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Author Topic: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS  (Read 1248 times)

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jack123

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ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« on: 04 November 2011, 23:34:29 »

Ay Up lads!
I need your help with my manual W reg, 2.2 CD Omega.  I posted my first ever message in 2008 when I‘d already been suffering for 3 yrs with cold start engine problems.  Well, I’ve still got that same problem but, it’s now so unbelievably bad.  I wish the damn thing would just conk out then I could get it fixed but, it’s one of the reasons why I love Vauxhall’s……it just keeps on bloody going.  I’ll briefly go through the problem (as I’ve got a new problem that‘s causing me more concern, hence the reason for this new post) - The engine lacks power during cold morning start ups, winter time only, it splutters & chugs down the road, putting foot down on the gas seems to make it fight back with kangaroo jumps - its been in the garage x 3, on 3 consecutive winters, 3 diagnostic tunings & the mechanic can't find anything wrong with it.  I know different but, no matter how I try to explain this to the garage - I’m just a female imagining it - yeh right! like I’ve got loads of cash to squander on unnecessary garage charges….if I had then I would be driving a Monaro VXR!!!!

It packed in on me 2009, cost around £285 for garage repairs, I said to the mechanic “could the cause of this, be the problem I’ve been going on about for 4yrs?”   He told me it could - he’d found loads of shit (sorry can I say that) in the bottom of the petrol tank - flakes of paint, he said??? that had got into the engine, spark plugs changed, air filter (even though I get it serviced yearly), a couple of other things I can’t remember now.  It ran brilliantly for 2 dys then, the problem was back so, I’ve assumed the breakdown was a totally separate problem to my on-going one.  Since then, things have deteriorated over a further 2yrs, the winter cold start problems went to, all year round problems - every time I start up & even if the car has been standing idle for more than an hour, upon restart, it chugs down the road until the engine is warm, then it works normally.  I can feel the hesitation when trying to accelerate, like a dragging back, no power under my foot.  But, worse than that - I now cannot start the engine & just drive off…..not a chance in hell!!  It refuses to move, it wont go, put your foot down & try but, it moves slightly, chugs, splutters & stops - it doesn’t cut out, it just stops - foot down hard on the gas, the car seems to fight back by jerking back/forth & it always wins.  To overcome this, I start my day going to work by letting the engine warm up.  At first this was for a couple of mins, then 5 mins, then 10 mins, it still struggles but, at least it drives.  I found if I try to be clever & drive it after a couple mins instead of the current 10 min wait then, the engine management light comes on & will stay on until I stop, if the engine is warm enough upon restart, no engine management light & it doesn’t come back on if, in continuous use. I have to go through this process when going home from work.  I watch as my colleagues get in their little farty Punto’s, clit’s, Megane’s & Fiesta’s they start their cars & drive off, they‘re all probably sat at home watch TV & I‘m still on the car park waiting for my engine to warm up before my Omega will drive me home.  Ohhh how the mighty have fallen!!!

Also, if I get on the motorway, put my foot down as soon as I reach about 50 mph, I can feel the accelerator loosing power & slowing down. No, I haven’t had it back in the garage, I can’t afford it, I don’t know what is wrong with it.  It might be on its last legs - 120,000 on the clock but, high mileage on a Vauxhall has never worried me, they’re work-horses.  I once had a Cavalier that had done 170,000 the engine was still brilliant, I got rid of it because it was a rust bucket!!  I had a Carlton 2.2 CDI that had done 135,000 it never failed me & I traded it in to get my first Omega.
I can’t afford to get another car not unless I’m forced to & you must all know how difficult it is to find a used, petrol, MANUAL Omega, they’re rare.  Loads of automatics going that I could’ve afforded but, I don’t want a bloody automatic….why would anyone who isn’t a long distance lorry driver want to drive an automatic….it takes all the piggin fun out of driving!!

Yesterday, whilst sat in my car, on the works car park waiting for the engine to warm up!! I noticed the steering wheel made a clicking sound, when I turned it, the noise is just a short click, as if something is snapping off inside the steering wheel.  Now this really worries me as I’ve never had this problem before on any of the 13 cars I’ve owned.  It did it about 5 or so more times, whilst driving around corners.  Today, its become more frequent, every time I go around corners, at one point it clicked then, I lost steering free play for a couple seconds, the steering seemed to be rigid, similar to loss of power steering & I thought it was going to give up on me.  Apologises for being illiterate in “car terminology”.  Any idea’s or help lads would be greatly appreciated apart from the obvious….get rid of it!  But, if in your experience, you know better - that it is on its way out - then I would rather you tell me to start looking for another Omega.  Thank you.
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Andy B

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #1 on: 04 November 2011, 23:50:06 »

Where in the world are you? If you update your profile with your location I'm sure that some one local to you would be able to have a look for you.




