Hi everyone,
I checked the oil in my 159 3.2 this morning and found that small chunk of metal on the dipstick! Does anyone know what it might be? The car has done 88000km and the oil and filter were replaced around 3000km ago (my mechanic used a mercedes filter could this be the issue?)
That could be from anywhere to be honest...could be a bit of casting flash that's been floating around the engine since build....could be a piece of white metal from a bearing cap....hopefully bot the latter!....or any one of multiple possibilities Two choices really....leaving it, pray and hope nothing breaks....or drop the sump and see if any of its friends are lurking in there! I would prob just be driving it with the stereo off for a few weeks and watching the oil level /pressure like a hawk to listen for potential issues.
I would also question why the garage fitted a Mercedes oil filter?
The 3.2 V6 engine fitted to your 159 isn't an Alfa Romeo engine. It's a GM/Holden lump assembled in Australia. As such any appropriate filter used for the Holden V6 should be good for this engine.
Many oil filters for completely different cars are the same size/spec....so I would not be overly concerned about that. Even no filter at all would not cause that metal chip to appear!!!
Well it could mean two things. Either a vague piece of material moving about and just depositing itself on the dipstick, or the engine has serious problems and is on the road to ruin.
Either way it's not an engine I would go anywhere near, with its notorious reputation for stretched timing chains and crap pedigree.
I would follow alfaitalia's suggestion of dropping the sump - if there's no pieces in there it will put your mind at ease and a sump clean is a good move anyway. You could fine sieve the oil and re use it if it is fairly fresh. Using a merc filter would not be the issue - if it fits it will do the job.
Regardless of whether it does the job, it makes no sense to fit a non-specified oil filter to the engine. The filter will be widely available for this Holden V6 and the fact the garage fitted a Mercedes filter would indicate laziness or even ignorance.
It is always best practice to fit the correct filter to any engine.
It might be the correct filter...when you look in an aftermarket parts catalogue the same filter could fit a wide variety of makes and models.....there are many more different cars than there are different oil filters.
Ive had the car looked at by my mechanic who thinks it’s the balance shaft thats on its way out. He’d already found some unusual vibrations previously and suspected the balance shaft. What does everyone think about that?
Before you panic and drop the sump try fitting a magnetic sump plug and see what it picks up over a few hundred miles
It might be a 1 off but if the plug comes out like a hedgehog you have got problems
Okay. My mini did, all my saabs have. Pretty sure my suds did. Shall be changing to one on the brera next oil change. Saying that the saabs of a certain age need a sump drop and uprated pcv kit. When the sump is off many add additional magnets around the gauze.
No I fitted a magnetic plug in my Diesel Brera, it was about £5 and always quite reassuring when on every oil change it came out clean.
I might look to get one for my Giulia
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