talk some sense in to me!!

serious3

the bargain basement freelander is getting boring and i fancy a change trouble is i keep looking at alfa 156's particularly the sport wagon..... are they really that bad? am i mad to even consider looking at one?

Anan1

Do you look after your cars? Are you mechanically sympathetic? If so, then buy and enjoy - if not, stay clear.

Johntegr

You want me to tell you not to buy a car you want?

Feck off and buy it.

Anan1

Johntegr wrote: »

You want me to tell you not to buy a car you want?

Feck off and buy it.

It generally doesn't end well when the wrong person buys a middle-aged Alfa.

Dub XV

As I said previously in the Motors Section, I bought a brand new 156 Ti in 2004. It gave trouble after 6 months with an incident that nearly killed the family.

It went back to Alfa over 20 times and the problem was never sorted. Had to park it up for over 12 months until I took Alfa and the Stealer to court. Won and got my money back.

This was my second alfa and before that was 4 Fiat's.

Since then have gone German/Jap.....never again.

haminka

from freelander to alfa? you're a masochist with loads of spare cash

mercenary2

i also had the fiat stilo 2 year old 2 times i had it back with elec problems it was booked in for a third time but never made it on its own steam damn think tried to kill me,due to a massive elec failure it ended up with warped back axel a few dings here and there and they wouldnt even send a tow truck ,did manage to make em replace it with a opel astra saloon worth 3 k more ..

so in my opinion stay away from italion motors .....

also the great italion workmanship mostly ends like this..#
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308061/Ferrari-recalls-cursed-supercar-FIVE-458-Italias-burst-flames.html

L-M

Don't bother, they always require some sort of lovin'.

Dub XV

mercenary2 wrote: »

i also had the fiat stilo 2 year old 2 times i had it back with elec problems it was booked in for a third time but never made it on its own steam damn think tried to kill me,due to a massive elec failure it ended up with warped back axel a few dings here and there and they wouldnt even send a tow truck ,did manage to make em replace it with a opel astra saloon worth 3 k more ..

so in my opinion stay away from italion motors .....

also the great italion workmanship mostly ends like this..#
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308061/Ferrari-recalls-cursed-supercar-FIVE-458-Italias-burst-flames.html

But they do look good though........well maybe not the Stilo

Dub XV

Dub XV wrote: »

As I said previously in the Motors Section, I bought a brand new 156 Ti in 2004. It gave trouble after 6 months with an incident that nearly killed the family.

It went back to Alfa over 20 times and the problem was never sorted. Had to park it up for over 12 months until I took Alfa and the Stealer to court. Won and got my money back...........

What was the issue with it?

colm_mcm

Matt simmis on here has a class jtd sport wagon for peanuts, buy that.

dgt

mercenary2 wrote: »

I also had the Fiat Stilo 2 year old 2 times I had it back with elec problems it was booked in for a third time but never made it on its own steam damn think tried to kill me,due to a massive elec failure it ended up with warped back axle a few dings here and there and they wouldn't even send a tow truck ,did manage to make them replace it with an opel Astra saloon worth 3 k more ..

so in my opinion stay away from Italian motors .....

also the great Italian workmanship mostly ends like this..#
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308061/Ferrari-recalls-cursed-supercar-FIVE-458-Italias-burst-flames.html

I wouldn't be so quick to put down Italian cars. I can't see how an electric failure could cause a warped back axle. The only real trouble the rear axle gives are the pressed in bushes

OP do bear in mind that Alfas do require a lot more attention than the "normal" everyday car you see. Get a good example and it will serve you well

Dub XV

RoverJames wrote: »

What was the issue with it?

The problem was when changing gear the car would lose all power.

So I could be doing 40 in 4th and go to change up and it was like applying the brake instead.

Alfa had no clue why it was happening.

I find the alfa twin spark muck sofakingweetoddad, a total and utter gimmick that offers nothing. I'd take a 2.4 diesel one like Matts or a proper 2.5 V6 engined one. I suppose a 2.0 would tempt me to a degree too. I wouldn't consider the 1.6 or 1.8 ones viable really as with the 36k mile timing belt intervals and the chocolate suspension I think they're too maintenance heavy for what they offer. Plenty of them in skangers' hands nowadays too.

dgt

Dub XV wrote: »

The problem was when changing gear the car would lose all power.

So I could be doing 40 in 4th and go to change up and it was like applying the brake instead.

Alfa had no clue why it was happening.

Sounds suspiciously like the potentiometer at the accelerator was failing or the ecu plug going to the bulkhead was faulty, but the garage was too thick to see that...

Dub XV

dgt wrote: »

Sounds suspiciously like the potentiometer at the accelerator was failing or the ecu plug going to the bulkhead was faulty, but the garage was too thick to see that...

