Driving along happily for a few hours with the GT running like clockwork when all of a sudden the car seems to dive forward/left like the front left brake has been applied, or that wheel has jammed or come loose!!!! :o Simultaneously I get the VDC Fail warning light come on. Grab neutral and pull safely and gently off the road.
HAS ANYONE HAD ANYTHING REMOTELY SIMILAR HAPPEN?
It felt like the brake had been applied heavily for a split second only (not to lock-up) , and it was released as I coasted off the road. The brakes felt fine as I eased to a stop. I got no other warning lights.
I thought that maybe a brake pad had jammed, or a wheel come loose, or a tyre was flat, and this enacted the VDC. But the warning light was actually for 'VDC FAIL'.
Second thought was that the VDC has had an electronic failure (sensor mismatch?) which had forced the application of the brake(s). Is this even possible?
So not sure if the VDC Fail was the cause, or result, of the brake application. Thoughts?
I did a physical check of wheel/brake as best I could, with no hint of any problems. Started the car again and the fail light did not reappear. Drove for the rest of the day with nothing untoward happening again.
Do I dismiss this as a once-off Italian car glitch? I doubt anyone can troubleshoot the problem without a hard fail.
One good thing to come out of it was that while I was on the roadside a single car went past (green Commodore SS). Once back underway I came around a bend to see Commodore and Highway Patrol Falcon having a chat. So probably saved a point or two on my license right there ;)
Take it to an Alfa Romeo Service Provider with a Dealer Level scan tool and have it scanned so you can pinpoint the problem.
It may tell you that a sensor has a dirty connector or the sensor is not reading correctly or the sensor is on the way out, Colin.
Do a search on this forum - I vaguely recall someone else on here reporting a very similar problem last year.