Devastated - Motor System Failure

[alfa2063]

I have been a proud Alfa Romeo owner for 2 weeks. Just driving back at a steady 75 mph when I heard a bang, resulting in loss of power, the yellow system management light flashing and the screen on the centre of the dash saying "Motor Systme Failure - Go to a dealer".

Loud noise with no power and smell of burning.

The car is a 2002 156 1.8 TS Lusso with 49,000 miles on the clock. I currently have no history with the car so am unaware of any work like cambelt changes or anything. It was driving fine, pulling in every gear.

Please could anyone offer anything it could be, worse and best case senarios and the likely prices involved.

I have a tight budget so this may spell the beginning and end to my Alfa experience.

Is it back to my trusted Focus's???

[Mitch166]

If you are telling us it is broken down then I would say the cam belt has gone. Hope I am wrong.

[TwinSprout]

If the cam belt is still in one piece, has the car got oil in it? My 2.0 TS was driving perfectly, and suddenly lost power with a bang, and rattled like crazy as I coasted to a stop...

It'd drunk all of it's oil in a really short time for some reason, which resulted in a broken conn rod and a new (well, second hand) engine

If it's something like that, I think you'd be looking at ~£1500 to get a decent reconditioned engine fitted (looking at AutoLusso's EBay shop ). I had a cheap 2nd hand engine fitted by a local (non-Alfa specialist) garage and the car has been rough as hell ever since

[Pud237]

If the cambelts gone or the bottom end has gone, your car is now worth around £300 or so, so even if you flogged it, it'd probably cost you just as much to get back in a Focus than to get a recon engine put in the Alfa.

Shame regarding the cambelt, you must be gutted. They are every 3 years or 36k miles on the TwinSpark, whichever comes sooner. So it is 3 years overdue as it is, I'm suprised it lasted this long.

Best of luck getting it sorted. Here's some more info for you:

Auto Lusso - Alfa Romeo Engine Rebuilds, Replacement and Repairs - Hertfordshire, Bedfordshre UK

[classicgal93]

Sorry to hear about your Alfa I hope it's not the belt.

[156Chris]

Sorry to hear about this ... but the one bit of recommendation we always give on here is to buy an alfa with a full service history ...


... hope it's not too serious though ...

[alfa2063]

I am a born pessamist anyway and am fearing the worst, am just about to go and have a look now.

The car is so nice that I can't believe it will only be worth £300. It has the full Lusso extras, red leather, alloys, all the toys.

Don't suppose anyone wants it? As really can't afford £1500. I have my old Focus still so wouldn't have to buy another, was still trying to sell it.

I usually live by the service history rule and I like to get a feel of how a car has been owned by speaking to the owner, seeing what they are like and how they think of the car. Broke my rule as this seemed to good to be true and seemingly paid the price.

[alfa2063]

I have just been out to assess and the oil seems fine. I cannot see if the cambelt is in one piece (excuse my ignorance, if anyone could help if it is possible to be seen). It started up and sounds like the exhaust has come off (I know probably not the reason but just to describe what the sound is like). It does slightly drive though wouldn't want to go any distance as there is no power.

Does this change things?

The only problem is as I am new to Alfas I don't know of any specialists in the Teesside area except the main dealer Alexanders.

[TwinSprout]

I'm no mechanic (far far far from it!) but if the engine runs, the cam belt must be OK (It's behind a black cover on the left side of the engine).

When my conn rod went, the engine would still run, but rattled like crazy (I guess bits of piston/conn rod/etc rattling round the bottom of the engine), but obviously it was running on 3 cylinders so no power.

I hope yours is something different mate! (fingers crossed)

[alfa2063]

It is in the garage now. Waiting to find out the diagnosis, though am not holding much hope for an easy fix. Cambelt is ok but will be getting it changed.

Just an add on, is a great car besides this engine issue, does anyone want to make me an offer?

49,000 miles
1.8 TS Lusso
Full red leather
All the toys working fine
Black
Sportwagon with retractable dog guard.

If you have the ability to sort the problem then surely will be a cracking buy. I probably can't afford to fix it.

[alfa2063]

It turns out that one of the spark plugs was thrown out and there was a fire underneath my engine cover. It has totally destroyed the chamber and all its contents. The diagnosis - a new engine which I cannot afford.

Two weeks of Alfa ownership and am done. I have sold it to the garage now for scrap. Cannot believe I have lost all that money but would rather get out with about £1000 lost than the potential for an endless cavern taking all my money.

I didn't listen to people who warned me about Alfas and am sure that if looked after are reliable and good cars to own, unfortunately I have been biten and biten badly, and can say I will not be owning another Alfa. Even if I wanted too my wife would leave me. I now have a lifetime of "I told you so's" to deal with.

To be fair the two weeks I owned her, she was great to drive, shame a real shame.

Thank you and good bye!

[dhillon]

Poor you, poor car, I agree, I don't think it was well cared for, but to be honest it could've happend to any spark ignited car out there. The last service must have been done by someone quite useless. All the best for the future mate!

[jj147]

Originally Posted by alfa2063

It turns out that one of the spark plugs was thrown out and there was a fire underneath my engine cover. It has totally destroyed the chamber and all its contents. The diagnosis - a new engine which I cannot afford.

Two weeks of Alfa ownership and am done. I have sold it to the garage now for scrap. Cannot believe I have lost all that money but would rather get out with about £1000 lost than the potential for an endless cavern taking all my money.

