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Living with a GT Coupe

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15K views 87 replies 53 participants last post by  MalcQV 
#1 · (Edited)
Having owned my GT for just over 4 months now I thought I’d share some of my experience with other Alfa owners. If you have had a similar experience, or want to share your thoughts please feel free to do so. I am aware that others have already posted similar threads, but what makes this forum so useful in my opinion is being able to identify with other drivers and gain advice, so I hope the following is useful, even if it only serves to backup what you have already read.

Firstly I should indicate that my list of “features” by no means lessens the amount I love the car. Every time I park up I can’t help but look back at it as I walk away, as it really is (in my opinion) one of the best looking, most fun to drive cars that are on the road today.


  • Windscreen Washer

    If you happen to know a Borrower then they will come in handy as you will need an incredibly small funnel in order to re-fill the windscreen washer reservoir under the bonnet. I carry one in the car permanently (in the spare wheel recess), or alternatively use one of the narrow nozzle water pumps found on some garage forecourts if I am away from home and need a top-up.

  • Electric Windows

    Some GT’s (including mine) were fitted with non-production standard “window nodes”. These are a pair of small circuits that sit in each door, under the window buttons and control the opening and closing of the windows. They should drop the windows when the doors are opened or push the glass up in to the door seal when the door is closed. If you have a set of duff nodes installed then this doesn’t always work – particularly when it is cold and icy and the windows require a bit more effort to unwind. I have ordered a new pair of nodes which will be installed under warranty from Alfa, however in the interim you can reset the nodes by holding the window button down for 10 seconds, and then holding it up for 10 seconds. At the moment I have to do this every 2nd or 3rd opening/closing of either door, but other guys on here tell me the fix does work.

  • Opening the Boot

    Anyone who owns a GT has no doubt fallen foul of this one after a shower – if you come to the car after it has rained, as you open the rear hatch lots of water runs off the rear windscreen, and can easily cover whatever is in the boot. The solution is to crack the boot and hold it part-open whilst most of the water drains away. Occasionally my boot will refuse to open from inside the car too – when you depress the switch on the centre console nothing happens. Moving forward slightly, and stopping again seems to reset the system that is designed to prevent it being opened by a clumsy finger at 70mph on the outside lane of the M1.

  • Headrest Position

    At 6’2” I don’t expect this to be a problem for all GT owners, however for the vertically advantaged of us the headrests are virtually useless. If I lean my head back on to the headrest I end up looking at the ceiling. There is no way to adjust the angle of the headrest itself – unlike in many other cars – so I suppose at least this way the nice embroidery on the headrest will remain untarnished.

  • Indicators

    The self-cancelling indicators behave as if they were never tested properly. When negotiating the average roundabout or bend on UK roads, the required amount of turn to the steering wheel is usually not sufficiently enough to cancel the indicator. This means you exit the roundabout/bend still indicating. Worse still, if you indicate right say as you approach a roundabout, and then turn left slightly to get on to the roundabout the indicators cancel. On other cars I have driven this behaviour doesn’t happen, and whilst it’s only a minor issue it can be a pain to get used to having to initiate the indicators again. It is also difficult to start indicating whilst you are turning sometimes. And while we’re on indicators – why can’t we have a one-touch feature for motorway driving please Mr. Alfa!?

  • Cruise Control

    The cruise control system on the GT is great at maintaining speed, and operation is very simple, however I have one major gripe and that is in order to cancel/pause the system temporarily you have to either brake or clutch. You should only use cruise control when traffic conditions are light and it is safe to do so, but inevitably as anyone who ever uses it regularly will know, someone will pull out in front of you and force you to slow down. Most of the time this will happen with traffic that is well in front of you, and with plenty of time to anticipate your next manoeuvre it would be ideal to be able to pause the system and then resume it when the path is clear. This is how Ford and Volvo cruise control systems work. The GT however forces you to use your feet to cancel the set-point, unless you turn the entire system off and on again – which has the adverse affect of resetting the speed. I also dismay at having to use the brakes on the motorway – although you only have to lightly tap the brake pedal to deactivate the cruise, any non-essential wear to the pads/brake lights seems futile.

  • Intermittent Wiper Speed

    The longest delay on the intermittent wipers is far too short – the most annoying type of rain is when it’s wet enough to need a wipe every 20-30 seconds but not more often (otherwise you can get the dreaded wiper judder). On the GT, the longest delay is about 5 seconds, and there isn’t much difference across the available delay settings.

  • Clutch Pin

    I’ve seen this problem crop up a lot on GT’s and 147’s and although luckily it hasn’t happened to me yet it’s worthy of noting. There is a clip that secures the pin between the clutch cylinder and the clutch pedal which can become easily detached and leave the car without clutch operation. Alfa have acknowledged this and issued a recall however many cars appear to have been missed. Check yours below and if in doubt give your dealer a call:

    Affected Alfa Romeo vehicle identification numbers (VIN):

    ZAR93700005156078 to ZAR93700005298888
    ZAR93700003185703 to ZAR93700003777404
    ZAR93700003254498 to ZAR93700003334641
    ZAR93700005155403 to ZAR93700005260743

  • Road Noise

    Lots of GT owners complain about road noise from the area near the driver’s head, near the seal between the window and the door frame. The road noise can appear louder on a wet road, when there is spray that sounds as if the window is open an inch or so. This is sometimes cured with a silicone-based lubricant, or some magic WD40 however I have come to accept that it comes part-and-parcel with the frameless doors, and the fact you drive a coupe. The only solution guaranteed to solve the problem is to turn up the stereo.

  • Squeaks, Creaks and Rattles

    Most of the squeaks and creaks I experience move around the car depending on the ambient temperature. On cold days the boot is silent, however as the temperature warms up the seal around the top of the rear windscreen expands and fouls the top of the car. This is more noticeable when you open and close the rear hatch, but on uneven surfaces I am occasionally aware of it. I also hear the odd squeak from what appears to be the rear seats, and I’ve yet to manage to identify the source – although occasionally dropping the rear seats and pushing them home firmly again helps. There is also resonance in the gear knob at about 80mph (when I am driving on my private test track officer). The solution to stop the rattle is to hold the gearstick – not a show stopper but a niggle.

  • Dipped Headlight Performance

    When I first got my GT I almost came off the road twice at night because the performance of the dipped beams was on par with the brightness of an IKEA tea light. The problem is worse in reduced visibility e.g. rain so I asked my dealer to check the alignment of the headlights – which was ok allegedly – and then finally resorted to trying some of Halford’s 90% brighter bulbs. These have made a marked improvement to the perceived brightness of the lights but I’m still not impressed by the amount of the road they illuminate. I’ve checked the headlight assembly and even with the light-leveller at position ‘0’ there appears to be a bit more room for the tray to move – however I won’t adjust this as I don’t want to blind other road users. Xenon’s would be nice too. Maybe it’s something best left for my next car.


  • Winderscreen Wiper vs. Bonnet

    I noticed an enormous chip on my bonnet glinting in the sun the other day and since I have just washed the beast and it's still light outside thought I'd grab a photo. My driver's side windscreen wiper has obviously been fouling the bonnet.

    Will this be covered under the "anti perforation" warranty?

    View attachment 64715


  • Fading Badge

    Here's my "limited edition" badge. Very nearly so limited it's invisible...

    (The car is 13 months old).

    View attachment 64716

If I come across any more I’ll be sure to add them, but that’s it for now! Does this ring true for anyone else?
 
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#30 ·
Re: More features...

I had the same problem with fading 'limited edition' badge and over time as the car has been washed, its virtualy all gone now and just a red underline. Cant be very good paint but im not going to bother replacing it as i bet the same thing will happen again.
 
#36 ·
Windscreen wiper/Bonnet edge issue
Yep, had that as well. A known fault apparently. The wiper motor mount gives up & the wiper arm snags the bonnet edge. The damage on your car may have happened with a previous owner & been fixed. If its happening for the 1st time now, get it along to a dealer & get it done under warranty. It won't go away of its own accord.
I did ask for this to be included in the "known faults sticky" at the top of this section, but its not been included, for some reason.
Matt.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Ive had my GT for about 4 years and have had most of the issues you talk about including clutch pin failing windows forgetting the endstops and squeaky seatbelt.The latest problem is a failed reverse sensor so Im about to take the bumper off for investigation.
I love the car but can add a couple more issues to the list:-
First WHY OH WHY DID ALFA NOT FIT A REAR WASHWIPE, I find it so annoying especially in heavy rain or filthy roads.
Then the Aircon seems to enjoy working at random intervals. As the car is warming up in the winter it suddenly blasts cold air at you and if you turn the temp down the aircon tries to get there as quickly as possible.
And the glovebox is like a reverse Tardis looking large from the outside but uselessly small inside.No shelf and a weird shape means you cant fit much in.
My final gripe is the plastic used on the steering wheel stereo buttons. The coating is all peeling off and looks like it was made of something really cheap which spoils the look of the cabin.
I can still forgive it all that when I drive it or even look at it!!!!!:)
 
