Sensible dog wagon (not French or German) so Alfa 156 JTD?
Discussion
theironduke said:
What's to know?
Seen a loved 2003 car with a full history and in nice nick. What are the things to look for? Is the 5 pot diesel a reliable lump? cambelt sensitive? Also whats the real world MPG like?
Is it the 10 valve or 20v? They changed over in 2003. Seen a loved 2003 car with a full history and in nice nick. What are the things to look for? Is the 5 pot diesel a reliable lump? cambelt sensitive? Also whats the real world MPG like?
Yes, their reliable just need to look out of suspension wear, make sure the climate control works properly as well as the rear electric windows. Not sure of the timing belt change on the 2.4 as I only had the 1.9 but that was recommended to be done every 5 years or 60,000 miles instead of the manufacturers recommended 72,000 miles to be on the safe side.
I did 40,000 miles in 2 and a half years in mine, one of the best card I've owned.
Alfahorn said:
theironduke said:
What's to know?
Seen a loved 2003 car with a full history and in nice nick. What are the things to look for? Is the 5 pot diesel a reliable lump? cambelt sensitive? Also whats the real world MPG like?
Is it the 10 valve or 20v? They changed over in 2003. Seen a loved 2003 car with a full history and in nice nick. What are the things to look for? Is the 5 pot diesel a reliable lump? cambelt sensitive? Also whats the real world MPG like?
Yes, their reliable just need to look out of suspension wear, make sure the climate control works properly as well as the rear electric windows. Not sure of the timing belt change on the 2.4 as I only had the 1.9 but that was recommended to be done every 5 years or 60,000 miles instead of the manufacturers recommended 72,000 miles to be on the safe side.
I did 40,000 miles in 2 and a half years in mine, one of the best card I've owned.
Hi
we owned a 2001 156 2.4 JTD (10 valve). No reliability problems with the engine itself and all in all not too bad a car. We could get 44mpg on a 80mph run down into France. Generally used to get about 41mpg just tootling around the IOW.
Biggest expense were suspension components - wishbones, rear shocks plus other parts. Cambelt not too bad - I was recommended to change every 36,000 miles. It cost £245 to change (locel garage rates).
Eventually sold for scrap at last MOT. Fuel lines, brake lines and wishbones needed doing. (Airbag light and headlight washers would have both failed if MOTted today.) It was not worth repairing over its value. We owned it for three and a half years and never let us down in that time. They just need a little TLC and money spending to keep good.....
The 2.4JTD lump is fantastic and pulls all day. It also is the best sounding diesel I have driven. We had the Lusso spec which I would not recommend as it was softly sprung and made the front end vague. I believe Turismo specification would have been better. It was not a sports car but felt more like a comfortable, wafty tourer. We did about 30,000 miles in it in total....
Mike
we owned a 2001 156 2.4 JTD (10 valve). No reliability problems with the engine itself and all in all not too bad a car. We could get 44mpg on a 80mph run down into France. Generally used to get about 41mpg just tootling around the IOW.
Biggest expense were suspension components - wishbones, rear shocks plus other parts. Cambelt not too bad - I was recommended to change every 36,000 miles. It cost £245 to change (locel garage rates).
Eventually sold for scrap at last MOT. Fuel lines, brake lines and wishbones needed doing. (Airbag light and headlight washers would have both failed if MOTted today.) It was not worth repairing over its value. We owned it for three and a half years and never let us down in that time. They just need a little TLC and money spending to keep good.....
The 2.4JTD lump is fantastic and pulls all day. It also is the best sounding diesel I have driven. We had the Lusso spec which I would not recommend as it was softly sprung and made the front end vague. I believe Turismo specification would have been better. It was not a sports car but felt more like a comfortable, wafty tourer. We did about 30,000 miles in it in total....
Mike
theironduke said:
Alfahorn said:
theironduke said:
What's to know?
Seen a loved 2003 car with a full history and in nice nick. What are the things to look for? Is the 5 pot diesel a reliable lump? cambelt sensitive? Also whats the real world MPG like?
Is it the 10 valve or 20v? They changed over in 2003. Seen a loved 2003 car with a full history and in nice nick. What are the things to look for? Is the 5 pot diesel a reliable lump? cambelt sensitive? Also whats the real world MPG like?
Yes, their reliable just need to look out of suspension wear, make sure the climate control works properly as well as the rear electric windows. Not sure of the timing belt change on the 2.4 as I only had the 1.9 but that was recommended to be done every 5 years or 60,000 miles instead of the manufacturers recommended 72,000 miles to be on the safe side.
I did 40,000 miles in 2 and a half years in mine, one of the best card I've owned.
mike9009 said:
Hi
we owned a 2001 156 2.4 JTD (10 valve). No reliability problems with the engine itself and all in all not too bad a car. We could get 44mpg on a 80mph run down into France. Generally used to get about 41mpg just tootling around the IOW.
