Alfa Romeo - 3 issues in 9mts - now floor is flooded - want help crap car!

[moel]

Tadge harsh Graham, 6 years ago I would have agreed...today not so much.

 

Am I right in assuming you also think an MX-5 is a hairdressers car too?

[sailor sam]

Tadge harsh Graham, 6 years ago I would have agreed...today not so much.

 

Am I right in assuming you also think an MX-5 is a hairdressers car too?

 

He dosn't know what he is talking about.

[grahamengineering]

Harsh maybe, but all too true from my experience. Nice to drive dont get me wrong but reliability, build quality, cost and availability of parts and mechanical design is pretty poor.

 

The MX5 is a very good car but is not a mans car imho.

[heliosuk]

The MX5 is a very good car but is not a mans car imho.

 

Well I past an MX5 tonight and was definately a man. I'm not so sure he could be described as a hair dresser either as certainly did not look like one as had a big mistouche and ................well ...........the blond in the passenger seat could have given me a heart attack so obviously a fit bloke.

 

Thing is though some Alfas have some stunning designs, engines that sing ( and clatter) quirkiness and desirability. They are real cars in the most traditional sense.

 

Would I buy one.............er no. But I might buy one now with the line up they have.

[sailor sam]

Well I past an MX5 tonight and was definately a man. I'm not so sure he could be described as a hair dresser either as certainly did not look like one as had a big mistouche and ................well ...........the blond in the passenger seat could have given me a heart attack so obviously a fit bloke.

 

Thing is though some Alfas have some stunning designs, engines that sing ( and clatter) quirkiness and desirability. They are real cars in the most traditional sense.

 

Would I buy one.............er no. But I might buy one now with the line up they have.

 

I think you sum that up pretty well helio... fact is that most people who slate Alfa's have never owned or driven one. And at least they don't have that 'all modern cars look the same' look... the current range is in a mold of it's own!!

 

By the way, what's the latest on this Moel?

[heliosuk]

By the way, what's the latest on this Moel?

 

Moel???????????? Perhaps Model? been on the "Sailors Rum" again sailor. Evil stuff:smile:

 

Bring back that V6 from the late eighties!! B***dy gorgeous and reliable too!

[sailor sam]

Moel???????????? Perhaps Model? been on the "Sailors Rum" again sailor. Evil stuff:smile:

 

Bring back that V6 from the late eighties!! B***dy gorgeous and reliable too!

 

OP's handle Helio!

[moel]

Ok, So third post same car!

 

Alfa 159

 

Last week I discovered that the rear passenger footwell was soaking, and thought oh it'll just be a dried out door seal. However it turns out to be a lot worse than that, as shortly after i noticed it was also sodden underneath the matt in the front..somebody suggested an air con drain pipe might be at fault anyway ...I was doing a bit of investigating this evening, and then as it was on my mothers drive..nose down, and it rained heavily..i came back to the car after 2 hours...with a deluged swimming pool in the driver footwell.

 

So here's the complete history of the car so far.

 

I bought the car in february, after purchase it developed a starting fault, diagnosis was new EGR, 2 new injectors and a new inlet manifold (warranty covered, but cost was about 20 hours layout @ £80 an hour, plus parts i think about £3000 to £4000 in total)

 

This was done, shortly after a cooling pipe went, which cost £80 and was done at the same time.

 

Sprang another leak in August, new front water rail required, I seem to recall that cost me personally about £700 because it wasn't covered by warranty being a 'pipe'

 

and now this...it's either one of the following...

 

1) A door membrane, but unlikely..as the kick plates aren't wet

2) A weld has gone...i can't imagine this will be that cheap, as they are going to have to strip the car out.

 

I understand that as i'm outside the 6 months, of dealer has to prove it was there when they sold it..but what exact powers have i got...I mean i paid £10999 for it. and to my mind, it's had half that value in repairs...this has to have some affect surely.

 

Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

edit: oh should probably add it's 2nd hand

[dx100uk]

i've merged you thread so's

people can see the issues/advise

you have already had.

 

time for replacement under SOGA me thinks!

forget the warranty

dx

[moel]

Thanks dx! Your a champ!

 

PS do you mean a full replacement car?

[dx100uk]

probably

its obv a pup

 

i've not read the whole thread

 

if no -one helps

i'll popback later

or

tomorrow eve.

 

dx

sitteam

[heliosuk]

No chance of a rejection now.

 

Membrane unlikely and weld failure.........er.no chance.

 

Perhaps DX can merge properly as I posted similar earlier. Seems it's all gone into outer space.

[moel]

helios could you explain further?

[sparkeyrjp]

Get rid of the Alfa , and go back to a MX5, mine is 9 yrs old and has had one minor problem in its life ,when a lambda sensor on the exhaust failed( £70 to fix) ,Clarkson and Hamond love the 5 , thats good enough for me

[sailor sam]

Get rid of the Alfa , and go back to a MX5, mine is 9 yrs old and has had one minor problem in its life ,when a lambda sensor on the exhaust failed( £70 to fix) ,Clarkson and Hamond love the 5 , thats good enough for me

 

Actually they prefer the Fiat Barchetta and correct me if i'm wrong but an MX5 is a 2 seater sports car and the OPs car is a saloon?

