Omega 2.5 V6 cambelt tensioners

Mar 12, 2007 5 Replies

The car in question is an N reg 2.5 V6 Omega (June 96).



If the tensioner was replaced in August 2003 is it likely to be the improved part that isn't a major liability like they used to be? (Part cost was around £170, with labour coming it at just over £200).



If so, would it be a fairly safe bet to leave it the full 5 years from then until changing it again (given the mileage it's done since then it's fairly safe to say that it'll get changed due to age rather than mileage)?



I've heard all the usual scare stories about Vauxhall using plastic tensioners etc etc - just wondering:



a) if the improved/modified part was about then b) and are they trustworthy enough to give them the full recommended time interval before changing c) what exactly the recommended time interval is



Comments/advice appreciated.



Cheers,



Peter


interval is meant to be 48k depending on who you ask, I prefer a blanket 36k on all ecotecs, 4 and 6 cylinders given their propensity for failure.

Tim..

Was the part not drastically improved then? I thought I'd heard that all parts after some time or other were a much better design (i.e. metal instead of plastic) and didn't have the same issues. Also I was asking w.r.t. time intervals, not mileage - it's only done 11k since the last change and I wouldn't be piling masses of miles on it, hence the question about *time* intervals.

Cheers,

Peter

I think they have always been metal for the V6 but a lip either appeared or disappeared. At the time of the change they said 80k or 8 years but that dropped to 60k/6years and then dropped again to

40k/4years. In the omegaowners forum we still hear about them failing early so I'd recommend changing the full kit and I wouldn't wait 5 years to do it.

It's not too bad a job to do yourself but you do need the timing and locking kit but that can be hired from autovaux for ?15 a week and I think the kit is about ?70 from them. You can get a DVD showing the job from the omegaowners forum for 3 quid I think. It's worth changing the waterpump while you are in there. It's not driven by the timing belt on the V6 but you have to remove so much to get to it that it's worth spending the 25 quid then.

While you are at it don't forget to clean the breathers out :-)

Nothing. It's fine. Just getting itchy feet.....

Wha? Low blow turbochargers rock. Active suspension rocks. Quirky Citroens, erm, well they rock but they don't roll... :-p

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