Alfa 166 2.4 JTD cracked hose, looks bad smells bad

Hi forum.

I just had a look in my engine bay this evenig, due to a power outage from the egine last night going up a hill on cruise control at 120 km/t in 5th gear at 3000 rpm.

I have had strange smell slighty from aircon during last week and people claiming it smokes to much. I did not really pay attention to smell due to I live close to the airport and local seweraga plant.

Could you please take a look at these pictures and help me understand if this is:

A. Intercooler hose and then why is there some oil here
B. Oil-to-air cooler hose from turbo (don't know if the car got one)

http://mylifeinlux.blogspot.com/2006...-pictures.html

Regards.
Morten

welcome bravo605,

you would be better to post this question in the 166 tech forum

you'll almost certainly get a quicker response from 166 owners with specific experience of the model.

good luck!

Is this not the 166 tech forum ? I cannot see other forums applicable really.

Originally Posted by bravo605

Is this not the 166 tech forum ? I cannot see other forums applicable really.

MY APOLOGIES, SO IT IS!! VERY SORRY.

saturday nightscan be quiet, hang in there!

again, my apologies.

No problem, you answered my call, that's much appreciated.
I am thinking about going to Alfa on Monday and buy the broken hose and replace it myself, since it is two alu cuffs and one hose, which looks like a 30/60 min jobs tops. Then I would drive the car to Alfa and ask them to do further checks on it. I will show them the pictures when I order the hose and hear what they say.

don't know what costs are like there, but in the uk and ireland most owners avoid main dealers if possible, they charge exorbitant prices

much better to find a local specialist workshop and get services and major repairs done for very much less. often a better quality service to the main "stealerships too.

if you can obtain the parts and diy that's what i would do.

do you know any small specialist mechanics with alfa experience?

I have no clue about an Alfa Romeo specialist workshop in or around Luxembourg. I would definately prefere to use a specialist instead of Alfa garage, since they have to much work to do here in Luxembourg, and hence slack a bit on quality.
Their opinion some times about their drivers/customers can be quite surprising.
They seem to believe that I drive my car hard, because I told them it cannot sustain 190 km/t up a small hill on cruise. I also did mentioned I came from a R32.

Update on my intercooler hose.
It is indeed the intercooler hose, I can verify this after removing it. The inlet and intercooler i plasterede with oil and it is coming via the intercooler, which indicates heavily that the turbo has blown its seal and is hence leaking oil from the shaft/bearing into the compressed air. This also explains my blue smoking last week.

So now I am looking for a company for renovating my current turbo.

Any suggestions in south germany / benelux are very velcome.

/Morten

Had the same prolem for bout 2 months ago
Replaced the hose and probs gone
the oil stains are normal ,the turbo is not broke
all turbo's have this slight oil in air leakage.
wouldn't replace turbo if i where you
Hose xcosted me bout 19 € s.

succes MArt

Hi Mart,

I am getting blue smoke. Apart from that I found a "poddle" of oil in the inlet. It was not just some dirt, but visible drops and a small poddle of oil. There is also enough oil in the hose, so you can get it to more or less drip out of it giving it enough time. So this is not just residue.

http://mylifeinlux.blogspot.com/2006...l-leaking.html

Mart could you please take a look at the new pictures and tell if you recognise these when you think about your problem 2 months ago.

Look particularly at the intercooler and how it is dis-colored by oil. I honestly don't think this is normal.

Thanks for your reply.
Morten

Hello

I don`t drive a diesel, but my previous car was a diesel with Mercedes 2.9L TDI engine and it had at least so much oil in piping and intercooler as yours or even more but no problem with blue smoke and oil consumption.
My advice would be to obtain the hose it should be around 20-25 EUR at AR dealership and change it yourself. Should be an easy job.

Thanks El Barto, for getting my mood up just before sack time.

I am going to order the hose tomorrow at A-R. I will show them pictures just in case and ask their opinion, biased as it may be though.

Hi all,

I just checked this morning with Turbo Tech Sweden and TurboDK in Denmark. From Denmark I was told that there should not be oil in this hose from the intercooler, and hence I needed it fixed.

However they told they were not allowed to renovate it due to it had variable geometry and something about the blades must be positioned as is from factory.

Sweden however said no problem send it to us, it sounds like it is leaking a bit. Downside here is that they are on vacation for two weeks, so I must wait till mid July .

I also went to A-R to order the hose, which I will have tomorrow. I had a chat with the chief mechanic and he said uuh no so good eeh , and explained that maybe the shaft it out of balance etc... etc.... he said I must replace with new spare from A-R costing 900 euro with 6 hours work so estimated 1300 euro .
I asked him about my one year Car Garantie, and he said it did not cover turbo , but after speaking to Car Garantie rep here in Luxembourg I was told it did .
So now the Car Garantie rep is talking to A-R here in Lux about how, when and what can be covered.
If Car Garantie will cover then I should only have to pay 60% of the spare part(s), meaning 540 euro for a new turbo , which is the same price as a renovation in Sweden.

I will keep you posted on the developments.

In the meantime another note is that I have a friend of mine who blew his SAAB on the same problem. His turbo sucked in all the oil and burned it through the compressed air/engine, it happened in 15 seconds after which the car went dead.

hi bravo605

well, as i read your post, you have made progress, but really got nowhere

fingers crossed your warranty will cover most of the cost, but your share is still a painful amount, ouch

good luck with sorting your problem, keep us updated, ok?

Just replace hose and see whathappens next.
My AR specialist says oil in that hose is normal
but if you have bleu/grey smoke (after repair ) and a lot of it
then most likely its the turbo going belly up .

Hope its the first and not the latter.

succes MArt

Originally Posted by Mart

Just replace hose and see whathappens next.
My AR specialist says oil in that hose is normal
but if you have bleu/grey smoke (after repair ) and a lot of it
then most likely its the turbo going belly up .

Hope its the first and not the latter.

succes MArt

fingers are crossed for you friend, good luck

Okay, new developments on my issue.
I got the replacement hose, and only paid 20 euro for it, very cheap in my opinion.

Apart for that then A-R told me that they want the car for two days for checking the turbo. If it is not defective then I will have to pay for the time spend etc....
If it is defective then my Car Garantie will kick in and cover labour and 40% of spares used for the repair.
Given the figures I got from A-R then a repair will cost me around 500-600 euro, and I figure this is the same the cost of checking the turbo, since they use 6 hours for changing one.

So, I am driving the car out there this evening or tomorrow .