They changed that after advice from Italy. Then the machanic took it to Donegal for the weekend (Fookin Joke).

Anyways he came back white as a sheet cause it happened to him too.

dgt

Dub XV wrote: »

They changed that after advice from Italy. Then the machanic took it to Donegal for the weekend (Fookin Joke).

Anyways he came back white as a sheet cause it happened to him too.

Therefore a fault with the ecu plug would be my guess... Was the throttle jamming open by any chance?

Dub XV

dgt wrote: »

Therefore a fault with the ecu plug would be my guess... Was the throttle jamming open by any chance?

No. There was some slight response from the throttle. Very slight mind.

The amount of times I pissed people off. It was like I was braking without my lights working. In truth it was just a lack of positive momentum I suppose. It's kinda hard to explain.

serious3

must be a bit of a masochist as i've also got a range rover p38a as well:eek: ferking thing in the last month its had new BECM :mad: 4 new window switches, i drop link, oh and on wednesday the ABS ecu decided to throw a hissy fit! so i reckon me and a middle aged alfa would get along just fine.....:P

Anan1

@ Dub XV - Might the problem have had more to do with the dealer than the car itself? In my experience, Alfa main dealers are laughably poor - an experienced indy will know (and care) what they're doing.

dgt

Dub XV wrote: »

No. There was some slight response from the throttle. Very slight mind.

The amount of times I pissed people off. It was like I was braking without my lights working. In truth it was just a lack of positive momentum I suppose. It's kinda hard to explain.

I know exactly what your on about

Years ago we got a Bravo with the same problem, wouldn't rev up beyond 4k rpm, raced in traffic sometimes, jammed open on the M1 one day. Changed a fair few parts (throttle, potentiometer, body speed sensors etc) all to no avail. Turned out the ecu plug was faulty, was making a poor connection on the ecu itself. Loom changed (a nightmare of a job), problem sorted

Dub XV

Anan1 wrote: »

@ Dub XV - Might the problem have had more to do with the dealer than the car itself? In my experience, Alfa main dealers are laughably poor - an experienced indy will know (and care) what they're doing.

Spot on!

But Alfa did get involved before I decided to go legal. In fact it was their attitude that convinced me. The judge on the day tore them new arseholes. That whole spell was very stressful believe it or not.

The car was only circa 6 months old so I had to bring it to them. I was not going to give them an excuse to ride me some more.

Dub XV

Anan1 wrote: »

@ Dub XV - Might the problem have had more to do with the dealer than the car itself? In my experience, Alfa main dealers are laughably poor - an experienced indy will know (and care) what they're doing.

Oh and to back your point up........

That dealer was stripped of his Alfa franchise. I met the mechanic a few months later and he told me I was responsible for him getting sacked......I was glad to be still alive to hear those words.

Dilbert75

serious3 wrote: »

the bargain basement freelander is getting boring and i fancy a change trouble is i keep looking at alfa 156's particularly the sport wagon..... are they really that bad? am i mad to even consider looking at one?

I have a 03 1.8TS and have been seriously considering buying another one, a 04 1.8TS (facelift exterior). I love it, but it does require that extra bit of looking-after.

serious3

Dilbert75 wrote: »

I have a 03 1.8TS and have been seriously considering buying another one, a 04 1.8TS (facelift exterior). I love it, but it does require that extra bit of looking-after.

in what way?

Dilbert75

Check oil regularly (mine burns a wee bit, around a half litre every 2000 miles), bushings and wishbones tend to last less time than other cars, timing belt & water pump need to be changed religiously every 36k miles / 3 years, you get some niggles that need to be sorted, etc. But if you're handy with cars, or know someone who's good at working on something other than the run-of-the-mill (one of my best friends is an Alfa nut and has fixed many cars which couldn't be fixed by Alfa garages), then you'll have a car that you love driving.

Stheno

serious3 wrote: »

in what way?

Regular maintenance learning the "quirks" of the model.

Regular maintenance starts with checking the oil weekly/fortnightly/monthly depending on your mileage/car, same with the tyre pressure, along with what you'd normally check.

It then extends to knowing how your car behaves normally, and noting any strange deviations, such as squeaks, rattles or rolls when driving.

Then you need to know what's needed at each service interval and make sure it is done. As well you should know what issues your car is prone to (mine is the rear suspension bushes which can murder the subframe) and get that checked every time you have a service, on my car they've been replaced twice in 40k miles, and are due to be checked on next service this year. Timing belt changes on time are crucial. For some models you also have to replace the variator with the timing belt and it's a beast of a job

Not really a car for someone who likes to get in and go, and drop it in for a yearly service and expect a €200 bill.

