1998 Omega MV6 manual, 104k.
Pulled into my local petrol stn after a 150 mile motorway dash (both events being quite common!). Filled up with unleaded. Went to start engine, which normally starts at first flick from warm or cold. It didn't start - lots of spinning of engine (battery OK) but didn't seem to be firing at all.
The area manager for the garage happened to be on site and see what was going on and got annother employee and they pushed the car away from the pump, then he took me home to collect garage phone number and manual (10 mins). Very grateful for that!
Tried again on return, same.
Sat reading Haynes for clues, and trying to call garage for about 5 mins. No luck with either, so tried it again and it burst into life as usual, ticked over fine and got me home successfully.
So the questions...
1) Any opinion as to what may have caused it? I realise I may have flooded it...when it didn't start 1st time I probably pumped the gas a bit too much.
2) Does the computer store causes for not having started, including flooding - and would it be worth having those reasons read? I am off to Frankfurt on Saturday and would like to minimise the risk of breaking down abroad...
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"Pumping" the pedal shouldn't flood a fuel injected car.
Could be many things. My suspicion would fall on a temperature-related failure of a sensor - possibly crank angle sensor. When the car cooled down a bit it was giving a signal again.
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Did you notice whether the ecu light was flashing while you were trying to start the car?
Immobiliser problem if it was.
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Don't think the ECU was flashing, but immobiliser crossed my mind, as did fuel cut off (which caught me once in a Sierra). Where are the buttons to turn these on/off? (I tried locking/unlocking using the plip, still wouldn't start)
Will bear in mind Aprilia's words...again, would that show, and still be in the ECU memory? Which might make it worth me getting it read.
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Where are the buttons to turn these on/off?
You can't. There's a transponder chip in the key, and the receiver sensor is on the ignition barrel.
As regards fault codes stored in the ecu, they get deleted after 20 or so turns of the ignition key - providing the error has cleared.
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I may be totally wrong, here, but it might be the fuel pressure regulator. They work off inlet manifold vacuum, and it may have stuck open, allowing the fuel an easy passage back to the tank.
It may be the fuel pump relay. They have a hard life, I seem to recall that they are triggered by the ecu with the injectors. This gives the contacts a hard life, and they may have temporarily decided to have a rest.
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Would say its most likely to be the crank sensor as these are about the most common reasons for cutting out with a hot engine, and failure to restart like you a stop for petrol.
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Another 150 mile round trip successful today with no problem. Also 220 scheduled for tomorrow, then it's the Big One - to Frankfurt on Sat via Spa Francorchamps, back on Wednesday.
Hope it holds out, but all info has been gratefully received.
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I drove tgo Spa on Saturday to wathc the LMES 1000km. No problem.
Filled up with fuel on the motorway shortly after the race, it wouldn't start for 20 mins - then it started immediately and was fine for 200m drive to Frankfurt, very fast :-)
About an hour after arrival I drove the 20 miles into Frankfurt and the engine management light came on after about 18, and the engine stopped. So I turned around back towards the hotel, and the same thing happened about 6 times - each time leaving it for about 20 minutes and it would start, and run fine, until it just died again, This morning it started fine, first time.
The light doesn't flash as I'm trying to start it, so probably not the immobiliser.
My colleagues are trying to find a local garage with diagnostic gear. The Opel dealers are too busy to look at it.
It certainly seems to be heat related. I am just hoping that I can get a reliable fix done it time for the return trip on Wednesday, otherwise it could be a slowwwww trip....
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Smokie,
Arm yourself with a paperclip and find the ecu plug. Not sure where it is on the Omega, it *should* either be in the fuse box, or under a removable panel below the handbrake. Then follow the instructions on the following site:-
www.topbuzz.co.uk/info/fault_codes/fault_codes.htm
Chances are it could be the crank sensor or cam sensor. If it is, find out where they're plugged in and separate the plug / socket joint and give it a squirt of wd-40 and reconnect.
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Thanks Dave
I had it in mind to try the paper clip thing, but in the meantime my colleagues have found an Opel dealer 20km away that doesn't have a 2 week waiting list. The car stalled twice during the trip!
I also phoned home to tell Mrs S that I had a problem; an Omega user at her work has just had a very similar problem fixed and it was "a sensor" (doesn't know which one!)
So you are barking up the right tree. I will update when I get a result.
PS there was immense surprise at the garage that I didn;t have the registgration document with me. It is a legal requirement to carry them here. I *think* I have a copy, back at the hotel...
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The words Crank Angle Sensor & Vauxhall are commonly used together? Possibly Cam Position Sesor as well.
As regards carrying Registration Doc & always carry mine in Europe as its a requirement & I've been asked for it and our Passports in France. He glanced at it and waved us on our way but I think it'd been very difference if we hadn't had it.
This was Douanes incidentally on motorbikes not police.
Jim
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Crank sensor would be my first port of call, then maybe dodgy colant temperature sensor.
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Just arrived back in Blighty with fully operational car. The only info I have is on German, on the invoice.
1 x 1238740 23B Sensor ?65.78
1 x 0850506 23A Dichtung ?6.27
4 x 1288900 23A Spanner ?2.48
1 x 2056000 23B Schraube ?0.67
2 x 0854913 23- Mutter ?7.20
Also includes
1 x J850600 11- Blinkcode-ausgabe abgelsesen ?5.50
11- Fehlercode 19 / 57 (code 19 is crankshaft sensor...!!!)
8 x J794400 11- impulsgeber an kurbelwelle Ern ?44.00
Total bill ?153.00 which I was happy with.
Can anyone tell me what I had done? It certainly looks like Aprilia and others were on teh money with the crankshaft sensor thingy...and I'm most grateful for your advice.
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Just arrived back in Blighty with fully operational car. The only info I have is on German, on the invoice.
Yes, you have 'fault code 19 - impulsegenerator on crankshaft'; i.e. crank sensor failure.
Dichtung is a gasket, also you had a bolt/screw (schraube) and a nut (mutter) - which seems expensive at 7 Euros. If that was a GM dealer then that's not at all a bad price for the job.
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Thanks Aprilia. I was happy with the price, more than happy that they were able to attend to the car pronto so my return journey plans were unaffected and happiest of all that the problem is cured. The first couple of Opel dealers we tried had two week waiting lists!
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