Why does my Alfa hate me - another MOT fail for the 145
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ธ.ค. 2021
- I finally worked out why my Alfa 145 kept eating batteries, but the simple formality of the MOT was not as smooth as it could have been...
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The exhaust leaks can make the reads go up. I would do the exhaust leaks, cv boot, flexis and lights and give it a good run before the retest.
I’ll come over and give you a hand to sort it
Maybe it's time to visit Go Italia and let the experts have a look at the Alfa, Matt. For what it's worth, my opinion/advice/suggestion is to invest in quality, expert repairs for the Alfa. It will be worth it in the long run.
Don’t get rid of it, when it works its an Alfa and you can’t beat that ever!
You’ll regret giving up on her, keep your chin up mate, when the sun comes out again it’ll look different.
Keep going!
I’d doesn’t hate you, it’s just jealous of your new cars!
Never cheat on an Alfa, apparently
Keep the 145 it's all fairly easy jobs at least it wasn't welding that needs doing keep the faith 😎
"Replacing the brake flexibles will be easy" famous last words. It took me weeks to change the ones on my Rover 200 Coupe. Not one of the unions would come undone and I ended up having to replace the hard pipes as well!
Im hoping that as the hard pipes were changed in 2019 it should come off OK (probably)
@@furiousdriving 🤞
@@furiousdriving In that case it will be the other end and you may end up having to replace the calipers at least at the rear.
The way I see it there are two things to look at.
Appreciation vs cost
Driving smiles.
These are already rare so value must go up. Are the repairs worth the appreciation?
Smiles. When you drive this Alfa and when it’s working well, the pure enjoyment you get from this car tells me it’s worth it.
It doesn't hate you, it just likes you so much that it breaks so you have to spend more time with it.
Ah that must be it..
Matt, Alfa's are the cars that keep giving. After doing the timing belt on my 916 spider it decided that wasn't enough and decided to spring a pinhole leak in the power steering hose in a totally inaccessible place behind the engine, make the clutch pedal sink to the floor thanks to a master cylinder on its way out, and a weeping radiator now deciding it's also had enough and leaving green rivers everywhere! What they give in reward they take back in maintenance, but what you give in maintenance they give back in reward, so enjoy your Crown Vic for a bit and come back to it when your heads in a better place. My vote would be get rid of the Merc, since it's a mammoth job and make a space for the Crown Vic to live in. Cheers from Sydney, Aus - Steve
Sometimes you have to "kill your darlings". Despite the fact the Alfa looks incredibly tidy and well cared for, so many issues that will cost time and money are usually the preserve of your one true passion.
To have more than one true passion is, for most of us, an extravagance. Personally I would consider dropping a couple of the non-running projects to keep alive a car that is very rare and only likely to appreciate in value (I'm talking about the Alfa here☺️).
Good luck, wish I knew the best path but it is such a personal decision to declare knowledge of the best option would be dishonest.
I await the next episode!🎭
Feel your pain Matt, love older cars and your channel but this is exactly why I don't have one anymore, still get tempted though then I remember cold nights in the garage tinkering.
The way I see it, you can spend a ton of money buying a new car and then replacing it every few years and not having to fix anything, or you can spend slightly less money buying an older car and fixing it every so often.
I know what I prefer...
The trick is to have only 1 project at a time. Do as i say and not as i do, I've 3 cars outside and it's torture lying on your back on the driveway this time of year...
My daily, and only, driver is a 385,000 mile 1990 Volvo 240 Estate. Even paying a mechanic to keep Arthur running is less money that car payments. Car payments here on a decent used car will run about $500 per month, plus an additional $100 per month on the insurance. Arthur has never used $7,200 in a year on repairs. Not even close! The worst year in his entire 32 years this far was a bit over $5,000 in repairs. I do not count tires, exhaust or brakes, as they are maintenance items that any car will need.
We have all been in this position, but i always find if you chip away at the problems one by one they don't seem insurmountable any longer, you don't need to do them all on the same day after all. Don't assume the worst with the emmissions. Good luck.
No rush, the 145 is a really interesting car........ Hoses & CV boot are no real stress..... I'd guess you might snap a brake pipe whilst stripping it down.......its all very doable.....just take your time. No panic. Do the lights and the washers and you'll feel a bit more motivated...
My two cents: It's an Alfa. Things could _easily_ be a lot worse. Most of what needs doing doesn't sound like a big deal. I think it's worth taking a breather, returning when you're less frustrated to look at it with fresh eyes. The previous owner will still be there in a few weeks, or however long you need.
I know that it's hard to summon up the enthusiasm when it's cold and wet ,
Matt why don't you put it away until the spring and get stuck in to your new pet ,that Crown Vic is marvellous,I must admit to being a touch envious.
Time is precious, we never get more! so I'd say it's time to move the Alfa on, the VVC is a great project and I'm sure if you have to get in depth you'd rather do a new project. I just can't help feeling the Alfa will always throw up another problem just after you've fix the last.
It doesn't hate you it loves you passionately and you do keep "messing about" with other cars. The 2 times my old 145qv let me down was when I voiced that I might replace it while being in its presence.
Alfas are a Jealous breed.
9:33 that cut really shook me for a second
You Ian & others are in the same boat including myself to many cars, bad weather no motivation the alpha is one of them cars than cost the earth to keep roadworthy but when its one of the few remaining you sit back with some pride and say I'm glad I kept it
I think it's best to pass it on ..get the 200vi sorted
Add a car, sell a car. Makes sense. 8 on the fleet now?
i would sell the 145 and replace it with the rover 200vi...with the way the alfa treats you I think the Rover would be more reliable
I really appreciate your in depth tinkering videos, you really show how it is owning an old car. Along those lines, you should fix it. It is one of a kind in your fleet!
I let my 156 go a few weeks ago, like you it just wore me down. It was almost a relief to not have it anymore. Cut your losses Matt
I've owned three Alfas in my life and all have given me grief, but I still regret that they are not mine anymore. I say keep it and work on the list methodically; you have the expertise and will entertain us with the videos! There cant be too many 145s around and keeping one on the road is a service to all.
It's deflating to own an old car that bites back, when we treat them so well. I would sell it personally after all that.
I would definitely keep the 145, I'd say the fail sheet makes the issues look worse than they actually are. I understand you're excited about the ford, but I suspect if you got rid of the Alfa, you'd be left with an itch that still needed to be scratched.
Plus, the Alfa Romeo is the 2nd coolest car on your fleet, after the Volvo 740. 😉
My old mk1 punto was the same on the radio with no switched accessory line. Not that it mattered that much, 2 weeks after a new radio it was pinched, the radio not the car.
solves that problem
I hear you! I once had an Alfa and I promised, despite the wonderful driving and engine, never ever again...
Am feeling your pain on this one. My 1993 Range Rover v& has failed on emissions, tricky fault to get to the bottom of, on the other hand at least the rust on it is easy to see. MOT”s in winter are a terrible time for the home mechanic without a ramp indoors. Good luck with it though, it’s a pretty & rate car now. Might be better to sorn it till better weather & light nights 👍🏻
A V7 Rover? Puzzled? my & is on the 7.
Failing MOT even for minor things can lead to cars being left for years going to rack and ruin, best to get it through so at least it can get a chance for a ride out.
Be positive. You've got the hoses, tools and experience to do the jobs that need doing. It might just be a few loose bolts and some bulbs. I love this channel for this type of content. Looking forward to seeing the smile on your face when it's all done. I've never known anyone with an Alfa that hasn't found themselves in a similar position. I've never owned one and never will. How many miles since the last MOT Matt?
Aye, this would be all good channel content!
A difficult decision but you may regret getting rid of it. Replacing the brake hoses won't have to be done again for years and all those emission things could be solved with just one fix. I completely understand your not wanting to be out in the cold and rain. Who would. It will look different in the morning 😊
It's the pits of December, Hubnut clearly having the same motivation issues. Have a break over xmas and face it all again in the New Year, days start getting longer again in 10 days.
I had a Jaguar S Type 2.7D some years ago that did this to me. Beautiful to drive when it worked, but it was constantly going wrong. There literally wasn’t a month that went by where it didn’t need something new sorting out. In the end, I couldn’t stomach the unpredictable and regular nature of the bills so I did the very thing I was trying to avoid and got something modern on a PCP so my outgoings would be predictable. I was emotional when I gave the Jag to the dealer, but it was the right thing to do.
Bloody thing. I mean, I put all new mats in it and everything…
I had the horn fail on a 206D Turbo years ago. Horn was a pig to access so I bought one for a few quid in Halfords, screwed it to a convenient panel between the battery and headlamps and connected it to the horn feed which I found, cut and soldered.
