156 engine running poor at about 2000 rpm

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Guus Obelink - 19 Jul 2004 11:38 GMT

Since a few months the engine of my 156 SW 1.6 is running poor from 1750 to
2500 rpm. If you try to run it at an constant rpm, the engine is not running
smooth (NL: de motor houdt in) and at idle the rpm varies from 800 upto
1300.
The dealer resetted the motor management computer, but without positive
result. Now he suggest to replace the electromotor (NL: stappenmotor) which
controls the throttle. The dealer said the had a good result on an other
156, which had the same problem. This electromotor cost about 100 euro and
mounting will cost another 50 euro.
Can anybody give my advise: Is this the cure for the problem, or are there
other options?

Thanks in advance,

Guus Obelink
156 1.6 TS SW 2000

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Alfistagj - 19 Jul 2004 14:29 GMT

If it's the "stappenmotor" (variator) you will also hear a ticking sound
like when the tappets (hydrauclische klepstorters) do not get enough oil
pressure.
The "normal" sound of the tappets will normally only occur just after
starting the engine and willb be gone in a few seconds as soon as the oil
pressure has been built up.
When the variotor is the reason it will not go away with the oil pressure
build up.

Defective variators used to be a typical FIAT/Alfa problem which came up in
the period 1999/2000 and has been solved in new engines built from June
2000.
Problem was a sub-supplier delivering faulty (bad quality) variators.
In those days even many cars had the variator changed more than once as they
replaced a defective one by a similar one with the same bad quality.
Therefor guarantee!!!
But with a 4 year old car????

If you don't have this sound, it looks questionable to me.

I would go for 2 different options.
Option 1
Specially the hunting rev's at idle (= closed butterfly valve in the
airflow) point to dirt build up in the outer circumference of the butterfly
valve of the air inlet
Option 2
Check the lambda probe in the catalist converter

Signature

Ciao from Holland
AlfistaGJ (Gert-Jan)
Alfa red 156 SW 1.8 Madeno tuned (2000)
Golden Montreal 1428700 (1973/4)

> Since a few months the engine of my 156 SW 1.6 is running poor from 1750 to
> 2500 rpm. If you try to run it at an constant rpm, the engine is not running
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Guus Obelink
> 156 1.6 TS SW 2000

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Mick Sheppard - 19 Jul 2004 16:41 GMT

> The dealer resetted the motor management computer, but without positive
> result. Now he suggest to replace the electromotor (NL: stappenmotor) which
> controls the throttle. The dealer said the had a good result on an other
> 156, which had the same problem. This electromotor cost about 100 euro and
> mounting will cost another 50 euro.

I had this motor replaced on a 146 with a similar sounding problem
(after the garage had replaced the Lamda sensor twice and charged me
for that work) and it solved the problem.

--
Mick

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