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[dave abra]

Hi
My omega 2.5 auto has no electrics. It is a long story but to cut it short, i have had a message appear to check the Auto transmission after which, 2nd gear was missing.

Vauxhall garage had car for a couple of days and changed the camshaft sensor. Everything seemed fine but the message reappeared, and 2nd gear disappeared about a week later. I left the car for a few days and upon my return all the electrics are out. The central locking didn't work, lights and worst of all the car doesn't start. It is like the batterey has been removed. It hasn't. I even checked.
Please can someone help as the vauxhall garage is 15 miles away and they are all but useless.

Thanks

[Admin]

Hi Dave, glad you made it over.

Right, for all the electrics to be out, the first thing that is checked is the battery.
May sound daft, but a goosed battery can cause all sorts of problems.

Get hold of a known good battery and see what happens when that is connected (remove your battery, do not use both together).

I want to tackle this in stages, starting with the obvious.

No idea why the muppets changed a cam sensor.... but that is most Vx garages for you.

Don't worry, we will get to the bottom of your problem!


Oh, and welcme to the forum. I just wish it was under better circumstances.

[dave abra]

The camshaft sensor was changed because at the end of day one in vx garage, they could find no fault and the cars computer had no recorded faults. charge me £90 for doing very little.

When i drove it home i managed just five miles before i broke down. the car just cut out and wouldn't start. The AA had to tow me back. Day two in garage and the camshaft sensor was changed.
They seemed to think that everything was now sorted but i believe that they have not fixed the original problem and actuall broke the sensor while fiddling around.

Unfortunalty i am unable to get it back to vx garage as it is 15 miles away. The one in my town closed in april. And to make things worse they refuse to come and collect it. So i am a bit stuck.

[Admin]

Don't allow Vx "technicians" near it!  

We are here to help people avoid having to pay over-inflated prices for unacceptable (and often completely wrong) work.

Now the first aim with your car is to get some power into it!

If you have to, borrow a neighbours battery and use it to see whether that puts some life into the car. This is the first step.

[JasonH]

Sounds like an auto box fault that's draining the battery. The selector switch is a weak point.

[dave abra]

Hi

I got hold of a battery and the car now starts. It is really strange as the battery was new in january. could it really be a switch draining the battery. and would this make 2nd gear disappear every so often.

[JamesV6CDX]

Welcome to the forum mate.

Now the car is running, you need to measure the alternator output...

[Kevin Wood]

Yep. Put a multimeter on volts across the battery and measure the voltage with the engine on a fast idle. You should see around 14 volts. Turn on a few electrical accessories and see if it drops. It should hold up reasonably well, say 13.8 volts or so. Anything lower, or higher than about 14.5 volts and you've got an alternator problem. If it does look bad check the connections between alternator and battery and battery to ground, and also the earth straps from the engine to the body.

If that seems OK leave it for a while and see if the battery goes flat again. If it does, you need to measure the current flowing from the battery when the car is idle and try to determine which circuit is discharging the battery.

Kevin

[TheBoy]

I see you are in Buckingham.  Does that make the dealer in question a certain place in Miton Keynes? Or Aylesbury? Or possibly even Banbury (the best of the lot around this way)?

I know the dealer in Buckingham is tiny - but wouldn't that have been closer?  Not that I would use them either?


When you say electrics have gone, are we talking everything, or just engine wise?

[TheBoy]

If you need a hand, I'm in Brackley...

[dave abra]

Hi

Thanks for the help. Just trying to get hold of a multimeter. I took it to Milton Keynes because Buckingham vauxhall closed in april this year. I don't normally go to the dealer. It was only because of the message about the auto box and that my local garage couldn't read the cars computer that i took it to the dealer.

Do any of you know what the problem might be with the gear box. it seem fine the other day but it has come up twice now.

[TheBoy]

Hi

Thanks for the help. Just trying to get hold of a multimeter. I took it to Milton Keynes because Buckingham vauxhall closed in april this year. I don't normally go to the dealer. It was only because of the message about the auto box and that my local garage couldn't read the cars computer that i took it to the dealer.

Do any of you know what the problem might be with the gear box. it seem fine the other day but it has come up twice now.

Crownhill/Evans Halshaw in MK (service deptment) are a bunch of useless *&^*ing $%*&ing &%£*ing %&^$ers, managed by a "liar" (in the words of his own staff).

Feel free to pop round, we can soon stick a meter on it to check charging...

[TheBoy]

my local garage couldn't read the cars computer that i took it to the dealer.

I have a Tech2 - the same device used by Vauxhall dealers to diagnose on board systems.  Though remember (and dealers often don't understand this concept), but it only displays what the ECUs think are wrong....

[dave abra]

Thanks again for all your help. I do have an update. I don't believe that the alternator is at fault although i haven't checked with a mulitmeter. On previous experience, the ignition light i think lights up when the battery is not being charged by the alternator. This has not happened on this occasion.

Also i put good battery in a few days ago and now it is dead. I haven't driven it anywhere. The alternator wouldn't drain the battery when it isn't being used, would it?

Jason H suggested the selector switch on the gear box. This would then link in with the gear box problem i get on accasions.
I am going to speak to my local garage today to see what they say.

Any more thoughts from you guys would be good to.

Cheers

[Admin]

The ignition light will not flash if the alternator is not working.

By rights, the battery light should be on to signify a fault, but the only way to test properly is to put a multimeter across it.

I suspect a current draw somewhere. It is a slightly time consuming affir to find, but not too bad.

There will be a few of us in Brackley on Sunday morning doing some work on TheBoys car, if you want to come down we can help in a more "hands on" manner.