Biggest expense were suspension components - wishbones, rear shocks plus other parts. Cambelt not too bad - I was recommended to change every 36,000 miles. It cost £245 to change (locel garage rates).
Eventually sold for scrap at last MOT. Fuel lines, brake lines and wishbones needed doing. (Airbag light and headlight washers would have both failed if MOTted today.) It was not worth repairing over its value. We owned it for three and a half years and never let us down in that time. They just need a little TLC and money spending to keep good.....
The 2.4JTD lump is fantastic and pulls all day. It also is the best sounding diesel I have driven. We had the Lusso spec which I would not recommend as it was softly sprung and made the front end vague. I believe Turismo specification would have been better. It was not a sports car but felt more like a comfortable, wafty tourer. We did about 30,000 miles in it in total....
Mike
I'm surprised you chose to scrap the car. Whilst the repairs were expensive they would have easily extended the life of the car.we owned a 2001 156 2.4 JTD (10 valve). No reliability problems with the engine itself and all in all not too bad a car. We could get 44mpg on a 80mph run down into France. Generally used to get about 41mpg just tootling around the IOW.
Biggest expense were suspension components - wishbones, rear shocks plus other parts. Cambelt not too bad - I was recommended to change every 36,000 miles. It cost £245 to change (locel garage rates).
Eventually sold for scrap at last MOT. Fuel lines, brake lines and wishbones needed doing. (Airbag light and headlight washers would have both failed if MOTted today.) It was not worth repairing over its value. We owned it for three and a half years and never let us down in that time. They just need a little TLC and money spending to keep good.....
The 2.4JTD lump is fantastic and pulls all day. It also is the best sounding diesel I have driven. We had the Lusso spec which I would not recommend as it was softly sprung and made the front end vague. I believe Turismo specification would have been better. It was not a sports car but felt more like a comfortable, wafty tourer. We did about 30,000 miles in it in total....
Mike
Alfahorn said:
I'm surprised you chose to scrap the car. Whilst the repairs were expensive they would have easily extended the life of the car.
I know it sounds a little extreme. I did not quite scrap the car, but sold for very little. It soon needed a Cambelt service and needed about £800 of work doing to pass MOT (it also needed new front tyres). I knew the new MOT regulations would be coming in soon which meant the airbag light and head light washer jets would also need solving.It had done almost 100k miles and if in good nick would have been worth about £1200. The teledial wheels needed some work plus a couple of dents/ scrapes on the offside needed some attention.
We had spent £800 in the past year getting through the previous MOT and servicing etc. We chose to draw the line at the last MOT. (Always difficult to know where the line is when shedding - better the devil you know etc.) But my wife had saved money to buy a new motor anyway - which will hopefully not cause any expenditure in the short term (Please don't lecture me on buying a new car to save money - you need to speak to my wife
)Mike
mike9009 said:
Alfahorn said:
I'm surprised you chose to scrap the car. Whilst the repairs were expensive they would have easily extended the life of the car.
I know it sounds a little extreme. I did not quite scrap the car, but sold for very little. It soon needed a Cambelt service and needed about £800 of work doing to pass MOT (it also needed new front tyres). I knew the new MOT regulations would be coming in soon which meant the airbag light and head light washer jets would also need solving.It had done almost 100k miles and if in good nick would have been worth about £1200. The teledial wheels needed some work plus a couple of dents/ scrapes on the offside needed some attention.
We had spent £800 in the past year getting through the previous MOT and servicing etc. We chose to draw the line at the last MOT. (Always difficult to know where the line is when shedding - better the devil you know etc.) But my wife had saved money to buy a new motor anyway - which will hopefully not cause any expenditure in the short term (Please don't lecture me on buying a new car to save money - you need to speak to my wife
)Mike
Alfahorn said:
mike9009 said:
Alfahorn said:
I'm surprised you chose to scrap the car. Whilst the repairs were expensive they would have easily extended the life of the car.
I know it sounds a little extreme. I did not quite scrap the car, but sold for very little. It soon needed a Cambelt service and needed about £800 of work doing to pass MOT (it also needed new front tyres). I knew the new MOT regulations would be coming in soon which meant the airbag light and head light washer jets would also need solving.It had done almost 100k miles and if in good nick would have been worth about £1200. The teledial wheels needed some work plus a couple of dents/ scrapes on the offside needed some attention.
We had spent £800 in the past year getting through the previous MOT and servicing etc. We chose to draw the line at the last MOT. (Always difficult to know where the line is when shedding - better the devil you know etc.) But my wife had saved money to buy a new motor anyway - which will hopefully not cause any expenditure in the short term (Please don't lecture me on buying a new car to save money - you need to speak to my wife
)Mike
I just know how righteous some PHers can get!! The Giulietta is lovely but we couldn't stretch to a brand new motor (or even second hand Guilietta) so a Nissan Note serves as the wifes daily now. Boring but suits our needs for the time being, with a new sprog arriving in four weeks time!Mike
DamienB said:
Sensible dog wagon? No. Boot is rather small - our Lab is much comfier in something bigger. And far more expensive to keep on the road than any other estate really.
