ESSENTIAL CHECKS
Fancy this bargain luxury car? This is what to look out for
CHECK THE GADGETS
Items such as heated seats and heating/air conditioning systems are likely to not be working properly by now. Fixing a broken air-con system is likely to be quite an involved undertaking because once the original rubber hoses and seals have perished everything runs dry and the compressor is irreparably damaged as a result. The switchgear can be temperamental so check everything; a particularly common failure is the sunroof switch. Facelift cars can also suffer with the rubber coating on the switches wearing away or going sticky through natural degradation.
HAS THE ENGINE BEEN NEGLECTED?
All petrol engines (four- and six-cylinder) have a cambelt that needs to be changed every 40k miles/ four years, ideally with the water pump too. You can buy a kit for £120, or a garage will do it for £300. Exhaust manifold gasket failures are common on the V6. A ticking sound that’s louder than the fuel injectors may indicate a failing exhaust gasket. The offside can be changed with the engine in situ, but the nearside is almost impossible to get to. It’s a job best done with the engine out.
SEE IF IT STAYS COOL
All Omegas come with an oil cooler. Early cars got a mild steel item that rusts through, but later Omegas were fitted with a stainless steel cooler. It’s a pig of a job to replace one but if you’re doi
