Money-pit Options

[joddrell_bank]

Well............................In posession of a 145 Cloverleaf, 2000, with 56k on the clock.

What a money pit. Got it in September and so far have had to lay out for;

1. APS and parameter reset

2. Oil and filer change

3. Cam Cover Gasket change

4. Throttle Body cleaning - see item 1

5. Airbag warning light reset - three times

6. Leaking heater matrix

7. Seized rear wiper

8. What's next..................plug change @ £100

Still, I think the design is wonderful; it's my third 145 having previously owned a boxer and a 1.6 Junior - neither of which were as fragile.

Any tips for the 2.0 longevity wouldn't go amiss, before you ask - it's fully synthetic oil in the motor - the cambelts and tensioners were done @ 43k and the front wishbones have been done.

Thanks, lads and ladettes!

[ALFACOOL]

yeah dont drive it
park it on the front, clean it and polish it every week
and buy a dirt cheap banger to drive about in
....oh hang on thats me....

[Rich B]

Hmm, that sounds all too familiar, I bought a 2000 Cloverleaf and that was a money pit when I first got it:

I had to replace:

Clutch
Front wishbones (twice)
4 tyres
Rear Wiper motor
Rear light cluster (old one just fell off)
Exhaust system from cat back
Part of the airbox
Engine (£3500) - old one blew up at 62000 miles
Air bag light reset

Imminent expenses include:
Air con recharge
New Radiator

Still after all that, in the last year I've only spent about £500 on routine servicing so its been pretty reasonable so far.

Hope you don't have to spent too much more, I think my car is all sorted now and I really enjoy it (although not quite as much as my 33)

[Daaaveee]

its sort of good to hear i'm not the only one with a 145 thats cost me an arm and a leg!

good news though, my engines almost hit 1000 miles on this build, so its getting on to being run in

Dave

[Dogbreath]

Thats why you should have done Ace...adding all thos miles to your car

[G-ster]

I'm looking at about 8.5k of reciepts.

May buy a brand new 2006 new honda civic, I'm looking at one now in the honda garage car park, believe or not it's a a honda with good looks inside and out.

http://www.km77.com/marcas/honda/prototipos/civic/med/04.jpg

[Hamish]

Right here is my sob story!!!!!!

I Bought my 98' S Cloverleaf on 72k miles. I personally do the oil every 3k to keep it running sweet. And the countless times I have cleaned out the butterfly valve!

When I bought the car I got them to sort out.....

• Aircon (new pipes + regass)
• New front suspension
• several dings taken out
• new cambelt/variator
• plugs and leads replaces
• oil change
• left wingmirror didnt work (electrics)
• drivers window was off the runners
• sideskirt was not on properly
• Helicoil sump

On my drive home the rear tyre blew out on some crap in the road so I had to do 50miles @ 50mph!!! (frustrating)

It then turned out the garage i bought it from had put 3 different types of oil in so my oil pump went!!

• Therefore full engine re-build!!!

Ok now run in and owned for 3 months I decided that I should let my local Alfa garage have a poke around it to make sure nothing else will go wrong......it needed.

• New Tyres
• New whishbones + bushes
• New rear brakelines
• new oxgen sensor
• temp sensor
• lambda sensor

Right getting to be alot spent now......

3 months on....

• new radiator
• service
• Exhaust (got stung by a forum member and ended up spending 4 times as much as I needed too!!!)

86k service and she passed MOT no probs except for emmissions but that normal i was told!

2 weeks ago fuel pump relay went!!!! not an expensive fix but a bit annoying to say the least!!!

Now it's fine and to be honest unless someone drivs into me ill be fine for quite sometime!

I didn't add on the few times I got it 'plugged in' and faut found @ alfa or the oil changes but there you go.

To be fair its an animal and I love it

Hamish.

This post has been edited by Hamish: 12th December 2005 12:18

[j300sjl]

Mine's a 97 146 Ti and I have every reciept from new (owned it for the last 5 years) Now done 84,000 miles

Total - servicing/repairs including tyres etc = £5695.

Steve

Works out £633 per year.

[problem child]

I'm staying quiet. Mine's been ultra reliable and I don't want you lot corrupting it...

Although I think it might be lulling me into a false sense of security- the passenger window stuck down last week and needed help rising again!

[F355]

I had the cambelt go on mine but thats about it other than things you can't blame it for like somebody putting a nice gauge down the rear quater.

It has been an expensive car to run, but its an itallian car not a mondeo

[joddrell_bank]

I had the cambelt go on mine but thats about it other than things you can't blame it for like somebody putting a nice gauge down the rear quater.

It has been an expensive car to run, but its an itallian car not a mondeo

I'm selling it if anyone's interested?

2000 W - FSH (All bar last one is main dealer), Rosso Red 4 new(ish) tyres MoT til July, tax Til April, Sony multichanger, bonnet and grille pro respray (to take out minor chips), QV set of mats and recent cat back exhaust, new rear wash wipe, cambelts and tensioners done, wishbones done, new badges (and a posh new QV tax disc holder!!), front and rear, sce due though.

If anyone is seriously interested and I mean SERIOUSLY, please post questions and I'll give you all answers req'd.

[jam]

air bags error is narly always to do with the connections under the seats, either put wires around it or replace it. that alone will save untold money in the future.