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[philsteward]

Apologies, my fault for hi-jacking the thread! My car runs on LPG, 4th post in, same place where I talk about the white smoke from the exhaust.

[Lazydocker]

where does it say in the post that this car runs on LPG

I dont see it

As above, not the op 

Still stands though, even running on petrol you get large amounts of water vapour showing under certain conditions. HG is, IMO, the last on a long list of possibilities when the fact that there is no oil/water mixing taking place. A compression test is the only thing that I would consider to rule it in/out of the list of possible faults as if there is water getting into the cylinder then it will show reduced compression

[car-nut]

The mystery leak may have been found!

I started the Omega up lunch time and there was a horrible noise coming from the engine bay which sounds like a loose flywheel. So I turned the engine off, tugged all the pulleys, checked the tension of the belt, and no problems, I then noticed my coolant bottle is below the minimum but it was full yesterday.

I took the Saab down to GSF down the road from me as I don't want to risk anything with the Omega, and described the noise, they said it sounded like the water pump bearing has gone, and that the water is probably being forced out the breather on the water pump.

I am going to call my breakdown service out on Monday and get a definite diagnoses and if they confirm that the water pump has gone, I am going to get the car recovered to my local garage and get the cambelt and pullies etc... all done at the same time as it is due within the next few thousand miles.

Any of you guys got any thoughts on this. Does the noise description sound like it is the water pump or could I be barking up the wrong tree?

All and any opinions and advice is much appreciated. Cheers.

[PhilRich]

Could well be the pump!

[Dishevelled Den]

Will look forward to hear the result.

[car-nut]

Tuesday, I am being lazy and calling my breakdown service out, and getting them to properly diagnose it, then get it towed to the garage that has given me the best quote for the job, As on Monday I will be calling all my local mechanics and seeing how much they would charge for this particular job. I would call breakdown on Monday but I can't leave the house as I am waiting for couriers to deliver things for Christmas.

[tunnie]

Not sure I would trust a breakdown service to diagnose it properly, also unless you have home start its not really a breakdown is it?

You can tell if the water pump is leaking, take the cam belt cover off.  Lift loom out of the tray & unclip it, 15mm on the aux belt and a series or torx bolts around the side.

You can also crank the engine by hand, forget which size socket is need. While rotating it, check list for noise/play

[car-nut]

Lucky for me I do have homestart lol. But I will dig my tools out in the morning and do what you say and see if the pump is leaking, however, I am thoroughly confused again.

I unlocked the car and popped the bonnet, opened the window and started the engine, the noise was still there but slightly quieter from memory, the header tank is still half full, I opened the oil cap with the engine running and the noise seemed louder, I only opened the cap for about 2 seconds and of course it changed the sound of the engine, So I closed the bonnet and decided to go for a 3 mile round trip run, Drove perfect, when I got back I parked up, popped the bonnet and the engine was idling perfectly and quietly (No noises as all), coolant still at same level, no obvious signs of anything.

Any Idea's please? I am desperate!

Cheers.

[car-nut]

Not sure I would trust a breakdown service to diagnose it properly, also unless you have home start its not really a breakdown is it?

You can tell if the water pump is leaking, take the cam belt cover off.  Lift loom out of the tray & unclip it, 15mm on the aux belt and a series or torx bolts around the side.

You can also crank the engine by hand, forget which size socket is need. While rotating it, check list for noise/play

Thanks I will explore this option. Cheers.

[05omegav6]

Just change the Heater Bypass Valve and be done with it. They're only £25ish from Vauxhall, and usually in stock. That should tell you how often they fail They generally last between 70k and 100k.

[car-nut]

Thanks taxi al. Will defo look into it. 

[the alarming man]

Not sure I would trust a breakdown service to diagnose it properly, also unless you have home start its not really a breakdown is it?

You can tell if the water pump is leaking, take the cam belt cover off.  Lift loom out of the tray & unclip it, 15mm on the aux belt and a series or torx bolts around the side.

You can also crank the engine by hand, forget which size socket is need. While rotating it, check list for noise/play

with tunnie on that one...all of the breakdown companies are for towing you home only in my opinion..last time my dad called for a home start they claimed the alternator had gone...me and a mate turned up 20 mins later (who was/is a mechanic) and found out fan belt was slipping...tightened it up and too this day it is fine....4 years after

[car-nut]

I have placed on order for click and collect with Eurocarparts an order for the Heater Bypass Valve, I ordered a 90p Bulb to push the price over £20 as they currently have one of their many 25% off deals and got the bypass valve and bulb for under £16. I would have opted for free delivery but my nearest store is 2 miles from my house, but still got to wait for the courier for other stuff lol. I have asked a mate of mine to pop over in the morning if he has got time as he is much more mechanically minded than me, and can do more physically with cars lol.

I have breakdown through Asda with homestart, and lucky for me they use my favourite recovery company down the road from me, some of the workers are ok others are only recovery drivers and the rest are mechanics so it is hit and miss who I get but they always seem to bend over backwards to try help me fault find at the side of the road at home.  They came out 3 times to help try and get my Vectra 150 Sri Estate going again, but on the 3rd call they said to me I can't call again for the same fault on the same car, so it was recover it to a local garage or leave it lol. And in the past they spent ages helping me bleed the coolant system on my BMW 728i.  I wouldn't trust AA or RAC as far as I could throw them though from experience.

But I am DETERMINED to get to the bottom of this. Just wish it wasn't sooooo flaming cold lol

I will update the situation in the morning after my mate has been if he comes lol.

[RobG]

I have placed on order for click and collect with Eurocarparts an order for the Heater Bypass Valve, I ordered a 90p Bulb to push the price over £20 as they currently have one of their many 25% off deals and got the bypass valve and bulb for under £16. I would have opted for free delivery but my nearest store is 2 miles from my house, but still got to wait for the courier for other stuff lol. I have asked a mate of mine to pop over in the morning if he has got time as he is much more mechanically minded than me, and can do more physically with cars lol.

I have breakdown through Asda with homestart, and lucky for me they use my favourite recovery company down the road from me, some of the workers are ok others are only recovery drivers and the rest are mechanics so it is hit and miss who I get but they always seem to bend over backwards to try help me fault find at the side of the road at home.  They came out 3 times to help try and get my Vectra 150 Sri Estate going again, but on the 3rd call they said to me I can't call again for the same fault on the same car, so it was recover it to a local garage or leave it lol. And in the past they spent ages helping me bleed the coolant system on my BMW 728i.  I wouldn't trust AA or RAC as far as I could throw them though from experience.

But I am DETERMINED to get to the bottom of this. Just wish it wasn't sooooo flaming cold lol

I will update the situation in the morning after my mate has been if he comes lol.

Not genuine then. As for it being the HBV, why post a thread with this text "I started the Omega up lunch time and there was a horrible noise coming from the engine bay which sounds like a loose flywheel. So I turned the engine off, tugged all the pulleys, checked the tension of the belt, and no problems, I then noticed my coolant bottle is below the minimum"
Never known an HBV to make that noise???

[05omegav6]

Not sure that I would want to hear a loose flywheel... Intermittant coolant loss is most likely the HBV, it's certainly the cheapest place to start Could possibly be leaking elswhere. Noise could be caused by anything from cold oil upwards