Alternator & Fuel pump failures

[K800 RUM]

Down4wotever said:

To clarify, that car which lost all power on the M25 was an Alpine A110

Very scary, especially if your Alpine or any car for that matter dies on a so called smart motorway & you cant make it to a refuge area.

[milfordkong]

Yeah it's a real worry and is putting me off the car a bit unfortunately (I really really want one).

I spoke to Tim at Alpine Solihull about the issue and he said it's very rare and mostly happens in a small batch of 2019 cars ... Posts in this thread suggest that is not the case though.

Non-starting issues I can get my head around, as annoying as they are for such a new car, but the thought of it cutting out on the motorway with my son in the passenger seat is not good.

[aea730]

I remember when I started driving back in the 70's a wise man once told me "you're better off with a car that won't go than one that won't stop" - im not sure those words are as wise as I first thought.

[aea730]

I remember when I started driving back in the 70's a wise man once told me "you're better off with a car that won't go than one that won't stop" - im not sure those words are as wise as I first thought.

[a110au]

well this is interesting.

So my original (premier) edition pump failed, at the three year / 15,000 km point, as I've previously noted and was replaced under warranty from stock that was in Australia at that time. Couple of ,months ago.

I got a call today from Alpine service who said during the replacement they were asked by head office to send pictures of the failed pump and the new replacement pump. As a result of these pictures they (the service place) has been told to replace the pump AGAIN and I have to bring the car back in to do the work again.

Something in the pictures they did not like. "due to a misalignment seen in the new part". and it will be replaced with another pump that has been checked in pictures and given the thumbs up.

[worldwidewebs]

milfordkong said:

I spoke to Tim at Alpine Solihull about the issue and he said it's very rare and mostly happens in a small batch of 2019 cars ... Posts in this thread suggest that is not the case though.

If that is genuinely what he said then he's either spinning you a yarn and knows it or is massively out of touch. It happens across MANY years of manufacture (mine is a 2022 car and I know of 2 other late model cars that failed in the same week in this country) and there are at least 4 part revisions. It is not a 'bad batch' and is widespread. Fingers crossed the new part number from October/November last year does the trick and it's now resolved

[Martyn P]

How do you check year / month of manufacture.
Is the information in the VIN number?

[milfordkong]

worldwidewebs said:

If that is genuinely what he said then he's either spinning you a yarn and knows it or is massively out of touch. It happens across MANY years of manufacture (mine is a 2022 car and I know of 2 other late model cars that failed in the same week in this country) and there are at least 4 part revisions. It is not a 'bad batch' and is widespread. Fingers crossed the new part number from October/November last year does the trick and it's now resolved

Yes it is genuinely what he said, well he wrote it in an email.

[Borders110]

So My 72 plate just got lifted again today. It stopped just over a month ago, causing a reported to radio 4 size of queue in Edinburgh. Fuel pump and the rather ambiguous "short to the ECU" stated as second cause when the pump replacement didn't work.
Driving to work today, loss of power, stalling at lights and eventually no acceleration unless under very light throttle. On it's way back to the dealer now.
I adore this car, but I'm losing patience...

[worldwidewebs]

Borders110 said:

So My 72 plate just got lifted again today. It stopped just over a month ago, causing a reported to radio 4 size of queue in Edinburgh. Fuel pump and the rather ambiguous "short to the ECU" stated as second cause when the pump replacement didn't work.
Driving to work today, loss of power, stalling at lights and eventually no acceleration unless under very light throttle. On it's way back to the dealer now.
I adore this car, but I'm losing patience...

So that's a replacement pump that failed?

[tobi.mimoto]

From what I gather, the previous pump fails, but there is some problem of communication between the ECU and the new pump that's fitted? (i.e: the problem shouldn't occur in a car that was fitted with the new pump from factory).

If this is the case, then what needs to be established urgently is the reason for the ECU error on replacement - then rectified.

[Miserablegit]

Somebody else posted that along with a new pump a new injector code needs to be programmed into the ECU.

[jont-]

Miserablegit said:

Somebody else posted that along with a new pump a new injector code needs to be programmed into the ECU.

Mine had some reflashing done as part of the first "fix", which would have overwritten any aftermarket map. I don't know if there was any further update when the new pump was fitted on the second dealer visit.

[AlpineAdzy]

Hello All,

I've not posted before but thought I'd throw my hat in the ring after reading through the unfortunate experiences of others. I bought my August 2018 Premiere Edition A110 at the start of November 2022 at 12,500 miles from Martins Alpine, and ran it every day through the end of the Autumn right through the Winter with no problems save for a couple of squeaks & rattles, one of which I've sorted (passenger seatbelt hanger). However, last Tuesday evening (at just under 20k miles) it sluggishly started and then died on me, c/w the dashboard looking like Blackpool illuminations with every light and error message possible appearing. RAC chap the next day said it was showing 11.4 volts coming from the alternator, so suspected that it was duff.

It's now, eventually (too sorry a tale to take people's day up with re-telling, but perhaps at a meet sometime..) at Martins Alpine, Winchester. They rang at the end of last week to say that the 'trick' alternator is faulty and needs replacing, and so does the battery. The warranty doesn't cover it, but due I suspect to the many other instances of the same nature they are going to replace the alternator FOC, but wouldn't confirm about the battery. The fuel pump, they think, is ok. The alternator is currently 'on back-order..' It was almost time for the 5 year service, so am expecting the mother of all bills ref the coolant change cost along with the oil etc, plus it needed its MOT test done. And on the morning of the day it broke down I had just gotten two new Michelin Pilot Sport 4's fitted so that it would hopefully fly through its MOT test. I've had three Clio RS's (197 Cup, a 200 Lux and a 220 Trophy), done many happy miles in them and only ever had a problem once - On my 2013 Clio 200 Lux when the gearbox ECU failed at 90,000 miles

Edited by AlpineAdzy on Thursday 31st August 14:27

Edited by AlpineAdzy on Thursday 31st August 22:04

[Gransport]

A lurking potential A110 buyer here. I have been dreaming of this car for some time now and am in the position to get one but...the reports about dodgy fuel pumps and alternators really have spooked me. I previously had a 2006 Maserati GranSport, so know about shonky build quality, but - at the same time - it never let me down (even when rodents moved in during Covid and started chewing...). I wouldn't want to risk an A110 going pop on the motorway, or miles from home.

Might be a dumb suggestion but do the customer A110 race / rally cars have exotic fuel systems or might there be a higher quality fuel pump option already out there (and not costing £££££)?

[Meonstoke]

Gransport said:

A lurking potential A110 buyer here. I have been dreaming of this car for some time now and am in the position to get one but...the reports about dodgy fuel pumps and alternators really have spooked me. I previously had a 2006 Maserati GranSport, so know about shonky build quality, but - at the same time - it never let me down (even when rodents moved in during Covid and started chewing...). I wouldn't want to risk an A110 going pop on the motorway, or miles from home.

Might be a dumb suggestion but do the customer A110 race / rally cars have exotic fuel systems or might there be a higher quality fuel pump option already out there (and not costing £££££)?

Hi Gransport,
Take a look at the "fuel pump fails in current production" thread - it's all in there! Bottom line; if you buy a model produced from November 2022 onwards, you'll (most likely) be fine. Anything before that seems to be at the Mercy of the Gods. Some folks have had horror stories, others no issues at all. There's no consistent pattern.
M.

[bcr5784]

Gransport said:

A lurking potential A110 buyer here. I have been dreaming of this car for some time now and am in the position to get one but...the reports about dodgy fuel pumps and alternators really have spooked me. I previously had a 2006 Maserati GranSport, so know about shonky build quality, but - at the same time - it never let me down (even when rodents moved in during Covid and started chewing...). I wouldn't want to risk an A110 going pop on the motorway, or miles from home.

Might be a dumb suggestion but do the customer A110 race / rally cars have exotic fuel systems or might there be a higher quality fuel pump option already out there (and not costing £££££)?

Alternator failure is almost certainly a thing of the past. Fuel pump failure isn't - but Alpine announced a comprehensive recall programme towards the end of last year which should be underway now.

[biggles330d]

bcr5784 said:

Alternator failure is almost certainly a thing of the past. Fuel pump failure isn't - but Alpine announced a comprehensive recall programme towards the end of last year which should be underway now.

What was the alternator issue? It cropped up a lot in here for quite a while then went quiet and you don't hear about it at all now. As far as I've seen there was no recall or obvious resolution as there has been with the fuel pump. Mine's a mid 2021 build and I've had neither issue, but curious.

[springfan62]

As i understand it there was a bad batch of alternators, mine was replaced free of charge outside the warranty period.

I think it was mostly the PE's that had it but there may well be others.