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[calibrated]

Hi guys!

I am about to see one Omega this weekend,finally i found one that i like,it is good equipped,rear seat heating,sunroof,trailer hitch,etc...

It is 3.2 estate with auto gearbox and the mileage is 156 000 ...

What should i look for,especially regarding auto box? Are they reliable items? Engine mileage ?


-cambelt is changed recently
-although i am driving v6 items for 10 years now(on front wheel drive  )all my v6s have been low mileage ones,and never gave me problems regarding mechanical issues...so my concern is about this 156 000 miles...

Any other quirks i should look for? Thanks

[speedy_ns]

Standard Omega problems are : Rust around rear wheel arches ( remove rear plastic covers near side skirts for detail inspection), bulkhead around steering column ( rust can bee seen from inside if you remove carpet, or from outside if you lift plastic cover beneath windscreen wipers)
Front suspension is weak ( especially with heavy 3.2),
When testing auto gearboxes, I usually drive it slowly first, and look how it shifts. If there is hesitation while shifting usually there is a problem ( how big that's hard to say). Most of the auto gearboxes perform ok when pushed hard but they show first signs of problem when they are driven lightly. Off course, you get it's temperature up first.
V6 problems are common across the whole range, so it's same story as for your Calibra. ( oil cooler, cam cover gaskets, head gaskets, exhaust manifold gaskets etc). And they drink fuel like Merc S 500 uphill towing a trailer 

[TheBoy]

The AR35 autobox is generally reliable, even if it's on the original fluid - but I'd replace it as soon as you get it.  All Omega autoboxes munch their plastic thrust washer - you can tell if you have plastic debris in the forward gearbox sump when you remove to change the ATF, and requires box removal to replace.

3.2 issues are same as any GM V6 of that era as Speedy says.  The 2.6/3.2 tend to have more issues with the coil packs than the older DIS/lead setup, but easy fix (replace the coil packs).  The 2.6/3.2 are also desperately uneconomical compared to the previous generation 2.5/3.0 for no extra performance.

Rust is the Omega's biggest killer.  At that mileage, its likely it will need suspension work, especially at the front.

The electrics are generally well behaved, but the headunits are starting to fail a lot with corrupt EEPROMS (esp NCDC series and CCRT series), and the leather seat heaters tend to fail as well. Headlights tend to have a fault where a piece of internal plastic fails, preventing adjustment.

[STEMO]

And get the car belt changed, no matter what the seller says.

[Doctor Gollum]

The 3.2 is no heavier than the 2.5/2.6/3.0

Serviced they will easily run to 275k miles and beyond. But it's an Omega so all the usual Omega things apply as they happen to all of them:

1. Heater bypass valves fail dumping coolant everywhere. Cheap and easy to fix but usually misdiagnosed as a much bigger issue.

2. Suspension bushes wear and fail. Budget £800 to rebuild the suspension properly, more if you need tyres and can't twirl a spanner.

3. Crank sensors fail and reliable replacements are getting harder to find.

4. Misfires. Usually water related causing coil pack failure and rough running.

5. Cambelt failures caused by neglect or not changing the pullies with the belt. 40k/4 years is the official interval.

6. Oil cooler failure caused by poor coolant maintenance/incorrect coolant.

7. Central locking motors fail and front door latches start to bind and eventually seize. Especially the drivers one.

8. It's 21 years old. So expect the potential for significant rust on the front chassis, rear sills and arches. Also the bulkhead area if the scuttle hasn't been kept clean.

A nice, well kept car should be worth a a few thousand, but a neglected shed might be really cheap, but expect to throw a couple of grand at it before the next MoT.

Check the MoT history.

[calibrated]

I have bought the car,thanks for advices!

[speedy_ns]

Looks nice