K9d

That's exactly how it is, can make overtaking interesting. The "police car in the distance" has been there ever since I bought the car 18 months ago, never got any worse, most noticeable when the sound can bounce off walls.

The 5 pot sounds OK, but I can't wait to get back in my V6

I agree, but my budget doesn't allow me to address them right now. , when I can I will replace both with silicone hoses. I did a throttle reset yesterday and changed the vacuum hoses, its hard to put a finger on but it just feels better, smoother and quieter, so progress is being made. Insurance due next month so that will mess the budget for a while.

Side lights, number plate lights ?

Next question, where is the flasher relay located ? A few internet searches seem to suggest its in the steering column, they also suggest that changing it can cause other problems. Any advice would be gratefully received.

Had a look yesterday, the actuator moves about 4mm when the engine starts, or when I disconnect and reconnect the vacuum pipe if I get in there with a screwdriver I can move some more and it will stay there until I disconnect the pipe. I have sprayed it up and moved it several times but it still doesn't do the full movement. I cut a piece of pipe off, so I could take it to a shop and get some new pipe, I handed the bit of pipe to Kathy as I reconnected the remaining pipe. We walked back to the house, Kathy in front, as we got to the front door Kathy lifted the lid on the wheely bin and threw something in "what did you throw in there", "that bit of pipe" , so I then had to empty the bin to get it back out. The car seemed a bit better but I could still get the overboost issue if I tried. I now have some new pipe and will replace it today and see if that helps.

I can't see the bit where, because its one of my cars, you get out the BFH and persuade the upper ball joint to split. Seriously though my car is loads better since you changed the worn upper wishbone. I still have the occasional low speed grumbling coming from the rear, usually at 20ish mph when coasting. ?????

Now that my car has 4 new tyres and Smaky has sorted my sticky rear caliper and changed my knackered upper wishbone its loads better, but the overboost issue is beginning to real annoying me. Tomorrow, with Kathy's help, I'm going to check the actuator rod is moving on engine start up, I'm hoping it isn't then I can try and free it. I will also do a throttle reset, because as Alex pointed out, it works like an ON/OFF switch, hopefully this will give a more linear throttle response.

Its all down to tyres, if your really gently on them i.e Sauber then you can get away with a 1 stop, if your really hard on tyres then it will probably be a 3 stop otherwise it will be 2. The tyres are designed to drop off rapidly in performance once they are past their best to make the racing more exciting, and I think it works.

You can admire my handy work tomorrow.

Its done it since a bought the car and wasn't a problem last winter.

I did a 320 mile round trip when I picked up my 166, so one trip back from Yorkshire is about the same

That's been bodged now until I get a new one, although despite my best efforts to buy a genuine one online I can't find any.

I might go, but its a long trek for me

That would be my guess too, I have first hand experience of that and it gets rapidly worse.

Do I need to worry about dead glow plug. Its a temporary fix, until I get a new pipe. You said the wheel bearing was fine ???

Another update, after a trick to Smaky's at the weekend he pointed out that all the oil under my bonnet is due to a split turbo hose. I've patched this with some hose repair tape from Halfords, so far it seems to be working, the deeper engine note is back, power is much better and it doesn't whistle. I still get the flashing, pre-heat ?, light when I start up it flashes 10 times, any clue as to why it does this. I can still get the overboost issue/EML but its easy to drive around.

I thought I did, until I arrived at your house and there were no Alfa's I do now that you've told me your new address. It feels much better now, I think that calliper was holding the pads on the disc on that rear wheel. My car is now making a strange noise, like a supercharger, when I use full throttle in 2nd and 3rd.

When the bottom end went on my 2.0 it went from knocking to completely knackered in 10 minutes, but the engine sounded like a bag of nails so was unmistakable.

Its been so long since I've driven my 166 that I can't remember.

Typo there, I think you mean 166

I need to change one on my 156, would it be possible to remove the centre part of the bearing with bearing pullers after heating it with a hot air paint stripper gun ? Or would it be easier to bring the car to you ?

Close to me, but I will be on holiday that week on the East coast.

Saloon or SW?

That's a shame, I know how you feel. I have a broken 166 that nobody seems to want to fix. Yesterday I put the wheels back on my 156 that I had taken off because the tyres were worn too low, but there better than the ones that were on there, Canvas showing on the inside. The 156 also has various squeaks and rattles that sound expensive. Sometimes I feel like giving up on Alfa's and just buying a boring but reliable car.