Nightmare Eurotrip
Discussion
I've just got back from driving from Malta to UK in my Alfa 156. I've done it many times but what a nightmare this journey was. I had all my bad luck at once. The car suffered an alternator failure in Naples, and I had to leave it there for two weeks and go back to collect it (£200 quid to fix the car and £1000 travel expenses!). Then on the way back from Naples, around Milan it developed a hideous grinding noise from the engine. I thought I was going to breakdown for a second time but the car made it home sounding like a bag of spanners. It's a tensioner bearing I think. Then the cherry on top was I got a flat tyre on the M25 on the way back from the tunnel and the wheel was seized on the hub! It took a hell of a lot of kicking to get it off but I managed.
To add insult to injury I just took the tyre to Kwik Fit and they refused to change it because there is a slight dent on the inside of the rim. I then took it to the car wash and the guy there pointed out I have a fine overspray on the roof and bonnet. That wasn't there before so I can only think it happened whilst sitting for two week in a garage in Naples. I didn't notice before because it had 1700 miles of motorway grime on it. It only showed up when it was washed. Fat chance I have of getting anything out of them for it.
I'm frightened to get back in the thing in case anything else goes wrong. Nightmare!
To add insult to injury I just took the tyre to Kwik Fit and they refused to change it because there is a slight dent on the inside of the rim. I then took it to the car wash and the guy there pointed out I have a fine overspray on the roof and bonnet. That wasn't there before so I can only think it happened whilst sitting for two week in a garage in Naples. I didn't notice before because it had 1700 miles of motorway grime on it. It only showed up when it was washed. Fat chance I have of getting anything out of them for it.
I'm frightened to get back in the thing in case anything else goes wrong. Nightmare!
egor110 said:
Surely you've done more miles in your alfa then most do in a lifetime?
So few bits have gone wrong this time, you get them sorted and carry on.
You seem to know my movements? So few bits have gone wrong this time, you get them sorted and carry on.
Anyway this is a new one so not so many miles on this one yet. 
Don't mind paying for the bits that go wrong. Just why does it always have to happen when I'm on a Eurotrip. Never happens when I'm pootling round Malta or the UK. 
itz_baseline said:
If they have done some respraying they would have had to wash the car first....did you not wonder why the car was clean? You mention it was fully of motorway grime, but surely it was freshly clean for respraying?
My car wasn't being sprayed and wasn't washed. I assume it has been parked in a workshop where some spraying was going on.Try something like Farecla G3 (this is my go-to for most things paint, perhaps better products out there for this task) to try and get out the overspray.
If it was mine I would try that first, if not a quick flat down then polish up with G3 before going onto a finer polish and wax.
Alternator fix - 2 weeks? That part should have been available anywhere in Italy!? Were they just booked up?
If it was mine I would try that first, if not a quick flat down then polish up with G3 before going onto a finer polish and wax.
Alternator fix - 2 weeks? That part should have been available anywhere in Italy!? Were they just booked up?
Edited by V6Alfisti on Sunday 22 June 13:44
Bet you were just glad to get the damn thing home. t1grm said:
I've just got back from driving from Malta to UK in my Alfa 156. I've done it many times but what a nightmare this journey was. I had all my bad luck at once. The car suffered an alternator failure in Naples, and I had to leave it there for two weeks and go back to collect it (£200 quid to fix the car and £1000 travel expenses!).
Why didn't your Euro breakdown cover sort it?I understand you, I have owned a 156 and 2 159 and in them I did many eurotrips, I can't count the problems. My starting point was Turin, I still remember a trip to Portugal. The 159 2.4 jtd had 45k kms on the clock and 2 years of life but already some faults in the history, but it was all going well since 20k kms. So before starting the 5k miles roundtrip I took the 159 to the official big own Alfa Romeo "officina" that now sits in a part of Mirafiori production plant for a complete check up. I had almost reached the first scheduled stop in Carcassonne when the engine check light came up and the cars refused to do more than 70kph. Luckily I found an Alfa Romeo dealer than fixed the electronic problem in 1 hour without paying nothing thanks to warranty still in place but I really had fear to stop for the rest of the long trip.
About Naples parking it is often not the safest place for a car. The certainly had lack of space so an occasional respray for some other job is not unlikely. I used to go for a couple of weeks in Pananrea, a Eolian island, I drove to Naples and then took a fast ship to Panarea. Cars are not allowed on the island (the "streets" are narrow for sccoters) so I left it always parked in Naples. Once they steal the spare wheel, once a broken window, once a scrap...I found cheaper flying from Turin to Naples even if I find the car the most flexible way of transport.
About Naples parking it is often not the safest place for a car. The certainly had lack of space so an occasional respray for some other job is not unlikely. I used to go for a couple of weeks in Pananrea, a Eolian island, I drove to Naples and then took a fast ship to Panarea. Cars are not allowed on the island (the "streets" are narrow for sccoters) so I left it always parked in Naples. Once they steal the spare wheel, once a broken window, once a scrap...I found cheaper flying from Turin to Naples even if I find the car the most flexible way of transport.
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