Sort of comforting to know even an expert is as vulnerable as the rest of us to Alfa’s little annoying quirks

@ItaliaAutos

Жыл бұрын

It's what happens when you have unproven faith in a dealer.

if its a known problem the dealer should just put a new battery on at the time of sale. especially an expensive car like this

Sweet idea for a video mate. Cheers. Love all those covers for cooling and aero underneath. I trust you park this beast and look back at it sometimes as you walk away.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Every time

Awesome video with quality content! Keep it up. YT is full of people driving the QV around and hyping the exhaust note and blaming the center console all though the center console is just fine! Looking forward to YOUR future QV videos. You got yourself a subscriber!👊🏻

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Will do!

Fantastic informative video. (as always). Many thanks.

I think it is safe to conclude that Neil got the car quite cheap given the look of the underside of it. Being an experienced mechanic ha can sort that out easily. Those plastic covers also keep the moisture in better and cause bottom to rust. Quite a common issue in Sweden on newer cars. Neil, you should remove all of them and rust proof your underbelly before replacing the broken covers to keep your car in perfect nick.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

I was thinking about doing that.

That was fascinating ! I've seen far worse under newer cars, and what I loved the fact that everything that wears out on the Guilia Cloverleaf is fixable - by anyone with a decent set of ordinary Alfa tools - Thank you so much for video, really appreciate the learning experience.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Great vid mate got a 17 plate qv aswell 💪🏽

Thanks for your honesty with the issues with the the car Neil. I’m surprised the battery let go so early. Would expect it off a cheapo EFB battery but looked this up and can see it’s a AGM. Maybe they are just very battery dependent. I’ve seen AGM batteries last 10 years on other cars. Informative video as always :)

The underneath is a mess. Doesn't look as though it was cared for very well either by the previous owner or the dealer. Being an early model this sits lower than the revised springs (from around 2018) which were too high, and then lowered a bit again from 2019. Then you've got the other two emerging major problems with the early models. First is water ingress into the ECU and loom. Alfa did not revise the scuttle panel for RHD cars so water just pours down onto the engine ECU. Scuttle panel was revised for later models. Second carbon build up in the inlet tracts and valves etc. It's a direct injection engine with all the usual associated carbon buildup problems. Engine revised for Euro6d models from 2019 with second set of port injectors (12 injectors in total). Good luck with this early model Quad, you're going to need it.

Hope you do some more of these! Not much information on KZread about Giulias from someone that actually knows what they’re on about. Good to see you got sorted with a new battery, should’ve been done before you collected the car really! Thanks for the video.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

More videos hopefully coming in the future

Great video. Thank you for posting. ☺️

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

Thanks for the video Neil, and giving us a view after 3 yrs use. Overall its seems pretty good in terms of wear & tear. I guess good for you to get your eye in, as once warranty stops on these, they'll be heading your way :-)

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Right on

Lovely Jubbly video, not just Peugeot's then whose stop starts are tempremental.

Good vlog neil if I ever get a fiat or alfa you will be the place I go to I live in Lincolnshire but I woud treat it as a day out lol

There's a shocker battery problems glad the new ones come with the problems we're all used to. Bit surprised about the undertray things

That sounds like a nightmare man, good luck going forward 🍀

A very honest review. One does wonder what all that underside covering will mean for rust. Will it help to keep stuff cleaner and thus more rustfree or will it trap moisture and lead to all sorts of problems. Time will tell. It will be a good subject for a later video. Removing any of that stuff will however be a pain in theeeeee (beep). My tip for that tear: Raid the wifes shopping bag for a HDPE bottom straightener insert, cut a piece out of it and use popnails to put it in place. These tiewraps will start to wear off at their connection loops almost emmediately.

My original 2010 battery failed last month too. Girlfriend wanted to listen to the radio while I went shopping. She said the radio only went for about an hour. 159 Ti 2.2 JTS. And the original spark plugs gave up as well. It was not always starting on the first go. And only 104,000 Kms. 😁😁

I have a 2020 Stelvio, not had an issue so far but, I carry a Noco Boost HD Jump Starter under my seat so that I can connect it to the points in the engine bay. This allows enough power to operate the boot so I can access the battery. I then take the Noco and jump start the car. £100 piece of kit for peace of mind.

I remember my modified Punto GT turbo used to get through plastic side skirts like nobody’s business with bloody ramps/jacking points.

At last a great video of the underside, messing with trying to find a way to get mine on axle stands....tricky with the panels. The battery not charging is 'normal' apparently to keep the emissions down, off the ctek for a decent drive and mine's at 12.4 -12.6v! The warning lights can be reset by turning the steering fully each way. Will you be doing the auxiliary belt? That would be well worth a video!!

I had that sound on my QV, and it was rear suspension end link. I had disassembled whole rear of my car to find out lol.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

thats what alfa are doing to mine now. the jacking point wasnt the cause still. update video in a few weeks .

Glad it was just a battety and not intermittent electrical gremlins that you could of been chasing for ever...... I like the front strut top mounts....check out the strengthening braces cast into them.....they look solid. Be interesting to know the dealer price for the ripped undertray. Those look almost carpetted which presumably reduces spray and road noise. At least now with the new battery you should have peace of mind as far as starting is concerned but dont like the electric boot and handbrake meaning you cant do basics like push the car to the side or access items.

I owned 2 new Giulia’s (not company cars, enthusiast owned) both of which had battery issues. Both required new battery’s inside 9 months. Awesome cars and so much better than the equivalent BMW/Audi/Mercedes by a long shot (if you love driving)…

@ItaliaAutos

Жыл бұрын

Yeah it's very common.

A non functioning start stop system is always a hint for some kind of defect. Most of the time the battery needs to be replaced, sometimes other things - but it has definitely a reason, at least a longer period of not driving the car or only short trips. Mine didn't work because of a marten bite. I had no check engine light.

Bottom of my Veloce front bumper looks the same . They are a low riding car as standard and Alfa even raised the ride height slightly on later QVs because of the scraping . Unfortunately it’s just a product of speed humps and a low car

Neil....great video and an awesome car. However a warning to all QV owners. You do need to remove the middle under panel and check the condition of the rear silencer mounting brackets and the sub-frame those brackets are bolted to. I was shocked when I saw mine a couple of years ago (I've a 67 plate QV). Mine was an ex demo 6 months old car and had been run through a winter. If the road salt has got hold of your brackets as it had mine, you are in for a shock. There was serious bi-metal salt corrosion between the sub frame and the brackets. The air inside this area is very still part of the car due to the excellent under-car aerodynamics. But with the heat from the silencer its perfect conditions for this salt corrosion to get hold of the bracket and frame. I can see in some years to come many QV owners with their silencer dropping from the car. I had this repaired with the dealer under warranty who didn't quibble for a moment. Alfa doesn't need any more corrosion issues to plague it but in my opinion left unchecked this could be serious for the future. Im surprised there hasnt been a recall. But I do suspect this has now been corrected with later models, but Im not sure. So get it checked out and repaired if required. Apart from that my car has been faultless except for the dreaded battery issue too. Its a fabulous car. But I love my Alfas so Im probably biased :-)

@azamchaudhri

3 жыл бұрын

Maybe Neil could do a video on this, checking his. ?

Nice! I suppose you're gonna spray most of the unprotected underside with rustwax? Oh yeah, i've been hunting those flapping cover panels on my Bmw and realized I always need large washers or they come loose again.

When I bought my Giulia Q (that was 1 year in the showroom), I demanded a new battery. When I don't drive it, it stays parked on the garage connected to a Ctek battery charger.

Had similar problems with my Abarth 500, my Giulietta QV. Both died at 24 months. According to the battery replacement guy, the OEM batteries are somewhat "budget" selections *cough* They were replaced with better batteries that have lasted well over 6 yrs each.

Greetings from OZ. My Z3 and my Alfa Spider both had sluggish batteries last month. No hesitation replacing both as the expense is nothing compared to the bastards not starting. That stop start rubbish has to go. The menu should stop it but I guess it all reset when the battery died 3 times. My daughter's X5 battery went flat but charged up ok. That still got the rocket. Fail once and it's gone. I was staggered at the scrape marks underneath. The previous owner went off roading? Best of luck with it.

Fortunately for me my 1967 GTV has no such issues😹😹😹

I'd take it straight to a tuner, not to get more power, but to disable the stopstart and cillinder deactivation completely 👍🏼

The 159 I drive now is my third Alfa, never had Gremlins in my Alfas other than annoying noises and rattles from the interior. I would say cars like any other car with their weak spots. Maybe I have great mechanic so my experience is really positive, or maybe because I buy my cars second hand so the previous owner sorted everything out during the warranty period. Well, 146 suspension needed new wishbones every 30k km,, 156 as well with those squeaky upper wishbone bushes, also TS used some oil so I needed to top it out from time to time, but only with 156 1.8 while the older 2.0 in 146 did not drink too much at all. With 159 I only had clutch dying when I was in Turkey, but that was Valeo 50k km after replacement. Maybe I am subjective, but I know many German car owners that brag about how their cars are superior so they do not need to visit mechanic ever, but they drive 30km at most while I can now sit in my Alfa and drive 6000 km to Portugal and back if I wish, without any problem. This is what I usually do with my family every summer, we love our Alfas.

@wingonglingou2042

3 жыл бұрын

Which version of 159 do you own? And how would you compare it with its German rivals?

@BojanBojovic

3 жыл бұрын

@@wingonglingou2042 I own a 2009 sedan 1.9 JTDm 150hp. Objectively it is as good as any german car, interior quality is good, my car has 250k km on odometer and it still looks very good inside, nothing is broken, every light works and everything is functional. Maybe you can find few spots that can be better and probably are better build on Audi or BMW, for example wheels on air vents are turning smoother in Audi, maybe air con knobs feel more sturdy, however this is really neat-picking and I am sure there will be many things better made in Alfa, for example the steering wheel size, turning resistance, lock to lock speed, seating position, interior design, smell of the interior (oh yes), and so on. German cars are good, however not even close to perfect as many people religiously believes.

@wingonglingou2042

3 жыл бұрын

@@BojanBojovic How is it like to drive? Especially compared to RWD rivals? I remember reviewers praising its handling when launched and then doing somersault afterwards and criticizing for the same...

@BojanBojovic

3 жыл бұрын

​@@wingonglingou2042 Compared to Audi it is much more direct, pointed, focused and involving. There is a significant difference in steering speed and accuracy, VW simply does not care about those things, they made Audio to be generic and little bit boring so it can appeal to majority of drivers. Of course you can compare it with a regular A4 and S4, not RS. Compared to BMW, again you can not compare it to M3, however a regular 3 series is softer and the steering is not as precise. It has more body roll but someone may perceive it as more comfortable. I personally do not like soft suspension. BMW is close to what Alfa 159 offers, just for me personally it is a watered down experience. Alfa 159 is for me personally much more comfortable car, better seats, better handling, better seating position, ergonomics even BMW usually excels at this. As for FWD vs RWD, well in those normal cars that go up to 200 hp or even little bit more there is not much of a difference as you can not drift that easily with the car that weights over 1600kg. If you drive FWD car as it should then there is no difference below 250hp. The amount of grip you get in 159 is incredible, not only for a FWD car, however Audi does not show some major weakness in this area, just it is very boring to drive and not enjoyable at all. I would say you can not make a mistake with any of those cars, it all depends of what you are looking for. For me personally Alfa is the most beautiful of them, the most enjoyable and involving car in this comparison, if we are looking at those high spec versions, things look little bit different then.

@wingonglingou2042

3 жыл бұрын

@@BojanBojovic I see. The styling of 159 is something else. The road presence is unmatched. I am confused between this, the 'New Edge' Mondeo, 'Kinetic design' Mondeo and E90 3 series.

Nice video congratulations, all in all the beast is fine, unfortunately the rubbing under the spoiler is inevitable due to the height, but I would have removed that canvas cover under the body which is useless.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info!

The joys of owning an Alfa, Neil! Seriously though after spending that much money... :(

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

the issues are just wear and tear on a 3 year old higher mileage car. nothing to be upset about. would 99% of people even looked underneath there car on a ramp before buying it.

@tomwills918

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos yes a very good point. My comment was more aimed at your emotional up and down during the battery issues! Top video as always and glad it's working out

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

@@tomwills918 battery is all sorted. Yes it was annoying but it wasn't the end of the world.

All in all, this car looks well made and designed easy to work on. For 50k miles and 3 yrs, the undercarriage is not too bad. I like this car and think its awesome. Well done buying this. I think this undercarriage could benefit from a soapy power wash! Lots of road grime and dirt. If I had access to a lift, my car would be immaculate under it as well as on the paint.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

@23Piccolina

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos I just like your car too much! So, it hurts to see it all dirty and muddy underneath. I own the Giulia 2.0 Veloce model myself. Love the car, its fantastic. I couldn't afford the QV or I would have bought it. My car is a 2019 with Nero Edizionne package and I installed tons of carbon fiber interior and exterior bits. Looks quite well actually. Cheers friend! Enjoy your car. Tip for the battery issue, keep your keys far away from the car whenever its parked. Also, keep the batteries in your keys replaced annually. They have something to do with losing car battery power, particularly if the keys are close enough to the car while being parked.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

I use a faraday box for my car keys so that wouldn’t cause an issue. I’ll be enjoying the car don’t worry.

Had mine from new, new rear shocks, front discs and sadly front spoiler at 45,000 miles. A early 2017 model so lower suspension so spoiler suffered. Same split on underfloor mat.

@nessuno5403

3 жыл бұрын

Any other big issues? Why the shocks and discs?

Stelvio QV - yes, battery failed pretty early on. Alfa replaced it gratis. I've fitted a stop-start dongle to disable it unless I want to activate it. Well worth it. Have had spurious CEL and rough running after cold start on occasion - usually a restart clears it. Not sure why but that has not happened for a while now. We live in rural Oz, 370km from nearest dealer...so am planning to do most maintenance myself or locally. Just passed 50kkm. I'm concerned about the DI (2019 model, no port injection) and carbon buildup in the intake - still searching for a 'solution', if there is one. We don't drive it every day, or weeks at a time, and sometimes the key is very lazy to unlock the car, seems like it all hibernates and takes a while to wake up.

Good vlog. Cool car. Does the stop/start work with the new battery?

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Yes it does

Sounds like an internal busbar problem within the battery. It can happen where either one of the welded joints is fractured & makes intermittent connection or where the posts are atteched to the end cells due to mechanical stress to the posts themselves. A battery cable which puts a lot of side loading on the terminal will cause it over time. It gives odd symptoms as the battery is actually good from a capacity perspective but every now & again it goes open circuit & hence is apparently completely dead. Dead cells give a different symptom as even when the battery is fully charged it seems flat as the voltage is low so slow crank & generally a dashboard full of warnings due to low voltage.

I've had my QV for about 6 months now, also 3yo. Had battery problems too. Similar symptoms, mostly erratic S/S. Fortunately I worked out the battery was the problem early before it let me down. PS Great tip on that jacking point, I'll sort mine out!

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Any issues with rattles and knocks

@davyfong

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos I've got a minor barely audible hollow sounding rattle over some rough surfaces that I suspect might be the jacking point you mentioned. Also have a little creak that comes from the top of the instrument panel. Otherwise mine is silent. Mine is a 17 reg with 30k miles.

@davyfong

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos I've also got an airbag pressure error that occasionally comes up but clears with my OBD reader - my car gets driven one a week or fortnight, I think it might be related to battery discharge or maybe the car has a charging issue (?).

@davyfong

3 жыл бұрын

Pressure sensor that is...

I love the fact that even new Alfa’s have hiccups just like the older cars. Though after 6 months of owning a 7 year old Giulietta I haven’t had a single problem. Still waiting 😁🤞

@AdamAus85

3 жыл бұрын

Giulietta is tempting as a future car, good looking Alfa. I just can't get over those horrible power window switches. I actually brought them up on the youtube channel Roadster Life on his video on the development of your car. He said "Sadly Fiat was in no position to splurge for model-specific window switches anymore..." Check out his channel, he has an interesting insight into Italian cars as a designer.

@JimmyThomasjtpro14

3 жыл бұрын

rogue yeah that’s a point, my blue and me system doesn’t work either...

@JimmyThomasjtpro14

3 жыл бұрын

rogue yeah that’s exactly what I’ve done too, works an absolute treat!

@JimmyThomasjtpro14

3 жыл бұрын

Adam N you can’t let window switches put you off the car though... for what it worth I absolutely adore my Giulietta!

@tomherbert8858

3 жыл бұрын

Oh they're coming trust me.

Nowadays i dont think we should use broken down anymore but rather Computered down!its the computer ,learning phase gonna be long, i learned a lot from my alfa 159 and next car going for a Lexus i want reliability.but i been a proud alfa owner since 2013- 202X

Batterys are shitty these days specially in modern cars with all sort of electro things. Lifetime for battery is like 3 years or something like that here in Finland. Bought my myself brand new 159 turbo benzina back in da days 2011 and same problems as you did started to appear in 2014. Cause was the battery. Got myself gray hair for that and learned couple of new words 😀

Batteries on the Giulias are shite. Got the battery on my 2017 2.2. Super replaced as well after quite a few situations as you describe. Had to go to a few different dealers before I found one that replaced it on warranty rather than just charging it though. Hopefully it just affects the early generations.

Had the same problem with my Porsche Cayman s. So I now have a solar trickle charger on my screen in the corner. Plugged in to my cig lighter

0:31 hi, about your garage roof :) : underneath , I can see an isolation layer (polyurethane)? and then the interior visible part of the roof, is that plastic ? I just have the upper metal and I need to isolate without putting much weight on it. I see it opens so my guess is that is not too heavy. Great working place congrats.

Looking at the rubbing in the underside, the front spoiler looks like parking over kerbs as it goes to the wings, but the rest looks like scuffing from race track kerbing and gravel traps (gravel in the undertray?). Has it been trackdayed?

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

no just the amount of speed bumps on the roads

Hi Neil, I like your chanel! I'm looking to buy a Giulia next year, can you give me an advice please: 1. 2.0 petrol or 2.2d, whats your opinion? 2. Is it worth it to spend more money for a facelift one (with the touchscreen) and why? Thanks!

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Watch my stelvio video that will give you more of an idea

There should be a lead under the backseat to open the boot with.

The exact reason old school is best,too many electronics.Italy and electronics don't mix.At least it's a beautiful beast,looking good stuck at the side of the road.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Right on

Any plans to do any videos on the regular Giulia now that they’re a few years old? I’m eyeing up a 2016 launch edition with only 13k miles so would be useful to know any model specific stuff to look out for

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

as soon as people book them in for work yes. to new for me at the moment

Is there a tracker installed?

Thanks for this video Neil . It’s crazy to think that if like what happened to yourself no manual override is available to release the boot . Has the 2020 generation Giulia’s have one fitted ? If yes to above see if yours could be modified to have one fitted .

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

didnt see one but in later cars the seat fold down and theres an emergency open inside the boot.

@chrisrichmond403

3 жыл бұрын

Italia Autos Well that is more practical Neil. Now for Alfa to get them retrofitted to all Giulia’s .

Can't believe alfa didn't use stainless bolts underneath

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

name one manufacturer that does.

@MrPatrik246

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos true that

@davidmc7442

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos My Koenigsegg Gemera has some S/S bolts but the remainder are titanium.

i feel your pain with start stop. my mito acts funny when start stop actually wants to work. I've got into the habit of turning it off before i drive. i wish i knew more about ecu programming id just disable it altogether... in theory its a great idea in reality its a ball ache and very rarely works. great vid to actually see all the aero going on under the car, I've never seen it before. Id love it if you did go with pink pipe tips lol epic

All those rusty assembly screws and bolts are quite disappointing. On my QV the carbon ceramic brakes, the bolts fixing the rotor to the bell were very badly rusted after 2 years, worth checking too.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

luckily i dont have those fitted on mine

Modern cars have all these weird errors when the battery is faulty. A stable, proper battery voltage is so important for all the different computers on a modern car. I think it is somewhat weird that a dealer doesn't simply replace it as standard when selling a 3 year old car. Its a 100 quid of insurance really.

@darrenedwards7078

3 жыл бұрын

They certainly ain’t £100!

@271production

3 жыл бұрын

@@darrenedwards7078 I would be very suprised if the dealer paid more than 100 quid for a battery. The customer however, oh boy...

I’ve never seen such a dirtier messed up bottom than this! Was it taken off road? Mine looks like brand new under it, all depends how the owner treats it and takes care of it and it really shows.

@ItaliaAutos

2 жыл бұрын

Last owner lived in the country side and had to drive down tracks to get to his house.

Lovely car very expensive I would be disappointed with the battery issue and the other issues you have encountered: touchwood my mito which I purchased brand new but a fraction of the price is very good with only 6,300 miles .

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

other issues are just wear and tear on a 3 year old higher mileage car. nothing to be upset about

Isn't there a battery voltage warning in the OBD or diagnostic available to the user?

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

not a warning no

wow, it will be interesting to see how much the undertrays cost

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

£140.

@1BCamden

3 жыл бұрын

Not bad considering 👌

I was thinking of changing A35 to one of these, was it driven off road

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Last Owner lived down a farm track l. I tried an a35 and didn't gel with it.

@andygtv

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos Dull?

Unfortunately, these come standard with an 80ah EFB (Varta) in the UK. Europe has an option for a cold weather pack, this consists of a 95ah EFB and a larger alternator (apparently). This is a common issue, not helped by flawed IBS charging logic. If the EFB is left to stand without charge like mentioned in the video, like all batteries it degrades over time. As a result, the SOC according to the IBS lowers and the car is rarely able to charge it back to decent capacity on its own. Most Giulia owners also own a trickle charger too, alfa even sell one. AGM will help and is a good upgrade, but this is not standard from alfa so unless specified the dealer will fit an OEM EFB. The OEM on these cars has a rough life span of 3-4 years under normal usage, which isn’t great. A quick google of IBS and SOC will also highlight these issues with other brands too so not limited to alfa, I suspect emissions and fuel economy have something to do with this. If it’s a daily driver with regular long distance drives it will be fine, if it’s a weekend B road blaster or a low mileage, town driver invest in a trickle charger. I recommend CTEK but plenty of other brands around. I got mine from the same dealer and had the same issues as you. I truly wish they would regularly charge these batteries if the car is on the forecourt for any length of time. Would save a lot of trouble. Once you get past these battery issues the Giulia is truly awesome in every way.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Good info.

So many electronics zapping the battery’s nowadays. my bmw needed a agm £££ and you had to reset the battery charging profile 🌚🌝

Did you buy this car as a trade sale or retail ? if retail I would be asking for this work to be sorted.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

the issues are just wear and tear on a 3 year old higher mileage car. nothing to be upset about. would 99% of people even looked underneath there car on a ramp before buying it.

Not uncommon with all cars from all makes that have stop/start. I'm more surprised about the chrome coming off after three years. My GTA still has the original exhaust and the chrome tips are still like new after 17 years

I'd be very disappointed with the state of the underside.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

the issues are just wear and tear on a 3 year old higher mileage car. nothing to be upset about. would 99% of people even looked underneath there car on a ramp before buying it.

@richardsheil5289

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos good point. I may have missed the mileage, how many miles does it have?

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Its in the title lol. 50k 😀

@domenicocimino4531

3 жыл бұрын

Looking at the underside rash, that car appears to have spent some time on track days. Also get the dealer to replace the underfloor panelling. It is aereo and for NVH.unless you purchased it as a trade buy, they should never have sold a 3 year old car with those defects.

Interesting. My Mazda 6 is a similar age. Had it from new. Zero faults so for.

I suppose having a crane makes it much much easy to do any repairs

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

sure does

my 159s ate battery every 2 years!

Swap it for new Fiat 500 Electric. Bet that's fun.

Front suspension similar to Lancia Thesis

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

dont see these in the uk

Makes me wonder if I should just bite the bullet and put a new battery on mine. Do the batteries have any date stamps on when they were made?

@darrenedwards7078

3 жыл бұрын

That’s what I did. Put a AGM type as an upgrade with 850 CCA. My cost as didn’t want the hassle of dealer visit and recharge etc.

@azamchaudhri

3 жыл бұрын

@@darrenedwards7078 thanks for the reply. So was that a more powerful battery that standard. If so how much was it and what make was it please?

@darrenedwards7078

3 жыл бұрын

Azam Chaudhri I got an Exide one from EuroParts. It’s about 50mm longer and packs more punch. This size is what they put on US cars I believe. There are 2 holes for the securing clamp to accommodate both sizes. The Bosch battery is the most expensive so I went with the second most expensive of 4 options at £270. That should do it for several years now. Piece of mind!! Battery prices have risen steeply since demand is higher due to COVID and cars sitting longer.

@azamchaudhri

3 жыл бұрын

@@darrenedwards7078 Thanks for all the info. Much appreciated. Will check with Alfa first if they have ever changed the battery but otherwise will go ahead if its still on the original.. ☺️

Think a will stick to my V6 gtv !,

Didn’t know the quad has a carbon prop. Must be very light. Hope to see it at some shows next year. Best sounding Alfa for a long, long time. Also I hope you gave the dealer both barrels down the phone for not checking the battery and for leaving you to sort the underside out considering how expensive these are. Alfa don’t half shoot themselves in the foot sometimes with dealer service. Must trade off people’s irrational love for the brand more than anything. Definitely worth keeping though, won’t depreciate for long these!

@alanq4

3 жыл бұрын

all giulias have carbon prop, even the base 150hp 2.2jtd

👍

How did the AA get into the boot without power?

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Jump point under the bonnet.

Sorry, I'm as big an Alfa nut as anybody, and the 505bhp achieved from a 2.9 litre cutdown Ferrari engine is amazing, and this car does look incredible, but this really does just show how crap modern cars have become, the battery goes so you can't access the boot, the handbrake could be locked too because it electronic, the battery going leaving you stationary on a busy city junction and completely unable to push the car to some form of safety and convenience for you and every other road user going by, I'll stick with my old Alfas me thinks. My 164 has its battery in the boot too, but at least there is a key operated lock on the boot, I would love to meet the person who thought up keyless entry in the first place, I have a couple of things I'd like to say to them! It also looks to have the same problem as my Giulietta did, nearly new car with a load of rusted and buggered fixings wherever you look, strikes me they have really nailed the underside rustproofing on Alfas now, but have completely forgotten about the nuts and bolts which hold it all together

Why don’t Alfa users buy one new / nearly new and spray everything underneath with Fluid Film to prevent rot in the first place?

Like stitching an open wound.. 🥺

In the Netherlands they have 4 years unlimited warranty, don't you have that in the UK?

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

3 in the UK. But I've got an extra 12 months.

@fhwolthuis

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos I still would switch off the stop start system, it puts a lot of strain on the battery

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

@@fhwolthuis to be honest the car is to powerful for stop start, car launches forward everything it restarts

Guilia QV used as a Jeep it seems

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

yeah the old owner lived on a farm track. hes been in contact with me. its a well loved car apart from some wear on the belly.

Think I'd be pushing the dealer to replace the undertrays that are damaged. Unfortunately this illustrates exactly why Alfa dealers have a bad reputation, I'm sure you didn't pay sweetie money for the car, how difficult would it have been for them to put a tester over the battery when doing the pdi preparation?

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

the issues are just wear and tear on a 3 year old higher mileage car. nothing to be upset about. would 99% of people even looked underneath there car on a ramp before buying it.

@alancampbell1008

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos wouldn't on a ramp as I don't have one but just rejected a 3yr old Focus ST-3 because it was so tatty underneath. Nice and shiny on the topside but deeply uncared for under and as a lot of your videos show the underside is what's going to cause problems.

I really don’t get all of this underbody covering and air management on road cars these days, it’s not an F1 car doing 200mph all the time, I bet the average mph of a road car these days is about 30mph so, air management and aerodynamics on the underside is ridiculous. When I bought my 159 I took off the engine bay undertray, (which has about 20 odd screws and fasteners !), only to find that, where it sat under the front subframe it had a huge foam sound deadening panel, which was completely sodden and had started to rust the subframe. Needless to say, this thing went straight in the bin and the subframe got wire wheeled and wax oiled. IMHO these underbody covers are just a pain and only cause more problems later due to water retention and hiding stuff you would otherwise deal with before it’s too late. Just my thoughts and experience anyhow. Stunning car though Neil, since watching your first driving video on it, I have been quietly looking to buy one, (don’t tell the missus !) haha

@greengrass9572

3 жыл бұрын

So it looks good on the spec sheet , the higher the official top speed the better, thats why so much attention has been paid to the underbody air flow. I suspect that the designers and engineers were determined to beat the German competition and tried every trick in the book in the process.

@kevinoakes1171

3 жыл бұрын

@@greengrass9572 agreed, that's the only reason. It does nothing for aerodynamics or economy in normal use. Manufacturers probably use the Nurbugring or similar to outdo each other.

@TassieLorenzo

3 жыл бұрын

Aerodynamic drag is about 80-85% of power consumption at 70mph. So if you can knock off 5-10% of aerodynamic drag, you can improve fuel efficiency (and more importantly for Alfa, the official MPG and g CO2/km). Not to mention the QV is a performance car with a functional rear diffuser that needs a flat underbody to feed it, Ferraris have a totally flat underbody with a similar diffuser.

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

Aerodynamic drag underside of the car is exactly as power consuming as the one on the upper body. What's ridicolous is that many manufacturers don't put any attention to what happens there.

@greengrass9572

3 жыл бұрын

@@neutronalchemist3241 so you're the expert then , and you've got a state of the art wind tunnel testing facility in you garage obviously.

Dealerships, thay always do the absolute minimum don't they. Could they not have cleared those stones out, replaced a few missing clips, fixed the jacking point or prechecked the battery before selling it on? I'm not sure what you payed for it but even second hand these aren't exactly cheap. I bought a 145 cloverleaf (also 3 years old) many years ago I had to take that back at the time to replace the rear shocks and the exhaust which was rotten... they claimed they hadn't noticed yet they had serviced the car its entire life.

Try changing the oil filter.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Dead easy ita under the engine cover.

@Elaba_

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos I have heard it was nearly impossible to get to from below the car...

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

@@Elaba_ it is because.you get to it from the top.

@Elaba_

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos I have looked up the video I was referring to. It was the 2.2 JTD version.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Nope I'm talking qf

Good video Neil. I would be really p_ssed off. I assumed it was an approved used car, did they check the underside or battery, obviously not, very poor preparation. Not acceptable on a car that costs that much. Underside looks like it's been used as a skateboard, that's crazy damage, why didn't the at least try to make it secure before selling it? Personally I would reject it. Look for another one, with a cleaner underside. The condition of that just shows me the previous owner hasn't given a toss about it, so what else has been abused?

@xynostasos9022

3 жыл бұрын

The new Giulias seem to take a lot of abuse with no issues. The build quality has improved a lot compared to old Alfas.

@CumminsVoortman

3 жыл бұрын

Underside condition of any car depends on driver and roads covered. Things like jacking points get damaged with people not being careful

@VeyronBD

3 жыл бұрын

These and alot of modern cars are just too low, evidenced by him needing to use wood to even get the lift under it. Even if you drive like an old lady, country back roads and british roads in general will tear them up in no time.Ferrari ground clearance on a regular car looks cool but thats all it does.

@namibgtv6

3 жыл бұрын

Neil, nice car mate. Unfortunately, looking at that damage on the underside, i suspect it has seen a trackday or 3.. I personally would take it back to them and demand my money back, just based on the underside damage alone. That’s the problem with buying these used unfortunately, chances are very good it’t either been tracked by someone having no business being behind the wheel of a 500HP car, or just plain been thrashed from day 1.. As much as i like these, and want one, i will have to wait till i have the money to get it new, i am wayyy too OCD to live with the knowledge that my pride and joy has been raped by some buffoon.. Same problem i found with 156 GTA’s (and 147 GTA’s..) I wanted a 156 GTA so bad, but the ones i went to look at all showed slight hints of some bit of unnecessary abuse mechanically, even though all of them were all polished up neat to look at, abuse is abuse unfortunately. Thats the nature of the beast with these type of exclusive cars. I ended up buying a mint condition rosso 156 2.5 V6 of another OCD owner, and still have it today. I enjoy it, and even though it’s not a GTA, i also know that it’s not been driven like one for the best part of it’s life. To be honest anyway, after having owned a GT 3.2 for a short while before the 156, i can honestly say that after a remap and CSC exhaust upgrade, the 156 is any day as fast and fun as the GT, and in my opinion sounds and still looks better..

If in warranty why not just ask Alfa to sort those things on underside which have failed? Shame they have occurred so early on in ownership. Like you said cable tieing stuff already isn’t good.

@rve_rider741

3 жыл бұрын

green grass did he say he spends his days smashing the underside up on speed bumps? If he did I apologise, skipped some of it. If that’s happened in general in that space of time, it isn’t great. I’m not dissing Alfa, I have a 159. Just saying isn’t great....mate

@greengrass9572

3 жыл бұрын

@@rve_rider741 its a second hand car so no he hasn't been hitting speed humps himself in souch a short period of ownership I suggest the previous owner did and he said that the previous owner used it as a daily so that means its more likely the previous owner got tired of dodging the same speed humps daily and accepted the bangs and crunches. I don't think there is any component failure in this car , apart from the battery.

I bought a new Polo and in less than 2 years the Exide battery completely failed, like 4 volts. Nobody was interested in talking to me.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

It seems the German batteries aren't as good as they used to be

Someone went off roading in their Giulia

@ItaliaAutos

Жыл бұрын

first owner lived on a farm track unfortunately

I've been thinking about buying a used Giulia 2.0 and this video has put me right off; it seems like Alfa still can't be bothered to develop their cars properly.

@greengrass9572

3 жыл бұрын

Its speed hump damage and a flat battery, what are you talking about? The 2.0 won't have all that stuff underneath.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Some of these comments are making me laught.

@greengrass9572

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos ,don't worry envy is a terrible thing. You have arguably the best mass produced car in the world at the moment.

@markkarm9253

3 жыл бұрын

Yes please don't buy it. it's not a car for you. There are plenty overpriced German junkmobile with diesel engine and base specs out there for you. They don't use undertray or batteries, they use alien technology so they never break down.

Why didn't the dealer do a full check on the car before selling it as that would show the battery was on its way out

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

apparently they did but we all know what dealers can be like.

Am I the only crazy one, that pressure washes the underside of the car once a year? Just wandering, and I don't even live in the UK...

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

Go for it.

All speed hump damage.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

yep its been a daily driver for the first 3 years of its life. all damage id expect

Wow, 3 years and all the bolts and screws are rusted!is it because of the salts they use during winter

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

yep at 50k miles its been used all year round. i didnt want a garage queen as i will also be using it all year round.

@drincogni

3 жыл бұрын

@@ItaliaAutos its nice to see a mechanic driving a nice car! Working on cars all the time and not driving a nice one,i believe is 😥

An Alfa dealership quietly praying nothing else goes wrong with a car seen on utube.

Good video Neil but every time I watch one it puts me off Alfa's a little more. Too exotic and unreliable for me,I'd needs second car as standby.

@ItaliaAutos

3 жыл бұрын

My channel is about fixing alfas and fiat's. Can't really do a video like " well here's a perfect alfa" end of video. Lol