159 v 156

[wilman]

I recently bought a 159 2.4jtd saloon but have been somewhat disappointed by its general lack of verve when compared to my 156 Spotwagon which has the same engine.

I had my 156 remapped some time ago so it had a nominal 170 bhp and hatfulls of torque, which made a big difference to performance, throttle response and economy.

I've done the same with the 159, giving a nominal 240 bhp and although the economy has improved dramatically, the car still lacks in the performance stakes. Indeed it reminds me of my 156 when it had an EGR problem.

Is this normal , given that the 159 is a much heavier car, or should I be questioning the firm who did the remap?

I have read about removal of the DPF and bypass of the EGR. Is this a worthwhile modification which may solve the problem?

Any advice gratefully received.

[RicksAlfas]

Sounds strange. I had a 150bhp 156 (2.4 10 valve) and replaced it with a 200bhp Brera (2.4 20 valve) and the Brera felt like it had much more midrange muscle despite being a lot heavier. Are you sure it's not just a case of the 156 feeling more sprightly because it's lighter and a very different drive from the 159? i.e. the 159's refinement is disguising it's speed?

You mentioned your fuel economy has improved - many remaps cock up the onboard computers so make sure you check it manually brim to brim rather than relying on the computer.

[Pat H]

Yep.

The infocentre suggests I'm managing 55mpg.

A manual check after 400 fairly gentle miles shows 40mpg.