Unavailable Sillyspeed Part

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me in a battle with Alfa Romeo UK. A
pressure sensor failed in the clutch actuator on my 156 Selespeed
causing it to be just a huge hunk of metal with an engine in it. Starts
fine but a red light mocks any attempt to engage a gear. No problem,
these things fail, expensive but that's life.

What is difficult to believe is that Alfa Romeo not only don't have any
of these parts in the UK but can't give me an ETA of when they might
expect one. In the meantime my car is sat at the dealers gathering dust
and I've had to resort to hiring cars to get around. Not quite the
service I expect from a supposedly up-market European manufacturer.

For more fun look at http://www.livejournal.com/users/mrmicks/ where
the whole sorry tale is described. If anyone has any suggestion on what
I can try next please let me know.

--
Mick Sheppard

wibbled in this way:

> Hi all,
>
> I'm wondering if anyone can help me in a battle with Alfa Romeo UK. A
> pressure sensor failed in the clutch actuator on my 156 Selespeed
> causing it to be just a huge hunk of metal with an engine in it. Starts
> fine but a red light mocks any attempt to engage a gear. No problem,
> these things fail, expensive but that's life.
>
> What is difficult to believe is that Alfa Romeo not only don't have any
> of these parts in the UK but can't give me an ETA of when they might
> expect one. In the meantime my car is sat at the dealers gathering dust
> and I've had to resort to hiring cars to get around. Not quite the
> service I expect from a supposedly up-market European manufacturer.
>
> For more fun look at http://www.livejournal.com/users/mrmicks/ where
> the whole sorry tale is described. If anyone has any suggestion on what
> I can try next please let me know.
>
> --
> Mick Sheppard
>
>

tried eb spares?

--
David

I can see my house from here

On 4 Jul 2005 03:20:43 -0700, " >, wrote:

>What is difficult to believe is that Alfa Romeo not only don't have any
>of these parts in the UK but can't give me an ETA

It is just the same with Many parts. Try getting a door hinge that was a
factory failure replaced under warranty - 13 weeks :-(

Pete
--
>
156 2.0 TS (2001) - Proteo Rosso

there must be plenty of second hand pressure sensors about, they are hardly
a common failure....
that would at least get you back on the road

"Pete" > wrote in message
...
> On 4 Jul 2005 03:20:43 -0700, " >, wrote:
>
>>What is difficult to believe is that Alfa Romeo not only don't have any
>>of these parts in the UK but can't give me an ETA
>
> It is just the same with Many parts. Try getting a door hinge that was a
> factory failure replaced under warranty - 13 weeks :-(
>
> Pete
> --
> >
> 156 2.0 TS (2001) - Proteo Rosso

You'd think that wouldn't you. However the actuator is apparently a
sealed unit and they can't just replace the sensor. They have to
replace the whole actuator which doesn't come cheap. Given the labour
costs for replacing the actuator I don't really want to go with a
second hand one with could fail as well.

Oh no. 13 weeks! Don't say things like that. If its going to take that
long I might as well go and buy another car now and trade the current
one in in its non-functional state. It'll cost me more than I'll lose
in hiring cars to cover not having the part for 13 weeks.

Anyone have the address of Alfa Romeo's head office in Italy. I feel
the need to write a letter to the new CEO explaining why, no matter how
good the cars, Alfa are doomed to failure in the UK. I spoke to what is
laughingly called Alfa Romeo Customer Care and was told, effectively,
that there was nothing they could do, I was at the mercy of the parts
computer and I just had to suck it up. This on the complaints line
after they had twice told me that someone would call and no one had.

On 5 Jul 2005 00:50:43 -0700, " >, wrote:

>Oh no. 13 weeks! Don't say things like that.

I sincerely hope that your wait is not as long.
I have, I believe, a good local AR dealership.
The ludicrous wait for parts from Italy seemed
to me to be a delay caused by Alfa GB. Not
necessarily fact. Just the way that it seemed 2 me.

Pete
--
>
156 2.0 TS (2001) - Proteo Rosso

I would look at getting a solicitor involved as all manufacturers are
obliged by law to be able to supply a spare for any car under 10 years old.
Most solicitors will give an initial consultation free so you can get a feel
for the lay of the land.

A few years ago a friend of mine sold a used rover turbo exhaust manifold to
the local dealer for £300 because they were in the same boat with one of
their customers.

Give it a try

Karl

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi all,
>
> I'm wondering if anyone can help me in a battle with Alfa Romeo UK. A
> pressure sensor failed in the clutch actuator on my 156 Selespeed
> causing it to be just a huge hunk of metal with an engine in it. Starts
> fine but a red light mocks any attempt to engage a gear. No problem,
> these things fail, expensive but that's life.
>
> What is difficult to believe is that Alfa Romeo not only don't have any
> of these parts in the UK but can't give me an ETA of when they might
> expect one. In the meantime my car is sat at the dealers gathering dust
> and I've had to resort to hiring cars to get around. Not quite the
> service I expect from a supposedly up-market European manufacturer.
>
> For more fun look at http://www.livejournal.com/users/mrmicks/ where
> the whole sorry tale is described. If anyone has any suggestion on what
> I can try next please let me know.
>
> --
> Mick Sheppard
>
>

On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 20:24:42 GMT, "Karl" >,
wrote:

>I would look at getting a solicitor involved as all manufacturers are
>obliged by law to be able to supply a spare for any car under 10 years old.
>Most solicitors will give an initial consultation free so you can get a feel
>for the lay of the land.

Hope it does get that bad Mick.

>A few years ago a friend of mine sold a used rover turbo exhaust manifold to
>the local dealer for £300 because they were in the same boat with one of
>their customers.
>
>Give it a try

Nah! Don't put any Rover parts on your Alfa. Used or New. <ROFLOL>

Pete
--
>
156 2.0 TS (2001) - Proteo Rosso

Pete wrote:

> On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 20:24:42 GMT, "Karl" >,
> wrote:
>
>>I would look at getting a solicitor involved as all manufacturers are
>>obliged by law to be able to supply a spare for any car under 10 years
>>old. Most solicitors will give an initial consultation free so you can get
>>a feel for the lay of the land.
>
> Hope it does get that bad Mick.
I think you miseed n and ' and t. But maybe not

>>A few years ago a friend of mine sold a used rover turbo exhaust manifold
>>to the local dealer for £300 because they were in the same boat with one
>>of their customers.
>>
>>Give it a try
>
> Nah! Don't put any Rover parts on your Alfa. Used or New. <ROFLOL>

Actually there are some brake components that are used on 75 track cars.....

--
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www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk