New Alfa owner and member

[jdk]

Hi,
Just purchased my first Alfa (progression) which is essentially the wife's car - or so she says!
We have never owned one before and the size and specifications suit our lifestyle and needs perfectly. We only have just under 1000ks on the clock at the moment but really enjoying the experience so far.

I do have an early question for the much more learned members of the forum - we have been advised by the dealer that we require a 2000k service but privately the alfa salesperson mentioned to me that this is not mandatory and we could wait until the scheduled 15000k service if we wanted.

My instinct tells me that a 2000k service (at my cost) is probably prudent but would welcome comments. Any idea what this would/should cost?

Looking forward to gaining a lot more knowledge and understanding through the forum.

John

[colcol]

If i ever purchased a new car, then i would drive it home and drain the oil out, put some running in oil in the engine and go for a 1,000 kilometre drive up around the hills to run the engine in properly.
Running in oil creates friction and helps the parts bed in and it has detergent in the oil, to clean up a dirty engine, that has rough bits of metal floating around in it.
Driving up a hill makes the pistons rings work hard and bed in, then driving down the hill allows the rings to cool down.
But in the real world, i would get the engine oil changed at 1,000 - 2,000 kilometres on a new engine and forget about 15,000 klm oil changes, that would be using the best synthetic oil driving on the freeway.
In the real world of traffic and city running, i would change the oil sooner.
If it is a leased or company car, do the servicing when Alfa Romeo say, but if it is your own car i would change the oil a bit sooner.
Oil is about the cheapest thing you can put in an engine, Colin.

[jdk]

Thanks Colin for the reply. It is our car so would like to make sure that we look after it properly. Will definately make sure that it is serviced at 2000k and satisfy myself that it is using premium synthetic oil.
John

[colcol]

Hey John welcome to Alfa ownership, use whatever oil is recomended and change it on time.
Bring your Guilietta along to the Alfa Club show day in about 3 weeks at Wesley College in St. Kilda, as the theme is Guilietta's through the years going back to the 50's, see how its progressed, Colin.

[Cool Jesus]

Welcome aboard. The first service I believe is free? On new vehicles at most you may be up for consumables, but it's an initial service after run in to freshen the oil and make sure she's behaving. Salesman saying no need for it, hmmmm, trying to keep overheads down is what I'm hearing. Speak to service department and ask what the cost is. It's a standard item and you could even wait as it would be quick to do. Not that you can see, but I'm shaking my head as I tisk tisk at how the Alfas are being treated by dealerships that have taken them on. Ask him to write that in the service book for you that he advised you that it wasn't necessary and you could wait til 20K kms down the road.

One thing you can't do, and I'm glad your not, is to skimp on servicing. They need to be regular, and by all means they are t a dealership only item. There plenty of good I dependant alfa mechanics and they won't rob you blind and do know their way around Alfas unlike some dealerships.

[jdk]

Thanks guys - appreciate the feedback and the heads up on the Alfa show day.
John

[jdk]

Just to update - checked with Alfa dealer service department and the first service (i.e. 2000ks) is free. Really just a checkup to see that all is functioning correctly. You can have the oil changed (optional) for a fee of $50.00 which I am certainly going to do. Service department confirmed that oil change is not mandatory but most people do it anyway. Makes you wonder why at $50.00 they dont just recommend that it be done?
John

[colcol]

Because somehow people think that long service intervals are a good thing, like 12 month oil changes or 15,000 klms or whichever comes first.
In the olden days, running in was a big deal and important to your engine, now people just talk about music streaming or blueteeth or something, Colin.