2012 giulietta 2.0 jtd tct broken timing belt

[giulietta 999]

Hi all wondering whether you could provide me with some much needed expertise regarding the consequences of having the timing belt / kit failing.
The story: early December 2015 the timing belt and timing belt kit was fitted at one of the Alfa dealerships. Last Thursday (21st of January)whilst driving the car it went in to limp mode( no dash boards lights came on) and it wasn't verified until the car was transported to the dealership that it was the timing belt assembly had failed apparently the tensioner spring had let go. I have just been informed that the replacement timing belt kit will be installed tomorrow and then the proper engine start up will be done to ascertain whether any damage to the engine has occurred.my question is that even though the dealership says all is ok to take delivery I am worried that the engine performance and reliability have been compromised and I will end up with a huge cost as a result of this episode. I would appreciate any guidance from anyone who has knowledge on this

Many thanks

[giulietta 999]

Hi sportiva your reply was exactly what I was after.
I have just received a call from the Alfa dealership in question advising that they have manually rotated the engine together with other checks and at this point seems ok. The limp mode may have activated quick enough to prevent damage to the engine.They have also checked the engine bay for other damage that may have resulted none so far. They advised that a lug that retains the retaining spring had failed which caused the problem ( hope I got that right) the actual timing belt did not break or shred . With regards to the installation of the new timing belt and timing kit together with the engine assessment ie all labour is at the cost of the dealership. A parts claim will be submitted to fiat Australia and a report as to the failure. These mechanical parts failure cannot help raise the fact that if this part failed and is part of the factory kit then other timing kits currently being installed may result in the same failure.
The plan is that the rest of the assembly will be performed tomorrow and engine started .
Will keep advising as to the progress

Many thanks

[giulietta 999]

Hi all its been a few months since I posted the fact that the timing belt mechanism that had only been installed for 6 weeks failed. Even though after the new replacement belt was installed and the engine tested ok by the Alfa dealership I felt the performance of the car was not the same. I recently arranged to have the car serviced at Alex Donnini's work shop and for Alex to have an independent assessment of the car. Very pleased to say that while inspecting under the motor cover Alex noticed that on one of the turbo hoses the clip had either come loose or at some previous service had not been properly secured. The car is now performing as it should whereas I thought the performance change was due to a motor problem caused by the timing belt mechanism and very hard to prove due to the fact that there were no error codes registering. By securing the hose clip this may have solved the problem . Many thanks go to Alex for his patience while I tried to explain my concerns and  how I felt the car was performing . What a difference it makes speaking to the person actually performing the job and showing genuine concern rather than the service staff at the dealerships.

[alfamisa]

Good to hear. Alex is as good as anyone out there and a genuine Alfisti. I would recommend his workshop to all. http://www.alfadonninirepairs.com.au/

Happy motoring

[colcol]

In early July, the Alfa Romeo Club of Victoria are having a workshop visit there, and the car put under the microscope will be the modern series Giulietta, a good time to reserve your place, it is being organised by Max Maltese, Colin.

[bazzbazz]

Nice to see someone have a good result from such a possible catastrophic event. Unfortunately when things are mass produced a small percentage can have defects, that's why warranties were invented. Though they missed the turbo pipe its a good change to see the dealership did everything they were supposed to in your case.

Baz