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Alfa Romeo Repair/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| Jetronic Aux Air Valve / Idle Performance | 2/17/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Great information. Again, what is an acceptable power supply to the fuel pump? My measurement of ... A: Yes, run an additional wire directly from the battery while engine is running and see if it helps ... | ||
| Jetronic Aux Air Valve / Idle Performance | 2/17/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Sokol - Regarding my Alfa Spider's noisy fuel pump, and startup-then ... A: I did not catch the misprint. I meant to write 0.3 volts. Your ground system is fine, it is the ... | ||
| Jetronic Aux Air Valve / Idle Performance | 2/16/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Could a voltage measurement at the main fuel pump terminals, measured while the engine/pump are ... A: In an earlier exchange I said to turn in the screw on the air flow sensor (under the plug that ... | ||
| Jetronic Aux Air Valve / Idle Performance | 2/15/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: My in-tank pump (and sock) was recently replaced with a larger Delco unit for a Volvo, so probably ... A: 1)Now is not the time to adjust the tension of the air flow sensor. 2)The check valve on the output ... | ||
| Jetronic Aux Air Valve / Idle Performance | 2/15/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Great info. My Spider's in great shape and running quite well (never quite well enough for me ... A: I am not there to hear the noise but it must be fuel pump related and there are two ways that noise ... | ||
| Jetronic Aux Air Valve / Idle Performance | 2/13/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Interesting ideas. I appreciate your expertise. I couldn't adjust the timing to save my life. ... A: Re: the noise. The differential is limited slip type and needs a 75w-90 synthetic oil that needs to ... | ||
| Jetronic Aux Air Valve / Idle Performance | 2/13/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: At what temp is the aux air valve supposed to close off completely? Wondering if it's supposed to ... A: You have two problems which is why I gave you the tuning parameters. I have had hit and miss luck ... | ||
| Jetronic Aux Air Valve / Idle Performance | 2/11/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I'm shining a flashlight into my 1984 Alfa Spider's Auxiliary Air Valve. How wide should the ... A: About half the area should be open around 30F. Any Bosch air valve will do so get the best price. ... | ||
| Re: Repairing an Alfa Spider | 2/9/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Are Alfa Romeo Spiders "easy" to fix or are they "difficult" to deal with like a B.M.W? I would ... A: It is expected that you know proper procedures and really do understand how to diagnose electrical ... | ||
| Over revving | 2/7/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I own an Alfa 156 2.0ts. When warm and idling the engine revs race from about 400 to 2000revs, the ... A: The MAF sensor may need cleaning or the MAP sensor vacuum tube may be clogged. However, I need more ... | ||
| Spider starts, then dies | 2/6/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: 1984 Spider, Bosch L-Jetronic. I just got my cold-start problem fixed and now it starts IMMEDIATELY ... A: Fully warm the idle should be 1000rpm. With the lead to the O2 sensor disconnected attach a digital ... | ||
| torque | 2/4/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Can you tell me the torque required for heads on a 1991 model 164? or where can I get this ... A: the shop manual gives a range of 10-11 nm (newton meters) the middle of that with english measure is ... | ||
| 2.0 twinspark cloverleaf | 2/3/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I have an Alfa 145 with the above engine. The engine has lost power to the extent that it is very ... A: You must have 100k miles on it to have had the plugs changed... This means the cam belts should have ... | ||
| service | 2/1/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: selespeed 2002... i want to know this because i think the servive is too expensive and they charge ... A: Changing the timing belt is a precision job that can easily be misdhandled if you are inexperienced. ... | ||
| Alfa Romeo 145 Boxer 1996 1.4 | 1/21/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Some updates, the mechanic has changed a new lambda sensor. Today, when i turn the ignition switch ... A: Your mechanic does not like you telling him what to do. However, it is now time to clean all the ... | ||
| Alfa Romeo 145 Boxer 1996 1.4 | 1/17/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: The car was brought to the garage and it doesn't show any fault codes. However, I can now pinpoint ... A: I could pinpoint the problem if I was there with the car. I would test the throttle position ... | ||
| 89 Alfa Milano Gold electrical issue | 1/15/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I purchased an 89 Milano Gold that has spark but doesn't start. I removed the alarm system thinking ... A: fuse #13 powers the fuel pump and it gets its feed from relay #148 which is next to the fuse bank at ... | ||
| fuel /crankcase? | 1/12/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I have 74 spider spica injected 2000 after 3 months stored went to start and fuel was spuing out of ... A: It is probably seal failure in the injection pump. Drain the oil, blow out the cylinders with ... | ||
| Alfa Romeo 145 Boxer 1996 1.4 | 1/11/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: The car just came back from the garage. They didn't find any wrong codes during the checkup. ... A: This usually happens when the fuel pump is failing. When tested it can appear good but fails ... | ||
| alfa no tickover | 1/7/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: theres that many sensors and with it having electronic injection iam puzzeled at what it could be ... A: A code has been set and a scanner will give you the code. However, the fuel pump can quit anytime ... | ||
| white smoke | 1/4/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I found the problem, it's was a leaking break master cylinder leaking back through the vacuum ... A: I should have picked up on the intermittent part. I am sure you did not get all the air out. Use a ... | ||
| Misses when warmed up | 1/2/2007 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I have a 1987 Graduate that has been running great for the last 6 years. Your recently helped me ... A: It is a lean miss. You can try advancing the ignition timing to 6btdc. But, another thing to do is ... | ||
| spider oil pressure | 12/30/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I have an 89 spider quad with 109k miles. I run 0w40 synthetic oil and the oil pressure gauge has ... A: I am finding that the car guys are getting overenthusiastic about how thin an oil can be used. You ... | ||
| car will not start | 12/30/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I have a 1990 alfa romeo spyder graduate 40000 miles, the car has been excellent, but since I have ... A: If you are not using the vehicle, disconnect the negative lead from the battery and connect a ... | ||
| Alfa Spider Veloce 1974 2liter | 12/29/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Just started my car and noticed major oil smoke from exhaust and no oil pressure at gauge. Car was ... A: It is highly probable that the valve stem seals have given up--if you see blue smoke as opposed to ... | ||
| Alfa idle problem after battery change | 12/29/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I have just had to change my battery. I have an Alfa 145, 1.6, 1995 model. Now, at rest the idle ... A: When you disconnected the battery, the ECM lost its volatile memory--it takes at least 10 miles of ... | ||
| fuel line replacement | 12/27/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Could you follow up on question number 2 about getting the return line into the tank. ThanksI am ... A: The return line goes in at the top of the tank. Drop the tank and you will see. Your tank may or ... | ||
| fuel line replacement | 12/26/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I am the original owner of a 1974 spyder still in mint shape and runs like a top. My rubber fuel ... A: Replace all the coolant hoses. It is always a hassle finding a hose to be forced on and I forget ... | ||
| jtd wont start, faulty cam sensor? | 12/26/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: hope you are having a good Christmas, I have a 1.9 JTD that is havin a holiday cos it will not ... A: Many things can cause a no start and it takes a step by step procedure to find the problem. ... | ||
| Alfa 156 2.0 tspark | 12/25/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I have an Alfa 156, 2.0 twin spark, 1998. The original fault i had with the vehicle was that the ... A: Remove the maf sensor from the system. Find the channel that the air flow sensor is in--not the temp ... | ||
| loss of power on the highway | 12/21/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: so you think the engine died because there was a lost of electrical power to the engine? but it ... A: As you give me more information I am better able to narrow the problem. Now, with this information ... | ||
| loss of power on the highway | 12/21/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: i saw your post on the lost of electric power to engine. i have a alfa romeo 145. today i was ... A: With any problem with electrics the first thing to do is clean the battery terminals. And then ... | ||
| alfa oil sender | 12/20/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: having replaced the sump and refilling with oil the oil pressure light comes on on the dashdo you ... A: It probably needs an oil pump. take out the pressure sender and briefly start up the engine or ... | ||
| Alfa 147 alarm - how to disconnect | 12/20/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Its actually a siren rather then a horn alarm, we can't find the system (neither can the AA.) I ... A: Logic would indicate that a security system have its own power. But, on automobiles this is rarely ... | ||
| alfa spider cold start mystery | 12/20/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I have an 87 alfa spider that has a hard time starting when cold. I have replaced both the start ... A: On your system, pin 4 at the ECM sends positive to the cold start injector and the thermo-time ... | ||
| Alfa 145 2ltr cloverleaf | 12/19/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: .hope you can help me. I bought a 145 2ltr cloverleaf a few months ago with 57k on the clock with ... A: Have them clean the battery terminals for sure. Then, with electrical contact cleaner, they should ... | ||
| alfa romeo 164 super 12v-94 | 12/17/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: Am in love with alfas,but when electrical problems starts,my problems are,airbag lamp blinks and ... A: Many of the problems you listed are probably because of a failed ground--either corroded or a broken ... | ||
| Alfa 156 02 heater out of control & cruise control intermitant fault | 12/16/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: It is the 'new' type with LED chrome dials. The direction of air flow, temparature and fan speed ... A: Dirty battery terminals will cause electronic items to fail over time. The same with poor grounds. ... | ||
| Alfa Fuel System | 12/16/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I'm still troubleshooting. I put in a new MSD coil per your tips, model 8202. (That's compatible ... A: item 1- the cold start injector gets positive from the starter solenoid and neg from the thermo ... | ||
| alfa ignition problem | 11/29/2006 | Stephen Sokol |
| Q: I can see that you know a lot about alfas. I have recently bought my 164 made in 1991. Car has ... A: Did you change with a new or used pump. Did you replace the check valve on the output of the fuel ... | ||
Stephen Sokol
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Cannot answer questions about bodywork. Am experienced with the mechanicals of the entire Alfa line
Experience
40 year Jouneyman mechanic on Maserati, FIAT and Alfa-Romeo
Education/Credentials
Taught fuel injection at a Vocational School in San Francisco
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