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[Varche]

Regular readers will know I have failed in my hunt to find the cause of general gutlessness of my Omega. It has been like it for years (maybe 6) and I just live with it. Revs freely stationary but in driving it is just like it is a diesel and some hills you think it might not get up them!

There are no paperclip codes and I have never had 19. The crank sensor is possibly the original but certainly hasn't been replaced in the last 12 years (80,000 +_ miles). there was no reference to it having been changed in the service history.

Looking at http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1272725694 it occurs to me that it is just possible that the crank sensor is failing and the car is in gearbox limp mode?

If that is the case then I could get another crank sensor and change it but I don't want to keep spending good money if it isn't necessary. One glimmer of hope is that I have an alternative gearbox ECU (that came with the ex Matchless gearbox). I don't want to just change that if that too will get "safe mode" too?

Any suggestions gratefully received  

[I_want_an_Omega]

I've got a known good gearbox ECU - its from a '98 2.5 V6 that I broke last year. You are happy to borrow it if you want.

Cheers ......... Rob

[Andy H]

Rob
I think Varche already has a spare gearbox ECU in Spain  :-/

Varche
For those of us who haven't been paying attention could you give us a resume of what you have tried so far please?

When the symptoms include running fine at small throttle openings but dying when pushed harder you would usually start by looking for fuel starvation or blocked exhaust system.

Does it go into limp mode with the warning light on? or do you think it is doing it without showing a warning lamp & storing a code.

[dbug]

I had a new genuine Vx one pack up within 1 month - replacement has been ok, touch wood 

[pscocoa]

looking at other posts on this subject it seems that 70,000 miles plus is a good guide. A lot of people are not seeing the problem as crank sensor though and getting into gearbox replacements. I would think that a first stage as a recommended when having the gearbox limp mode problem is to question the age of crank sensor and also if it has had a replacement has it been shielded from the heat!!

As I said yesterday - not sure if the crank sensor degrades over time + heat giving the intermittent issue or whether it works or it doesnt i.e there is no degradation over time..

[scott456]

hi mate i dont think the crank sensor causes misfire mine didnt it just eventually stops the car from starting if its quite a bad misfire check the dis pack they last quite a long time but if they get wet they pack up and cause a misfire

[Varche]

Rob
I think Varche already has a spare gearbox ECU in Spain  :-/

Varche
For those of us who haven't been paying attention could you give us a resume of what you have tried so far please?

When the symptoms include running fine at small throttle openings but dying when pushed harder you would usually start by looking for fuel starvation or blocked exhaust system.

Does it go into limp mode with the warning light on? or do you think it is doing it without showing a warning lamp & storing a code.

Six years ago when we used a caravan the car was gutless and nearly didn't make it up staxton Hill near scarborough. the local dealer diagnosed gearbox switch. After a new one it went better for a while and in fact we managed to tour Spain. However the car has never been zippy like a V6 should be. I have tried all sorts.

Check vacuum pipes. All as intact as can be ascertained. multiram operation I have managed to blip it so violently that I have seen the rear one operate.Breathers clean, no cam cover leaks, new plugs and leads. I need a new DIS pack as that just failed but have one in the post.

I have changed the fuel filter, Changed the cats, had a new exhaust system. During all of these things the performance has remained constant. It reminds me of driving an old car in too high a gear. The gearbox does change down but you have to really press the accelerator pedal hard on hills. Otherwise it changes gear fine on the level on light throttle (both up and down shifts)

It doesn't die on wider throttle opens so much as just being gutless. Possibly what you would get if the knock sensors weren't working. There are codes 21 73 and 135 but I assume they are to do with the current misfire problem which I am 99% certain is DIS pack. Last month there were no codes.  the "limp mode" is just my interpretation. A little knowledge potentially being a dangerous thing!

Like I say I have lived with it for so long that generally it isn't a problem it just would be nice to fix it!

War and peace as Wellung666 would say.  

[TheBoy]

if g/b is in limp, expect a msg on the MID.  Also, maually changing down a gear or 2 should help you decided if its g/b misbehaving or if its something else.

Considering the symptoms, the 73 looks suspicious.  Can't rmember how far Omegatoy is from you, but may be worth (if your car is old enough) putting his Tech1 on it to view live data for the MAF

[Varche]

if g/b is in limp, expect a msg on the MID.  Also, maually changing down a gear or 2 should help you decided if its g/b misbehaving or if its something else.

Considering the symptoms, the 73 looks suspicious.  Can't rmember how far Omegatoy is from you, but may be worth (if your car is old enough) putting his Tech1 on it to view live data for the MAF

When the g/box thrust washer went a couple of years ago I got gearbox safe mssge on MID. Haven't seen it since so presume it isn't there.

Changing down manually makes little difference to performance.

We tried Omegatoys Tech 1 and it didn't get data. Suspect the car is too late for that as in many instances it has 98 running gear.

The 73 wasn't there until I tried the car with MAF disconn to see if the misfire improved. However as the misfire is on two or sometimes one cylinder I am now 99% cert it is the DIS.

When the DIs turns up(it is on a donkey somewhere in Spain as I type) and I have fitted it, I will try check out the gearbox ECU wiring plugs are properly connected. I might even fit Matchless's g/box ECU. If that makes a change I could send the old ECU to someone with a Tech2 to see if there are any codes in the interest of science.

Any precautions to take when changing over ECU?

[TheBoy]

As long as the ecu is right type (GS8.20 likely for yours if its a minifacelift), no precautions (I would discon battery though).

Sadly, I'm unable to do gearbox ECU stuff by post any more currently, as Goldie has been stripped too far...

[Andy B]

....
Sadly, I'm unable to do gearbox ECU stuff by post any more currently, as Goldie has been stripped too far...

I'd have thought that a man of your calibre would have made up a bespoke loom out of the bits of elecetric string     

[TheBoy]

....
Sadly, I'm unable to do gearbox ECU stuff by post any more currently, as Goldie has been stripped too far...

I'd have thought that a man of your calibre would have made up a bespoke loom out of the bits of elecetric string     

Need to revisit my test setup, as the gearbox bit doesn't work for some reason....