[Joline]

I was wondering if you would be able to give me advice on an Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 (2000 model). October last year I had a cam belt snapped, which obviously caused all 24 valves to bend as well as 3 lifters. After standing a few months we finally found a mechanic confident enough to work on the car and he got it fixed, it started and ran beautifully….for a few hours then it just cut out and died. After hours and hours of inspection it was determined that the fuel pump relay and the injector relays were faulty replaced but for some reason the problem turned from an intermittent to a permanent fault and my mechanic is breaking his head trying to solve the problem. We had a diagnostician look at it but for some reason he can’t pick up the ECU? Please, please give me some advice, what can I do? How can we solve the problem? I live in a small little town in South African, and Alfa specialists are extremely rare here…I’ve spend thousands and thousands of South African rand on the car and I don’t know how much more my pocket can handle do you have ANY advice, anything we can do or try? Mechanic is saying something about needing a wiring diagram to check all the wires. I love the car, it’s a beaut and drives like a dream. How can it go from running perfectly, to standing and getting faulty that the problem can’t be found. There must be something that we are overlooking or something that is just not adding up.. Thank you for taking the time to read this message. May you have a blessed day!

 

[Greener123]

Hi :hi:

Welcome to AO :thumbs:

Check here --> Alfa 147, 156 & GT - Alfa Romeo Forum

or here South Africa - Alfa Romeo Forum

 

[Giorget2]

Without knowing in which "small town" you live, it's not really possible to advise on which mechanics you could try. I could say Auto Azzuri in Cape Town, but if you live in Heilbron, that's not going to help a lot

 

[Yorkshirekeith]

Multiecuscan will find the ecu and read the errors. it may even offer some hints. For a 2000 model I think you'll need a KKL lead, though others can confirm or correct that.( It will also tell you on the Multiecuscan website) The OBD plug socket is just above the main cabin fusebox. behind the removeable panel to the right and below the steering wheel ( I think- if you are right hand drive it is anyway )
A "proper wiring diagram" like you used to get in Haynes or similar isn't available as far as I know, but localised wiring scematics and pinout wire destination diagrams and information are included in the relevant edition of Elearn for your car. this is also available ( sometimes for free if you look hard enough ) in quite a few places around the web.

 

[Joline]

Without knowing in which "small town" you live, it's not really possible to advise on which mechanics you could try. I could say Auto Azzuri in Cape Town, but if you live in Heilbron, that's not going to help a lot

Thank you Giorget2. I live in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth would be the closest to me....about 45km

 

[Joline]

Multiecuscan will find the ecu and read the errors. it may even offer some hints. For a 2000 model I think you'll need a KKL lead, though others can confirm or correct that.( It will also tell you on the Multiecuscan website) The OBD plug socket is just above the main cabin fusebox. behind the removeable panel to the right and below the steering wheel ( I think- if you are right hand drive it is anyway )
A "proper wiring diagram" like you used to get in Haynes or similar isn't available as far as I know, but localised wiring scematics and pinout wire destination diagrams and information are included in the relevant edition of Elearn for your car. this is also available ( sometimes for free if you look hard enough ) in quite a few places around the web.

Thank you Yorkshirekeith And so sorry for the double post..was still trying to figure out how to post a question

 

[Joline]

Multiecuscan will find the ecu and read the errors. it may even offer some hints. For a 2000 model I think you'll need a KKL lead, though others can confirm or correct that.( It will also tell you on the Multiecuscan website) The OBD plug socket is just above the main cabin fusebox. behind the removeable panel to the right and below the steering wheel ( I think- if you are right hand drive it is anyway )
A "proper wiring diagram" like you used to get in Haynes or similar isn't available as far as I know, but localised wiring scematics and pinout wire destination diagrams and information are included in the relevant edition of Elearn for your car. this is also available ( sometimes for free if you look hard enough ) in quite a few places around the web.

Yorkshirekeith, was just informd by my mechanic that aparently the multiscan picks up all other modules but wont pick up the pcm. Any idea where I can get a link for a wiring diagram perhaps? Will see if I can find anything under the Elearn also. thank you!!

 

[Chris155]

I was wondering if you would be able to give me advice on an Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 (2000 model). October last year I had a cam belt snapped, which obviously caused all 24 valves to bend as well as 3 lifters.

After standing a few months we finally found a mechanic confident enough to work on the car and he got it fixed, it started and ran beautifully….for a few hours then it just cut out and died.

After hours and hours of inspection it was determined that the fuel pump relay and the injector relays were faulty replaced but for some reason the problem turned from an intermittent to a permanent fault and my mechanic is breaking his head trying to solve the problem.