Definitely crack on with it. You've hit the point of no return with that car... 😊
Evening Matt
You have spent some serious money on the alfa , but that's the joy of owning a old car no matter what it is , I would let it go along with the mercedes. That American motor is something else and I love it , and you can keep on top of that as it's a ready to drive car, also I expected your wife would be happy as well if some of them went 😀
The big issue is emissions. But once the manifold is fixed, you may find it's all good. The rest isn't that much.
Don't let it get you down...Be strong and you will be rewarded eventually for all your time, money and effort !
Persistence is the key here and the only best way forward >>>> Buying another Alfa 145 may not be a smart move as you might be buying another problem car even worse than this one !...besides you know this 145 well enough now and have fixed some of its faults and rust problems in your past videos ! Merry Christmas, Keep all the great videos coming, We love them ! 👍👍👍
Bin the Alfa and see if the rover 600 is for sale in Staffordshire" I sent you an email about the dealership a few months back" .
You would have 2 big giants on your drive then !!
Keep it, Matt! The regret will be deep if this goes, especially when you think of all the pleasure it brings you when you drive it. Preservation isn't cheap, unfortunately.
You have to keep it, you had all the hard work done with regards to the welding.
Exhaust, Brake pipes, lights and CV joint.
On my GTV's horn, the copper (i think) contact that is on the turn signal stalk got so worn that it wasnt touching the contact ring on the steering wheel coil (which is earth i think). take of the steering wheel and investigate that, there is a little spring under the copper nob (it acts as a brush), maybe it's stuck
Feel your pain, some of my fleet passes without an issue most years, but there's one always bites me every bleeding year
Both you and Ian are feeling abit low at the moment but you have the advantage in that all your problems on the Alfa are minor and most of your cars work. Chin up Matt.
So frustrating that a car you love can drive you so mad. Hope it settles itself down and gets on with driving. Good luck.
Hi Matt, being a fiat owner, I feel your pain. Sometimes you've got to cut your losses. Having a large fleet, sometimes you've got to make those horrid decisions 😞
Honestly, we've all had that car that keeps sucking you dry. I had it with my VW beetle, no matter what I spent, it still wanted more. I sold it eventually, but I regret falling in love with it in the first place.
Maybe cleaning the contacts on the wires to the horn might help, personally I prefer really loud air horns and connected to an alarm.
Think of the work you put into quentin, the volvo, fix the car, it's not that bad do the easy fixes first, an list like that looks bad it isn't, the weather is deflating no rush for it at the moment enjoy the big motor excellent content 👍
Hello. Sorry I can't answer your question, as to whether or not to keep it, but I can say you've no idea the work I'm putting in to recommissioning my Dad's 156 sportswagon. So far, I've rebuilt the floor and the structural elements of the sill. I've got a suspension mount to do, and then the outer sills, both sides, and the paintwork to refresh - it's been a very slow job, so far. Long story made short, you're not alone!
I think you should keep it Matt, depending on the offer from say the previous owner, get it dropped off to Go Italia and let them investigate the electrical gremlins, I know you spent a lot last year on the suspension tops.
A big list always looks worse on the Fault Sheet, it doesn't mean that the vehicle is toast. The Alfa is beautiful, a fact that is not necessary for MOT as the MOT is all about safety and roadworthiness. So these few faults are all that is holding her back from being perfect.
The fact is that whether you sort the P71 or the Rover Vi, while you are spending the time on one of them your enthusiasm for the Alfa is allowed to recover. Then you'll come back to the Alfa, fire her up, give her a rev and fall head over heels once more. Never fails.
Suddenly remeber why I promised myself, to never buy an Alfa again….. but when ever I see one, I seem to forget it 😉👍 The 145 is a very cool car, but sometimes one has to choose ones battles.
Had that issue with my Peugeot 306. I ended up installing a relay behind the dash that supplied (through the appropriate fuse) power from a big beefy circuit, trigger from something else I found at random..
Mot it and pass it on... Continuous heartache owning these fragile machines.
Once you get that w123 on the road you will never look back. I have a 300 turbo diesel imported from California, it will probably outlive me.
Let it rest for a few days, and the motivation will come back!
If its a car you have always wanted. Getting rid of it will just leave you will regret, and think of all that welding you've done.
When I first put the Megane back on the road I took it for a mock MOT and feared the worse (It still had a valid MOT done by previous owner). It wasn't all bad news but suffered the same high emissions. I'd heard some horror stories such as a Rover R8 with a newly rebuilt engine failing in emissions so this really wasn't what I wanted to hear. Anyway it turned out to be a hole in the exhaust manifold which once repaired tested well within the limits. Hopefully this will be the case with your Alfa.
