Steadily losing black rubber strip under front bumper

This week the inevitable happened (had this coming for a while!): the complete right side of the little black spoiler-strip that is attached under the front bumper has come loose. It's pointing diagonally down now. Looks terrible!

My daily 4km drive to the office in urban Amsterdam contains about 15 (too) high speedbumps, so i can't help it that my bella kisses the ground sometimes (though i found out recently that increasing tyre pressure of the 17" tyres helps a bit). Is this part expensive to replace? Is it dangerous now that half is hanging loose?

I have noticed that quite a few 147s i see around here have lost the strip somewhere along the way. I think it looks better with the little 'lip' though!

Please let me know!

David

Hi David, that rubber is nessesary for air circulation inside the engine bay, not only for the looks. Most of us have the same problem, leave your tire pressure to normal and try to pass over the bumps a bit diagonally if possible, it helps a lot.

Hi Dave,
first of all i'm glad you started to post here on AO.. nothing bad in new active members eh wink

the strip on our 147 too started to get scratched and stuff so i just removed it!
but its said that removing it may result in the car being unstable at high speeds and also in a higher fuel consumtion
solution: drill a few holes down there in the bumper (instead of the staples) and attach it with some self tapping screws, sorted wink

PS if you still want to replace it, according to the Parts CD the thing costs approx 14 euros. part number 46746031 and it weighs 270 grams

how's that for a service eh? wink

cheers mate

I know many say that part is there for a reason, and they are probably right. However, my (car's) lip was removed by the dealer, before I even saw it. The car was delivered without. It seems that more and more dealers (cause i heared this story before) remove the lip before it starts causing problems.

So, if i were you, i wouldnt worry to much about not having the lip anymore.

Regards from a fellow Amsterdam 147 driver.

G.

Oh, by the way, I wouldnt let it hang like that though... You dont want to lose the part when you're driving 100 km/h on the A10. For sure, the guy behind you will not appreciate it...

Actually quite a funny story about a moronic salesman at the dealer i bought my bella from:

After about a week or two i returned to my dealer to tell them how happy i was with the car, and in that conversation among other things i said "i really like the drive, it's just that in the city this strip really thouches the ground A LOT! That can't be good for anything!"

Guess his answer........ "Oh, don't worry, that strip?? It's only for protection during transportation of the car from the factory. You're supposed to lose that within the first month or so!"

The guy seriously though all alfa's are supposed to litter our streets with plastic parts! So i ignored that, just realising why he was a car salesman and i am not wink

But now that it is detaching after 9000kms i want it fixed, so i'll go to my dealer i guess... and talk to a mechanic not a salesman... just want to know if someone else had this fixed too, and what it cost you?

By the way, who's your dealer, and are you happy with him (have you had an alfa before, because after a few 1000 kms, you have not had many problems for your dealer to fix yet... )

My dealer is Savali in utrecht, but my job location is going to change, so the dealer location wil change as well...

Originally Posted by Gysman

I know many say that part is there for a reason, and they are probably right. However, my (car's) lip was removed by the dealer, before I even saw it. The car was delivered without. It seems that more and more dealers (cause i heared this story before) remove the lip before it starts causing problems.

So, if i were you, i wouldnt worry to much about not having the lip anymore.

G.

Yeap... like its the first time a dealer fecks up with something

I bought my car at Spring in 't Veld in Aalsmeer. They're now taken over by Sam van Lingen (from Haarlem??) i read somewhere.

I went to Fivan Amsterdam (near Makro) too but the salesman had such an "arrogante lul"-attitude over him that i decided to shop a little further even with a lease car. He clearly didn't like a 21-year old guy walking in there sayig he wants to buy a new 147.

I had a pleasant negotiation in Aalsmeer (got my 17"-ers for €250 and remote radio control for free) and decided to order the car there. Luckily i haven't had any service experience in the 9000 kms so far, but i'm still hoping the mechanics know more about a car than the salesman that actually beleived that silly story i mentioned before.

Originally Posted by Banflu

PS if you still want to replace it, according to the Parts CD the thing costs approx 14 euros. part number 46746031 and it weighs 270 grams

how's that for a service eh? wink

cheers mate

Enjoying the parts CD, Eh ??

Cheers

Hoygaard

Against other owners better judgement when mine came loose I just yanked it off and chucked it in the nearest bin. I haven't had any problems Bish bash fooking bosh wink

Originally Posted by Hoygaard

Enjoying the parts CD, Eh ??

Cheers

Hoygaard

Hoygys, you the man !!!!!!!!
after all the trouble you took, i figured i'd better make some good use of it wink

cheers mate! wink

A lot of us drive around without the rubber strip. I had mine removed a year ago, not because it was coming loose, just to get rid of the scratching noises every time I had to take a speedbump. Sam van Lingen and other dealers deliver the 147 nowadays without the strip.

Removing the strip is not so good for the aerodynamics, but I don't notice any difference in the road stability not even at high speeds. Fuel consumption will be a bit higher though.

Without the strips I can take a speedbump at a 'normal' speed.

Selespeed

BTW Aalsmeer is indeed a Sam van Lingen dealership since a couple of months. I hear a lot of bad stories about the old dealership but Sam van Lingen (Utrecht, Houten, Haarlem) will do their best to upgrade Aalsmeer to their level.

Originally Posted by Amsterdavid

Guess his answer........ "Oh, don't worry, that strip?? It's only for protection during transportation of the car from the factory. You're supposed to lose that within the first month or so!"

Unbelievable answer!!!

Banflu, Hoygaard,

That parts cd sounds interesting... i downloaded the workshop cd from Rico the other day... nice as a reference, but no guideline to check whether your dealer is screwing you. A parts CD with prices (retail prices, or net prices?) sounds extremely interesting though!!

Would there be a chance i could get this somewhere???

Thanks a million,

David

Originally Posted by jomor

Hi David, that rubber is nessesary for air circulation inside the engine bay, not only for the looks. Most of us have the same problem, leave your tire pressure to normal and try to pass over the bumps a bit diagonally if possible, it helps a lot.

I'm pretty sure you've misunderstood this Jomor, it's the flat plate behind the rubber lip that is there for air circulation in the engine bay and aerodynamics, can't see how that little black rubber strip is going to do much in that department?

Originally Posted by 147dude

Originally Posted by jomor

Hi David, that rubber is nessesary for air circulation inside the engine bay, not only for the looks. Most of us have the same problem, leave your tire pressure to normal and try to pass over the bumps a bit diagonally if possible, it helps a lot.

I'm pretty sure you've misunderstood this Jomor, it's the flat plate behind the rubber lip that is there for air circulation in the engine bay and aerodynamics, can't see how that little black rubber strip is going to do much in that department?

Thats why we are not aerodamics engineers dude. It creates a lower pressure air circulation under the engine, helps to keep air a bit cooler, important for intake also, you will not see any difference if you live in Siberia though.. but think that there people living in hot countries also..

PS: there is a plastic cover available, for 156 engine bay to put it underneath for protection purposes. There isnt any for 147. Guess why... wink