We had a diagnostician look at it but for some reason he can’t pick up the ECU? Please, please give me some advice, what can I do? How can we solve the problem?

I live in a small little town in South African, and Alfa specialists are extremely rare here…I’ve spend thousands and thousands of South African rand on the car and I don’t know how much more my pocket can handle do you have ANY advice, anything we can do or try? Mechanic is saying something about needing a wiring diagram to check all the wires.

I love the car, it’s a beaut and drives like a dream. How can it go from running perfectly, to standing and getting faulty that the problem can’t be found.

There must be something that we are overlooking or something that is just not adding up.. Thank you for taking the time to read this message. May you have a blessed day!

Can you confirm that the car is a CF2? i.e. it only has one cat and the ecu is in the footwell.

Wiring diagrams can be found in e-learn - alfa's workshop manual. Copies can be bought on ebay for not a lot of money.

Has he check the obvious?

Fuel cut off switch under the passenger seat?
Coil pack connections?
Cleaned the terminals to the FP relay and made sure the relay is working correctly?
Is the code light going out?

 

[Yorkshirekeith]

Yorkshirekeith, was just informd by my mechanic that aparently the multiscan picks up all other modules but wont pick up the pcm. Any idea where I can get a link for a wiring diagram perhaps? Will see if I can find anything under the Elearn also. thank you!!

Picks them all up on mine.

 

[Joline]

Picks them all up on mine.

He says that the key code light doesnt come on at all and neither does the red injector light?

It is a CF2 and the fuel cut off switch is fine, the coil pack wires and conections checked and all fine. The relay is fine have bought new one but still waiting for the other one. Had a diagnostic guy who looked at it and said the PCM is not switching on, do you perhaps know where the realy is for the PCM or the wiring for it? Thank you Yorkshirekeith, for your responses to my posts..it is much appreciated! :thumbup:

 

[115686]

Some ideas.

The old school approach 'fuel and Sparks'. If you've got those, it will work. Given that you have disturbed everything to fix the heads, then it is very likely to be a connection.

1) Do you have fuel pressure? Gauge on the end of the rail will tell you. Or press the valve - if you get covered in petrol, then you have pressure.

2) when you switch the ignition on, does the inlet plenum hum? All of mine hum from the area of the throttle valve. No hum = ECU is not powering up.

3) if you have hum, but no fuel, then look at the specifics of the fuel circuit. Hotwire the pump and see if you get pressure.

4) No hum and no ECU visible on MES suggests that it is not powering up. I only have a working CF3, so mine is different (I have a CF2 as well but it is in a million pieces). Certainly on the CF3, there is an earth strap that gets the unwary every time, might be similar on a Cf2.

 

[Joline]

Some ideas.

The old school approach 'fuel and Sparks'. If you've got those, it will work. Given that you have disturbed everything to fix the heads, then it is very likely to be a connection.

1) Do you have fuel pressure? Gauge on the end of the rail will tell you. Or press the valve - if you get covered in petrol, then you have pressure.

2) when you switch the ignition on, does the inlet plenum hum? All of mine hum from the area of the throttle valve. No hum = ECU is not powering up.

3) if you have hum, but no fuel, then look at the specifics of the fuel circuit. Hotwire the pump and see if you get pressure.

4) No hum and no ECU visible on MES suggests that it is not powering up. I only have a working CF3, so mine is different (I have a CF2 as well but it is in a million pieces). Certainly on the CF3, there is an earth strap that gets the unwary every time, might be similar on a Cf2.

Yes, there is fuel pressure but not sure about the no hum no ECU part :depressed:. I'm concerned about the fact that the key code light and injector light stays off plus the fact that the relays are not being signaled from the ECU to switch the pump and fuel injection on and for the PCM to swith on

 

[Pud237]

Try swapping the relay under 'INJ' (in front of the battery) with one of the other ones which is similar. This relay controls the power feed to the ECU. The injector light should come on when the ignition is turned on to indicate that it has powered up.

EDIT: Just thought I'd add, it is possible that these relays are not in the right position corresponding to the relay cover as they can be detached and re-attached in different places. The injection relay is small and red, so swap all of the small & red ones around and then try again. Always do stuff like this with the car turned off and the key removed from the ignition barrel.

 

[Joline]

Good day guys...

Just wanted to let you know that the Alfa is once again riding!!! The problem...so simple. After taking the whole dashboard and and and apart it was discovered that the wire from the harness to the ECU was faulty. You guys have no idea how much this forum helped me to get ideas as to where to look and what to look for etc. I spend hours and hours going through previous posts form years, some a decade ago...You guys are totally awesome, thank you so much!! <3:thumbup: