Print

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

[micky]

Ok a long story but I`ll try to keep it short! My 2.5 v6 still had an untraceable oil leak running down the rear of the passenger side of the block (oil cooler and rocker covers and gaskets etc had already been replaced by VX main dealer about 6 months ago along with a new HBV). I took the car up to Courtenay who suspected it was a near side head gasket failure ( car has done 118,000 miles) so the car was booked in for a repair. This was done last Friday but  on driving the car home there is now no heat whatsoever from the heater (it was never fantastic which indicates there may well already be some other problem somewhere). Today was an absolute nightmare driving 25 miles to work at 6am minus 4 degrees and no way to keep the screen from icing up. Phoned Courtenay today to let them know and I`ve got to take the car back tomorrow to be checked over..............I`ll let you know what happens!

[Kevin Wood]

Sounds like it might be worth flushing the heater matrix out and perhaps checking the HBV. I assume it's been cooling Ok apart from that?

Kevin

[JamesV6CDX]

Due to  the distance between the oil  ways and the edge of  the block / head, I would be amazed if a head gasket would leak oil externally

(It would enter the coolant first...)  :question

[feeutfo]

just wondering if they knocked the vac pipe off the hbv ?

[Marks DTM Calib]

My thoughts to, would love to know how the headgasket failing could cause such a leak.....and as we all know, Courtney have a reputation to uphold 

I have preached this one so many times that I should really put it in another section for reference!

Anyway, here goes (AGAIN!)

So, here is a photo of the face of one of the V6 heads



You will note that I have coloured the passages i the head in 3 different colours and these correspond to the following:

Blue - Water
Red - High pressure oil feed
Brown - Oil return

Water is the first to look at, as you can see most of the passages are to support coolant flow

High pressure oil feed is the next to consider, this is the only pressurised oil feed through the headgasket and is on the valley side so, in the VERY unlikely event it causes trouble (as it often has a copper O ring in this area which is incorporated into the headgasket) the oil would spill into the valley.

Final one is the oil returns.....but, none of these are at pressure in fact, if the breathers are all ok then they are actualy subject to a vaccum!

Whats more, its difficult to see what could actualy cause these to blow out!

So.....I would infer that the headgasket is a wrong diag.

Question, has it had an oil cooler change recently?

[alank46]

Hi
It wouldn't matter if they did at this time of year, as no vacuum equals max heat.
Alan

just wondering if they knocked the vac pipe off the hbv ?

[micky]

Ok Guy`s the head gasket diagnosis is totally 100% accurate. Looking at the condition of the gasket it also looks like the problem actually started ages ago, its a shame I did not think to bring the gasket home and get a photo to show you where it was leaking from dammit..............sorry!. There was no oil/ coolant mix, no sludge, no start or running problems, no overheating.......just a small but persistant running of oil down the back of the block on the passenger side, so be warned V6 head gaskets CAN leak oil!!!!! I personally doubted the original `looks like a head gasket failure` diagnosis from my VX dealer and also going by information on this site made me believe that they were talking out of their you know what! This was in fact the reason for me getting an independant diagnosis from someone that I thought should know a thing or two about Vauxhall V6`s hence enter Courtenay! Anyway the leak is cured hoorah! Now back to the heater.........went back to Courtenay this morning..........they checked over everything and I mean everything! Vacuum is correct, hoses to HBV hot but coming from the HBV there is nothing so it would appear that once again that the pile of junk known as the HBV has failed again. This unit was fitted by my main dealer back in July (about 8000 miles ago) after the last one done an impression of Niagra Falls in flood! This is being changed on Friday.......hopefully under the parts warranty. So there you have it people, hopefully this little story will be of some help to anyone who has a oil leak, tried everything and failed! I`ll report back once the HBV`s been changed and let you know if that heater works!Oh yeah almost forgot....Courtenay say that this is not a common failure but its strange how they had a V6 Vectra in for exactly the same thing!!!!!!!!!  I try to love my Omega but my Omega loves to hate me and keep me skint  (looks nice though....Steinmetzed Elite estate in silver  )! Micky .................sorry but I did not notice the question about the oil cooler.......yep that was changed a month before the HBV!

[micky]

Ok, the update as promised...........changed the HBV AND flushed matrix...........heat at last! The `blend valve` still needs sorting out but I have definately made progress!

[feeutfo]

good to hear, have tou tried the climate reset? press auto and off together until the motors start buzzing...?

[micky]

Yeah, I tried that first!!You can hear the motors,  I think there may now be some problems with the climate ecu...................looks like a never ending saga ...........I`m just checking to see if I can find a suitable piece of rope to make a noose! This car sure ain`t a lot of fun at the moment!