Selespeed and catalyser issues

[SeleMatt]

So the exhaust's welded up again. Engine light's back on with the following codes.

P300 ignition failures (generic) - Signal low - Stored -  Light ON

P301 Cylinder 1 ignition failures - Signal low - Stored - Light ON

Catalyser 1 - Signal high - Fatal - Light ON

Catalyser 2 - Signal high - Fatal - Light ON

How does one know what's causing what...?...

I might add you can't detect any of this going on while driving it around. If the engine light never came on, you wouldn't know anything was amiss.

[bazzbazz]

All that aside - I've never had any of my Alfas with normal manual or Q-auto trannies suddenly prevent me from changing gear or rev without warning in the middle of the road. Except that pesky engine fire ....

Hey Pooh, you haven't upgraded to a 159 recently by any chance have you? 

https://www.pickles.com.au/damaged-salvage/item/-/details/C2008--Alfa-Romeo--159--Sedan/502487223

[poohbah]

 

Not mine this time...

[SeleMatt]

I'm trying to fit the gear engagement sensor on top of the actuator.

The electrical socket part of the sensor is not allowing me (by butting up against cylindrical sensor next to it ) to be able to locate the sensor over the spline top with the requisite quarter turn of preload

It simply won't slip on to the spline. I went to move the aforementioned cylindrical sensor next to it to create the room but sele oil (oil pressure sensor?) started leaking out of it so I VERY quickly re-tightened it.

So to be clear. The sensor does not align with the shaft/spline and it will not slip on. There's no way of twisting some preload onto it prior to slipping it on to the shaft that's obvious to me. I've also tried refitting the old ones and they won't go on either.

What am i missing here? It's supposed to be straight forward. I've already done the gear selection sensor on the rear which was a piece of cake despite warnings to the contrary.

Any assistance appreciated.

[bazzbazz]

There's a knack. You have to sit it on the spline with the inner side down at a 45 degree angle allowing you enough room to rotate it while engaged on the spline.

See, easy.   

[SeleMatt]

I had already tried what Bazz suggested and what he says is no doubt true despite my failure. And having been trying intermittently all day to slip it on, I think I may have burred the jaw openings enough to negate the chance of doing it the way he explained by late this afternoon.
So I removed the air valve thingy and it went straight on. Use an 11mm spanner; no need to remove the floating cap on top of it.

[bazzbazz]

Air Valve thingy?   
Floating Cap?   

[SeleMatt]

Yes I know Bazz...a supremely non-technical description. I've been finding the e-learn most frustrating to navigate...I'd much rather a good 'ole fashioned factory manual...IN BOOK FORM.

So what actually is it...whats it do? 

[bazzbazz]

I would assume you're referring to a Electrovalve but the "Floating Cap" thing has me utterly bamboozled? 

[SeleMatt]

On my car it's a cap, lightly crimped into a groove immediately above the 11mm hex; so it's not 'fixed' tight.

Perhaps it should be? That's how I found it... no wires to it...

[bazzbazz]

WAIT A MINUTE!

Did you have the car in Neutral before trying to replace the engagement sensor?

The Engagement Sensor is the easy one, it's the Clutch Sensor (The one I replaced when you were here) that's the troublesome one.

Hence why I ask if you had it in neutral.

[SeleMatt]

No. The car was not in neutral before starting the job.

ABSOLUTELY ENSURE that the car is in NEUTRAL before removing the battery to fit the gear engagement sensor!!

[bazzbazz]

It's taken you 7 months to work this out?   

[SeleMatt]

Haha. I was trawling back through the post looking for something else and discovered I hadn't confirmed that most important point. It actually deserves it's own post header.