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[YZ250]

………….
The first thing might go unnoticed until you had used the brakes. Now imagine finding out that you have no brake assistance on the M1/25/20 when the traffic ahead suddenly stopped. By the time your brain has caught up, you're in the back of the car in front. At speed. ……

That happened to me on the A30 on my way to Cornwall many years ago. Flat out in my V8 Vitesse when I noticed the traffic in the distance braking to a standstill. I braked fairly hard but then heard a pop, and the brake pedal went solid. I did manage to stop but it was tight and a scary experience.
On investigation, the brake servo chamber had rotted at the join and the vacuum had blown a hole in it. 

[VXL V6]

………….
The first thing might go unnoticed until you had used the brakes. Now imagine finding out that you have no brake assistance on the M1/25/20 when the traffic ahead suddenly stopped. By the time your brain has caught up, you're in the back of the car in front. At speed. ……

That happened to me on the A30 on my way to Cornwall many years ago. Flat out in my V8 Vitesse when I noticed the traffic in the distance braking to a standstill. I braked fairly hard but then heard a pop, and the brake pedal went solid. I did manage to stop but it was tight and a scary experience.
On investigation, the brake servo chamber had rotted at the join and the vacuum had blown a hole in it. 

Not sure my underwear would have survived that failure!!

Even when working SD1 brakes were always crap (I'm sure Vitesse ones were better than standard though), I have memories of getting plenty of smoke from them when stopping (eventually) from motorway speeds in my younger days     I know the Met fitted different wheels so they could accommodate Jag XJS calipers which says it all really

Lizzie, can't say i've read every post on this thread but if not mentioned already, i'd tighten up the vac hose fitting to the plenum (17mm spanner on the inner fitting and 19mm on the outer - tighten the 19mm nut while holding the 17mm). There was a known fault with that pipe rubbing through from contact with the AC pipe if the spacer wasn't fitted, my first Omega suffered this which caused a slightly spongy brake pedal (but no problem pulling up the car in fairness) and diabolical fuel consumption.

[LC0112G]

There was a known fault with that pipe rubbing through from contact with the AC pipe if the spacer wasn't fitted, my first Omega suffered this which caused a slightly spongy brake pedal (but no problem pulling up the car in fairness) and diabolical fuel consumption.

You mean like this...
https://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=147593.msg1964758#msg1964758

[VXL V6]

There was a known fault with that pipe rubbing through from contact with the AC pipe if the spacer wasn't fitted, my first Omega suffered this which caused a slightly spongy brake pedal (but no problem pulling up the car in fairness) and diabolical fuel consumption.

You mean like this...
https://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=147593.msg1964758#msg1964758

Aye! Mark DTM did a similar temp repair on mine until I got a new pipe. The irony is that the plastic spacer that should keep the pipes apart causes the AC Pipe to wear through after a few years!

[Lizzie Zoom]

………….
The first thing might go unnoticed until you had used the brakes. Now imagine finding out that you have no brake assistance on the M1/25/20 when the traffic ahead suddenly stopped. By the time your brain has caught up, you're in the back of the car in front. At speed. ……

That happened to me on the A30 on my way to Cornwall many years ago. Flat out in my V8 Vitesse when I noticed the traffic in the distance braking to a standstill. I braked fairly hard but then heard a pop, and the brake pedal went solid. I did manage to stop but it was tight and a scary experience.
On investigation, the brake servo chamber had rotted at the join and the vacuum had blown a hole in it. 

Not sure my underwear would have survived that failure!!

Even when working SD1 brakes were always crap (I'm sure Vitesse ones were better than standard though), I have memories of getting plenty of smoke from them when stopping (eventually) from motorway speeds in my younger days     I know the Met fitted different wheels so they could accommodate Jag XJS calipers which says it all really

Lizzie, can't say i've read every post on this thread but if not mentioned already, i'd tighten up the vac hose fitting to the plenum (17mm spanner on the inner fitting and 19mm on the outer - tighten the 19mm nut while holding the 17mm). There was a known fault with that pipe rubbing through from contact with the AC pipe if the spacer wasn't fitted, my first Omega suffered this which caused a slightly spongy brake pedal (but no problem pulling up the car in fairness) and diabolical fuel consumption.

Yes, thanks VXL V6, all done when I found the nut was not tightened up.

I am now going to check the A/C spacer.

