Alfa 156 won't start.....help....stuck

Hi, I'll try and explain this as simple as possible.

Car started fine this morning, drove to work, no problems. Got in the car tonight and tried to start it and it just turn over the starter motor and would not start.

I grabbed the other key, tried again and it sounded like a starter motor dieing. You know, sounds normal and then gradually slows to nothing.

I checked the battery and there is a green light for good, black for bad. It was black, so I was thinking, battery problem.

I can still lock and unlock and mobbilise the alarm with both keys no problems there.

I checked the manual and it says if the code and key light come on when the key is turned to AVM and the light is on by the 8 on the rpm counter then it's a key code problem.

So, I did out the code card, 4 digits and follow the instructions in the book using the accelerator method.

Tried the key again and it just did the same again, starter motor just slowed and stopped.

So I thought, jump leads, let's try that. Hooked it up, revved up the donor car, tried to start mine and it sounded sweet again, starter motor was turning over, but the car just would not start.

So, I don't have any other master keys or anything like that, so please someone tell me there is a good dealer in Southampton, Eastley area that can sort this out for me or someone who can give me some ideas on how to sort this out?

Many, many thanks for any ideas or suggestions, I'm proper stressed as my wife is due to give birth in less than 4 weeks and I need the car!

Thanks.

No idea about your car i'm afraid. Got to worth joining the AA or the RAC just for something like this happening. A years membership will easily cover what it'll cost to get your dead car to a dealers to have the fault codes read.

Oh, it might be worth checking the imobiliser antenna which sits around the ignition switch.

Hi there, good news is I have like super duper cover for my alfa, so I can get it towed anywhere, but would be nice to find a dealer where it is now to get it sorted. This ignition this with the arial? Is that something like a DIY job I could attempt?

Thanks for the reply.

Hi Alfa2.0TS,

From what you said, it went A-OK when you jump-started it with cables right?
If yes, simply buy a new batt and install. It will take you ~60€, 30mins of labor with a 13mm-tube and phillips screwdriver...
If you get a dead battery after 1day, it's the charging (alternator) that's failing... now that should be done at a shop (not realllllly necessary an ALFA-stealer).
Codes and what-nots... I think you're over-complicating here.

Hope it gets fixed fast.

OK when your turning the engine over, does the code light go out? If not then you've most likely lost the code from the ECU and as is common when jump starting in the situation, burht out the transponder rx around the ignition barrel, But you may be lucky, lift the bonnet, and there's a stack of relays in front of the battery, give them all a good wiggling in the holders and try to start the car again, I suspect that it may also be that you have corroded terminals on the starter relay, if the car now starts then it's worth pulling the relays 1 by 1 and cleaning up the terminals.

Wow, thanks for all the supports and replies.

I've left the car overnight now and tomorrow I will phone the breakdown cover people. not sure why I did not do this in the 1st place, but I was worried about my pregnant wife and she was upset and panicky and stuff and I just wanted to get her home. Plus if the breakdown people had not got it started then it would not be as secure as it is now for the night, so there you go.

I will phone the breakdown tomorrow and see what they can do. I presume they know all these tricks as mentioned and I am just a mere noob amongst Alfa champions?

some one may correct me but i believe if you used the accelerator method to try starting the car thinking that it was a key code problem, you can only start the car using this method every time you want to start it until the keys are recoded

if you clean the relays as mentioned above dissconect the battery first i didnt and the management light stayed on for about a week and i never did find out why
just my stroppy jtd doesnt like being messed with

i had same 3 weeks ago
was relays in front of battery

Thanks everyone, I will pass all info onto the breakdown man when they arrive today.

Originally Posted by Alfa2.0TS

Thanks everyone, I will pass all info onto the breakdown man when they arrive today.

Most breakdown geezers won't have a clue about what your telling them, they are normally just drivers as the mechanics won't leave the safety of the yard.

Ok, so I got my car towed to an Alfa dealership and they said it was the immobilisor that's shot and asked me for the master code so they could do the accelerator pedal over ride thing. I explained to them that I did not have the code and they would have to get it themselves, so last I heard they were getting the code and that was about lunchtime today.

I spoke to a mate of mine that took his alfa to the same garage when his immobilisor went and they charged him around £500 to get it all sorted, so if it's only gonna be that much then it's worth me just doing it unless anyone can reccomend anything else.

Aside from that it's back to taxi's for my wife and my mountain bike for me.

Is this any good??

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/parts...-code-box.html (156 Lock set incl ecu/key/code box)

I still don't believe it's an imobiliser fault, they just don't break, possibly the most reliable box on the car, the transponder aerials burn out a lot abd the relays corrode, but not the box. And they would have known that you don't have the keycode if it was a UK dealer.

I have my key code.

One of the few then, it's something the insurance industry insisted on.

Well I knew that was true for the 166 but when I brought this 156 the code card was in the wallet so I assumed that was the norm.

UK cars shouldn't have a keycode. My 156 came