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[terry paget]

pfl 2.5 petrol manual estate
My favourite Omega has the above failing. I do not smell it after the start up whiff, thought that may be my nose only detecting change of odour. I have cleaned the breathers yet again, but to no avail. I suppose it is smelled when the heater fan comes on as the coolant temperature rises.

[Lizzie Zoom]

pfl 2.5 petrol manual estate
My favourite Omega has the above failing. I do not smell it after the start up whiff, thought that may be my nose only detecting change of odour. I have cleaned the breathers yet again, but to no avail. I suppose it is smelled when the heater fan comes on as the coolant temperature rises.

Maybe a silly question, but you have done the breathers, did you check the spark plugs to see if any oil is around them after leaking from the cam covers?

[Nick W]

You have cleaned the entire engine of all the old oil from the various characteristic oil leaks?
Especially the area's you can't easily see, like under the exhaust manifolds.

[Omega Nige]

I had a similar problem and tracked it down to the 'o' ring seal on the oil filler cap 

[Enceladus]

To me this means the seals on the cam covers are leaking somewhere and oil is dripping onto one or both of the exhaust manifolds. Usually because the breathers are blocked or obstructed. Could be that the leak stops when the engine gets hot. If the breathers are clear then it might be that the cam cover seals are not the original spec GM. Also the original sealant, even when used with genuine GM seals,  will eventually fail. The newer black stuff is much better.

[tunnie]

Only time I had oil smell in the car was due to failed cam covers, as above the oil would hit exhaust and burn off.

[terry paget]

pfl 2.5 petrol manual estate
My favourite Omega has the above failing. I do not smell it after the start up whiff, thought that may be my nose only detecting change of odour. I have cleaned the breathers yet again, but to no avail. I suppose it is smelled when the heater fan comes on as the coolant temperature rises.

Maybe a silly question, but you have done the breathers, did you check the spark plugs to see if any oil is around them after leaking from the cam covers?

Good question. I certainly checked oil in plug holes last September, all was well then. Checked today, driver's side 1-3-5 was bone dry, passenger's side looks trickier. Can it be done without dismantling the wiring harness?

[johnnydog]

A few days after you asked the question, but the wiring harness is an obstacle, but not difficult to overcome. You basically need to remove the wiring harness tray cover, lift up the harness and tie it up out of the way sufficiently to allow access, remove the tray itself, and you are in there.
Just be careful with the small plastic tabs on the harness tray cover - they break very easily.

[Bigron]

This won't cure your problem, but will hide the symptoms: at the bottom of the pollen filter chamber is a rubber bung with a very rudimentary one-way valve ( a rubber flap) to allow water to exit but prevent underbonnet fumes from entering the cabin.
In my car, the flap had glued solid and retained rainwater. I could not manage to unstick it and on a visit to Serek, he solved the problem for me in a very technical way - he threw it away!
What I'm really asking is do you smell the hot oil from inside the cabin, or only outside?

Ron.

[terry paget]

This won't cure your problem, but will hide the symptoms: at the bottom of the pollen filter chamber is a rubber bung with a very rudimentary one-way valve ( a rubber flap) to allow water to exit but prevent underbonnet fumes from entering the cabin.
In my car, the flap had glued solid and retained rainwater. I could not manage to unstick it and on a visit to Serek, he solved the problem for me in a very technical way - he threw it away!
What I'm really asking is do you smell the hot oil from inside the cabin, or only outside?

Ron.

Inside the cabin. I presume it comes in when the coolant get warm and triggers the heater fan to run.

[Bigron]

Yes, which surely means that it is drawing air from outside via the pollen filter - and that bung/flap valve at the bottom of the chamber. It may be stuck open?

Ron.

[terry paget]

Yes, which surely means that it is drawing air from outside via the pollen filter - and that bung/flap valve at the bottom of the chamber. It may be stuck open?

Ron.

Thanks, Ron. I had a look down below the pollen filter, and I could see nothing but mud, and a bundle of wires disappearing through a hole at the bottom, with a displaced grommet around it. After considerable digging in the mud I think I have found the drain grommet, hopelessly blocked. Luckily the water could escape down the cable hole. I took a photo. My inclination is to push the drain grommet  out. Good idea?

[Bigron]

Yes, mine was like that! You can either remove it, give it a thorough clean and replace it, or apply the Serek Ultimate Solution - bin it! 

Ron.

[cam.in.head]

i would imagine as others have said earlier that the drain grommet is in effect a one way valve with a flap to allow water out and hopefully no fumes back in. it was originally designed and fitted by gm and if it didnt need it they would have saved on production costs .theoretically there shouldnt be any fumes coming from the engine but as we all know these engines have a history of various oil leakage areas and after sorting them there are some hard to reach areas to clean off. so personally i would refit the cable grommet and clean up the drain grommet and refit .the valve realy needs checking regularly for blocking and cleaning. incidently when checking for oil leakage /smells on the passenger side its noted that the oil filler cap extention tube can leak on its bottom o ring and also from the cap especially if the o rings have hardened over time.
also a tip on a BASIC  check of the breathers to check they are at least partly open and not totally blocked is to get a piece of hose that will just fit onto the dipstick tube end and blow into it.if they are totally blocked pressure will build up and be very obvious but if there is a way through you will hear yourself blowing into the plastic ecotec bridge.a quick basic test if you are about to set off on a journey and dont want or have time to get dirty. i check mine this way when i check oil level and clean breathers out properly at oil change time

[Bigron]

Good tips there, "cam.in.head", thanks.
I do agree with you that the drainbung has a purpose, but mine allowed a swimming [pool to develop and gave my carpets an unwelcome rainwater wash! When I managed to clear the debris, the flap was so tired it didn't work, so it got "Serek-ed" during a service! 

Ron.