I didn't listen to people who warned me about Alfas and am sure that if looked after are reliable and good cars to own, unfortunately I have been biten and biten badly, and can say I will not be owning another Alfa. Even if I wanted too my wife would leave me. I now have a lifetime of "I told you so's" to deal with.

To be fair the two weeks I owned her, she was great to drive, shame a real shame.

Thank you and good bye!

Sorry to hear this

All the best.

[Pud237]

Thats really gutting

How much did you get from the garage for it? Shame you won't be having another one, you're really missing out. I wonder how the sparkplug fell out? Mustn't have been tightened up, or overtightened and the thread stripped.

[paullec]

i think yourd get that with any car i know loads of seats that have snapped cambelt, loads of celica's with blow engines half of the audi having broken water pumps. Unfortunatly you got a bad one. Hope things work out.

[alfa2063]

Thank you for your kind words of sympathy. I was feeling very sorry for myself and it felt like I had lost a close friend. I agreed to £500.

Anyway, whilst in the pub drowning my sorrows the garage called and the guy stated that he had fixed the car, replacing all the various chambers etc, new plugs and it had fired up fine. He stated how he would only charge me for the parts if I still wanted it so it would be approx £400. This installed me with good faith as he could have taken the £500 off me and not informed me that he had fixed it.

Do I trust the car? This is my problem. I know if I accept the £500 I am agreeing to lose £1000, however I don't want to spend the £400 just for another or the same problem to occur again, or alternatively spend the £400 then decide to get it all done properly i.e. cambelt etc which I know is the sensible thing to do, and have a bill of over £1000 which was the reason I wasn't going to get a new engine.

I apologise for using this thread to think out loud but so many things in my head.

[Pud237]

Mate - this is your second chance. Its almost like fate is telling you that selling the Alfa is the wrong thing to do

I think it does need a full cambelt service too though if you decide to keep it, but then it will be done for the next three years - spread that cost over 3 years and its nothing.

Where abouts in North Yorkshire are you too?

[Cloverleaf146]

Sorry to hear about your difficulties mate, but it would be a shame to let this taint your view of all Alfas. If you have lost confidence in the car then walk away, but as you know the service history is not only a golden but an indisputable rule when it comes to buying Alfas. If you look after them properly, there is no reason for them to be more unreliable than your Focus.

[alfa2063]

I agree with what you are saying, it is just I had my Focus for 2 years and it has been faultless, even now with 100,000 miles on. I agree with the service history and did break my own rules, but fell in love with the car.

I am in Yarm which is Cleveland but there wasn't a tab for Cleveland or Stockton-on Tees so it had to be North Yorkshire.

Cheers for all your help, need to sleep on it me thinks, hopefully will get more sleep than last night after it had blown.

[vindaloo]

As has been said, you've been given second chance & as a bonus found an honest garage, truly a combination you can't pass up. Get him to check over the car thoroughly and change the cambelt (& water pump?), then she will give you years of service as long as you look after her.

[A KIRK]

Wow I'd have to agree you seem to have found a honest garage, and as mentioned a scond chance, personally I'd go for it, keep the car, alfas are lovely, but don't think there not going to cause you heart ache.


Think of them like women all the good ones will cause you heart ache at some point, but the good nes ar worth keeping.

[Dibby]

It's a tough call, been through it with mine when I bought it - snapped cambelt, engine shutdowns, random errors and I was thinking how long do I keep chasing these faults (luckily it was all covered under warranty) and part of me wanted to say s0d it, and walk away but after 9 moths of chasing bugs and gremlins I've just had 9 months of reliable, economical, fun motoring out of it and I love it.

I was singing it's praises with the girlfirend in the car about how good it's been, it's not had to see the guys at the garage and how much I love the drive blah blah blah ... and parking up that day the handbrake cable snapped so Saturday morning I'll be on my back under the car again.

No doubt Alfas are foul tempered beasts that will test you but when they behave they are such a joy to drive and give you that feeling you just won't get in a Focus or a Golf. All the Italian car cliches come true when you own an Alfa.

Do I keep hold of it and face possibly more repair bills? If I get rid of it have I chased all the gremlins out and I'll be getting rid of a perfectly good car to buy something with the same problems all over again? Alfas, like women are sent to try us but the happy times more than outweigh the miserable times

[marko]

you could always get it back and sell it on yourself? might minimise the loss.

that said, my cambelt went after a few months of ownership and I had it repaired at massive cost and kept the car, saw me thru another 2 years of faultless motoring until I traded it for something newer

Its your decision and I hope you make the right one (Whatever that is!)

[Pud237]

Originally Posted by alfa2063

I agree with what you are saying, it is just I had my Focus for 2 years and it has been faultless, even now with 100,000 miles on. I agree with the service history and did break my own rules, but fell in love with the car.

I am in Yarm which is Cleveland but there wasn't a tab for Cleveland or Stockton-on Tees so it had to be North Yorkshire.

Cheers for all your help, need to sleep on it me thinks, hopefully will get more sleep than last night after it had blown.

If you do decide to keep it, it may be worth getting All Things Alfa to give it a once over. They also do a cambelt and balance belt change, inc tensioners for an amazing £300! In Thornaby too

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/annou...ings-alfa.html (Introducing All Things Alfa)

[alfa2063]

They are the garage I took it too. I found them briliant. Very friendly, let me take a spider as a courtesy car and in the end sorted it out. If I keep it definately will have the cambelt work done and continue to use them in the future.

Would recommed them to anyone in the Cleveland area, very honest, tell you how it is and seem very good on price.

Cheers for everyones help, just need to convince the wife to keep it now, driving it again just convinces me more how much I like it.