Buying a 156 - Advice

[Gernster]

Greetings all, after years of alegance to ford escorts ( mk3's) ive decided to get some money spent & buy a decent car to commute in, but me being me im not buying anything plain, so i fancy an alfa 156! ive test driven the cars & done a bit of research, and im on the look out for a 2000 W plate 2.0 TS Veloce, with leather & the big touring car style spoiler.

However, a mechanic friend of mine keeps disuading me about these cars as he says the 1.8 & 2.0 engines have a habit of dropping the bottom end, he says that the oil spray system which keeps the piston skirts cool fails as soon as the oil level drops below max, the pistons jam in the bores & chaos ensues.
How true is this??
He says the v6 is better but its will be a bit dear to insure & put juice in as i do 300 miles a week.

i dont want to but one only to have the engine let me down, im looking at spending 8-9k on one so i dont want the extra expense of an engine!!!

[Stefanel1]

I just bought an Alfa 156 1.6 TS (2000) and am very satisfacted of it. It's an excellent car, though it's neither the 1.8 nor the 2.0. However, my mother had a 155 2.0 TS (1996) and sold it at about 90 000 km (60 000 miles), she had no problmes with it except electrical (windows and sunroof) but nothing with the engine. And it's the same engine in the 156 2.0 TS. Note that the 156 is far more reliable than the 155. Almost as reliable as a Peugeot or a VW.
So, I would conseil you this fabulous car
Of course the V6 is one of the best 6 cylinders in the world with the Porsche and BMW one, but it's more expensive indeed.

[Jimster]

Originally posted by Gernster
Greetings all, after years of alegance to ford escorts ( mk3's) ive decided to get some money spent & buy a decent car to commute in, but me being me im not buying anything plain, so i fancy an alfa 156! ive test driven the cars & done a bit of research, and im on the look out for a 2000 W plate 2.0 TS Veloce, with leather & the big touring car style spoiler.

However, a mechanic friend of mine keeps disuading me about these cars as he says the 1.8 & 2.0 engines have a habit of dropping the bottom end, he says that the oil spray system which keeps the piston skirts cool fails as soon as the oil level drops below max, the pistons jam in the bores & chaos ensues.
How true is this??
He says the v6 is better but its will be a bit dear to insure & put juice in as i do 300 miles a week.

i dont want to but one only to have the engine let me down, im looking at spending 8-9k on one so i dont want the extra expense of an engine!!!

Well the fault you have described is actually a rather rare occurance- and it does pay to keep the oil well topped up because the 1.8 and 2.0 work a lot smoother with it topped up- However it always pays when buying a 156 to check the oil levels, look for oil leaks and even have your friend check out the bottom end for any sign of a possible defect. The 2.5 is a great engine- but very heavy on the juice- and if petrol is a concern for you- I wouldn't consider it.

[Gernster]

thanks for the replys, so would you say the engine is generally reliable if looked after then?, im a bit of a diy mechanic, so i dont have a problem getting my head under the bonnet on weekends.

[Jimster]

That is exactly what I was saying

[Gernster]

cheers, well ive got a mate in the trade who is on the look out for me, but the right spec car hasnt come up yet, there all either 1.8s or lussos/tuismos.........

[Stefanel1]

For many cars you've to look after. I had no problems with my Delta (1995) which is not known as a very reliable car, but i was looking for the motor oil, the "water", etc.
The 156 is far more reliable than the previous Lancia/Alfa even if it's maybe a little bit more fragile than the German, French or japanese cars for example. But with a real sex appeal

[AlfaRomeo156]

I always top up my oil regulary, always keep it close to max, and I find it runs smoother with fresh oil. It says on the inside of the windscreen -

The Alfa Romeo are high performance engines derived from a strong racing heritage, therefore it is important to check your oil more regulary than a converntional engine.

or along those lines.

[Stefanel1]

To check the oil level is very important indeed on Italian engines.

[Gernster]

can you guys answer me a question?

what year did they start putting in the brushed alloy interior trim & climate control as std ( ie not just air con)?

[Stefanel1]

The first A/C was (for the cars which had it) semi automatic.
The new one (electronically controlled) appeared with the restyling of the 156 in March 2002.

[Gernster]

so was it just an option before march 2002?

what about the brushed chrome?

[Stefanel1]

Before March 2002 it was this panel with the A/C in option (esthetically, just a button more) :

[Stefanel1]

And after March 2002, it is this one with the automatic A/C on every version of the 156 (at least in France).

[Stefanel1]

a better picture here of the new version