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[mcfishy]

Hello

I own a 2001, Vauxhall omega estate 2.2 cdx

Last saturday night coming home on the motorway the engine overheat symol came on dashboard, temperature of car right at the top and on the eletronic dash it said coolant level.

I pulled over as soon as and popped my bonnet and there was steam everywhere, aa towed home, on sunday i poured water in coolant bottle and water is just pouring from under engine, took it to a local garage and they have said to me this morning there is no compression and it looks like a new engine job.

Anyone ever heard of this, i thought it just may have been the water pump gone but the way its free flowing at the bottom im not sure.

thanks

[tunnie]

At worst its a replacement head gasket, some members here offer services, I'm sure they could get it done for a very reasonable sum. Drop a PM or Darth Loo Knee or Elite Pete, JamesV6CDX also does work but I think he is on hols for a while.

Have they checked the obvious things like heater bypass valve at the back of the engine? (although if they tested it correctly and there is no compression, thats sounds quite conclusive)

[CaptainZok]

Water pump failed and killed the valves possibly?

[tunnie]

Water pump failed and killed the valves possibly?

Good point, but no mention of engine failing, just over-heat, thinking HBV burst and so coolant everywhere.

[gremlin66]

I don't know how Omegas are set up as I haven't really had much experience in the motor trade yet (only 19). But if it's not a coolant pipe gone, is there maybe a core plug anywhere on the omegas? Like I said, not sure about the set up but a core plug could be a possibility if water is literally pouring out

[RobG]

Hello

I own a 2001, Vauxhall omega estate 2.2 cdx

Last saturday night coming home on the motorway the engine overheat symol came on dashboard, temperature of car right at the top and on the eletronic dash it said coolant level.

I pulled over as soon as and popped my bonnet and there was steam everywhere, aa towed home, on sunday i poured water in coolant bottle and water is just pouring from under engine, took it to a local garage and they have said to me this morning there is no compression and it looks like a new engine job.

Anyone ever heard of this, i thought it just may have been the water pump gone but the way its free flowing at the bottom im not sure.

thanks

Can you be more precise

[mcfishy]

Its coming from under the bottom wheel that the timing belt sits on, i thought it may have been a water pump! but the way its free flowing im assuming its worse, taking it to another garage tonight to get a second opinion, gutted i loved that omega too, last 6 years straight passes on its mot's 

[tunnie]

Its coming from under the bottom wheel that the timing belt sits on, i thought it may have been a water pump! but the way its free flowing im assuming its worse, taking it to another garage tonight to get a second opinion, gutted i loved that omega too, last 6 years straight passes on its mot's 

The belt you see externally is the aux belt, not the drive belt, unless this has been removed along with the black plastic cover?

[purpledippy]

Hi mcfishy

(Hi Everyone, I'm McFishys bigger (in both age and weight but not necessarily in being "grown up") brother, by the way )

I still am a proud owner of a Vauxhall Carlton but a late Omega will be my next progression I guess when the fateful day comes and I have been lurking in these forums for a while now go get a feel for what could be my new (or additional) beast as time goes by.

Aaaanyway ...

I also had a quick two minute look on Monday before towing him to the garage (just down the road) using my Dippy.

We did a quick test of the water and can confirm we poured in steadily into the reservoir bottle and it then a few secons later started flowing out at the front bottom of the engine from underneath the pulley wheel (aux belted).

The flow of water was roughly equivalent as we were pouring in, essentially a similar flow as if you were pouring a can of coke out on the floor.

So I am thinking it cant be the o-ring (if there is indeed on) between water pump and engine block as I would have expected a trickle.

So I am thinking is there a pipe split, popped off or a pop out plug around there somewhere.

We will know more this weekend (or tonight!) when I tow him home and I can remove the 8mm (10mm?) nut secured black  plastic undertray to get a better butchers of the underside when the water starts to flow.

[purpledippy]

In true Columbo fashion ... just one more thing...

I understand he was on the motorway at midight then pulled over when he saw the red lights on his car (but the car was happily running at this point), albeit something I guess "gave" and water popped out.

I hope it wasnt run for long after water was out.

If not, my question is, if water ran out and car stopped more or less quickly after that, then towed home, then towed to garage, would the engine have been hot enough still after stopping on the motorway to warp the head without (hot) water inside?

My curiosity surrounds the engine being good on motorway and my brother pulling over and stopping engine after seeing the light come on - and then now, it fails a compression test (if as another post says that the garage did a proper compression test).

Also, a compression test checks the oily petroly bit of the engine doesn't it and not the watery bit?

So I am guessing one of two scenarios:

First scenario:

1) Something broke then leaked
2) Car pulled over and stopped
3) Car goes to garage
4) Garage does a wrong compression test
5) Garage calls brother saying will cost him lots of cash for indepth diagnosis or a few hundred quick for a recon engine (fair enough on either count I suppose)

Second scenario:

1) Something broke then leaked
2) Car pulled over and stopped
3) But only after engine has lost water for a while thereby cooking the head
4) Garage confirms head goosed
5) Big money

So, I think were we are at is to have a butchers on our own amateur time to find out as much as possible about where the water is coming from and ask our friends on these forums some handy hints and tips which we can tinker with ourselves (as I know my way around the Carlton but am not savvy with Omegas (yet).

It would be really cool if its just a plug that has popped but if so, my questions would be:

1) Why would a plug pop
2) Would this fail a comp test (I cant see it if comp test checks oily bits of engine, not watery bits...

Or do garages do a compression test of the water system?

Anyway, I have rambled on enough but hopefully added some more hints and tips for all you kind ladies and gents to umm and ahh over (if you would be so kind).

Many thanks for all your posts so far.

Steve.
PS. I will pop this link onto totalcarlton.com also to see if any Carlton owners also have Omegas and may know something.
Cheers again!

[Steve B]

ahhh get it now do you mean the garage done a presure test.on coolant

[Murph]

Looks to me like they didnt specify whether they comp tested the coolant system or the clylinders - obviously a BIG difference between the two.

Sounds like there's a pipe gone pop or the waterpump has failed spectacularly.

[purpledippy]

Also chatting to my friend at work on this.

He has asked if the 2.2 Ecotec engine is a non interference engine ... can anyone confirm this?

Also he has an idea that the water may be coming from the water pump as has been talked about here and that the water is running through the timing belt cover down to the crank shaft pulley which is where the water appears (but to be confirmed) as coming out from behind ... but will know more soon on this ...

[RobG]

Also chatting to my friend at work on this.

He has asked if the 2.2 Ecotec engine is a non interference engine ... can anyone confirm this?

Also he has an idea that the water may be coming from the water pump as has been talked about here and that the water is running through the timing belt cover down to the crank shaft pulley which is where the water appears (but to be confirmed) as coming out from behind ... but will know more soon on this ...

Nope

[purpledippy]

Also chatting to my friend at work on this.

He has asked if the 2.2 Ecotec engine is a non interference engine ... can anyone confirm this?

Also he has an idea that the water may be coming from the water pump as has been talked about here and that the water is running through the timing belt cover down to the crank shaft pulley which is where the water appears (but to be confirmed) as coming out from behind ... but will know more soon on this ...

Nope

Thanks RobG.

Not to put too fine a point on it ... bugger!