G'day to all from country sa

[Marksalfa156]

Just wanted to say hi to all you guys and girls out there. I'm a new member and new to alfa's after writing off my Saab. I bought a 2002  156 selespeed recently and have been snooping this site and others for a few weeks. Good to see so many knowledgeable people participating. I'm sure I'll find it a valuable resource and who knows, I might even get to meet some other south aussie members. Cheers to all.

[John Hanslow]

Welcome to Alfa ownership.

You probably have heard mixed results with the selespeed.  When you get the car serviced,  make sure that it is reset properly by a dealer or alfa specialist to minimise any issues.

Cheers

[gtv19]

Gday back to you. Welcome to Alfa ownership. Personally I loved the selespeed in my 156Ti, bought second hand with 17000ks and sold with 60000. Most important is to have the car properly serviced by someone who knows Alfas. Look at our website for respected Alfa service people.

Come to a Club meeting when you can, join also if you wish. There are many members with Alfa experiences to share with you.
Enjoy the passion!
Cheers, Laurie Secretary AROCA SA

[Marksalfa156]

thanks John and Laurie for your welcome and your suggestions. Ill try and attend a club meeting one day but as I live and work a couple hours north of city it is a little awkward, but you never know. I'll keep my eyes and ears open and I'll try and stay tuned to the forum and hopefully gleen heaps of cool tips from knowledgeable people like yourselves.

[colcol]

Important things to know about 156 JTS's, check oil every week, use only 10-60 fully synthetic racing oil, the brand being of your choosing, change oil on time, if running in city a lot, then oil will get contaminated with fuel, and you will ruin your camshafts first.... then engine, change it more often then, join Alfa Club and go on club runs and blow out the cobwebs!, change the cambelts every 3 years or 50,000klms, or suffer engine failure, change water pump every second cam belt change, originally it was 4 years or 60,000klms, then after a spate of cam belt failures.... Alfa Romeo revised it down, it should be in your owners manual, or service provider should tell you, Colin.

[Marksalfa156]

Thanks for all the good advice you guys....sounds like maintenance, and timely maintenance is the key to these cars staying on  the road. I wonder what if anything can be done for the selespeed issues? Or are they a design problem...too complex?? I have been aquainted with a vehicle (2003 156) that had major problems at under 50k's. Surely thats not a maintenance issue??

[Craig_m67]

It's most always a maintenance issue.
What actually went wrong with the 2003/50Ks car ?

I have a 156 with 170Ks on the clock - no dramas, no issues, no niggles, just a histroy of good maintenance.

The petrol engines do seem to use oil (designed or otherwise, don't know).  It is however more so than your average corolla/commodore/taxi. The masses rarely if ever check these things and so when they ignore it - it bites hard.  Check the oil, keep it topped up with the spec listed for your engine, no drama.

I understand the Selespeed requires recalibration (rod lengths etc) once in a while as part of it's maintenance.  No maintenance, no calibration, no gears.

Cambelts replacement (maintenance). A must on the petrol engined 156s. If a belt snaps, or skips a few teeth you will get damage.  This is the same as all cambelt interference type engines found on any mainstream car - The issue with the Alfa is people don't follow the maintenace schedule, the belt snaps, engine can be a write off.  

The cambelt schedule is different for each engine, the schedule was revised down (shorter time/k's) by Alfa after the car was manufactured as they saw issues and sought to prevent/protect owners from damage.

What's the maintenance history you can confirm (trust)?

They're great cars - don't be put off, like I said mine is rocking like it was new and I would trust it to take my family anywhere in Australia at the drop of a hat.

[colcol]

The 156 JTS engine has thinner piston rings for less friction, and better fuel economy, but these let a bit of oil thru just like on Audi's, Volkswagon's and Holden's, just be aware of it, and check the oil every week, or after a long run, as contaminates in the sump, that falsely push up the oil level when cold, get burnt off when they are hot, and give the impression that its used a large amount of oil, and the oil is very thin 10-60, when you drain it hot, [it is like water], and a bit gets past the rings, if you run low on oil, just put in any oil you can, as any oil is better than no oil, originally in 2002 the JTS used 10-40, then Alfa revised the oil up to 10-60, to cut oil consumption, i have a early JTS and it still has the 10-40 sticker in the engine bay, Colin.

[Marksalfa156]

I've just heard so many tales of woe about the selespeed since I bought the car, and I honestly bought it without realizing exactly what I was getting in the way of the transmission. Not very well informed was I!
But I really like it.....actually love the way it changes and also the engine note and induction under full throttle......it is sorta addictive. I previously had a Saab convert and hit a big (BIG) dog at 120k's and wrote it off. Damaged the car pretty bad as well! But that was a totally different drive. I actually really liked that car as well but for entirely different reasons. But sporty it was not! And quick it was not also! And pretty......well you know what they say about a face only a mother could love!
So I can see why people get attached to an alfa. Or obsessed!
But just today the car slipped into neutral from 2nd on changing up and I'm worried. I had to pull over and stop and start off in 1st. It has also missed selecting reverse a few times so I am wondering if I am in for problems. the engine management light has come on and I hooked up multiecuscan and it warned of misfires in number 4and2 cylinders as well as temperature sender problem ( may explain low temp on gauge) so I cleared faults and I'll get a new set of plugs ( any suggestions) and try that before a coil pack.
Anyway, thanks again for all the constructive advice and suggestions.
I think I should book it into Belcar and have an expert look at it just in case. Hopefully it is only calibration or adjustment.

[colcol]

You will need to take it to an Alfa Romeo specialist service provider, one that hopefully has an Alfa Scanner to see whats up with the Selespeed, most likely a crook sensor or an adjustment, the coil packs in these are notorious for failing, you seem to know what coil are faulty, then i would get some good secondhand ones from a wrecker or ebay, to confirm they are faulty, no good buying new ones for $400 each, and finding it is something else, the thermostat are also prone to failure, usually they stick open and the car runs too cold, replacement is relatively easy, just a lot of pipes and things in the way, shop around on ebay for a price on a stat, they vary between $65-$250 depending on who and where and genuine-non genuine, that may be the temperature sender problem, Colin.