#38 ·
My final gripe is the plastic used on the steering wheel stereo buttons. The coating is all peeling off and looks like it was made of something really cheap which spoils the look of the cabin.
I can still forgive it all that when I drive it or even look at it!!!!!:)
My old 156 did this, it's so annoying as it does make the interior look tatty. Also the chrome effect on the gearknob of my GT is all peeling off so I've had to order a new one. Still absolutely love the car though :thumbs:
 
G
#40 ·
Had my JTDm for almost 6months now. Definately the most enjoyable and attractive car I've owned. Some observations that get on my **** a little but quite happily live with for the love of the car:

Stiff ride:

I've got 18" multispoke wheels with Pirelli tyres and the ride is extremely hard. I feel every bump and rough surface on the road. It tramlines too. I do need to swap the suspension bushes though as they are wearing fast. Wonder if there are any upgrades I can do that will help this as this is the biggest downside of the car really??

Windows:

A common problem I know but sometimes they cut out after 2 inches of movement. So you have to keep pressing and pressing the button to get them up again.

Rear boot:

The release buttons on the key fob and dash work fine but I wondered if the boot is supposed to pop up more than it does on my car. If not, then it's bad design that you have to get your fingers right under the tiny gap to lift it up.

Sat Nav +:

Terribly out of date. I've lost count how many times its sent me the wrong way because it doesn't have new roads on. -I'm not happy spending £150 for a replacement disc when a Tom Tom is a much better solution for less. Also wish the system had bluetooth to hook with my Iphone 4. Speaking of which has anyone hooked their iphone 4 up to play music through the system?

Annoying Bleeps:

Constant beeping on journeys is annoying. I regularly get error messages about my rear fog light and left sidelight when both are fine. Also, the traction conrol (ASR) switches off due to an error but I need to get this looked at. It's due some new front discs and pads so hoping that will help the situation.

Finally, the car is horrendous in the snow as is to be expected.
 
#41 ·
The release buttons on the key fob and dash work fine but I wondered if the boot is supposed to pop up more than it does on my car. If not, then it's bad design that you have to get your fingers right under the tiny gap to lift it up.
Have a look at the bottom edge of the tailgate while it's up in the air. You should see 2 rubber bumpers, these are spring loaded and should pop out when you open the tailgate lifting it enough your fingers under easily.

However, they stick easily, if they're stuck in give 'em a twist and/or a spray of WD40.

All the best

Pub
 
#42 ·
How easy is it to change the gear knob? Mines just over three years old and its peeling already.
Another thing to the list: Side lights:( Ive lost count how many I have changed in the last twelve months. I know this isnt unique to the GT.

Still after all the snags, it easily the most beautiful car on the road:)
 
G
#46 ·
I've owned a few GT's so have pretty much had all the problems in this thread :lol:

Thankfully the only one I have with my Blackline is the windscreen wiper/top of bonnet issue

I have learnt not to open the winows when frozen :lol:
 
#47 ·
If you have a diesel, you need to add the "water in fuel filter" error message, and unlike other diesels which have a handy little tap under the fuel filter to drain water, Alfa have put a sensor there, and also made it unreachable unless you take the whole fuel filter out, great.

Still a great car tho, (well it was whilst I had it for the first 2ish months, went into the garage last week because it wouldn't start, and I haven't got it back yet).
 
G
#48 ·
:)had my gt jtd over a year and its the third alfa in a row iv had.build quality shocking,engin e sound tractor like,mpg total rubbish.....but im not parting with it.drives me insane but would we all really be upset if vw eventually purchase our beloved marque?as long as they use bertone and pinninfarina design????:confused:
 
#50 ·
Friday afternoon build?




I'm surprised at these comments by i.w.tyas as I have a JTD GT and think it has a nice throaty sound for a diesel and it always returns over 40mpg, pretty good for a 1.9 turbo!

Also, I was pleasantly surprised with the build quality. Everything opens and closes nicely and squarely and the paint finish is very good. All the electrics work as advertised.

Are you sure your GT has not been involved in an accident and had some major repairs??? Otherwise, I think you were unlucky and have got a Friday afternoon car!
 
#49 ·
This is very helpful thanks to all of you. I've had mine for two months now and am still happy with it. Was going to change the rubber sealing on the door beacuse of the "wind" noise, but now realised I was going to spend a bomb for nothing. Thanks guys.
Had to change the alternator and the battery on my 2005 2.0 selespeed but nothing drastic yet, hopes it stays that way because it is a real pleasure to drive and look at.
 
