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[GrahamK]

Hi all,
This is my first post in this section, having just bought a 2002 2.6 CDX. It's been driven 200 plus smooth miles with not a bump or clonk from the suspension. No loss of coolant or oil. So far so good. It has a few problems though. The most embarrassing is being unable to open the bonnet! However hard I try I just cannot seem to pull the handle and jiggle the bonnet at the same time. My wife was none too impressed that I need her help to even top up the Screenwash. Thanks to posts on here, I have managed to pull the cable over a few mm's and opening the bonnet is now a one person job!

The next item is not so easy. The car is running very cool, 70-75 C, barely off the bottom of the gauge and the heater is very slow to come through. I am hoping it's not the thermostat stuck and have also noticed that both electric fans are running immediately on stone cold start-up. What the.. Where to start?
The interior light is not working (door pools OK)(front map light ok) Having looked at other posts here some have said to check all 4 bulbs in the fitting above the RV mirror. In my car there are 4 bulb recesses, but only 2 of them have bulb holders in there. Is this correct? Any ideas of how to fix this issue?
Finally for now, the car needs front brakes and disks and I have found a guy on ebay selling Mintex kits for £50, which seems pretty cheap to me. Anyone used these? Any other recommendations?
Many thanks for looking and for this fab resource.

[RobG]

Only use genuine front discs. Trade club (TC) price is around £72 incl. for discs & pads
Interior light should have 4 bulbs in total.....2 x map & 2 x courtesy
Possible faulty stat. With engine idling, top hose should stay relatively cold until stat opens then suddenly get hot
Have the fan switch wire connections been bridged to supply constant current?

[Andy B]

this is my interior light, possibly different from yours.

and this is the back showing all four lamps/bulbs

[feeutfo]

Bonnet catch adjustment.
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1256423143

And welcome btw.

[GrahamK]

Thanks for the comments and the pictures so far. For some reason my centre light has only 2 bulbs, the bulb holders are missing for the other 2??. New unit sourced off here so that should be sorted soon.
Nipped into the dealers to ask about the Rad stat. The price they quoted was £32 + VAT, no wonder they get called the stealers. Plenty of options on ebay, but having looked around there seems to be 2 stats and I'm not sure which one controls the fans. (I have got a Haynes manual somewhere, but I can't lay my hands on it at the mo.) Does anyone know which one I need to change?

Regards,

Graham.

[TheBoy]

Coolant temp is stat. £32 is the wrong price. Expect to pay around £55 for the stat and o rings inc VAT at trade prices. Use genuine stat, as Halfords and other factors list the wrong part for your car. You may want a spare coolant transfer pipe, as occasionally they break (about a tenner, but will need to be ordered).  Stat is a tricky 'first job' to do on the Omega engine, but our guides cover it well

Fans come on from cold, thats because the aircon is on

The bulbs missing from the light - 2 are used as courtesy light, the other 2 are individually controlled reading lights via the switch (with engine running).

Mintex - they make some decent stuff, and some really nasty stuff. £50 is the nastty stuff.  The Tradeclub (£20 per year to join) brakes are much better, and worth the extra cost. The tradeclub discs and pads will take virtually any road abuse (trust me, I've tried ), more than these, you will need proper trackday brakes with all the problems that causes.

[GrahamK]

Hi all,

TheBoy, I'm still in denial at the moment, I don't want it to be the engine thermostat. I have seen something on here somewhere about a two stage radiator thermostat (electric switch) that switches at 95 and 105 C (or something like that) Does this not control the fans? I can't see a fixed mechanical or viscous coupled fan on the car. This could easily be dimwittery on my part, of course.
Both electric fans are running from cold. The highest temp I've seen on the temp Gauge is 75C

Thanks for looking.
Graham.

[RobG]

Hi all,

TheBoy, I'm still in denial at the moment, I don't want it to be the engine thermostat. I have seen something on here somewhere about a two stage radiator thermostat (electric switch) that switches at 95 and 105 C (or something like that) Does this not control the fans? I can't see a fixed mechanical or viscous coupled fan on the car. This could easily be dimwittery on my part, of course.
Both electric fans are running from cold. The highest temp I've seen on the temp Gauge is 75C

Thanks for looking.
Graham.

As TB says. Turn ign on, switch A/C off & check fans

[Andy B]

Hi all,

TheBoy, I'm still in denial at the moment, I don't want it to be the engine thermostat. I have seen something on here somewhere about a two stage radiator thermostat (electric switch) that switches at 95 and 105 C (or something like that) Does this not control the fans? I can't see a fixed mechanical or viscous coupled fan on the car. This could easily be dimwittery on my part, of course.
Both electric fans are running from cold. The highest temp I've seen on the temp Gauge is 75C

Thanks for looking.
Graham.

no mechanical fans on your car, TDs have a thermo-viscous but not petrol cars. You say the fans are on from cold, as The Boy says, that's cos your a/c is on. Have a look at them with ECO on or the system OFF. 

[GrahamK]

Hi all,

1. Engine running
2. Aircon off
3. Both Fans off
4. Bugger

Thanks,  Graham.

[RobG]

Seems like you gotta tackle the stat now then

[GrahamK]

Hi Rob,

Certainly looks that way!

I should have known, denial has never worked before!

Graham.

[Entwood]

Easy test of thermostat ...  start engine from cold and allow to idle. Stand idly by with one hand on the top pipe to radiator .. the one that goes from the stat to the rad...

This should remain cold until a sudden surge of hot water occurs as the stat opens. If it very gradually heats up then either the sat is missing or failed open ..

[RobG]

Possible faulty stat. With engine idling, top hose should stay relatively cold until stat opens then suddenly get hot

Similar to mine Nige

[GrahamK]

Just tried the warm up test, which happened just as predicted, ie slow warm up. Just found another electric fan on the engine side of the rads, which was also off. Nothing else to check, I guess, so must be the stat.
Am I right in thinking the rad nearest the engine is for engine cooling and the one nearest the front is the Aircon condenser?
Thanks for the help folks.
Graham.