That said, I've learned loads (still know feck all) having had alfas, and if I go into my mechanic and say "it's a bit spongy cornering on the left" he listens and checks it out, and usually there is something funny. He hated my current car when I first bought it, and today told me he now loved driving it, after he'd done a ****load of work on it, and a decent job too

Also I'd 100% recommend joining somewhere like alfaowner.com, my car was making such bad engine noises the NCT refused to test it, and it was feared the bottom end was going. Someone on alfaowner suggested it was instead the balance belt tensioner (think I've got that right) and it was, they can be great for their experience and are incredibly helpful to even the most idiotic (i.e. me ) poster, as well as getting info on sourcing parts etc.

Matt Simis

Id buy another Alfa one day no bother. Linked in my signature is the 156 Im selling, but the only problems we had were normal wear and tear type stuff, over a 2 year period:

- Turbo intake hoses replaced
- handbrake was too tight on one side which overheated the CV joint. Reasonably cheap to get replaced
- Replaced front CV boots
- Bulb Out warning indicator stopped working and caused rear tail light to dimly glow all the time. Fixed by replacing the Speedo (yes, the Bulb Out monitor is in the Speedo!)
- Airbag ECU needed to be replaced, once I found the right PN to replace with it was pretty much plug and play.
- Standard speakers arent very good, but thats not a fault as such.
- Hard on bushings, have to use quality replacements after trying generic ones first
- Irish "wavey" roads and potholes pose a danger of bottoming out, replaced suspension with Koni FSDs all round, much better now.
- Previous owner obviously never used the rear seats or power windows and the electric motors for the windows seized due to under usage. Easy to replace though.
- Alfa red paint is hard to keep red!


None of the above is really that different to the other cars Ive owned. It doesnt use any Oil, great MPG and power, brakes are good, handling and steering excellent, dunno whatelse to say. While Im selling mine cheap, all Alfa's are cheap and they pack in way more than equivalent German motor, value is definitely on their side.


If I was buying another I would concur with the other posters, 2.4JTD or V6 is the only stuff that interests me.. maybe in a Brera.

Stheno

I'm already looking forward to owning a brera in a few years time, most likely a petrol!

There is something about owning an alfa that inspires either love or hate, in my case it's love. I got a bit of flack in work with my current car, until one day I was busy and someone had to move it.

"That's a lovely car to drive, will look great when you've finished doing it up" echoed around the office all afternoon.

They are lovely cars with a bit of care and attention. That care and attention carries over, I went into my mechanic about the OHs citroen and mentioned x and y. Mechanic had noticed it also, OH was oblivious, nothing major, but a sign of what having to look after a car does to you

Johntegr

Stheno wrote: »

I'm already looking forward to owning a brera in a few years time, most likely a petrol!

There is something about owning an alfa that inspires either love or hate, in my case it's love. I got a bit of flack in work with my current car, until one day I was busy and someone had to move it.

"That's a lovely car to drive, will look great when you've finished doing it up" echoed around the office all afternoon.

They are lovely cars with a bit of care and attention. That care and attention carries over, I went into my mechanic about the OHs citroen and mentioned x and y. Mechanic had noticed it also, OH was oblivious, nothing major, but a sign of what having to look after a car does to you

Same as myself. Echo's of "Honda fanboy" and "Why a Honda" in work when I got the DC5. Then one of my colleagues who has an Auto E60 525i moved it for me one day and decided to take it around the block.

The smile on his face when he got back! Said if they were more comfortable he'd have one.

Bottom line is take your time to find one that's been cared for and then commit to caring for it while you have it. This is regardless of what car you want to buy.

Dilbert75

So OP - are you still looking to buy a 156SW? Cos mine's for sale when I pick up my new one on Tuesday;)...

166man

serious3 wrote: »

the bargain basement freelander is getting boring and i fancy a change trouble is i keep looking at alfa 156's particularly the sport wagon..... are they really that bad? am i mad to even consider looking at one?

They aren't as bad as some make them out to be on this forum tbh but they would probably require more than one service each year and that's that kind of thing. The timing belt is supposedly a big issue on these cars and has to be changed every 36k miles or 3 years, however to get it done costs about €400 and I don't find this a huge expense every three years. I don't know too many people either doing more than 12k miles a year in an Alfa petrol either.

Oil needs to be checked regularly and it can be a bit heavy on tyres at the front due to the suspension being a bit weak but it's hardly the worst by any means. I would imagine that a FSH is key though when buying a used one. They're are still a great looking car and drive really well and have a nice interior for what little money buys them these days.

Don't get hung up by the way on the whole timing belt issue either. If you find a really nice Sportwagon but it could need the belt done just factor it into the cost of the car. I certainly wouldn't be not buying a mint car because it needed a ''service'' item done to it.

Best of luck anyway, let us know if you go ahead with getting one, you won't regret it!

serious3

Dilbert75 wrote: »

So OP - are you still looking to buy a 156SW? Cos mine's for sale when I pick up my new one on Tuesday;)...

pm sent:D