GT selespeed driving tips please

lombardi · January 12, 2012, 07:59:49 PM

Just picked up my 2005 GT JTS selespeed and am thrilled. Apparently i have heard that driving style determines the longevity of the system ie, selespeed, quite common life expectancy of around 90k, so if any alfa aficiandos have the good advice could they please share knowledge to extend my ownership joy on this fantastic motor car. grazie-- and any other tips would be greatly appreciated (am very aware of the timing belt 60k change or 3 years) plus excess usage of oil and the synthetic 10-60 castrol recommendation.

wankski · January 12, 2012, 09:41:41 PM

neutralise the system when stopped for a long while.... the sele system just clutches it in, and the polymer throw out bearing over heats... this is the most common reason for clutch failure in the sele..

aside from that - drain the fluid - replace with tutela CS only and you should be right.... budget to replace the pump - in fact maybe you should buy one and an accumulator and keep em on stand by. likewise sele relay, then u should be good to go...

90k? who told you that? ignore.

John Hanslow · January 13, 2012, 07:44:02 AM

An Alfa garage previously advised that if you purchase a selespeed expect to replace it after 80,000 kms.

Perhaps that is based on the fact that some people do not get their vehicle correctly serviced, selespeed system reset etc and correct preventative maintenance.

They also said that a lot of the selespeed work they undertake is done for new Alfa owners who bought the cars - as they were fashionable and cheap with no understanding of even basic service requirements.

Obviously a car with service history and a prepurchase inspection can lead to very real savings.

Regards.

wankski · January 13, 2012, 10:57:32 AM

Quote from: John Hanslow on January 13, 2012, 07:44:02 AM
An Alfa garage previously advised that if you purchase a selespeed expect to replace it after 80,000 kms.

ha, not a bad business when in AUS dealers and specialists claim you cannot service them, you must replace @ $3.5k for the part + labour.

many people have fully disassembled the actuator and serviced it w/ new o rings, replaced servos when necessary and of course replace the accumulator and have it as good as new.

If an alfa garage cannot do this, then they are not worth the paint on the sign that says 'mechanic'...

It is possible that the actuator completely fails - commonly cracking the rear bulkhead and causing leaking of the sele fluid into the g/b causing eventual failure of the g/b too. obviously that is not good and a complete replacement must be sourced - but that is very rare...

most issues that crop up are pressure related as the system is in true a little engineered with no redundancies... why the accumulator is plastic i'll never know, and no after market supplier has done one in alu that i'm aware of...

lombardi · January 14, 2012, 07:20:36 AM

THANKS for your very helpfull hints, especially neutralising when stopped for a while, i love this baby and want to nurse it for longevity.rgrds

Jekyll and Hyde · January 14, 2012, 12:24:40 PM

Quote from: wankski on January 12, 2012, 09:41:41 PM
neutralise the system when stopped for a long while.... the sele system just clutches it in, and the polymer throw out bearing over heats...

Selecting neutral makes no difference, clutch is always in if the car is running but not moving.

Quote from: wankski on January 13, 2012, 10:57:32 AM
why the accumulator is plastic i'll never know,

Eh? Sure you didn't mean to say clutch bearing here? The accumulator IS metal...

sele · January 30, 2012, 01:56:46 AM

Few user tips

1. First after start 4 gear changes under 3000 revs then full throttle

2. Change gears keeping throttle in constant (or just a small bit of release)
3. For maneuvering be patient - press throttle gently keep it in this position and allow car to start crawl.
4. For max performace keep throttle floored for gear change or even allow to car switch to next gear.

5. SWITCH OFF ASR !!! (First thing after jump in

)

Have a fun

lombardi · January 31, 2012, 08:06:54 AM

Thanks sele for your hints, find it interesting about ASR, why is it that alfa activates this automatically,u would think the opposite as X normal driving conditions, this is my first experience with the sele system,always favourd manual alfas but i must say i love the sele system,gives u so many more options and is much fun, am not scared any more,my only question mark is the longevity-- did the oil change and filter myself the other day and on the jts is very easy,once the cover panel is off oil filter is very accessible,this is a pleasent change to some other alfas i have owned. rgrds