Sensible....I currently have a 5.0 V8 Mercedes which is nearly 30 years old. My second car is a V8 Roadster. So by MY standards a fairly modern (VERY modern for me) car with a diesel engine is pretty damn sensible! I have no interest in running something French and dull or a more reliable and efficient Audi or BMW, i'd rather pay a little more for something with some character! So in my PH eyes, its pretty damn sensible! Oh and the hound won't mind, she won't be going that far in it. I had a 10v 2.4 and did about 100k miles in it. From memory it was on 131k when I sold it.
As others have said the suspension bushes are made of soap - replace them every 60k, or it just gets more and more rattly.
The timing belt is the same as the 1.9 - supposed to be every 72k but actually best to do it every 60k. Mine was an early one and I did a lot of miles, so it was an expensive job when I had mine done as no-one seemed to know how to do them. My 72k service was £800 or so.
Other issues I had:
MAF - flat spot at 3k means you need a new one. Or just unplug it.
Check that the rear nearside light goes out when you turn the lights off. Also shows up as a permanently lit 'blown bulb' warning. This means the control circuit for the lights has failed - it's part of the rev counter (why?) so you need to replaced that. Or ignore it and make sure you start it every day to avoid the battery going.
Suspension and wish bones and anti roll bar bushes - all made of wet newspaper and cheese
Tracking - check the inner edges of the front tyres
Air conditioning - mine packed up after 5 years or so. I think the compressor is in a spot that gets peppered with road detritus, from memory
Top Dead Centre sensor failed - intermittent starting issues but fine when running. £20 part, just plugs in.
Mine did 41 mpg no matter how I drove it. And was on the origianl clutch at 130k. I believe a new one is a pain to fit as the engine is so big. They're front heavy too - I had the Veloce spec (lowered with side skirts and red numbers on the dials) and lent it to a friend who introduced it to a speed bump and cracked the sump a bit. I never got it fixed - the engine never used any oil until then, and I just topped it up every now and again after. Made a mess of the road outside the house though.
Lovely thing to sit in and drive. I liked the very slight turbo lag.
As others have said the suspension bushes are made of soap - replace them every 60k, or it just gets more and more rattly.
The timing belt is the same as the 1.9 - supposed to be every 72k but actually best to do it every 60k. Mine was an early one and I did a lot of miles, so it was an expensive job when I had mine done as no-one seemed to know how to do them. My 72k service was £800 or so.
Other issues I had:
MAF - flat spot at 3k means you need a new one. Or just unplug it.
Check that the rear nearside light goes out when you turn the lights off. Also shows up as a permanently lit 'blown bulb' warning. This means the control circuit for the lights has failed - it's part of the rev counter (why?) so you need to replaced that. Or ignore it and make sure you start it every day to avoid the battery going.
Suspension and wish bones and anti roll bar bushes - all made of wet newspaper and cheese
Tracking - check the inner edges of the front tyres
Air conditioning - mine packed up after 5 years or so. I think the compressor is in a spot that gets peppered with road detritus, from memory
Top Dead Centre sensor failed - intermittent starting issues but fine when running. £20 part, just plugs in.
Mine did 41 mpg no matter how I drove it. And was on the origianl clutch at 130k. I believe a new one is a pain to fit as the engine is so big. They're front heavy too - I had the Veloce spec (lowered with side skirts and red numbers on the dials) and lent it to a friend who introduced it to a speed bump and cracked the sump a bit. I never got it fixed - the engine never used any oil until then, and I just topped it up every now and again after. Made a mess of the road outside the house though.
Lovely thing to sit in and drive. I liked the very slight turbo lag.
mike9009 said:
Alfahorn said:
mike9009 said:
Alfahorn said:
I'm surprised you chose to scrap the car. Whilst the repairs were expensive they would have easily extended the life of the car.
I know it sounds a little extreme. I did not quite scrap the car, but sold for very little. It soon needed a Cambelt service and needed about £800 of work doing to pass MOT (it also needed new front tyres). I knew the new MOT regulations would be coming in soon which meant the airbag light and head light washer jets would also need solving.It had done almost 100k miles and if in good nick would have been worth about £1200. The teledial wheels needed some work plus a couple of dents/ scrapes on the offside needed some attention.
We had spent £800 in the past year getting through the previous MOT and servicing etc. We chose to draw the line at the last MOT. (Always difficult to know where the line is when shedding - better the devil you know etc.) But my wife had saved money to buy a new motor anyway - which will hopefully not cause any expenditure in the short term (Please don't lecture me on buying a new car to save money - you need to speak to my wife
)Mike
I just know how righteous some PHers can get!! The Giulietta is lovely but we couldn't stretch to a brand new motor (or even second hand Guilietta) so a Nissan Note serves as the wifes daily now. Boring but suits our needs for the time being, with a new sprog arriving in four weeks time!Mike
k all about Alfa, I'm just down right rude to them now! 
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