ....

HOWEVER if ordering from factors or on-line (cooling car.com) etc MAKE SURE all the mounting points are correct for the external cooler - if needed - and the air con radiator. I had severe problems trying to get the right one, especially from euro car parts - prats - they were adamant that the supplied one was correct .. until I took it and the original one into the managers office and asked him to explain the difference ... at which point he, very reluctantly, agreed to give me a refund.... just be aware thats all ..

[cd 2.2]

Radiator is easy to replace regardless of which oil cooler is fitted .. The replacement will probably  have the cooler built in anyway .. you just ignore those connections if your car has the external cooler ....

HOWEVER if ordering from factors or on-line (cooling car.com) etc MAKE SURE all the mounting points are correct for the external cooler - if needed - and the air con radiator. I had severe problems trying to get the right one, especially from euro car parts - prats - they were adamant that the supplied one was correct .. until I took it and the original one into the managers office and asked him to explain the difference ... at which point he, very reluctantly, agreed to give me a refund.... just be aware thats all ..

Just got the same exact problem  dad went out and got me a replacement radiator brand new from Sutton auto factors! Radiator got here and all seemed great ..... Then we took it out of it's packaging and found that there is no mounting holes for the gearbox cooler radiator    Can I still fit it as I really need the car back in use asap but dad reckons I can't possibly do that as the gearbox cooler will jiggle around and damage the other rads !!! I just want my frikin car working again and fitting the old rad as temp solution is a big no go, It has a billion holes in it and as you move it around all of the cooling channels leak ALL OF THEM 

So yeah, is it possible to fit this rad without the oil cooler brackets without causing yet more issues?

Cheers in advance Graham

[Shackeng]

I would say your Dad is correct, unless you can devise an alternative method of fixing the oil cooler rad in place.

[05omegav6]

If the new rad has the brackets for mounting the oil cooler, but no holes then simply drill the correct size holes and reuse the fittings from the old rad

[cd 2.2]

If the new rad has the brackets for mounting the oil cooler, but no holes then simply drill the correct size holes and reuse the fittings from the old rad

Unfortunately not Al  getting returned with less than kind words tomorrow, just going to have to wait until we can find another more fitting replacement ... lesson learned but fast rad do list one at £81 + vat but it takes some searching out this is the link for anyone needing it  http://www.fastrads.co.uk/radiators/vauxhall/omega/index.html?utm_source=GoogleSearch&utm_medium=cpc&creative=33942098863&utm_term=omega%202.2%20radiator&utm_content=33942098863&utm_campaign=&gclid=CLOchMPEg70CFagBwwodAF8ARQ#RadOpt_3

[cd 2.2]

Right today has seen the radiator replaced with a less than ideal solution ... I now have fitted an earlier auto radiator with the built in oil cooler (which I am not using), This was the only radiator we could get in a hurry that has the gearbox oil cooler mounts on the front! Only catch is that the cooling fan sits a little wonky on one corner but all is secure. *still not happy with it though*

Me thinks that there might be a use for the built in cooler yet though, We shall see what the future will bring 

[Steve B]

So am i right in saying,That its getting hard to get a proper replacement radiator 

[Entwood]

So am i right in saying,That its getting hard to get a proper replacement radiator 

No, its getting harder to get the numpties on the internet to actually understand what is needed .. the exactly correct item is instantly available from vauxhall .. but the price makes your eyes water.

carcooling "list" the right one .. but they don't seem to check whats in the box before they dispatch it ...

http://www.carcooling.co.uk/catalog/Vauxhall_Omega_B_94_03-1245-1.html

if you decide to buy from them, its worth a phone call and a pointed chat of your requirements ....

[cd 2.2]

It looks like I will be saving up some more pennies in a few months for yet another new one ... The biggest issue I have found is suppliers, in their laziness, Can only be bothered to post 1 picture of the radiator and all of these are of the rear side!

When items arrive in their boxes they are usually strapped / shrink wrapped to a box, thus denying the ability to check the product thoroughly which makes things even more of a pain ... I have even considered getting my GM Harrison original radiator Re-cored to save all the hassle, at least then I will have everything correct and don't have all the endless guess work again!

[Andy H]

It looks like I will be saving up some more pennies in a few months for yet another new one ... The biggest issue I have found is suppliers, in their laziness, Can only be bothered to post 1 picture of the radiator and all of these are of the rear side!

When items arrive in their boxes they are usually strapped / shrink wrapped to a box, thus denying the ability to check the product thoroughly which makes things even more of a pain ... I have even considered getting my GM Harrison original radiator Re-cored to save all the hassle, at least then I will have everything correct and don't have all the endless guess work again!

I have had to change the radiators in both my Omegas after cracks appeared in the plastic headers. I think the plastic goes brittle with age & heat. I doubt that it is worth recoring an aluminium cored radiator