Classic Opel Forum NZ

Finally got around to having a bit of a poke around in the ign on my Omega B that didn't want to start or turn off. Turns out the shaft that comes out of the ign barrel is snapped right in two would have thought the key itself would've been a weaker link. After chasing and reassembling a bunch of little springs and pins (which of course went everywhere despite my best efforts to remove the assembly carefully) I managed to hold the bits and pieces together to turn her over. So definitely just that breakage at fault and no other electrical bug-bears

So if anyone has an ignition barrel to fit a omega b, vectra b has the same one part#90512000, or knows of someone local (before I go asking offshore) who can supply one at reasonable cost I'd be happy to hear from you. Essential as it is to operation, I'm not prepared to pay the $95 I was quoted to obtain a used one from the wreckers on trademe (lwwlww).

I guess Australian Auto Parts in Chch is just as expensive?

You'll just have to keep an eye on cars been broken on TradeMe for a private owner - Vectra probably more likely. If I come across one, I'll let you know.

a few holden vectras on trademe being wrecked if cant get local.

170 Euros in genuine....BUT with 56 Euros in repro (incl normal air mail shipment costs) .....you can do your work great (you may have diff type of key)

How hard is it to take the Ignition barrel off the column? I don't remember it being very straight forward, for obvious reasons. Do you need to cut anything?

I take it you need the keys that come with it? Theres an Omega B at "Pick a Part" here but I can't imagine the key's will still be with it. To be honest I think $95 is a very fair price for such an item.

020 Brad wrote:How hard is it to take the Ignition barrel off the column? I don't remember it being very straight forward, for obvious reasons. Do you need to cut anything?

I take it you need the keys that come with it? Theres an Omega B at "Pick a Part" here but I can't imagine the key's will still be with it. To be honest I think $95 is a very fair price for such an item.

Haynes manual description of how to get to the ignition barrel includes removing the steering wheel which would make things a bit harder, but I was surprised how easy it appears in the description otherwise. I haven't actually removed the barrel from the column but apparently its as easy as depressing a pin on the side of the barrel (once the covers are all off) to get the barrel with key and all to slide out. I have my suspicions that pushing this pin in is far easier said than done. Given that I only had a screwdriver to hand as far as tools go I wasn't able to do much. Two of the screws for the column cover are normally behind the steering wheel but by turning the steering wheel one way and then the other I was able to get to them which made removing the covers very straight forward. Just need to get back there with a suitable pointed implement to have a proper go at removing this barrel.

Maybe I am being a bit optimistic on price but $95 just seems a pretty high wager on a 2nd hand part.. the fact that I saw a new one on e-bay for 15quid (don't ship to NZ ) and being a poor student atm doesn't help

I think I need to double check on that part # I posted. Rang Australian Auto Partsworld as they had a Omega B ignition switch listed on their site but they said the numbers didn't match

Finally found 5seconds to have a proper look into this, in the end it was way too easy. Should have had it sorted ages ago...

Removing the ignition barrel was disturbingly easy, with the cover off the steering column just had to depress a pin with a sharp implement (an old nail in my case ) with the key in the ignition and the whole barrel slides out. Hardest part was working out where the hole to push the pin is. Having done it once I think I could now have the ignition barrel out of an omega b in less than 5mins.

So armed with the old barrel, walked in to rare spares, few minutes later walked out with a brand new VT (I think..) commie ignition. I've now left the two ignition barrels at a lock smiths to have the new one set up to accept my key. New barrel was $100 and another $30 to put it together, so fair to say the secondhand prices offered weren't terribly reasonable.

Good to hear you have it sorted, Pete.

Did you bid on that Opel Kadett in Ashburton?

A bit ambitious an undertaking for me.. seems as keeping the daily driver up and running is proving enough of a challenge Will be great to get back to driving an opel after a few weeks of borrowing a ford telstar/laser, although was nice to drive a manual for a while even with the racket of the road noise they make

Will try to catch up with you next time I'm in Ashburton. PM me your address or phone number.

seems something went astray in the re-assembly phase. I put everything back together - minus one of the steering column covers - and it started fine, was about to take off and found that the gear selector won't move, and a light for the driving lights comes on when I hit the brake. Hoping that dis-assembly and re-assembly should have it sorted

Sounds like you might have just knocked the brake switch wire off? There should be a wire going to a switch ont he brake pedal, make sure it's connected and that the switch is in it's correct position.

This is just a guess, but it's the only thing I can think of that ties both of those things together (you can only select a gear when the brake pedal is depressed). I wouldn't go pulling the ignition barrel out just yet.

020 Brad wrote:Sounds like you might have just knocked the brake switch wire off? There should be a wire going to a switch ont he brake pedal, make sure it's connected and that the switch is in it's correct position.

This is just a guess, but it's the only thing I can think of that ties both of those things together (you can only select a gear when the brake pedal is depressed). I wouldn't go pulling the ignition barrel out just yet.

That makes sense, I was wondering how a short in the ignition could be doing that but a short in the brake wiring adds up, must be a plug on the column or something that I've disturbed

Yeah pretty much. I tried to find an image but can't easily. In Vectras it just sits at the top of the brake pedal on the column support frame and has a 2 pin plug. On Auto's it usually has more pins, so might be a relatively large plug. It might be still connected, but dislodged from it's actual location. You should be able to see it by looking straight up the brake pedal I'd have thought?

Should look something like this, with the white bit depressed by the top of the brake pedal.