2.0 GTV question

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Discussion

peter

Original Poster:

33 posts

286 months

Thursday 29th January 2004
quotequote all
What are the regular service intervals for these cars? And how much do these cost roughly? Anything to look out for on a 1998 car with 72,000 miles?

ettore

4,195 posts

254 months

Thursday 29th January 2004
quotequote all
service intervals should be every 12,000 miles.

They`re actually pretty well built but you have to check the fancy rear suspension which wears itself out reasonably regularly. At 72K it should have had work done.

I did 50,000 miles in mine and the only thing that broke was the door pull!

wombat rick

13,444 posts

246 months

Thursday 29th January 2004
quotequote all
12,000 miles or 12 months - whichever comes first.

e.g. if the car is 5 years old and has only done 20,000 miles, it still needs the 60k service.

You need to check that at 60k all the plugs were changed.
At 72k, you MUST get the cambelt, balancer shaft belt, and tensioners changed if it hasn't already been done. This is a biggy. While you are in there, you may want to get the variator changed. It's a £60 part which often fails, and you would have to strip all the belts off again to get to it if it failed in six months time. Some people do the water pump as well.

Cheapest way is to get a local specialist to do it. You could buy the bits yourself from somewhere like www.ebspares.co.uk and give them to the garage. Main dealers could be up to £800 for this. You should be able to get it done for less than half that independantly.

Happy shopping.

nws25

35 posts

259 months

Sunday 1st February 2004
quotequote all
I read somewhere that alfa now recommend cambelt change at 36k intervals is that true??
£800 for a cambelt change?? blimey.

Sorry to thread hijack, just that im picking up my GTV TS Lusso on Tuesday.
Are there any alfa dedicated forums guys??

pdV6

16,442 posts

263 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2004
quotequote all
Try www.gtvv6.com - not just a dedicated Alfa forum; its a dedicated GTV forum!

pdV6

16,442 posts

263 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2004
quotequote all
nws25 said:
I read somewhere that alfa now recommend cambelt change at 36k intervals is that true??

I've just had a 3-year (i.e. 36k) service done by an Alfa main dealer and they didn't mention it.

Mon Ami Mate

6,589 posts

270 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2004
quotequote all
nws25 said:
I read somewhere that alfa now recommend cambelt change at 36k intervals is that true??
£800 for a cambelt change?? blimey.

Sorry to thread hijack, just that im picking up my GTV TS Lusso on Tuesday.
Are there any alfa dedicated forums guys??


I'd also recommend http://alfaowner.com/alfaowner/ - which is excellent in my experience.

wombat rick

13,444 posts

246 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2004
quotequote all
Unofficially Alfa are now recommending 3 years or 36,000 mile cambelt changes. Dealers seem reluctant to mention it though, or have not been informed of it. Better to be safe than sorry!

I too can highly recommend www.alfaowner.com/Forum/

nws25

35 posts

259 months

Thursday 5th February 2004
quotequote all
Cheers guys, after speaking to my local Alfa dealer, at the 36k service they should perform a cambelt visual check, any signs of wear and they will replace FOC apparantly.

Mon Ami Mate

6,589 posts

270 months

Thursday 5th February 2004
quotequote all
nws25 said:
Cheers guys, after speaking to my local Alfa dealer, at the 36k service they should perform a cambelt visual check, any signs of wear and they will replace FOC apparantly.



My cambelt was replaced FOC at 36k. Interested to see if the same happens at 72k!

wombat rick

13,444 posts

246 months

Thursday 5th February 2004
quotequote all
nws25 said:
Cheers guys, after speaking to my local Alfa dealer, at the 36k service they should perform a cambelt visual check, any signs of wear and they will replace FOC apparantly.


Bear in mind that the only way to check a cambelt is to take it off and peer closely at every single tooth!! This clearly is not going to happen, and even if it does, for the sake of £20 you wouldn't put the old one back on!! All they do is take the cover off and peer inside, which is akin to farting at thunder.

At the end of the day, you have 16 valves opening and closing and four huge chunks of metal all whirling round at 7,000 rpm, and the only thing keeping them in synch is a three year old twenty quid rubber band....

Your choice.