Alfa 166 buyers' guide

[Morgan 46]

I've put together the following guide to assist anyone who's looking to buy a 166. I hope it proves to be of use to someone.

 

Here are all the things to check/look out for when looking at a 166, and at the end of this article, what to do once you've bought one (i.e. the fabled ECU reset).

 

Alternator/battery: The alternator and/or battery could be on its way out if the car is suffering from any combination of the following issues:

 

- Electric windows/electric seats juddering or struggling as they move.

- Fast idle (1,000-1,100 rpm). This indicates the alternator is failing, or is struggling to charge the battery.

- Interior lights/dashboard lights dimming when operating electric windows.

- For the Sportronic, an irregular/strangulated reversing beep.

- Intermittent cut-out of the radio.

- ICS displaying the message "battery power low, cannot maintain fan speed" or similar.

 

Check the battery is of the correct type. It should be a 70Ah unit. Some owners buy a smaller unit, which can cause starting/electrical issues, especially in cold weather. The battery itself (located in the left hand recess of the boot) is a physically very large unit, which fills the space. Be suspicious if you see a smaller one fitted.

 

Tyres: on 16†wheels, tyres can vary in width. 205, 215 and even 225 tyres fit. Ensure all four tyres are the same width. Ensure tread has worn evenly across the face of the tyre, as the 166’s fully independent suspension setup is a complex system which may require expensive repairs if the car’s tyres are wearing unevenly. If the inside shoulders of the front tyres are worn at a uniform rate at both sides, you’ll probably get away with only needing a 4-wheel alignment adjustment done, which may or may not highlight the need for some new bushes (get “Mercedes-spec†Powerflex, as the Alfa OEM items are not so good). Uneven tyre wear (especially to the inside/outside edge of the tyres) is an indicator that big bills may be on the horizon. As well as condition, check the branding of the tyres. Cheap/mis-matched rubber may indicate a cheap owner!

 

V6 engine: If engine ticks at idle or under light load, but does not tick when being revved in neutral or under hard acceleration on the move, the problem is likely to be a sticky valve lifter. Several engine flushes may be required to release the lifter and get rid of the gunk, but it’s cheap to do and not much more hassle than an oil change (just more time consuming). There were three flavours of V6 engine available with the 166 – the 2.5, the 3.0 and the 3.2 (the latter only available in facelift models). All three engines share the same basic architecture, in that they are all 6-cylinder, 24 valve, quad overhead cam units. If that makes you a little weak at the knees, it should. The Busso V6 is one of the all-time great engines, especially in 3.0 and 3.2 guise (the 2.5 is a little underpowered and offers no appreciable gain in fuel economy over the 3.0). A final word on the V6 engines – if a good 2.5 turns up, take it over a ratty 3.0 or 3.2.

 

Twin Spark engine: The TS unit, which is of a 4-cylinder, 16 valve, double overhead cam design is generally robust with the proper maintenance (always buy with lots of history), and was offered in 5-speed and 6-speed manual guise in the UK (no automatic/Sportronic option was available). Servicing costs can be high, as the TS design has two spark plugs per cylinder (a small one and a large one), hence the name Twin Spark. The cambelt advice is the same for both TS and V6 models – ensure it’s been done recently, or budget for the work to be done. The TS unit isn’t as powerful or as characterful as the V6s, but it still pulls well and makes a nice enough noise for a 4-pot. The upside is that the fuel economy relative to the V6s is a bit better (as long as you don't drive it like you stole it).

 

Cambelt: On both Twin Spark and V6 models, history of cambelt changes (with tensioners & water pump) is essential. Ensure the car you’re looking to buy has documented history that the work has been carried out, or budget for a cambelt change (around £800 for a V6 at an Alfa indie, a bit cheaper for the TS). Also look out for the fact the water pump has been changed at least once during one of the cambelt services – the original Alfa OEM unit fitted from new used plastic impellers, which degrade over time and fail, causing the car to overheat. GTA-specifcation water pumps have metal impellers, which are more resistant to failure. Ensure you/your Alfa indie always fits a GTA-spec. replacement item, for this reason. It's worth asking the question when it's time to have the cambelt done.

 

Gearboxes: There were three gearboxes offered with UK-specification 166s. A 5-speed manual, a 6-speed manual (both designated as Super) and a 4-speed automatic called the Sportronic (the auto option was only available with V6 models). The manual gearboxes are generally robust units, though can sometimes suffer with reluctant changes, which manifests itself in awkward gearstick behaviour. This is commonly due to the wear of a small plastic guide in the selector part of the ‘box, which is a relatively cheap and easy fix for a competent mechanic, or your friendly Alfa indie can do it for you. With the manuals, check the clutch isn’t too heavy in operation and that the pedal doesn’t “dragâ€. Also check for any juddering when pulling away or reversing. Either issue could mean a new clutch and/or flywheel (both are expensive and labour-intensive).

