December 2007
OK folks, I buy and sell cars a bit on the side for fun, buying stuff I fancy owning for a while and then selling on. I have a chance to pick up a 2001Y 156 1.8TS saloon, in red with a factory rear wing, leather, alloys, CC etc., 73k, FSH but not had its 72k cambelt, few dents but otherwise good nick. Recent service and MOT, when new tyres were put on.
But I'm scared. Never had an Alfa, mainly because I hear SO MANY horror stories and they always come near the bottom of those 'car satisfaction' tables, that I'm terrified of having huge bills that I can't pay. But how unreliable are 156s? Are bits going to drop off/grind to a halt/malfunction within a few months of ownership at this mileage and age? I've test driven it, and loved it. No squeaks or rattles, just an occasional slight buzzing noise that sounded like the exhaust heat shield? No variator issue, or really bad flat spots.
Bloke wants a grand for it. I would then promptly do the cambelt for £225 at local Italian Specialist. I'd want to see to the dents so that's a couple of hundred more. So it will set me back around £1500. This sounds like cheap thrills to me, which is why I'm tempted, but I don't want to be a sucker and buy with my heart when really I need to be able to enjoy it for a while and sell on, hopefully making some profit but definitely not wanting to lose anything.
What do you lot think?
Thanks in advance....
p.s. Is that gigantic wing a good thing or a bad thing in resale terms?! Read more
for some reason my zafia 20 dti will not rev over 3000 revs anyone got any ideas thanks troy
slt Read more
theres a spanner light comes on when it starts for 2 mins but that all
ways comes on
The spanner light isn't the service light. The service light is in fact a 'InSP' message that appears in the odometer display one week or 300 miles before a service is due.
The spanner light is in fact (to quote from the users handbook) an engine electronics, auto transmission, or immobiliser fault light.
As the car starts, you can dismiss the fault as being with the immobiliser.
If you've manual transmission, you can also dimiss this.
That leaves the engine electronics as the problem. Ultimately you should get the fault code read out to determine what the problem is.
I have a 2006 Focus TDCi. It has always been a good starter and ran well - until now.
A number of friends are running up to 25% vegetable oil in their 5 year old diesels so I decided to try it. I put a small percentage in a full tank of diesel - 6 litres in about 45 litres of fuels and it worked well. No problems at all.
Yesterday I tried 9 litres in 40 litres of diesel (about 18%) It started on a warm engine but on a run of about 2 miles to the shops it wasn't so good at low revs. But at least it started and on the way back was ok.
Today it won't start at all. Does it sound as though the fuel is too viscous and the tank has to be drained? And if so does the pump have to be primed?
Read more
im reliably informed that garages in scandanavia have bioderv pumps on the forecourts, so even that is to be avoided?
I bought a 2003 BMW 320ci a month ago from a non-BMW dealer with a 3 month guarantee. It has done 25,000 miles and has a new MoT. Last week the yellow emissions warning light (with an outline of the engine in yellow) came on, and stayed on for several trips over a couple of days. Then it went off. I mentioned this to the dealer and he said he would get his service engineer to call me, but he never did in spite of a prompt. The emissions light came on again yesterday and the engine sounded a bit rough. I stopped and restarted the car and the roughness in the engine went, but the warning light stayed on. Any thoughts about what could cause this? Might it be expensive or urgent? Stephen Hayes. Read more
I had the same light come up on my 2003 Bmw 320ci. Took it to the main dealer and they found a problem with the oxygen sensors and enginer lifters.
Tried this over on the technical board, but didn't get far.....
My Picasso HDi needed a new common rail pump at 10K, my present car (Mondeo TDCi 130bhp) is running ok (at 37K), but I see some horror stories here.
Lets have your opinion. Who is making the most reliable modern diesel? Read more
Mirlees ?
Hi,
I have smashed the back rear side window of my corsa car and was wondering what was best way to get this fixed. Spoke with auto windscreens and autoglass and they both quoting £200. I am fully comp insurance with an excess of £75.00 so was wondering if there was anyway of getting it fixed cheaper than that? Read more
Go through your insurers and use AutoWindscreens then.
"A scientist is challenging his fine for speeding, citing the laws of physics.
Iain Fielden, who works at Sheffield Hallam University, was clocked travelling at 36mph in a 30mph zone by a speed camera in Huddersfield.
He argues that the reading was inaccurate because the camera is located on a bend in the road."
(from The Daily Telegraph:- tinyurl.com/2vlycq)
Technically, some truth in the matter, but I bet it won't affect the outcome! Note, he appears to be simply saying the reading is "inaccurate", which is a good enough defence. Read more
"A university physicist who tried to dodge a £60 speeding fine has been ordered to
pay £20 000.
A classic example of cutting off the nose to spite the face.
Partners Saxo (02reg) and when the stick is pulled backward or twisted to actuate front or back window squirter the wipers move but no water comes out and theh pump is making no noise.
AM I right in thinking that the fuse or the pump has gone. I dont think its the stick as it operates the wipers in general.
We dont have a handbook or haynes and dont know;
a) the fuse for the window washer pump
b) the location of the above item (i assume under the washer bottle)
Any ideas welcome, i want to have a look today before the problem gets worse
TIA Read more
Pump failed probably, located under the drivers side wheel arch. They are not too expensive and are a sealed unit as I recall so you can't pull them apart.
...and not because it mght be nicked!
This is a new one on me!
www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news....0 Read more
>>under my bedroom window<<
Couldn't you have called "Garde l'eau!" and washed their roof?
Hi there... i have a p reg escort i have had for around 3 months now. it is a really clean car but the only thing i have with it just now is the cluch... it is very light... dosnt seems to be slipping though.... should the cluch be quite a high biter? somone told me fords are like that ...?
The car only has 61k on the clock but it was owned by somone elderly so there may have been some (fun moments) with the clutch before i got the car...
If this does not seem normal.... how much rougly would a cluch renewal be? is it a fairly easy job or does the subframe need dropping like in the mondeos?
Thanks and all replys are really apprieciated (c: Read more
Not sure about your Escort but the earlier one's had an awful self adjusting ratchet
mechanism.
His does too. This problem will cause only free play, and I believe is a non-issue on 90s' vehicles.
--------------
Mike Farrow
Browse
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Big end failures generally attributable to oil stravation due to an owner who hasn't kept an eye on it.
Camshaft variator issues are indeed identifiable by the diesel like rattle at start up, but are not necessarily a reason to avoid the car. They aren't a reliability issue, and will cause no further problems with the engine or car.
And if you're going to get the cambelt changed on buying the car anyway, the variator can be easily changed at the same time.