 

@Moel; Obvioulsy you have now built up a 'history' (all be it not a good one) with the selling dealer and Alfa customer service, and lets not forget that it was an 'approved car'. So the obvious thing to do is to take it back there and get them to take a look at it. If you keep to a 'friendly' approach, i'm sure that you will get some help. I think I would mention (in a friendly way) that you are disapointed in your Alfa experience. You may also want to speak to Alfa customer service again to see what they suggest but no doubt they will expect you to take it to the dealer first.

[moel]

Turned out to be a sodding blocked drain hole!!!!

 

Except you'd never

 

a) know the hole was there

b) realise that you have to unbolt the windscreen washers and undo a load of plasticlips to get at said holes!!!!

 

Thanks for your help as always guys!

 

See you in another 3 months!!!!

 

If anyone has got a cunning suggestion for getting all the water out tho, i'd be much appreciative.

[dx100uk]

vax?

 

used to get that on my sintra

though easier to get at!

 

or some garage ones do water too.

you know the ones by the air/water lines

 

glad its sorted though

 

 

dx

[sailor sam]

Turned out to be a sodding blocked drain hole!!!!

 

Except you'd never

 

a) know the hole was there

b) realise that you have to unbolt the windscreen washers and undo a load of plasticlips to get at said holes!!!!

 

Thanks for your help as always guys!

 

See you in another 3 months!!!!

 

If anyone has got a cunning suggestion for getting all the water out tho, i'd be much appreciative.

 

The dealer may of told you this! And i'm sure that because of your 'bad' experience so far, they may of done it for you as a matter of good will and got rid of the water.

[moel]

The dealer did indeed tell me that..when i rang up this morning.

[sparkeyrjp]

Actually they prefer the Fiat Barchetta and correct me if i'm wrong but an MX5 is a 2 seater sports car and the OPs car is a saloon?

.

 

I know it is going off topic , but no where did I say they " prefer" only love the MX5 ( the Barchetta BTW is only LHD and" grey " import )

The Alfa can have as many seats as you like , but whilst it is up on a 4 post lift even 2 seats is better than none .

OP as soon as it is back on the road , give it the order of the boot .

The Alfa brand , whilst having some stunning looking cars , has a very poor reliability record . check out any one of the reliability web sites eg Auto Express , and

choose wisely

[sailor sam]

I know it is going off topic , but no where did I say they " prefer" only love the MX5 ( the Barchetta BTW is only LHD and" grey " import )

The Alfa can have as many seats as you like , but whilst it is up on a 4 post lift even 2 seats is better than none .

OP as soon as it is back on the road , give it the order of the boot .

The Alfa brand , whilst having some stunning looking cars , has a very poor reliability record . check out any one of the reliability web sites eg Auto Express , and

choose wisely

 

another Alfa basher who has probably never even sat in one! The Top Gear xmas special last year featured the MX5 and Barchetta did it not? Remember the outcome? I'm sure you can find it on Youtube somewhere but I think you will find it was the Barchetta which they felt came out on top. Yes, I am fully aware it is only available in LHD. But at the end of the day, you were suggesting to the OP that he should go for a MX5 when he has a saloon? Neither the Barchetta or the MX5 compares to the OPs car. However, I would agree that reliability was an issue during the mid to late 90's (because I know, I worked at an Alfa dealership), but the current range is a different ball game. Having siad that, I appreciate that it can take years for a marque's reputation to recover. Toyota owners will soon find this out no doubt!

[moel]

Guys guys chill out!

 

For all your Info's I've still got the 5 in the garage it's just untaxed untested and uninsured, I've also got my 1961 midget that I inherited from my dad (taxed and tested but with a head gasket failure) and the Alfa!

 

And as for last Xmas special they said the barchetta because the five would have been the boring choice...they had bought a dud in the first place and they knew it. No 5 unless the block had been helicoiled by a moron would spit out its spark plug like that.

 

However if a jobs worth doing its worth doing properly...so I've come to pick up the inspection lamp and remove the entire carpet and dry it out properly.

 

You can Alfa bash all you want, the question was asked today 'do you regret buying the Alfa' and you know what, I don't for one second, because when it hasn't got a problem it's the nicest place to be.

 

Yes the Italians have a slapdash approach to engineering, but somehow the car just feels 'good' in the same way the midget and the 5 feel 'good'

[sparkeyrjp]

"another Alfa basher who has probably never even sat in one!"

Owned an Alfa Sud once rusted away under me , sat in a 147 ,

and needed a chiropractor to straighten my back when I got out , once bitten ............

[heliosuk]

Glad it's sorted Moel. Was going to suggest a blocked drain hole. Invariably this is the reason why most modern cars leak. For instance, on Audis the favourite is the blocking of the fire wall front bulkhead drain tubes by leaves especially at this time of year which allows the water level retianed to rise over the heater intakes and thus floods the car.

 

The 159 and onwards are good cars despite the reputation of the brand. Alfa have innovative designs and traditionally innovative and classic powertrains. They are cars you grow to love!

 

In explaining my query to your earlier post, the monocoque safety shell is very well sealed on modern cars. Invariably a leak can be traced to water build up in a trough directly attached to the monocoque or where a protusion due to design intrudes into this. For this read hinges and sun roofs. The chances of a weld failure.......well you probably have better odds on the lottery!!