 

The automatic (Sportronic) option is an old-school 4-speed ZF slusher which goes about its business well enough, and is decently robust, even in high-mileage cars. Unfortunately, the automatic gearbox ECU is located directly below the heater matrix behind the dashboard, which means that if the heater matrix leaks, it will destroy the gearbox ECU. With Sportronic ECUs as rare as hens’ teeth these days, a dead one could write off an older car. Your local Alfa indie will happily “bag†the Sportronic ECU for you, to protect against water ingress, should the heater matrix fail. It’s worth asking if this has already been done with any potential purchase. One last point on the Sportronics – Alfa Romeo claim the automatic gearbox oil will last the “lifetime of the vehicleâ€. Whilst this is a laudable claim, I’d be tempted to have the transmission fluid flushed through and changed after 100k miles.

 

CV joints: When test-driving the car, try accelerating from a standing start with the wheel at full lock left, and again full lock right. If there’s any ticking or clicking noises, the constant-velocity (CV) joints will need replacing/refurbishing.

 

HID (Xenon) headlights: They look great, but can be problematic, in terms of self-levelling. To test for this, park the car facing a wall (about 6 ft from the front of the car) and turn the headlights on. They should swivel up, then down, then settle. If they don’t, there’s a problem with the self-levelling system. Whilst this isn’t an issue if the system failed in the up position, they often fail in the down position, meaning you can only see 10ft in front of the car when driving at night!

 

Indicators: it is a known fault with 166s that the indicator stalks stop self-cancelling over time. Almost every used 166 you come across will have this problem, either when indicating left (most common), right (less common), or both (just plain unlucky). There is a fix for this, but it’s very fiddly and involves having the steering wheel off. My advice – live with it and cancel the indicators by hand!

 

ICS options: The ICS (Integrated Control System) came in many different guises, but all look remarkably outwardly similar, thanks to the standard fitment of a generously proportioned LCD screen throughout the range. The option you really want on your ICS is DSP (Dynamic Sound Processor). Basically a beefed-up version of the 166’s standard stereo system, it sounds absolutely fantastic, and has the added bonus of factory-fitted rear shelf subwoofer speakers. You’ll know if your ICS has DSP if you can find mention of it in the stereo’s settings menu on the ICS. Other options available with the ICS were an integrated car ‘phone (you need a full-size SIM card), sat nav (which will be well out of date by now!) and a boot-mounted 6 CD autochanger (if fitted, the autochanger unit is located above the battery on the left hand side of the boot). Ensure the 4-digit ICS code is present with the paperwork, as you’ll need this if the battery ever becomes disconnected, or after an ECU reset.

 

Suspension bushes: These suffer with heavy wear on the 166, both front and rear. You’ll know if your 166 needs new bushes at the front, if the suspension “grumbles†over rough ground. If the bushes are gone at the rear, you’ll feel a “wandering†sensation when changing lanes at speed (i.e. on a motorway or dual-carriageway). Replacing them is cheap enough, but it’s a labour intensive job, which bumps the price up if you can’t do it yourself. When replacing the bushes, use “Mercedes-spec†or Powerflex items, as the Alfa OEM items are not so good.

 

Electrics: Simple, this one – just check everything works. Many 166s came very well specified from the factory, meaning lots of lovely toys to play with! Some items are nice-to-haves (electric sunroof, automatically dimming rear view mirror, heated seats, etc.), whilst others are a bit more important (electric windows, central locking, dashboard illumination, ICS, electric seats, electric mirrors, etc.) If you find a car where every single one of the gadgets works, you’ll be very lucky indeed. Having said that, most should work – any more than a few failures reflects badly on how well the car has been looked after overall. Also check the dashboard warning lights. If there is a fault, many of the tell-tale lights extinguish automatically after about a minute of driving, but can be illuminated again by pressing the large “CHECK†button, to be found on the bottom right of the instrument binnacle. The airbag warning light is a favourite for staying lit, or illuminating intermittently, though this is something a lot of older Alfas do! The problem is generally with the passenger sensor in the passenger seat, which to fix means having the seat apart – not a job for the faint-hearted. Your local Alfa indie will happily reset the airbag light, but expect it to light up again at some point in the future! Just a note on safety: with the airbag light ON, the default scenario in a crash situation is for ALL airbags to fire. The central locking system on the 166 is a known weak point, with many owners reporting strange locking/unlocking behaviour, which can manifest itself as an intermittent/random fault. Check the central locking carefully on any prospective purchase, locking and unlocking the car several times, and trying each of the doors in between lock/unlock cycles.

 

If you got through all of that and have bought a 166, congratulations. Now perform an ECU reset - you won't regret it.

