Alfa 147 diesel, a great idea or a potential nightmare?
Discussion
Afternoon all, I am looking to change cars pretty quick, I currently have a MK2 mx5 which I love but due to a change in circumstances I need something more comfortable and more economical. I have been looking at diesel golfs as they seem to fit the bill, but have had a sense that I am going to end up with something terribly dull! Then almost accidentally I ended up looking at this https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
I have called the dealer and arranged to go and look at it tomorrow, and in my head have pretty much bought it already! Does anyone know of any well known expensive issues with these? Have read as many reviews as I can find online and most of them are pretty good apart from some clutch and wishbone issues. I know Alfa's have a bad reputation for reliability, but has anyone here experienced this model for themselves and could give a real opinion on it? Thanks!
I have called the dealer and arranged to go and look at it tomorrow, and in my head have pretty much bought it already! Does anyone know of any well known expensive issues with these? Have read as many reviews as I can find online and most of them are pretty good apart from some clutch and wishbone issues. I know Alfa's have a bad reputation for reliability, but has anyone here experienced this model for themselves and could give a real opinion on it? Thanks!
Apart from suspension issues which do plague Alfa of this era I’d suggest there isn’t anything to worry about in terms of reliability. At least no more than YO7 might expect in any 12 year old car.
Feels a little pricey though that one. Also I though Lusso got leather, though maybe not. I know my 156’s better than 147.
Feels a little pricey though that one. Also I though Lusso got leather, though maybe not. I know my 156’s better than 147.
Things to watch out for on a 147
- front suspension upper wishbones. Easy to DIY if you are so inclined, otherwise an alfa indy is well practised and will do these in short time
- rust, although the 147 seems less vulnerable then the 156, its worth the effort to check the floorplan (although this applies to any 10+ year old car)
- cam belt. I believe the interval on the JTDm is 60K or 3 years, again, an alfa indy is the sensible option to get it replaced if needed.
Otherwise they are excellent cars, handle well, built relatively well (my 2002 147 has some interior squeeks and rattles, but otherwise i cant knock the build quality at all)
- front suspension upper wishbones. Easy to DIY if you are so inclined, otherwise an alfa indy is well practised and will do these in short time
- rust, although the 147 seems less vulnerable then the 156, its worth the effort to check the floorplan (although this applies to any 10+ year old car)
- cam belt. I believe the interval on the JTDm is 60K or 3 years, again, an alfa indy is the sensible option to get it replaced if needed.
Otherwise they are excellent cars, handle well, built relatively well (my 2002 147 has some interior squeeks and rattles, but otherwise i cant knock the build quality at all)
Thanks for the info! I bought it this afternoon and first impressions are very good. Doesn't seem to be any obvious problems, the cambelt was done 20,000 miles and 4 years ago so will be booking it in at Sussex Alfa Romeo as soon as I get a chance which luckily is just up the road! I'm so pleased I went for it instead of a golf, feels so much more special and didn't see another one on the journey home! Am looking forward to spending more time with it tomorrow and getting to really bond with it
Congratulations! I bought my wife her 147 1.9JTD a few months back with about the same miles as yours and she absolutely loves it esp the economy. So do I - I find any excuse to use it instead of my own 2007 Merc CLK Coupe 320D . The Alfa feels so much more responsive & alive in comparison, reminds me of my old Alfa Sud Sprint I used to have.
It should be reliable. I had an Alfa 156 with the same 1.9JTD engine up to when i got the Merc (last month!) - and it was at 158k miles when I sold it with no big issues. These engines are excellent BUT you must change the oil & filter regularly (say every 12k miles) to ensure longevity & also protect the turbo. Don't leave it to the "recommended" 20k miles.
The turbo hoses (two of them) can go as they're pretty weak, like mine did quite spectacularly (loads of smoke but doesn't harm the engine) but they're dead easy to fit, and if you get silicone replacements they're more expensive at about £60.00 each but last a lifetime.
Like other posters have said it;s the suspension which can be the weakest bit esp the front but again it's just wear & tear and they're pretty cheap to sort out anyway. All Alfa's of this era have suspension woes. Also the Dual Mass Flywheel (along with clutch) may need changing at some point at this sort of mileage if it hasn't been done already, but then that's the same for every new-ish diesel - do a Google search on it.
The good news is the 147 1.9JTDs didn't come with wretched DPF's so you've no worries about clogging things up. However, as a tip I strongly recommend deleting the EGR and blanking-off the swirl-flaps as this really lets the engine breathe far better, really makes it much more responsive / feel quicker, feels a lot smoother, doesn't harm the engine at all & won't affect MOT. This was strongly advised by Autolusso as well - Autolusso Penrith did mine. They're also in Luton & Bournemouth but any Alfa specialist can do it. Costs about £300.00 from memory but absolutely worth it & it helps avoid future potential problems as well.
And yes, the interior & seats can rattle & squeak - but just shove bits of card in or squirt some WD40 where they are, it usually sorts ours out.
But enjoy it - they're cracking & fun cars!
It should be reliable. I had an Alfa 156 with the same 1.9JTD engine up to when i got the Merc (last month!) - and it was at 158k miles when I sold it with no big issues. These engines are excellent BUT you must change the oil & filter regularly (say every 12k miles) to ensure longevity & also protect the turbo. Don't leave it to the "recommended" 20k miles.
The turbo hoses (two of them) can go as they're pretty weak, like mine did quite spectacularly (loads of smoke but doesn't harm the engine) but they're dead easy to fit, and if you get silicone replacements they're more expensive at about £60.00 each but last a lifetime.
Like other posters have said it;s the suspension which can be the weakest bit esp the front but again it's just wear & tear and they're pretty cheap to sort out anyway. All Alfa's of this era have suspension woes. Also the Dual Mass Flywheel (along with clutch) may need changing at some point at this sort of mileage if it hasn't been done already, but then that's the same for every new-ish diesel - do a Google search on it.
The good news is the 147 1.9JTDs didn't come with wretched DPF's so you've no worries about clogging things up. However, as a tip I strongly recommend deleting the EGR and blanking-off the swirl-flaps as this really lets the engine breathe far better, really makes it much more responsive / feel quicker, feels a lot smoother, doesn't harm the engine at all & won't affect MOT. This was strongly advised by Autolusso as well - Autolusso Penrith did mine. They're also in Luton & Bournemouth but any Alfa specialist can do it. Costs about £300.00 from memory but absolutely worth it & it helps avoid future potential problems as well.
And yes, the interior & seats can rattle & squeak - but just shove bits of card in or squirt some WD40 where they are, it usually sorts ours out.
But enjoy it - they're cracking & fun cars!
... BTW here's Autolusso Swirl Flap delete link:
http://www.autolusso.co.uk/swirl-flap.html
... and the EGR delete / blanking plate (£150) link:
http://www.autolusso.co.uk/egr-remap.html
... both highly recommended.
http://www.autolusso.co.uk/swirl-flap.html
... and the EGR delete / blanking plate (£150) link:
http://www.autolusso.co.uk/egr-remap.html
... both highly recommended.
Thankyou, some really good advice there! Will certainly speak to my local indy about getting those mods done when I take it for a fresh cam belt, and will make sure I keep track of the oil changes. Have been out in it all day today, the fuel economy is quite astonishing compared to the Mazda, it has been really nice motoring about in something fun but not completely ruinous at the pumps. A warning light did come on at the end of the day which did make me chuckle given the perceived unreliability of Alfa's, a quick glance at the manual showed it was just a bulb out - phew!
hucumber said:
Thanks for the info! I bought it this afternoon and first impressions are very good. Doesn't seem to be any obvious problems, the cambelt was done 20,000 miles and 4 years ago so will be booking it in at Sussex Alfa Romeo as soon as I get a chance which luckily is just up the road! I'm so pleased I went for it instead of a golf, feels so much more special and didn't see another one on the journey home! Am looking forward to spending more time with it tomorrow and getting to really bond with it
Congrats!Agreed on the comparison with a Golf. For me the 147 is the best option in its budget/size range by far, everything else is just dated and boring both inside and out
I took a 147 jtdm from 80,000 to 197,000 with only minor issues. I had suspension arms replaced (low cost), had some gremlins with the computer and also had a door handle that came loose and that was it for me. The only thing that did happen was it became smokey over 195,000 however I’d planned to get rid of it so I didn’t investigate the cause.
It did it’s job well and at the end of it, still looked fantastic!
It did it’s job well and at the end of it, still looked fantastic!
Well done !
That 1.9JTDM is a brilliant engine, I have 2 of them : 156 JTDM 150 and a Fiat Punto Mjet 130.
As has been said, get a good Alfa indy to look after it as Alfas have plenty of 'quirks' and need sympathetic servicing !
Not sure if the 147 has the same rear suspension as the 156, but I think it has. if so, have the rear lower spring cups inspected: the drain holes become blocked up, they rust out and the spring then ends up shredding the inner rear of the tyre. Its a common issue on 156s.
It happened on mine and I always mention it on threads like these.
I have had the EGR blanking plate done ( got one via ebay for about £15; it has the holes drilled in so no need for a related remap. )
Also after you have had the DMF/clutch done, a 'bit of both' engine remap will astonish you !
I had mine done on the 156, and it was the best £200 I have ever spent on a car. Increased mine from 150 up to about 185BHP. The mid range torque from that 1.9 JTD engine is amazing, even more I should imagine in the lighter 147. The fuel economy did not change at all: I am still getting about 42 mpg every week on my commute of 300 miles. mainly motorways/decent A roads.
We need some pictures on this thread of your new car !
That 1.9JTDM is a brilliant engine, I have 2 of them : 156 JTDM 150 and a Fiat Punto Mjet 130.
As has been said, get a good Alfa indy to look after it as Alfas have plenty of 'quirks' and need sympathetic servicing !
Not sure if the 147 has the same rear suspension as the 156, but I think it has. if so, have the rear lower spring cups inspected: the drain holes become blocked up, they rust out and the spring then ends up shredding the inner rear of the tyre. Its a common issue on 156s.
It happened on mine and I always mention it on threads like these.
I have had the EGR blanking plate done ( got one via ebay for about £15; it has the holes drilled in so no need for a related remap. )
Also after you have had the DMF/clutch done, a 'bit of both' engine remap will astonish you !
I had mine done on the 156, and it was the best £200 I have ever spent on a car. Increased mine from 150 up to about 185BHP. The mid range torque from that 1.9 JTD engine is amazing, even more I should imagine in the lighter 147. The fuel economy did not change at all: I am still getting about 42 mpg every week on my commute of 300 miles. mainly motorways/decent A roads.
We need some pictures on this thread of your new car !
Again, thankyou for the replies! Was looking around online last night for information on a remap, mines only the 120bhp engine so should be able to get a comfortable 150 from it, if it can keep similar mpg afterwards I would be very happy! I will look into the rear suspension thing, thanks. I also would like to lower it a bit sometime, I parked behind a 1 series BMW today and the Alfa looks comically high! That's said, there's many bits and pieces I want to get done first to ensure it lasts so should really close that Google search for a while... Here are a couple of pics of my gorgeous Italian ![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/W5du0A14.png[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/gR8VFgHS" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/gR8VFgHS.jpg)
Paul S4 said:
Not sure if the 147 has the same rear suspension as the 156, but I think it has. if so, have the rear lower spring cups inspected: the drain holes become blocked up, they rust out and the spring then ends up shredding the inner rear of the tyre. Its a common issue on 156s.
It happened on mine and I always mention it on threads like these.
Also an issue on the 147, mine had two new shocks last MOT, thankfully they hadnt failed yet, but the cups were rustingIt happened on mine and I always mention it on threads like these.
In the members cars section, stewjohnst has a thread on a 147 2.0 which he also picked up with one collapsed rear shock.
Hadnt heard of it myself pre-ownership, but should definitely be on the checklist.
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