What to look for in a second hand 159 JTS / JTD

[kottek]

Hey guys,

Looked online and loved the style of the Alfas, looking to get a second hand 159 JTD 2009.

What are the critical things I need to know about?  I've been on the alfaworkshop website & had a a look at various maintenance items.  Have a good understanding of the service schedule and looking to get a pre-purchase inspection before purchase.

Should I get a JTS or a JTD?  How many km are they designed to run in for, currently averaging 15,000km/yr however looking to hold on to it for 7+ years.

What else should I know about them?

Cheers guys, appreciate your help.

[AndrewK]

Hey there,

159s are a great looking car and comfortable to ride in.

For me the pick of the bunch of engines is the 2.4l JTDM, which is the 5 cylinder 20 valve turbo diesel. V8 torque but with great economy. We went away over Easter in our 159 and managed to get from Hornsby to Albury on 5/8 tank (about 43L iirc).

The only issue I've had with it was failure of the swirl valve linkage on the engine, which lead to soot deposits in the turbo and manifold. It apparently is quite a common failure on European diesels. SwirlRepair has a cheap kit which fixes the problem.

Other than that, no issues. By the way, I use BP Ultimate diesel rather the stuff made for trucks.

[kottek]

Hi Andrew K,

Thats good news then, the 2.4L JTDM is exactly what i'm after, black on black sedan would be a dream come true for me.  Being in VIC though the available sports Ti version for sale at this present time is limited unless I travel to NSW, QLD, WA, & drive it back, or settle for a wagon.

Any suggestions?

CK

[John Hanslow]

the JTD engine is well respected but does have a few issues.

basically it should be for daily freeway driving under our Australian conditions due to limitations with low quality fuel and the simple fact that they constantly need a good run to keep soot deposits to a minimum.

Cheers

[Stuggy]

One thing I would warn you about...having just gone through the problem myself. Check the service history well...as mine had only done 45K KLms but the water pump seized as it had not been replaced when the timing belt was replaced. This caused some major damage to the rockers and rollers but it could have been much worse. Apparently there was a recall on the water pumps but again it had not been detected in the vehicle I purchase. They are a beautiful vehicle though and a joy to drive.