Wife Ran My ALFA 156 Out Of Fuel....

Title says it all....

I would be so grateful if any of you kind people have any advice for me to save me spending a packet fault diagnosing !

Ever since the dreadful fuel event the car has developed the following faults:

1. Starts poorly as if the choke doesn't work

2. Backfires when I try to accelerate

3. Won't rev correctly and is slow

4. 'Pinks' as thought the timing is out.

I've checked all the plugs and that is about it so far.
Perhaps the fuel filter?

Breaks my heart to have my Alfa in this state.
It is a 2000 (X Reg) 156 2.0 Twin Spark
I'm a newbie here and any help would be great.

Thanks in advance

Hello and welcome, Hope you get your car sorted out soon!

As it ran dry, you could very well has sucked up some gunk.
There is alwasy floating around in the tank.

Originally Posted by killplug

Title says it all....

I would be so grateful if any of you kind people have any advice for me to save me spending a packing fault diagnosing !

Ever since the dreadful fuel event the car has developed the following faults:

1. Starts poorly as if the choke doesn't work

2. Backfires when I try to accelerate

3. Won't rev correctly and is slow

4. 'Pinks' as thought the timing is out.

I've checked all the plugs and that is about it so far.
Perhaps the fuel filter?

Breaks my heart to have my Alfa in this state.
It is a 2000 (X Reg) 156 2.0 Twin Spark
I'm a newbie here and any help would be great.

Thanks in advance

Years ago I had a Rover 214si (don't start...) I had a problem with a rattly cat. On the test drive it had run out of fuel, when I read through the hand book it said "do not run the car out of fuel as the resulting mis-fire will permanently damage the cat" or words to that effect. I was able to use that to get Rover to make the dealer pay!

I would suggest that the cat may have been knackered, if you look on other threads, this can cause poor running...

Hopefully for you though it is just crud in the filter...

Originally Posted by Gilbertr14

As it ran dry, you could very well has sucked up some gunk.
There is alwasy floating around in the tank.

I have seen this mentioned a few times but I have never been particularly convinced that this is true. Firstly since the car is constantly moving any gunk in the fuel tank is going to be mixed around and won't sit at the bottom waiting to be sucked up when the tank is empty, its just as likely to be sucked up during normal running.

Secondly I had to replace the fuel pump seal on my v6 which meant I saw inside the tank, it was shiny and the petrol was clear and there was no gunk anywhere. This was after it had been sitting for a while so any gunk would have seperated out by then. My car was made in '98 so it isn't like it is a new tank either.

Its inevitable that you will get some gunk in the tank just by filling up (dirt on the filler etc) but I can't see how this gunk is going to just sit in the tank until the car runs dry so I would have thought his problem lies elsewhere (can the fact that the pump is not actually pumping anything damage its mechanism?).

Surely th

How was the car re started?

this can affect the Cat greatly on the twinnies if it has been crash started.

Have you read the codes?

Thanks to all for the replies.
The car was re-started by the RAC who came out (pretty embarrassing as it was only out of fuel). Once fuel was put in it started normally but ever since it has ran like a pile of s**t.
I don't know about any codes, do you mean if I've had it rigged up to a machine? I wouldn't know where to have this done...does it cost an arm and a leg to have it checked?

Thanks again all.

I think you may need a new fuel filter. Either that or the pumps faulty.

When the helpful RAC man put some petrol in your tank, did he also bleed the fuel system?

Also, have you filled the tank since the RAC man put his 5L in?

if the 156 uses a return less fuel system, it would require bleeding, but if it's got the old fashioned return it wouldn't...

I'm pretty sure there's no serviceable fuel filter anymore, so get a good dose of injector cleaner and a full tank of fuel.

and fix the low fuel warning light...

Originally Posted by Cuore_Sportivo_155

I'm pretty sure there's no serviceable fuel filter anymore

The TS doesn't have a serviceable filter. It just has a filter built into the pump inside the tank. Very rare to need to touch that at all.
JTS & JTD have serviceable filters.


I'm sure the fuel system doesn't need bleeding.


Another thought is the fuel pumps often don't like running dry...


You really need to get it hooked up to the diag computer to find out what is going on.

the fuel *pump* doesn't actually run dry, does it.. as soon as the engine cuts out, the fuel pump stops... and the engine'll cut out at the first sign of no fuel...

my guess is also on clogging due to dirt. it has happened before, once to my own TS (which does have a serviceable filter, it's an "older" type), luckily it was a quick and easy fix...

edit: filled in the word I actually meant between the stars

The RAC man didn't bleed it, didn't think I would have to (isn't it just diesels that need bleeding ?
I've filled it up a couple of times since, seems to be getting progressively worse each day.
Since I bought my motorbike in April the wife uses it daily, in this time she has crashed it in a car park, knocked the drivers door mirror off, took it through a car wash which peeled a large patch of lacquer off the drivers door, kerbed the alloys and the kids have dropped Mcdonalds all over the back seats (full leather by the way). Sorry just wanted to rant.

Grounds for divorce?

I think I have a reasonable case

Let her ride the bike....