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TimboBro

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About TimboBro

  • Rank
    newbie

Converted

  • What car do you drive?
    147 SSpeed 2002
  • Location
    Sydney
  1. Update.... Fixed. Relay had oil all over it again. So far, all working fine!
  2. Hey all, bit of a thread bump, but I'm as guilty as so many others of not following up what happened in the end... might help someone. And besides I'm here again because of a slightly similar issue, so might pose another question if needed. So, I ended up adjusting the clutch rod length back to 18.1 or so, taking out, cleaning the oil and crap off the SS relay (the little black square thing above the SS system), and cable tying the relay in place so it's solidly inserted (which it wasn't before). Also pulled open the wiring loom connector, and gave it a good clean with contact cleaner. Ran EOL adjustment and clutch calibration. VOILA! Two years of perfect Selespeed operation! Well 18 months, did the same thing 6 months ago, and it's been sorted ever since. Until yesterday.... SS suddenly couldn't find 1 or 3, but did work in 2 or 4, albeit with some trouble. Managed to limp home, and had a look today. Clutch actuator position is 18.38, so suspect that's not the issue (although it may prefer 18.1 ?). When I started this morning, it was all working just fine. Did a EOL calibration which passed. Sat looking at the laptop for a few minutes, then suddenly noticed it had changed to 4, and wasn't responding to any commands. Hmm, seems a bit more electronic than mechanical? Going to clean the loom again and clean and reseat the relay as well. Suspect I also need to check the sensors, but not sure how to get at them / get them out / what to check. Can anyone help?? If I can avoid going to the mechanic, I'll be very happy, plus bonus points from the wife! Cheers Tim
  3. Thanks Smaky, that's great info. The clutch rod length when I put it on Alfadiag was 28.83, so def a bit high. Another telling story was that when I mentioned this fact to the mechanic, he basically ignored the comment and made out it was irrelevant. It's going to be awkward going to another mechanic, they're all a bit of a closed circle here in Sydney it seems, but I at least need to get another quote and chat with someone different. So when you say '4-5 hours to replace a gearbox'..... Are gearboxes commonly available over there as new or secondhand parts? He gave me the impression it was a matter of looking inside the gearbox and checking for anything worn, foreign items etc etc and replacing those parts, certainly not the entire unit. How easy is it to adjust the clutch rod length and calibrate it? I'm a bit of a noob, but is it something I can take back to them (or someone else) and have it done as a quick and easy job?) Much appreciate the input! Cheers Tim
  4. Greetings everyone, good to be here! What's your AlfaDriver forum name: TimboBro Whereabouts in the world are you?: Kiwi from the deep south, now living in Sydney, Australia. What are you driving these days?: Alfa 147 2002 Selespeed How did you find AlfaDriver?: via AO. Smaky is a legend. Describe your introduction to the Alfa Romeo brand : Wife had an older model (75?) pre-me back in NZ, many years later here in Sydney, when the time came to get rid of my Hyundai, I took one look at the Black 147, Black leather, Bose stereo and put my foot down in 2nd and I was hooked. Been an expensive, often frustrating ride since 2007, but when it's working well, nowhere else I'd rather be (other than a GT, GTA or 8C). Outside of Alfa Romeo, what are your interests? Ex-musician and sound engineer, so that, plus an interest in science, astronomy, aviation, really into wine and enjoy doing all the cooking! What do you do for a living? Small IT Business working from home. Tell us an interesting/crazy/unusual fact about yourself : Did audio work for visits by HM QE2, the Dalai Lama and Boney-M !! Some nervous moments! What's your "special skill" ? - Being a jack of all trades, and king of extraneous knowledge! If money was no object, what four vehicles would be in your dream garage?: - Dream daily driver : Alfa 8C - Dream track car : Ferrari - Dream all-rounder : Bugatti Veyron - Wildcard entry : That $500K black Jag E-type replica they had on TopGear a while back.... mmmm What are you personally hoping to get out of AlfaDriver? : Help and advice when my Alfa goes wrong, plus learning how to better maintain and fix it myself. And finally, describe yourself in five words : easy going, animal lover, hedonistic. Cheers and beers!! Tim
  5. Hi everyone, came here for the legendary Smaky, but after a look around, this place is rocking with knowledge! Had a bad run with my temperamental lovely bella, getting frustrating, but the thought of driving something boring is also depressing, not sure what's worse! History and possible clues..... Alfa 147 2002 Selespeed with 130000kms on the clock. Actuator replaced 2007, Clutch in 2009, Battery in 2010. Regular servicing since then with all the usuals, plus got a crank sensor replaced a few months ago, and has been driving near perfectly for past month after crank sensor fix. Occasional but very minor judder/jerking when pulling away in 1st when cold. I've had my Alfadiag (and their examiner) on there, no fault codes anywhere. The EOL calibration (alfadiag) seems to complete without any errors, all clicks and clunks you'd expect. But doesn't fix the issue. Battery is 12.1V when key is on MAR (bit low? I have an ipod which I think stays on/charges all the time, so could be draining the battery (should get a charger) . Pressure is 45-55, pump is working normally and the mechanic says the actuator seems to be doing it's job normally, i.e trying to change the gears. SS fluid normal. Issue started a week or two ago, I lost 1st and 3rd. Seemed to sort itself out while driving/restarting. Couple of days later, wouldn't start, N was flashing. No gears selectable. Unplugged battery, did misc Alfadiag stuff, EOL, checked sensor readings, etc, suddenly it would start and everything normal. Yesterday while driving on motorway, suddenly lost 3rd, followed by 1st and 5th. Stopped for an hour to do some work, started OK, but only 2nd or 4th were selectable, got to my next job 30km's later, after restarting, all gears back again. This morning, N flashing, car won't start, still no error codes anywhere. Unplugged -ve battery terminals (and even +ve this time too), jiggled all main loom wiring and actuator connectors, did Alfadiag stuff. Somehow, random or not, it started and reluctantly went into 1st and stayed there for the drive to the mechanics! (Starts in N flashing, change to 1st might work, might not, if it does work, it won't go back to N, If I try to go to R from 1st, it may go back to N, maybe not, but not into R, and 2,3,4,5 not happening. It is clunking and clicking and trying to change, but not succeeding. OK sorry for the essay, but figure the history may help a bit..... Or it may be simple, and the mechanic is right....... He says he's fixed it for now (didn't say how - will ask tmrw), but it's almost certainly temporary, and he ideally needs to take out the gearbox and examine it for problems and possibly replace some parts inside. He says I can't really get a new gearbox, as not the done thing, and even if I did, horribly expensive (4K+ AU). He's quoting me $1600+AU (20 hours - 1000 pounds) for labour to do this kind of job, but doesn't know any more until he sees inside the gearbox. I think he's a very decent mechanic when it comes to alfa nuts and bolts, but I have some doubts on handling of the electronics and touchy sensor/wiring niggles that are so often discussed around here. May find a second opinion, but no other Alfa mechanics within 50kms! What does everyone think please?? Cheers Tim P.S And hoping you guys don't mind if I post this in other forums as well as here, let me know if that's not cool?
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