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[TECHNOPUG]

Need to get the car MoT's this week (well, probably about 3 weeks ago.....) so plan to give it an inspection and fix anything that needs doing at the weekend. Exhaust will need attention as it clatters under low revs and idle , just under the passenger seat. Did some untentional off-roading the other month so I'm hoping that it's just a bracket that has gone, as it's not blowing and is fine once the revs are up and the car isn't vibrating as much. Certain that it's just hitting the bottom of the car - only once I get underneath it will I be able to tell.

    The only other thing that concerns me is the handbrake. Ever since I've had the car, it will only bite when the handbrake is pulled all the way up to the very top notch. Anything less and the car will role. Once it's fully engaged, it's fine. Leave it on inclines no problem. Is this normal? Could it be a sign that the brake shoes are worn and therefore it will fail an MoT? Normally I'd just adjust the cable but it appears that you can't do that on the Omega and it looks a real hassle to take all the rear brakes apart just to adjust the travel/biting point of the handbrake.

  Thoughts anyone?

[pete.h]

It should only fail the MOT if  it is actually on the last notch of the lever before it works.
If this is the case you need to adjust the handbrake shoes .
There's a hole in the rear brake drum/disc , through which you can flick the adjuster round with a screwdriver.
If I remember correctly , on the left wheel you need the hole at about 1 o'clock to see the adjuster .
It's a bit fiddly if you haven't done it before because once you get your screwdriver in the hole you can't see what you're doing.
The adjuster is a little wheel with teeth on , there are probably some pics on here somewhere , .You need to lever the wheel round with the screwdriver , but I can never remember which way to go to adjust it up !!

[unlucky alf]

im pretty sure there is a hole through the brake disc assy whereas you can adjust the shoes up, ive never done them on a miggy as yet but as the setup is the same [i think] as the senators etc & they had the inspection/adjustment hole on the front of the disc, get the hole [if there is one] to the top & shine a torch through, the adjuster should be there if my memory serves me. :-/

[unlucky alf]

sorry pete!, you type faster than me obviously

[pete.h]

You must be the only person who types slower than me !!

[TECHNOPUG]

Thanks for the quick replies - that's excellent news. So is the access hole on the front or rear of the brake? Any tips for getting both sides lined up the same?

   Sounds like it's just the exhaust now that might cause me problems. Although, if it's not blowing and the emissions are fine, will a little clattering at idle fail....hmmmmm.....Speaking of emissions, oil in the plugs due to blown cam-cover gaskets likely to cause MoT emission problems? There is no smoke when, cold, hot or on start up. Used to driving pre-90 cars, where it's pretty much impossible to fail an emissions test, short of the tyres being on fire

[unlucky alf]

on the front of the disc, the same side as your wheel bolt holes!, as for the exhaust, check that the rubber hangers are present & correct oil in the plug wells dont go through the exhaust so no problems there,,,,,pete have i beat you this time?

[unlucky alf]

as for the adjuster it should only allow it to go one way anyway, & only do it a couple of clicks at a time, to back them back off is a pain perhaps leaving the handbrake up a couple of notches will stop you over adjusting it,,,,,,good luck

[kcl]

IIRC the adjusters roll just fine to both directions...

[TECHNOPUG]

on the front of the disc, the same side as your wheel bolt holes!, as for the exhaust, check that the rubber hangers are present & correct oil in the plug wells dont go through the exhaust so no problems there,,,,,pete have i beat you this time?

Yeah, really think that it's just come off a hangar at the front. Haven't had a chance to get under the car and look yet. Definitely feels that it's coming from the back of the gearbox, on the passenger side. I guess that's the first low point of the system from the downpipe, so the most likely to go when driving through deep mud? Is there a mount there? If so and it's one of those rubber hangar mounts that has perished (hopefully just unhooked) will a universal one fit of does it have to be a VX one? And if so, will it be model specific? Lot's of questions...but you guys seem to have all the answers, so no harm in asking

[pete.h]

You beat me this time tim , I was walking the dog !!

The handbrake adjuster does move both ways, it's usually a bit of trial and error to find which way is on and off.

As for the exhaust it can't fail for rattling or banging as long as it's in one piece and all the mountings are intact.(and as long as it's not banging on something important like brake pipe/ cable etc.)

Mountings don't have to be original as long as they're secure.

BTW where are you , If you're anywhere near Nottingham I can MOT it for you if you want.

[Kevin Wood]

The worrying thing about the exhaust is that the rattling could be a cat breaking up. Could equally be the heatshields on the cats though. :-/

As said, if it's not insecure, it's unlikely to fail for rattling.

Kevin

[unlucky alf]

i beg your pardon about the adjusters, i must be thinking of the ratchet type adjusters on astras etc , as for the exhaust its down to the tester i guess, i have seen a failure on exhaust insecure but hopefully youve just bumped it off & itll hang back up o,k go to petes as he`s just put his guide dog away & his white stick is broken perhaps he ought to do MOT discount for OOF members

[TECHNOPUG]

I definitely first noticed it after negoitating a very muddy field after a festival. So first thoughts were that it come off a bracket. It's hitting the bottom of the car on idle (AFAIK) and low revs (when the engine is vibrating the most) and goes once the revs are up. Sometimes worse than at other times. Sounds like it is coming from under passenger seat. Sometimes when I lift of the throttle I can hear more of a rattling sound and what appears to be something dragging on the road......I guess that all will be revealed tomorrow! New exahaust from the stealers will make the car uneconomical to repair I fear....

[pete.h]

i beg your pardon about the adjusters, i must be thinking of the ratchet type adjusters on astras etc , as for the exhaust its down to the tester i guess, i have seen a failure on exhaust insecure but hopefully youve just bumped it off & itll hang back up o,k go to petes as he`s just put his guide dog away & his white stick is broken perhaps he ought to do MOT discount for OOF members

Unfortunately it's not my garage  any more , I sold it but I'm still doing MOT's there at the moment.
Don't mind doing them for any OOF members though, we charge £40 but we don't fail them on anything stupid, we give you the benefit of the doubt and advise if it's borderline stuff.