#52 ·
I love my JTd for all it problems lol Ive done 92k now and with the usual wear and turn the only troubles ive had are

Injector went
EGR valve and related problems kept playing up for a year was a nightmare
Glow plugs
Battery
Clutch
Turbo pipe
consumption was around 40 mpg but has fallen to 34 ish now :( no idea why.
cold starting is sluggish
 
G
#53 ·
Sorry to hear your suprised by my comments martinch but i can only speak from my own experience on owning my gt jtdm.The materials and build are not what i think is good for a modern day gt cruiser with the exception been the leather seats.alfa always seem to get this spot on as they did in my last alfa which was a 98 916 gtv.the usual gremlins on mine been the boot noise which is really shocking,window electrics,peeling trim on steering wheel and roof lining now coming away.Newer suprises include window electric switch housing n/s and o/s falling off,reverse sensors work sparodicaly,speakers now have a mind of their own going on and off,boot sometimes opens itself and leather door card on o/s door coming loose.engine noise throaty?as in darth vader throaty?The jtd unit is many things quickish,reliable even with the water pump issue but its not throaty.my car is 4 years old and not had an accident.Its a fiat based flawed beauty whos looks i think blinds us from reality
 
#75 ·
Hi
I've owned my GT jtd for nearly two years now and I think its most reasuring, that if all our Gt's have the same faults then in my book, they are all good 'uns.
To add:
I fitted a "connect 2" i pod lead through the console and into the arm rest.
The ball joints are the source of squeeks on mine (one side done, the other will be sorted at the next service)
On a run from Leicestershire to Goodwood I got 60mpg (AVERAGE) but normally its 47
Had the "water in diesel" warning this is cured by insisting that the diesel filter is changed on EVERY service.
I don't have a garage, so guess what the windows do every time its frosty.
My opinion is that the jtd does have a throaty roar.
If you put the key in the ignition and turn it too quickly then an immobiliser fault shows on the dash.
I did have a whistling noise from the drivers door mirror, but cured it by placing a rubber gasket (bike tyre inner tube) inbetween the mirror bracket and car door.
Currently I'm getting the "glow plug failure" alarm.

......and after all that I don't think I would change this car for some time. It is the (near) perfect mix of beauty and practicality, economy and verve.
Yes I too have experienced the wistfull looks of other less well off (audi, bmw, vw, mercedes) motorists, bless 'em, they look so bored !

I'm glad another owner agrees with me that the JTDm has a nice throaty note (maybe its their ferret ears???!) From past experience with other cars, perhaps those that don't have this normal throaty sound have a pattern exhaust fitted?
Regarding trim, mines a 56 model and all is impeccable, including the steering wheel trim. I can only suggest that i.w.tyas' JTD has had a hard life in the past.
Although I am now an Alfa fan, I'm not especially biased towards towards them and if I was having problems, I would be the first one to post them here. The only problem I've found so far is the front passenger seat fold operating lever has become detached from the operating cable which I do agree is a design fault, but otherwise, a lovely car to drive and to look at.
 
#59 ·
But they'd be useless for this as they are too far back. You'd end up dying from a heart arterial bleed.

To prevent this, they need to be close to the back of your head like all newer cars, my Brera being a good example.
 
G
#57 ·
Jet washed the car at work today and the passenger front wheel arch liner is hanging down!Had to realign and use a bigger screw.The bottom of the liner seems to be held with just one screw that fastens through a crappy plastic retainer.
 
#58 ·
Had mine (07 GT 29k) 5 months now, none of the problems mentioned before and a few not mentioned...suspension squeaks which seem to have stopped :confused: and squeaky rear from the parcel tray as one of the clips has broken (£4.25 on ebay). Like a few others odd little rattles and squeaks from various locations depending on temperature/phase of moon etc. Took to using an old credit card running along the bottom window rubber before opening the door during this freezing weather which seemed to help

Couple of irritating things...the 'espresso' sized cup holder which then obscures stereo and heater controls but hey, if its too warm I'll open the window and vice versa. What genius decided to position the TC/ASC button on the same one as the fuel filler cap? It's not as fast as my previous car (Saab 9.3 Sportwagon) with the same engine, nor as economical but the Saab came with the Hirsch Performance remap so you can guess what the first upgrade will be :)

But all in all nothing else on the road comes close to making you feel a million dollars and its looks just drop dead gorgeous. I did wonder if I was being madder than a box of frogs last August when I bought it, but touch wood, so far so good - I just pray these aren't 'famous last words'

mart
 
#63 ·
From the original post - "Here's my "limited edition" badge. Very nearly so limited it's invisible..."

Blimey - never realised there was supposed to be writing on the red bit! Having got the forensic dept out there is indeed evidence of words! :lol:

Cruise control - completely agree with the need for a 'release but don't forget setting' button. I've been wondering if it's possible to add a momentary switch in parallel with one of the sensors on the clutch or brake?
 
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