 

ECU reset: The 166 is fitted with “learning†ECUs, which adapt to the driving style of whoever’s been piloting the car. This means that with the Sportronic, the gearshift pattern follows your particular driving style. The result of this setup is that when you buy a secondhand car, the ECUs will have learned the previous owner's driving style (which is almost certainly going to differ from the way you drive). As a result, driving a used 166 (especially a Sportronic) for the first time can be a little hit and miss. Therefore, the first thing you need to do once you've bought the car is perform an ECU reset. This will also reset the electronic "drive by wire" throttle. The ECU reset procedure below is valid for all 166s (TS and V6) with either manual (5/6 speed) or automatic (Sportronic) gearboxes:

 

PRE-REQUISITES: Make sure you have your ICS code written down, as the car will ask for it once you reconnect the battery. Also, follow the steps below with one of the doors open, as some people report the central locking clamping them shut on battery disconnection.

 

ECU RESET PROCEDURE:

 

1) Disconnect the battery (in the left recess inside the boot) and leave disconnected for 45 minutes.

 

2) After 45 minutes, reconnect the battery.

 

3) Wait 90 seconds after reconnecting the battery, then start the engine - but DO NOT touch the throttle or attempt to drive the car.

 

4) Leave the car to idle for a full 15 minutes. Use this time to re-program your favourite radio stations on the ICS.

 

5) Turn the engine off and leave the car to stand for 10 minutes.

 

6) Start the car and go for a drive, driving as you normally would (i.e. not going slower or faster than usual).

[Smaky 73]

Twin Spark engine: The TS unit, which is of a 4-cylinder, 16 valve, double overhead cam design is generally robust with the proper maintenance (always buy with lots of history), and was offered in 5-speed and 6-speed manual guise in the UK (no automatic/Sportronic option was available). Servicing costs can be high, as the TS design has two spark plugs per cylinder (a small one and a large one), hence the name Twin Spark. The cambelt advice is the same for both TS and V6 models – ensure it’s been done recently, or budget for the work to be done. The TS unit isn’t as powerful or as characterful as the V6s, but it still pulls well and makes a nice enough noise for a 4-pot. The upside is that the fuel economy relative to the V6s is much better.

 

Cambelt: On both Twin Spark and V6 models, history of cambelt changes (with tensioners & water pump) is essential. Ensure the car you’re looking to buy has documented history that the work has been carried out, or budget for a cambelt change (around £800 for a V6 at an Alfa indie, a bit cheaper for the TS). Also look out for the fact the water pump has been changed at least once during one of the cambelt services – the original Alfa OEM unit fitted from new used plastic impellers, which degrade over time and fail, causing the car to overheat. Later water pumps have metal impellers, which are more resistant to failure.

 

 

The TS should be avoided in the 166, it's underpowered for the size of the car and in the 166 barely does 28Mpg in TSpark guise.

 

Water pumps, OEM pumps still come with plastic impellors, to get the metal impellor pump you must stipulate that you want the 3.2 GTA pump fitting unless you find a technician that only uses those anyway

[Morgan 46]

If I only get pulled up on two points by Smaky in technical article, I consider that to be a result.

 

Well, one of the points was a matter of opinion. When I drove a 166 Twinny, I didn't think it was that gutless. Not as good as a V6, granted, but not crap, all the same.

 

Cheers for the correction on the water pump thing, though.

[K9d 108]

Ahh but you had the 2.5 with a "lady licence" box that is about on a par with a manual twinny for perfomance.

 

I think my 2.5 is too small for the car, its fine when revved but seriously lacking at lower revs.

 

Another thing to look out for is temperamental central locking, I have had the rear drivers side door not working for ages and today my car decided to unlock then lock itself straight away, made getting in a tad difficult.

 

P.S. Smaky what's the best fix for temperamental central locking. ?

[Smaky 73]

Scouse keys.

[Morgan 46]

Have now updated my original post with information about the GTA-spec. metal impeller water pumps and a warning to check the central locking on any prospective purchase.

 

Cheers for the feedback, lads.

[V6Hughes 0]

Nice guide morgan

 

 

 

Any chance of writing one for a golf

[jhc 28]

1) Give up on life

2) get rid of your self respect

3) buy a golf

 

Job jobbed.

[Smaky 73]

 

ECU RESET PROCEDURE:

 

1) Disconnect the battery (in the left recess inside the boot) and leave disconnected for 45 minutes.

 

2) After 45 minutes, reconnect the battery.

 

3) Wait 90 seconds after reconnecting the battery, then start the engine - but DO NOT touch the throttle or attempt to drive the car.

 

4) Leave the car to idle for a full 15 minutes. Use this time to re-program your favourite radio stations on the ICS.

 

5) Turn the engine off and leave the car to stand for 10 minutes.

 

6) Start the car and go for a drive, driving as you normally would (i.e. not going slower or faster than usual).

 

 

Hold on, I've just noticed this load of BS at the bottom of the post... THAT IS NOT AN ECU RESET, that can only be done with software.

 

What you have incorrectly written are instuctions on how to do a throttle reset.

[Mitchman 0]

Hate to rip someone apart who has tried to do something positive for the benefit of others but there is a lot of inaccuracy in this guide. It's mostly small stuff, bushes advice, ICS options, cam belt costs, but there is a lot of it. 5/10 for content 10/10 for effort though.