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Hi all, few issues with my 147

764 views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  halftone 
#1 ·
Hi there,

I have just got myself a 147 diesel 8v JTD 06 plate.

There are few issues the car just want to see if anyone can shed a light or two!

1) The gear stick does not centralise i.e come out of second gear doesn't go into center.

2) The passenger handle snapped, are they easy to replace? Looks like a nightmare taking the panel off!

3) I have read the cruise control thread, so will be attempting that, but do i have to buy different screw or will there be some there already to use? So in theory i can just but the following:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-A...148150?hash=item237acd92b6:g:BmAAAOSwImRYRMXs

Screw it in, plug it in then that's it. I will get a lower panel later from the alfa dealer.

Thanks for all your help in advance!

Ming
 
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#3 ·
1. Do a search on this forum. It's a common linkage problem with various degrees of fix depending on the exact problem.
2. Another common problem. Again do a search. It's a fiddle more than a nightmare.
3. Provided your car already has the vacant white plug for it in the loom (the chopped-off part in the pic) yes adding cruise control really is that easy. You could ask the seller if they also have the screw and the matching part of the housing with a cut-out, since they must have been on the donor car. The screw isn't anything special, it's about 10mm M3 (from memory, so check ePer) with a cap head.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for that.

Order the gear selector plate. and will clean and grease other selector parts.

Checked there is a plug for cruise control, so will order the bits needs on facebook.

What's people recommendation on gearbox oil ? tutela stuff or other brand people prefer?

For engine oil i am going with the book 5w/40, do other people run other grades?

Thanks
Ming
 
#6 ·
Unless it's cracked or damaged you shouldn't need a new selector plate, just new plastic tophat bushes at much less cost, and easier to replace than the entire plate.

The view round here seems to be that the Alfa-recommended Selenia 5W/40 is nothing special. There are several alternatives that are cheaper and as good or better. I'm using Shell Helix Ultra 5W/40 at present, but if you go to Opie Oils - Automotive Fluids, Oils, Parts, Tools and use the vehicle picker you can see the range, both engine oils and gearbox.

Fresh gearbox oil is a good idea as it's not normally changed on a service schedule. It's a faff as the box has to be refilled via the dipstick hole way down the back of the box, or reversing light switch hole. The expert recommendations (not me, from my notes) are 2L (some recommend 2.7-3L) Redline Synthetic 70w80 or Fuchs Titan Sintofluid 75w-80 gear oil recommended (Autolusso), or Castrol Syntrans 75W/90 synthetic.
 
#8 ·
Fill phone? There's no app to change the oil, sadly ;) There is a drain plug however.

5sp and 6sp on the 147 are pretty robust. They don't have the most agile of changes, you have to let the box take its time. An oil change helps with this. Notchiness can be a problem with age specially into 2nd or 3rd, but that is often just the gearchange linkage, not the box. Jumping out of gear or whines would be bad. Look for oil leaks underneath, especially from driveshaft seals, or the bottom of the bellhousing (might suggest the gearbox input shaft seal is leaking, which is a box-off job). Diffs occasionally give trouble or break, but that's a good excuse to replace with a Quaife or Q2 which transform the car.
 
#11 ·
Hi all,

Not sure if is just in my head, i am wanting some real driving experience of the 1.9 8v, am i right in saying they are not super quick being only 115 hp, coming from a 1.5 turbo petrol, it seems really sluggish and this is my first diesel.

One on the motorway the car feels more at home, in town driving doesn't seem great? Do people share similar experience?

Am i right in sayign if there are any issue with the turbo, the car will be extremely sluggish?

Thanks
Ming
 
#12 · (Edited)
Diesels are rather deceptive because the revs are so low and the power is about torque through the range rather than peak BHP. Basically torque defines acceleration, BHP defines top speed. Revs mean nothing out of context of a particular engine. Petrol sounds like it's going faster even when it isn't. Diesel is relaxed and easy to end up going much faster than you thought.

However, whether your 1.9 8v is working as it should, is another matter. The best way to find out is to drive it. You should feel the effect of the turbo above 2,000rpm, and it should be progressive, no bad hesitation or flat spots, or black smoke trail. Because it is a diesel there is no point in revving it above 4,000rpm, even 3,500 perhaps (I have a 16v, which will pull about 4,000 revs before it starts to run out of puff) when accelerating. This is nothing like a peaky petrol car which only wakes up at 3.5k revs. You should end up fairly close to these acceleration and top speed figures from Alfa Romeo - 147 5-doors - 1.9 JTD (115 Hp) - Technical specifications, Fuel economy (consumption) In UK units that's 0-62.5mph in 9.9sec, top speed 119.4mph.

[Edit:]To answer your question about the turbo, the answer is 'maybe'. It depends on the fault whether sluggishness is the obvious symptom. Black smoke, flat spots and lack of boost are all other possible symptoms, but could equally just be splits in hoses. If you also have high engine oil consumption, oil dripping copiously from boost hoses (some oiliness is normal) and horrible whiny death-rattle screechy noises it's probably the turbo itself.
 
#13 ·
Ah thanks, hopefully after a full proper service this month, it will feel better, the engine oil defo needs changed! I found this gearbox oil guide and see there is a filler hole?

http://kgb.clubalfaromeo.com/gotcha/147 Gearbox Oil Change Guide.pdf

Question is does the jtd share the same box? Just want to know all my option before i proceed, i defo prefer the reverse switch idea if is much easier to get to.

Thanks
Ming
 
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