Why would you need more pedals than feet?  ::) ::) ::) ;)
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flyer 0712

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #2 on: 04 November 2011, 23:56:05 »

hi just to may be help you....do your indicators self cancell after turning the corner......i ask because i had your problem ....mine clicked every time on turning left     would not self cancel  until one day when turning left it   jammed solid and i had to fight with all my strength to stop me mounting the pavement..anyway i took off the steering wheel cowling detached the indicator stalk by sliding it out...then if you look into the aperture where you took the switch out you may well find that there is a broken piece of plastic in there...if you take off the steering wheel...underneath is what i believe they call the air bag squab..this has two electrical wires going to it.....this is the part that cancels your indicators  and very often a piece breaks off and cant get out and at some point will jam the steering wheel.....i bought a 2nd hand one off one of the guys on here who breaks  omegas...cost was £15   took 20 mins to complete the fitting........but be warned take notice of the instructions about disconnecting your battery then waiitng 10 mins before taking wires of the air bag squab....sorry to be long winded about this but i am certain this is your fault and it will sort it  cheers ray..
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Cliffo B

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #3 on: 05 November 2011, 11:31:33 »

Hello there,I think your problem could be fuel starvation,possibly caused by debris in the petrol tank,might be as well to have the tank removed and swilled out,indicator could be to have the fuel filter changed and if this causes a temporary improvement this would confirm
Also another check would be to cut open the filter to see what is in there
Hope this solves your problem and you then can have a super smooth Miggy :y :y   
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Michael2.6

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #4 on: 05 November 2011, 21:59:52 »

change the fuel filter first see if theres any improvement
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markspark

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #5 on: 05 November 2011, 22:53:21 »

when was the last sevice and what was xarried out ????
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jack123

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #6 on: 11 November 2011, 19:01:19 »

Where in the world are you? If you update your profile with your location I'm sure that some one local to you would be able to have a look for you.




Why would you need more pedals than feet?  ::) ::) ::) ;)

Andy,
I'm a Wiganer living in St Helens, Lancs - I say, but the Tories changed it to Merseyside. I've been using the same garage in St Helens since I bought this Omega 7 yrs ago.  Just my opinion, they've looked after my car, done the yearly services & MOT all this time, they're a really good garage. But, I'm really bothered about taking it back again because I'm dreading the "your engines gone" diagnosis.
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jack123

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #7 on: 11 November 2011, 19:07:06 »

when was the last sevice and what was xarried out ????

Oct 2010, I've always had it done yearly, give or take a month or so.  I only drive to/from work, about 6/7 miles per day, 5 dys per week, occasional journey to Liverpool about 10 miles so, I don't have any high mileage journeys. I don't floor it.....I piggin would though if I could get this sorted!!!!!
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jack123

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #8 on: 11 November 2011, 19:35:53 »

Hello there,I think your problem could be fuel starvation,possibly caused by debris in the petrol tank,might be as well to have the tank removed and swilled out,indicator could be to have the fuel filter changed and if this causes a temporary improvement this would confirm
Also another check would be to cut open the filter to see what is in there
Hope this solves your problem and you then can have a super smooth Miggy :y :y
Hi Cliffo,
Thanks for the useful info, it makes a lot of sense to me.
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jack123

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #9 on: 11 November 2011, 19:38:03 »

change the fuel filter first see if theres any improvement
Cheers for that
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jack123

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Re: ENGINE MANAGEMENT & STEERING CLICKS
« Reply #10 on: 11 November 2011, 19:56:11 »

hi just to may be help you....do your indicators self cancell after turning the corner......i ask because i had your problem ....mine clicked every time on turning left     would not self cancel  until one day when turning left it   jammed solid and i had to fight with all my strength to stop me mounting the pavement..anyway i took off the steering wheel cowling detached the indicator stalk by sliding it out...then if you look into the aperture where you took the switch out you may well find that there is a broken piece of plastic in there...if you take off the steering wheel...underneath is what i believe they call the air bag squab..this has two electrical wires going to it.....this is the part that cancels your indicators  and very often a piece breaks off and cant get out and at some point will jam the steering wheel.....i bought a 2nd hand one off one of the guys on here who breaks  omegas...cost was £15   took 20 mins to complete the fitting........but be warned take notice of the instructions about disconnecting your battery then waiitng 10 mins before taking wires of the air bag squab....sorry to be long winded about this but i am certain this is your fault and it will sort it  cheers ray..
Ray,
The indicators are working as normal.  Over the past 2 dys I've learned to work with this problem & I've observed that the clicking is on occasional left or right turns with no disturbance to the steering however, if I apply the brake whilst turning then, the power steering seems to seize/freeze  for a second or 2. It clicks 2/3 times during this & it does sound plasticy or something plastic inside has partially snapped & it catching on something. Then it's "Oh s**t! me steering's gone" take off the brake & all is normal.
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