SO much work do on that Alfa it's nearly there keep going it is worth it !
Don't let your heart rule your head
Sounds fairly fixable but maybe somewhere warm and dry? You have three realistic options. Sell as is to the purchaser already waiting in the wings, or fix and sell on the open market, or fix and keep.
I think you should perhaps SORN it, tuck it away till it gets warmer and then fix it. That gives you some thinking time ...
When I was young my old man told me Alfa are cars you buy, to be puzzles in your garage, or pay some one to play in there garage with , But I am extremely impressed with your "Ford Vic"
Get it through the MOT then consider your position.
You may fall in love with it again when you drive it, or you may decide to sell it back to its previous owner.
Either way it will survive to enchant and frustrate another day.
Regarding the horn, check the earthing point for the horn push in the steering wheel. I had a similar issue on a 307 with an intermittent horn that turned out to be a poor connection behind the airbag in the steering wheel.
That's the natural jealousy of a firy Italian car. It saw you fooling around with all those other cars... and when I saw that you tried to cover that with the rubbish bin yesterday, I knew this wouldn't end well.
Nice rare car but If it was me I'd be saying goodbye, especially if you have someone interested in owning it. You have plenty of other project cars to deal with.
Mothball it till the summer when the weather improves and makes such projects more palatable!
Most are easy fixes, and some can easily be checked before the re testing. I would just say with older cars there is normally always something come MOT time. It is a 20 plus year old car at the end of the day.
Old Alfa’s are always that way, you will constantly have issues to sort out, you have to love them to own and run them. They are the greatest car for 5 minutes they work properly, if you want a car that always makes content for your channel and you love the car, fix it, if not and the buyer offers you something decent for it, sell it.
Exactly this!
Oh dear that’s a shopping list of MOT fails and advisories!
Great job with the radio. You need to fix it and drive it 😁👍
driving it would make me love it again!
It's worth more with an MOT, so get that sorted with the parts you already have, then drive it and decide if you want to keep it. I guess your main problem is not having a place to store all your cars and work on them. Even a draughty barn like Hubnut's would be better than your drive.
Yes, Alfas! I have owned a 33 and two 155s, one a narrow body and the other a wide. All 2l twin sparks. Lets see: oil leaks, sensor failures, central locking failures, electric problems, eats cam belts etc etc. Never away from the local specialist ( who could perform wonders with these cars ) Even had a horn problem! When they are working well great! But I have learned my lesson.
I had a 155 and it was great. Unfortunately, someone crashed onto him, and I had to sent him to the scraper.
Now I have a Lancia Kappa and it's even better.
Lesson learnt, the hard way. It always the same with me too.
I think you either need to take the 145 to an Alfa specialist and let them do any necessary work or simply pass it onto someone else and concentrate on your other projects.
Relative to my now long gone Mercedes SL 2012 model, my various Alfa’s have been no trouble. Mercedes are riddled with too much expensive tech always going wrong, not what you’d expect on an £80k car.
New merch alert ! Broken Alfas shattered dreams Mugs anyone ? ☺️ Don't get down hearted, you love that car, it's winter now so I doubt you would want to drive it on salty roads anyway, just think positive this will be more great content 👍 Don't make any rash decisions you will regret. Keep up the great work 😊
Stick at it mate!!
Basic checks before you go for a MOT would be bulbs and washer fluid etc.
great video as usual, keep the alfa its one car you have had for ages
on the face of it there's alot to do but most is related and flexes and headlamps are a doddle
in my opinion keep it
Stick a battery isolator on it , and yes i had they same problem with my 916 with the aftermarket radio and the stupid Alfa way of doing things .Use a multi meter to check for current drain .I am sure i swapped those lives so the head unit actually turns off with the ignition , as opposed when i got it you had to turn it off manually .From what i remember the modern radio did not need a perminent live to remember stations
Time to treat to a stainless exhaust
problem solved with the rewire now
I’m must admit I’ve never had any ‘real’ issue with any Alfa including my 145’s. However, after recently selling what will be my last GTV, I will not be buying another.
In the 80s i owned a sud sprint 1.5 and
later a GTV2.0 .
After spending 10s of thousands of Guilders , they finaly rotted away .
So you probably understand my lifelong
hatred against this brand .
Never ever a spaghetti-racer again !!!
2 ways of looking at it, first - you can say you owned one and enjoyed driving it, plus you saved it. Second, if you sell it you know you will regret it at some point.
Stick with it Matt. Just think about rolling into National Alfa Day in the summer.