[Lizzie Zoom]

I eventually bought BOTH the scanner recommended by Dave (many thanks for that Dave) for a reduced price of £3.83, AND a OBD2 for reduced price of £9.98 from Amazon.  The first one will be delivered on Friday, but the second arrived yesterday.

So this morning, after reading the simple instructions and watching a video, I had the device plugged into the car, connected it to the “Car Scanner” app loaded onto my phone, then cleared the codes -  engine light went off immediately!

All this done within 3 minutes max!

I did seriously consider the wise recommendation by DG to just disconnect the battery for free, but on balance I wanted to do the full scanner exercise, for the first time ever, to gain experience, all for under £14.  In the end it was far quicker to use the scanner than any other method to clear the codes.

Thanks though for all the advice you all gave me.  It really helped!

This certainly has made me think yet again of how different keeping a modern car on the road is to the old days;  no electronics, no codes, just ‘simple’ mechanics in my Austin A40!
Just had to deal with broken valves, tightening the tappets, overhauling the carburettor, adjusting the fuel mix, and adjusting the timing.  All real mechanics stuff! 

[Rangie]

Nice to hear that you got it all sorted Lizzie 👍

[Lizzie Zoom]

Nice to hear that you got it all sorted Lizzie 👍

Thanks Rangie!

It was only due to the great pool of knowledge on the OOF that I did.

[Nick W]

What were the codes?

[Lizzie Zoom]

What were the codes?

As I quoted previously:  0170
                                   0173

 

[TheBoy]

On Omegas disconnecting battery tends not to turn off EML for those Non Present codes that keep the EML on (generally emissions ones), because the Non Present code is still, well, present

Another tip on the V6 Omegas to reset fuel trims and other BLMs is to purposely put on a fault (eg, unplug MAF) wait for EML to come on, then clear the codes.  Clearing an engine ECU code on these also resets all the BLMs.  Handy for generic readers than can't otherwise reset BLMs.


LZ - keep that device in the glovebox. They are small and don't get in the way, and has the potential to get you out of trouble

[Lizzie Zoom]

On Omegas disconnecting battery tends not to turn off EML for those Non Present codes that keep the EML on (generally emissions ones), because the Non Present code is still, well, present

Another tip on the V6 Omegas to reset fuel trims and other BLMs is to purposely put on a fault (eg, unplug MAF) wait for EML to come on, then clear the codes.  Clearing an engine ECU code on these also resets all the BLMs.  Handy for generic readers than can't otherwise reset BLMs.


LZ - keep that device in the glovebox. They are small and don't get in the way, and has the potential to get you out of trouble

Oh yes TB, thanks, I have now TWO of those devices in the glove box!

I feel quite modern and up to date now!

[JamesV6CDX]

Sorry, only just seen this, have been busy with loads of non car stuff lately else I’d have offered to take a look.

On balance, the issue was almost certainly the ECU compensating for unmetered air, entering post MAF from the loose servo pipe connection.

I’m not getting drawn into any conversation about anyones standard of work, save to say that even the most skilled people in the world can make an odd mistake, and it’s only human. Serek is an incredibly skilled mechanic.

What I will say though is sod the light - I’m just glad you found that loose servo hose.

If that came off, two things would have happened - the huge influx of unmetered air would have caused your engine to run at full revs, and your braking ability reduced by at least 80%. So thank god you caught it.

[Doctor Gollum]

As a business owner Serek has a responsibility to rectify any issues raised as a potential short coming of recent work.

I don't believe that he has been given this opportunity.

And there's the underlying niggle that if something that obvious wasn't tightened securely for whatever reason (not the actual point of debate here), then what else may have been overlooked?

Taking the car back in and rechecking everything done wouldn't have been an unreasonable course of action. Not that he was afforded that opportunity.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Sorry, only just seen this, have been busy with loads of non car stuff lately else I’d have offered to take a look.

On balance, the issue was almost certainly the ECU compensating for unmetered air, entering post MAF from the loose servo pipe connection.

I’m not getting drawn into any conversation about anyones standard of work, save to say that even the most skilled people in the world can make an odd mistake, and it’s only human. Serek is an incredibly skilled mechanic.

What I will say though is sod the light - I’m just glad you found that loose servo hose.

If that came off, two things would have happened - the huge influx of unmetered air would have caused your engine to run at full revs, and your braking ability reduced by at least 80%. So thank god you caught it.

Thanks James I agree with all that!

I certainly have learnt, yet again, more about a "modern" car