Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[tunnie]

3.2 is suffering a miss-fire on startup, when cold started first thing in the morning it misses on one cylinder. Blip the throttle a few times and within ~5-10 seconds it clears and runs fine. Then on 25 mile run it's all good, don't have any issues.

Start to go home after work, it's generally good, although sometimes will do same thing.

Codes are 0300 and 0305, so missing on pot5.

Both banks had replacement coil packs, as part of new cam covers, all fitted by Serek (be it sourced from here, so used) and I've put new spark plugs in 1-3-5 bank.

What's troubling me is I also have a minor coolant loss, which I cannot track down.  - Not sure if it's linked, as always told the 3.2 HG's are bullet proof. 

Only time I've seen similar issues with with HG failure and coolant weeping into the cylinder, miss-firing on startup and then clearing. 

[tunnie]

As part of my house extension work many tools were moved away, so my compression tester is up in Brackley, might need to source that and test drivers side bank.

[JamesV6CDX]

Remove 135 coil pack

Check for water or oil contamination (could be from scuttle foam etc)

Inspect coil pack boot

If nothing so far

- check plug is tight (they work loose)

If it is tight, remove it and inspect it. If there’s been water in the pot (unlikely) it will appear washed.

You should find the cause there somewhere.

Compression test it by all means but that’s likely to be inconclusive imho in these circs

[VXL V6]

How do you know the used coil pack is good?

[tunnie]

Just about to post some pictures, coil packs removed all good, these are the replacements that serek fitted.

How do you know the used coil pack is good?

I don't... but it had the miss-fire before I took it to Serek. Fault has remained across 2 packs, so I find it unlikely the packs are at fault.

[tunnie]

Coil pack boots fine...



Pot5 plug...

[Doctor Gollum]

Possibly wiring, esp if disturbed recently for hbv work*. but are these the plugs you changed last week 

Also pic of coil pack is largely useless...

Need to see the condition of the metal plates... Visible through the slots on the underside. Any hint of corrosion and they're on borrowed time.

Plug thread also looks rusty so probably a sign of water ingress, most likely scuttle related. After all, it's not like there's been any rain lately.

* For the record, I am not suggesting that anything Serek might have done has caused this, but the 3.2s do get hot and the loom may well be starting to go brittle, especially if it hasn't been disturbed for a while

It wouldn't be the first 3.2 loom I have had to change for a persistent misfire.

[tunnie]

The loom in MotherT's 3.0 Estate is what killed it in the end, random miss-fires, tracked it down to splits in number of wires on a massive loom.

Serek did not put new plugs in, but he did strip down the replacement coil packs and sort boots out. Close visual inspection of coil pack showed no obvious cracks or damage. That said they are quite old these replacements, I bought them years ago when Omegas were being broken all the time and parts were super cheap.

I cleared all the codes again today as arrived at work, will see which ones come back again. Can only think brand new coil pack might be last option, before considering either loom or possible HG. (seeing how coolant loss goes)

[Andy H]

Possibly wiring, esp if disturbed recently for hbv work*. but are these the plugs you changed last week 

Also pic of coil pack is largely useless...

Need to see the condition of the metal plates... Visible through the slots on the underside. Any hint of corrosion and they're on borrowed time.

Plug thread also looks rusty so probably a sign of water ingress, most likely scuttle related. After all, it's not like there's been any rain lately.

* For the record, I am not suggesting that anything Serek might have done has caused this, but the 3.2s do get hot and the loom may well be starting to go brittle, especially if it hasn't been disturbed for a while

It wouldn't be the first 3.2 loom I have had to change for a persistent misfire.

Plug thread looks to be oily (not rusty) to me

Plug looks like it has been steam cleaned to me - but I would want to compare it with the other two plugs on that bank before fitting new head gasket(s).

I know that the 3.2 head gaskets *never* fail but the youngest Omega is now 16 years old. (also Tunnie used to be a demon anti freeze flusher but I bet it has been more than 4 years since he last changed the antifreeze on this one)

[tunnie]

I’ll post other plugs shortly... age wise all 2 years, replaced when Kevin did Cambelt.

Coolant flush probably around 3 years ago, in attempt to improve heater matrix output.

[tunnie]

Pot1



Pot3



Pot5

[Nick W]

Nothing wrong with those.

[Doctor Gollum]

Is it still losing coolant? I suspect that the drop was simply an airlock following hbv change and you simply hadn't checked it prior to getting home from work in an 'oh blast I meant to check the coolant level when I got back from... ' type of way.

Even an abused 3.2 should see over 250k without a headgasket going. And if it was leaking, the car would be consuming gallons of coolant. And you would hear it gurgle into the cylinder when you turned it off.

Coil pack, wiring or damp.

[Doctor Gollum]

That said, a lot of what you have posted on this thread is completely at odds with...

This from Gen Car Chat...

I abandoned my 3.2 with him around 3 weeks ago, before I left for Ireland in the Zafira. Collected it today and it's running sweet as a nut!

When I limped it up there it would start but with a miss-fire and run lumpy but would generally sort itself out, managed to drop it there in successfully, it's had a mini overhaul...

- Cam Covers and gaskets
- New coil packs, which I had lying around. Although I may get brand new set. (old ones seriously cracked up)
- Oil and Filter change
- Oil change and gaskets on the gearbox, which now changes much smoother. Serek mentioned it was full of crud in the sump  - That said it changes smoother than before, so maybe some life left in it yet.
- Fuel filter change
- Brake Fluid flush and change
- HBV change, source of coolant leak. Was only 2 year old genuine example.

If you're trying to justify binning it for a new car, say it out loud and get done... If not, decide what the issue actually is so that we can help more productively 

[tunnie]

Not looking to get shot, it's still loosing coolant. Around fingers width in header tank every ~50 miles or so.

Coil packs dry, no sign of moisture. Might have to try a new coil pack first, don't fancy trying to find fault in the loom.