Please persevere! After spending a few coin on my Alfa Romeo GT, I recently drove it to Caffeine and Machine with fellow GT owners (its first long trip in a while) which reminded my why I love it so much. Still need to sort out the gear linkage, ventilation, .............
I had a 145 1.8TS W Reg year 2000 from new -: so understand your love for the car itself. However in truth I would say you have too much on your plate at present :-( I enjoy your content and cars you choose to nurture and save. Keep up the great work / videos.
Hey Matt, as a long time viewer from near where your Crown Vic is from (Akron, Ohio) I gotta say congrats on obtaining your dream car, looks BEAUTIFUL and of course, stay safe and keep up the great work. My dream car is something not many expect to be, I dream of owning a Trabant 601S Limosuine. I have videos on my channel in regards to going to the International Spy Museum in Washington DC last month for their Trabant Parade. Would you do a Trabant video for me? I think you will find them intriguing. Hopefully I can own a Trabant again soon. :)
A lot of this is easily fixed, and is good content. This car is definitely not one to give up on. To be fair, I have no enthusiasm at this time of year to be honest. You will do it Matt! What do you think of the Atoto headunit
Ive not driven far with it yet, but it works really well and is loaded with functions, DAB, Car Play wi-fi (phone hot spot works perfectly) and the option of a sim card.
Touch screen works well, the only thing Im not mad about is the non physical volume controls
That list isn’t terrible. Don’t give in.
Yea, we all have those feelings sometimes when things go wrong in our cars.
Those failures aren´t big tho, should be kinda easy repairs.
Maybe take some time off from it, and come back to it later.
I´ve had the exhaust leaks and problems with headlights too, lights not working at all, and horn not working (and this was on a Honda :D)
At least you're not having half a meter of snow in the yard.... my garage is as full as yours... and my snowsled is broken, my snowthrower won't start and more is coming down... But being an Alfa lover like you means constant attention, like having a gorgeous women by your side, don't drop it! :)
I had a 146 that I did 70k in 5 years and it never let me down. I part xd it with 145k for a fiat diesel but it was ready for a service a windscreen and front wishbones and the stonechips had all joined up on the bonnet lip. I would love another today, I say keep it.
145 TINKERING REQUIRED!!! Keep up the great content matt , STAY SAFE 👍👍👍👍👍 MOJO REQUIRED........
Why sell a car you always wanted, got it, invested in and love it? Older cars always get some faults and problems, which is understandable. Parts get old, wear and break. I own my quattro 20 years and every now and then something needs to be fixed or replaced. I see at as an investment. Yes sometimes it's annoying when something is broken again. But if don't want maintenance: get a new car with warranty. Older cars have ''character'' as we call it! Please keep this stunning 145. Personally I would keep 25 VVC, the tomcat, and the P6's. Restore the W123 and sell it + the 740. My personal thoughts...
The light adjustment has only been a MTO failure for about 6 years now.Mine failed on my 159 tbi 1.75cc .I never noticed it because I drive on my own so never need to adjust the light levels,luckily I got a secondhand one on EBAY and it passed.I would say cut your losses as it will keep digging a hole in your pocket.
Strangely my 156 Sportwagon failed on headlamp alignment, something it had never had a problem with before. For some reason, even with the headlamps right at the top of their adjustment they were still too low. A bottle cap wedged between the top of the headlamp and the slam panel rectified it and a pass followed!😆 My 156 has other problems though, it thinks the drivers door is always open meaning I’ve had to turn all the interior lights off and lock the car manually!
Keep positive. Owning cars is like sitting in front of a roaring fire throwing tenners on it! And Furious Sitting In The Driveway means having to rebrand all your channel and stuff.
Depends on the car! Choose wisely
I owned a 1999 Spider Twin Spark for just over 3 years. No matter how much I tried to keep it in tip-top order, something would literally go wrong every time I used the bloody thing.
What should you do?
You are currently juggling:
A Rover 200
A Red Mini
An Alfa Romeo
A Rover P6
A Mercedes Estate
A Ford Crown
A Mercedes 127
A Volvo 700, and last, and by all means least...
A Sinclair C5
Have you ever thought of converting the kitchen into a small paint shop, and digging a couple of inspection pits in the front room? Conversely, the whole ground floor would make a great dry storage area.
2 P6s
@@furiousdriving Sorry, Matt. My memory's not so good these days. I'm still struggling with "Man, Woman, Person, Camera, TV."
@@greghill7759 😂