Life with a 156

Not a problem mate

Off to work in my Vee 6 this morning, I do love that drive 11 miles of twisty Welsh A roads, and a sublime Italian to share it with, you know how it feels Daz 'Kin brilliant, 'Kin brilliant
Come back in to the fold Dazza, I miss your enthusiasm for these cars.
Get another

ah, first problem with the 156 - injection light on.

it had to happen sooner or later, but at least with an alfa you are prepared for it to break!

Hmm, get them injections sorted kid!

Originally Posted by bigz

ah, first problem with the 156 - injection light on.

it had to happen sooner or later, but at least with an alfa you are prepared for it to break!

All cars that are second hand will need an amont of fettling to get them back in to tip top shape Big Z.
Post a thread detailing the problem, what happens etc and when and someone will point you in the right direction, almost everyone on here is really helpful. You could also search old threads for some ideas.

Good Luck

Now, life with a 156, I've not driven it much over this bank holiday weekend , but what I have done is found a socket on my stereo that tkaes an SD MMC, so after a little bit of experimentation, I have transfered about 23 CD's worth of music as MP3 files on to the memory card and I can navigate through the albums and tracks and play etc. without having a CD jump every time I cross the cats eyes to overtake
I have never heard of or seen this feature on a car stereo before, Is it common, anyone else use it or have any tips about structuring the files on the card etc.
Can't wait to get back on the road for a good old blast, even if that does mean back to work tomorrow.....

ta very much Jason.

my stereo doesnt have anything like that, but it is an aftermarket one: clarion chameleon.

its quite a nifty system in that when it turns off, everything recesses and dims so all you are left with is a blank black panel, which makes people think there's no stereo.

pretty handy considering where i live!

Surely thats as big a stereotype as Alfas are unreliable
We have aguy from Birkenhead in work, he's such a scally, but you can't help but like him, still we don't leave anything lying around, 'Cos he allways finds a home for things.......
Keep us posted on the injector light, I did check my handbook and it just said go to a dealers, I tthink you can reset the ECU again search some threads.

an ecu reset (disconnecting the battery) would be the best thing, as there's been no noticeable change in engine noise, fuel consumption or a smell of petrol from the exhaust.

as for here? i live right by the docks and a few weeks ago someone knocked on all the doors round here offering to sell keys to brand new land rover disco's (all parked there across the road, next to the free port, waiting for shipping) for £3k, and you'd have to give his mate on the gate a further £1k.

just to give you an idea of where i live!

and as for the birkenhead lad, i always remember the tranmere chant of "don't be mistaken, don't be misled, we're not scousers, we're from birkenhead" - he's a squirrel from the wirral :-D

I'm no squirrel, just an Aigburth lad living in Wallasey

Originally Posted by injunfighter

On the forecourt was my 156, just in. Sat in it, and mentally bought it there and then.
The roadtest was a formality, I had already decided ...

Similar to my own experience. I was in that lucky position of being a company car man and having had an Alfa 75 TS then moved to a Jeep Cherokee as the family grew, I was desperate to get back into something more sporty. As I was about to order, Alfa announced the 156. So down to SGT and a chat with the dealer. Managed to get hold of some brochures ... a few days negotiating with the leasing company to get the costs down .. and the order was placed!!

First saw one in the flesh at the Motor Show ... and didn't actually get to test drive one until May 98. Right choice? ... I should say so! I even turned down SGT's offer to pick it up from the showroom on August 1st at midnight ... I was driving to Kerry the same day and thought I'd finish off the Jeep rather than take the brand new Alfa. Something to look forward to on that long drive home!!

She's still in the family having bought her when the lease ran out. Since then changed jobs and lost the co. car option so she's the main car again. After 9 years and 116,000 miles, she continues to frustrate and try my patience with odd things failing more often, but I've learnt to fix most things. Bodywork needs some TLC after 9 years of car parks, so weather and funds permitting, we'll get started on that soon.

You know every one says it, but the 156 really is a car to get excited about, I think thats why the 159 is, to me, such a disapointment, the 156 is such a hard act to follow.
If I had to buy a new Alfa, I'd be looking at a GT as the 159 doesn't have that Alfa signature that caught my eye (and heart) I think it strays too close to BMW but it isn't.
156 is a real future classic, in years to come it will rank with the best.

its the loss of the concealed rear handles, that makes the 159 a step down from the great car it could have been. though the headlights are brilliant.

Can't argue with that bigz, but I would also add just how nice the 156 rear lights are, always reminds me of the "No Fear" face those squinting eyes. Brilliant.

ah yeah, never thought of them like that. though they are a bit similar to the renault laguna, or since thats a newer model, maybe they just aped the 156.

there are a few angles that the 156 looks brilliant at, and others where it doesnt look just as good.

my best angle is from a first floor window - side on, so you see the roof, the lines and the crispness of the flanks. front 3/4? not so much as the nose can appear to be too long and the grill much too small.

the 159 nearly got it perfect - they just tampered too much.

I think were on the same wavelength, do you think the worst angle to view the 156 from is head by wing mirror, looking forward, along the bonnet?
The best is from behind the wheel of one on full throttle.....

dead straight on, and from where you say are perhaps the worst views.

i like having a look at it from my bedroom in my house, parked on the road below - looks lovely.

and the metallic grey/green/turquoise nail varnish colour is starting to grow on me.

now, if only the under tray stayed in place and the injector light wasnt on!

Well I think you are both traitors as I loved my 156 from every angle!!!

How can we be traitors when we still both own the best looking 4 door car ever made?
BTW nice to hear from you again, stranger

I love my 156 and hope to be able to drive it this afternoon for the first time in two weeks I am recovering from a spinal injury and occasionally lose strength & feeling in my right leg

I didn't drive it for 8 months during 2005/6 when I first had the injury Something good came out of this as wifey got to drive it at weekends and loved it so now has her own Alfa (2.0 JTS Veloce Sportwagon > a 3.2 GT )

Anyway, It's great & the recently added 17" Alfa Multispokes really set it off. Next for the cruise control parts (on order from Monday) and hopefully some leather seats etc. (see wanted) or a retrim

I can't resist adding the two pics below - sorry

Cheers,

That's one of the reasons for my reluctance to part company with the 147 Sqn. Seems to have most of the extras onboard. Cruise control, leather, zoned climate, Etc.? Plus, it would be expensive to replace, short of buying a brand new version/model. But you never know.: Hope you fare well, driving again, after your unwelcome enforced break:

Simon
That a very nice looking car (didn't really like the big nose face lift at first, they were too new when I brought mine but after nearly 4yrs of owning my V6 I couldn't afford one now anyway and of course they aren't available with the 2.5 V6 so i guess I stuck with mine )
Allan