[stuie13]

This isn't gonna be a popular thread on here, but i'm bloody fed up of owning an Alfa!
I'll leave aside all the jobs that needed doing on it before the cold weather turned up, but do Alfa's only work if the temp is above about 4 degrees?
Monday frozen handbreak? WTF? I've never had a car do that before, couldn't get to work boss thought i was pulling a fast one!
Today tried to go to work, All warning light flash up VTC or something like that sytem failure! Then ABS system failure! Had to take car home and bloody walk 5 miles to work! All the time s***y little cars driving past me no problems cos the manufacturers know how to make a car that works in the cold!
First and last Alfa Romeo for me!
And its put my friend off buying a Brera! Can you blame him?

 

[Scudetto]

even if the system said ABS failure, i presume you'd still have brakes? in that case, you can still drive

but i understand your frustration, esp when all you want to do is get home and toasty.

 

[156Chris]

to be fair to the handbrake, over the last couple of years they've started putting sugar in with the salt they put on the roads (to make it stick) ... trouble is that it also makes your brakes stick too

 

[punt14]

I had the 'frozen' handbrake cables the other day also with asr and abs failure but to be fair it was -10. I just drove until they freed up switched the engine off the stared it back up problem free

 

[purple145]

the two events are linked, if one wheel is not rotating and the other three are, the ABD/VDCsystem will flag up an error, ie wheel number four should also be going round!

so, for the price of a handbrake cable, about £25, the whole brand gets dissed

cut your losses and sell it to me megacheap

 

[Guest]

Stuie, stuie, stuie, only joking angel........there was a thread on here about vdc/abs warning lights, loads of people including me, except i only have abs, i think it's caused by wheelspin/lack of traction that confuses the systems and throws up a warning light. It will go off after a restart or two.......i just ignore mine and keep on driving

 

[punt14]

Could someone tell me the asr still blinks on my dash when I have turned it off

Sorry stuie for hijacking

 

[stuie13]

the two events are linked, if one wheel is not rotating and the other three are, the ABD/VDCsystem will flag up an error, ie wheel number four should also be going round!

so, for the price of a handbrake cable, about £25, the whole brand gets dissed

cut your losses and sell it to me megacheap

I got new cables fitted about 2 months ago! The same ones i had to warm up on monday with a hairdryer!!!!

I'll sell you it but not mega cheap! nice try

So do you think i'll be ok to drive it? don't fancy walking tomorrow! My feet are killing me!

 

[stuie13]

I've just read a good thread and apparently its a common problem! Oh what a suprise "Alfa Romeo in common problem shocker" I'm a bit calmer now i know its probably not gonna hit me in the pocket!
But i felt better having a rant about it!

 

[Gaz]

get it driven soft lad

 

[bazza]

I got new cables fitted about 2 months ago! The same ones i had to warm up on monday with a hairdryer!!!!

I'll sell you it but not mega cheap! nice try

So do you think i'll be ok to drive it? don't fancy walking tomorrow! My feet are killing me!

Sounds like you should be complaining to the guy who cocked up fitting your new cables then...

 

[clubber]

This isn't gonna be a popular thread on here, but i'm bloody fed up of owning an Alfa!
I'll leave aside all the jobs that needed doing on it before the cold weather turned up, but do Alfa's only work if the temp is above about 4 degrees?
Monday frozen handbreak? WTF? I've never had a car do that before, couldn't get to work boss thought i was pulling a fast one!
Today tried to go to work, All warning light flash up VTC or something like that sytem failure! Then ABS system failure! Had to take car home and bloody walk 5 miles to work! All the time s***y little cars driving past me no problems cos the manufacturers know how to make a car that works in the cold!
First and last Alfa Romeo for me!
And its put my friend off buying a Brera! Can you blame him?

Dont pull your handbrake in this weather!:thumbs:

What do you need ABS for??? :thumbs:

When you drive your Alfa above 4 degrees all those "little car drivers" are thinking how other manufacturers cant build such a sexy car... So, youre even :thumbs:

 

[purple145]

the ASR light comes on when it intevenes,
the ABS may be coming on if there an accumulation of snow under one wheel that is stopping it rotating while the others are going

just remember all these systems are Bosch anyway, ie made in Germany and nothing to do with Italain build etc etc so it will be happening on any car with the same equipment.

When the window winder drops off but can be clipped back on, the cigar lighter pops out and drops on the floor, and when you tilt the driver's seat forward and the headrest hits the horn button, those are Italian features.

 

[Guest]

can i bring this back into prospective.....

My Peugeot 406 HDi has done just about all that your 156 has done in the last day

Handbrake frozen on
ABS & Traction control system no operational
Body control system malfunctioning

All of the electrical components are Bosch....

I know the ABS and TC systems are because the wheels are spinning at grossly different rates and so it drops into a kind of limp mode until it stabilses

I was chatting to a friend about my 156 that i have just sold and pound for pound it was a far better car than the 406 i have just bought.....wanna swap?

 

[Guest]

can i bring this back into prospective.....

My Peugeot 406 HDi has done just about all that your 156 has done in the last day

Handbrake frozen on
ABS & Traction control system no operational
Body control system malfunctioning

All of the electrical components are Bosch....

I know the ABS and TC systems are because the wheels are spinning at grossly different rates and so it drops into a kind of limp mode until it stabilses

I was chatting to a friend about my 156 that i have just sold and pound for pound it was a far better car than the 406 i have just bought.....wanna swap?

A very valid point Jay.....Years ago, our cars couldn't tell us the temperature outside, let alone whether or not our VDC system would be working, as we didn't have one! If it goes, and stops, and you are careful, then you will get along just fine, just be confident in your abilities, but don't put yourself in danger. Ignore the electrical warnings..... it's the mechanicals that are turning and stoping the wheels.

 

[Guest]

Park with handbrake off & leave in gear

 

[K9d]

Park with handbrake off & leave in gear

+1 :thumbs:

Thats what I do with my 146 as soon as the cold weather approaches, so from July until about June the next year :lol:

 

[purple145]

Park with handbrake off & leave in gear

+2

me too

 

[Guest]

+1 :thumbs:

Thats what I do with my 146 as soon as the cold weather approaches, so from July until about June the next year :lol:

Remind me not to do it in Epsom, i don't want to be stuck there :lol:

 

[K9d]

Remind me not to do it in Epsom, i don't want to be stuck there :lol:

Whats wrong with Epsom, I was born there, Ahh right see your point :lol: