[OrangeMarley]

Hi everyone!

I've recently bought a Brera and I think I'm just about to find out why it was for sale aranoid:

So, I'm not new to Alfas, I had a 159 2.4jdtm a year or two back, but due to the milage I was putting on it I sold it and got an ultra boring civic 2.2 es.

One evening after a few beers (which didn't sway my decision in the slightest) I decided that now I'm not doing as many miles I'd quite like to get another Alfa (it's like a curse, I bloody love them!) this new Brera SV 2.2jts unfortunately just won't love me back.

Wondering if anyone has had the same issue I'm currently getting.

So I picked the car up about 3 weeks ago now, it seemed fine. I checked for the usual stuff (I'll refer to them as Alfarisms).

First Alfarism was the leaky boot seal, no problem, my 159 had a built in swimming pool, the timing chain seemed fine and there was no lack in power.

I've been driving it normally for the past 3 weeks and it's been great. I was driving home yesterday doing about 60 down a road not far from home (at around 3000 rpm) and the engine management light popped on, temperatures were fine, nothing seemingly wrong. I didn't think much of it as again, my 159 liked throwing up lights that would turn off the next time I'd start it. I figured I'd investigate when I get home.

As I turned off the 60mph road I realised there was hell of a noise coming from the engine, really hard to describe to be honest, the kind of noise you get when a back exhaust box has gone, or like one of those saxos with the ridiculous exhaust kits, but from just underneath the engine. The clouds gathered above me and flashbacks to my frustrating 159 days came flooding back :nervous:

Well anyway, I made it back to my house (which was only about a mile away by this point) the noise echoing off distant objects, so loud in fact my other half was stood at the door as I was parking up, she thought there was somebody drilling up the road outside our house. At this stage the car is hunting for revs whilst idling, and with a calm and collected head I got out of the car let her cool down until later (both the car and my better half).

So I find myself ringing the lovely guys at ***** Yapps in Cardiff this morning trying to get some advice (after nicking the other half's car to get to a meeting). His advice is to check the essential and obvious stuff first (oil, water etc) and if that doesn't work to pop it in to them next week. Great! except I'm about 30 miles from them.

I'm just wondering if any of you equally mad Alfa heads have any advice you can give me or if you've encountered the same problem yourself as I'm a whizz on the Jtdm engine but don't really know much about this 2.2jts?

Any help would be much appreciated :lick:

 

[symon]

Could be a split flexi hose on the exhaust.

If it is before the lambda sensor might get dodgy readings, and this can make the engine hunt.

Also check for splits in hoses attached to the inlet manifold, including the air intake.

 

[Top Down]

Sorry to hear of that. Send this guy, Simon, hes in your neighborhood and will know of a local Alfa specialist:

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/the-...-your-classic-alfa-today-45.html#post14586338

Its Squadrone Rosso you need to contact, a nice bloke.

 

[OrangeMarley]

Thank you guys, I'm beginning to think it's a head gasket or cracked block, but hopefully not (although I may be fearing the worst) I have her booked in with an Alfa specialist later in the week, so I'll keep you updated.

Thanks again,

Kie

 

[kandlbarrett]

Plug popped out? Cracked exhaust manifold?

 

[OrangeMarley]

Hi Chaps, so it turned out to be the dreaded stretched timing chain which cost a pretty penny to get fixed but she is back on the road now at least.

 

[lussoman]

As I turned off the 60mph road I realised there was hell of a noise coming from the engine, really hard to describe to be honest, the kind of noise you get when a back exhaust box has gone, or like one of those saxos with the ridiculous exhaust kits, but from just underneath the engine. The clouds gathered above me and flashbacks to my frustrating 159 days came flooding back :nervous:

Well anyway, I made it back to my house (which was only about a mile away by this point) the noise echoing off distant objects, so loud in fact my other half was stood at the door as I was parking up, she thought there was somebody drilling up the road outside our house. At this stage the car is hunting for revs whilst idling, and with a calm and collected head I got out of the car let her cool down until later (both the car and my better half).

Hi Chaps, so it turned out to be the dreaded stretched timing chain which cost a pretty penny to get fixed but she is back on the road now at least.

With the description you gave there's no way I'd have guessed at the timing chain.
Never heard of anything like that before with the 2.2.
My own presented no noise or symptoms whatsoever, just the EML.
Very odd.

 

[alfafanboy]

Could be a split flexi hose on the exhaust.

If it is before the lambda sensor might get dodgy readings, and this can make the engine hunt.

Also check for splits in hoses attached to the inlet manifold, including the air intake.

I bet this was the problem, but they saw a chance to make some more money so they told you it was the chain at fault. Maybe the chain was on it's way out anyway however?