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Car Forum / Alfa Romeo Cars / February 2008Advice needed regarding 156 Selespeed....
Hello chaps! I've currently got a loan of a 2000 (W Reg) 156 2.0 Selespeed, I'm thinking of buying it.... It's only got 44,000 miles and he wants £1400 the only problem (bar a key scratch down one door panel - grrr!) is: Occasionally when in manual gearchange mode it get's stuck in 2nd gear. up or down doesn't work, the only way to unstick is to enter city mode (which is never affected by the problem) It doesn't happen very often and otherwise the car is perfect. Should I buy or should I run away? ps: it's a Veloce, pearlescent paint, leather, climate control etc.......and dear god it's fast! ;) .....and I love the throttle blip on downchange as well.... The real question I guess is, it it a known tiny problem?, the sign of a huge gearbox bill in 6 months time? can I ignore it? dare I ignore it? HELP!! thanks, Ted > Hello chaps! > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > very often and otherwise the car is perfect. Should I buy or should I > run away? Run away, fast. (IMHO)  SignatureCatman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) 116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 145 2.0 Cloverleaf 156 V6 2.5 S2 Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see. www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk >Occasionally when in manual gearchange mode it get's stuck in 2nd >gear. up or down doesn't work, the only way to unstick is to Run away *RIGHT NOW*! >enter >city mode (which is never affected by the problem) It doesn't happen >very often and otherwise the car is perfect. Should I buy or should I >run away? Well that depends. If you've got, say, about 3500UKP you'd happily burn then keep it. Otherwise leave well alone. >ps: it's a Veloce, pearlescent paint, leather, climate control >etc.......and dear god it's fast! ;) .....and I love the throttle blip >on downchange as well.... Do you like big (as in vast) repair bills too? >The real question I guess is, it it a known tiny problem?, It's a well known 'big' problem. The Selespeeds had infamously poor gearbox reliability. Much later models seem to be slightly better but some here (including me) would advise avoiding Selespeeds even if the gearboxes were working properly. > the sign of >a huge gearbox bill in 6 months time? can I ignore it? dare I ignore >it? HELP!! The only future for this car is to buy it as a non-worker (for buttons) then strip for parts sale on eBay. In any case, the asking price seems WAY over the top.. You've been warned. SignatureZ Scotland Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather 'Oil' be seeing you.. (Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!) On Jan 24, 9:49 pm, Zathras <webnewsgr...@nospamthanks.hotmail.com> wrote: > On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:16:33 -0800 (PST), Ted Tofield > [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > 'Oil' be seeing you.. > (Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!) Ooooof! I'll give it a miss I reckon (damned nice though) I'll stick to my old 156 1.8 for a while! > On Jan 24, 9:49 pm, Zathras <webnewsgr...@nospamthanks.hotmail.com> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > Ooooof! I'll give it a miss I reckon (damned nice though) I'll stick > to my old 156 1.8 for a while! ps: thanks for the replies guys! >> Ooooof! I'll give it a miss I reckon (damned nice though) I'll stick >> to my old 156 1.8 for a while! > > ps: thanks for the replies guys! Don't stop to reply! keep running :) >>> Ooooof! I'll give it a miss I reckon (damned nice though) I'll stick >>> to my old 156 1.8 for a while! >> >> ps: thanks for the replies guys! > >Don't stop to reply! keep running :) LOL. Yes..one of those rare Alfa whoop..whoop..emergency!..emergency!!.. situations.. SignatureZ Scotland Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather 'Oil' be seeing you.. (Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!) On Jan 25, 7:56 am, Zathras <webnewsgr...@nospamthanks.hotmail.com> wrote: > On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:22:08 GMT, Tony R > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > 'Oil' be seeing you.. > (Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!) Does anyone know how drawn out these problems tend to be? Is it likely to explode within days or do these problems tend to go on for months and months? I only ask as if the car is going to be usable for a few months it might as well be driven into the ground rather than sold for peanuts.... thanks again! Ted > Does anyone know how drawn out these problems tend to be? Is it likely > to explode within days or do these problems tend to go on for months [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > thanks again! It may carry on like that for months. On the other hand, it may lose all ability to select and / or change gears the next time you take it out. The question you have to ask yourself is: 'How lucky do I feel' SignatureSteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC # >Does anyone know how drawn out these problems tend to be? It'll last until you're at the busiest junction you can find then it will stall in gear in the middle and you will be unable to restart (due to it being in gear) and you will be unable to get it our of gear because it's bust. The last time I heard of this, IIRC, the guy couldn't even push the car off the junction as it was stuck in gear. I'd certainly make sure my AA/RAC etc cover was up to date. >Is it likely >to explode within days or do these problems tend to go on for months >and months? I only ask as if the car is going to be usable for a few >months it might as well be driven into the ground With it being a galvanised body and assuming belts and oil have been looked after (so it looks and goes well, which tallies with what you have said), a 156 of that vintage is unlikely to be driven into the ground in a few months. More likely with a half bust Selespeed, it will be driven to a complete halt. >rather than sold for peanuts.... ..er..it's only going to be *worth* a few peanuts as it is. Supposing a new gearbox is required at £3500 and there are no scrappie ones (because there will be more selespeeds of that vintage in scrappies due to gearbox than any other reason, I suspect), you subtract that cost from the current asking price and how many nuts does that leave you? Answer..2..and they will have to be made of steel to take that car on as any kind of going concern. SignatureZ Scotland Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather 'Oil' be seeing you.. (Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!) On 25 Jan, 15:02, Zathras <webnewsgr...@nospamthanks.hotmail.com> wrote: > On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:40:05 -0800 (PST), Ted Tofield > [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > 'Oil' be seeing you.. > (Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!) regarding the value, the thinking was that it'll be not worth selling and just use it until it breaks, then sell on for parts after that..... thanks again guys much appreciated! > regarding the value, the thinking was that it'll be not worth selling > and just use it until it breaks, then sell on for parts after > that..... Yes, but 'until it breaks' could be next time you start it up. I wouldn't. Not unless it was sub 500 quid and I could make a profit on the parts. SignatureSteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC # >> regarding the value, the thinking was that it'll be not worth selling >> and just use it until it breaks, then sell on for parts after [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I wouldn't. Not unless it was sub 500 quid and I could make a profit on > the parts. 1. I thought I recall reading on this ng that a s/w upgrade fixed Selespeed problems ? - or only some? 2. Would it be feasible to replace a selespeed gearbox with a manual version, e.g. from a scrap yard? Signatureregards, Malcolm Osborne Sedgefield, South Africa >>> regarding the value, the thinking was that it'll be not worth selling >>> and just use it until it breaks, then sell on for parts after [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > 1. I thought I recall reading on this ng that a s/w upgrade fixed Selespeed > problems ? - or only some? Certainly not the hardware ones :) > 2. Would it be feasible to replace a selespeed gearbox with a manual > version, e.g. from a scrap yard? *Hideously* expensive. I think it'd need a new ECU as well. Really *really* walk away. SignatureCatman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) 116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 145 2.0 Cloverleaf 156 V6 2.5 S2 Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see. www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk >>Occasionally when in manual gearchange mode it get's stuck in 2nd >>gear. up or down doesn't work, the only way to unstick is to [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > some here (including me) would advise avoiding Selespeeds even if the > gearboxes were working properly. But if it works in 'city' mode (whatever that is), then it sounds like a software problem, rather than something physical in the gearbox?? > >>Occasionally when in manual gearchange mode it get's stuck in 2nd > >>gear. up or down doesn't work, the only way to unstick is to [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > But if it works in 'city' mode (whatever that is), then it sounds like a > software problem, rather than something physical in the gearbox?? True but then that's hardly user configureable though ..... :( >> >>Occasionally when in manual gearchange mode it get's stuck in 2nd >> >>gear. up or down doesn't work, the only way to unstick is to [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > True but then that's hardly user configureable though ..... :( No, but a software reset, or even a firmware upgrade of the chip, or even a new chip is significantly cheaper and easier than a new gearbox! What is city mode? Why not drive in that all the time? > >> "Zathras" <webnewsgr...@nospamthanks.hotmail.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > What is city mode? Why not drive in that all the time? City mode is the fully automatic gearbox mode. "Normal" operation is using the flappy paddles (or the lever - same thing) You could use City Mode the whole time but a) it's boring b) the problem may "spread" So far we don't know what is causing the problem so it's difficult to know how it would be resolved of course.... >But if it works in 'city' mode (whatever that is), then it sounds like a >software problem, I'd be surprised at a software problem like that being on a year 2000 car and left like that. If it were fixable *software*, wouldn't it have been fixed years ago? > rather than something physical in the gearbox?? I would not want to hold any glimmer of hope up to the OP and have that on my conscience. If it weren't a *Selespeed* I'd agree with you. SignatureZ Scotland Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather 'Oil' be seeing you.. (Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!) >>But if it works in 'city' mode (whatever that is), then it sounds like a >>software problem, > > I'd be surprised at a software problem like that being on a year 2000 > car and left like that. If it were fixable *software*, wouldn't it > have been fixed years ago? Well, if they spotted it or could be bothered. Its just the fact that it [the gearbox] works when you switch the software into a different mode just sounded suspiciously like a software error to me, rather than a mechanical breakdown (but then I am a software engineer, not a car mechanic!!). Perhaps it has been fixed, but not rolled out to this particular car? We don't know where it was serviced. > I would not want to hold any glimmer of hope up to the OP and have > that on my conscience. If it weren't a *Selespeed* I'd agree with you. Absolutely!. I wouldn't want to buy a car that doesn't change out of second gear either! > Hello chaps! > > I've currently got a loan of a 2000 (W Reg) 156 2.0 Selespeed Around these parts they're known as a 'Sillyspeed' with good reason. SignatureSteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC # >> Hello chaps! >> >> I've currently got a loan of a 2000 (W Reg) 156 2.0 Selespeed > > Around these parts they're known as a 'Sillyspeed' with good reason. Would it be possible/economically viable to fit a standard gearbox? > >> Hello chaps! > >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Would it be possible/economically viable to fit a standard gearbox? I doubt it, as you'd need a new ECU to run it all. SignatureSteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC # |
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