********Motors Chat - Round 8 ********

A stationwagon March??
I would bet that it is the only one in Ireland.. fook it in Europe!
Never ever seen one

bear1 wrote: »

A stationwagon March??
I would bet that it is the only one in Ireland.. fook it in Europe!
Never ever seen one

There are two within about a half hour of my house!

I'd be willing to wager the above came from George Cosgrave on Dorset Street

Bpmull wrote: »

I'm after hearing the most outrageous story a friend of the family got the timming belt replaced in his expert van 1.9 straight diesel 2 years ago and they charged him 1200 euro not main dealer :eek:

He does sub 5k Km a year and now 2 years later the belt has snapped and they are looking for 1200 to fix it wdf so they probably didn't change the belt back then and he brings it to them every 6 months to be serviced regardless of mileage and I had my suspicions they weren't servicing it right as it never seemed to run great. He should have stuck with the main dealer it's an unbelievable story tbh. There is sub 60k km on this van genuine its 2005.

With respect that sounds hard to believe! A main dealer risking his entire reputation for €1k? Was it just a pub story or actual first hand experience with receipts?

If it's only 2 years then he should have the receipt or the main dealer should have it on their system and I'd be looking at them for answers...;)

Aww yiss. Rear wheel drive, twin turbocharged VR6 Vento.

Interslice wrote: »

Thats rough man. No belt should snap. I've taken them off mitubishis that have been on the one belt for ten years, and they're grand. I'd say that's either the factory belt that went or what seems to be more common is a tensioner or some other hard ware wasn't changed and that blew out. The belt was overdue on the alfa when I changed it. looked like it was good for another interval. The tensioner however I don't think had more than a few months left in it. You can see the rust around the bearing. Noisy and full of play. Possibly not changed although it was 7 years since it was last done.

Careful now, your drive a twin spark.
It's generally not the belt that snaps just the tensioner deciding that it doesn't want to work anymore.
Or people deciding not to change the aux belt/ tensioners and then the aux belt snaps taking out the timing belt with it.

It was 72k, chances are the belts are good for 72k or 5 years, but unfortunately the tensioners weren't.
I've a feeling that the troublesome tensioners have been changed for an upgraded version at this stage (something is ringing a bell in the back of my head that Alfa have) but they haven't changed the interval and I don't ****ing want to test it either.

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Careful now, your drive a twin spark.
It's generally not the belt that snaps just the tensioner deciding that it doesn't want to work anymore.
Or people deciding not to change the aux belt/ tensioners and then the aux belt snaps taking out the timing belt with it.

It was 72k, chances are the belts are good for 72k or 5 years, but unfortunately the tensioners weren't.
I've a feeling that the troublesome tensioners have been changed for an upgraded version at this stage (something is ringing a bell in the back of my head that Alfa have) but they haven't changed the interval and I don't ****ing want to test it either.

I've read anything from 32k up to 72k mile intervals. Not sure if the 32k is just internet talk or not. I don't bother with intervals anyway just use 5 years and 60k miles as my own interval for all belts and tensioners. Make up all my own intervals actually :pac:. Alfa seems to be more of a closed shop with regard to service manuals and bulletins being released, at least compared to others makes I've worked on.
133k miles on it now so don't think I'll be changing it again tbh. Just drive till it blows up (I'll still service it every 5k!) Already keeping half an eye out for a replacement, just not sure what sort of mileage life is going to throw at me in the next year or so. Could be any one of the engines I stick in depending. Have an awful phobia of 4 cyl. diesels though. The bigger engines look like good craic but I'm enjoying having a nice light front end at the moment. Finish up the mad motorway miles next week. Still reckon you can't beat a good 5cyl. diesel for keeping a steady pace the motorway for hours on end. Cruise control in the alfa would be great. The pedals and steering wheel position are the only thing I'm seriously doubting in this car. The accelerator is too high and I hit my knee off the steering wheel when I go to brake. Will have a really good effort at sorting it first though. Why there is no reach adjustment on the steering wheel is... frustrating. I'm not mad tall either, just about 6'1".