RE: My nice new 164 is a POS

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@domain.elided>]

> I buy 1994 164LS auto w/ 135k mostly all highway miles from its 2nd
owner.
> Talk to local ex-dealer, find tech for 1st owner, confirm no "major
problems".

Advice of first tech is useless, how the hell would he know what's gone
wrong since the second owner had the car?

For a used car with that many miles on it, you should always have it
inspected.

Also, there's no such thing as mostly all highway miles..

Always budget a grand or two for incidentals in any used car purchase.

> Within 1 week it dumps the heater core.  8 hrs. labor.  Ouch.
> 
> I drive it 6 hours each way to Indy last weekend for the F1 race.
(You gotta 
> love that sh*t.)  On the way back it loses all AC cooling, and the
display 
> for the climate control flakes out so you can't tell what setting it's
at.
> 
> THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS!!
>    When I take it in to check for freon leaks they show me the serious
oil 
> leak in the right front region.  Like from somewhere under the timing
belt 
> covers where you can't see much.  So much oil that I'm 2 quarts low,
and the 
> problem can't be easily (or cheaply) diagnosed.

Which is why you should always have it inspected *before* purchase.

Btw, it's not a big deal to remove the timing covers, and once there to
clean and inspect for a leak.  If the dealer you're taking it to is
telling you it's going to cost big bucks just for the diagnosis, then he
might be porking you.

> Question:   Where in the right front would a 164LS leak oil?!?  
> The tech's guess was the cam seals.  Ouch.  Expensive.  Any 
> other likely places?

That's most likely if it's up high.  Could also be the cam cover, or
other things.  Clean the front of the motor and pay attention to where
the oil is coming from.

> Question #2:  how dangerous is "waiting to see" how much oil I use or
burn 
> from here on?   Sure, it depends on what the problem is, but oil on
the 
> timing belt can't be good in my book...

Nope.  Pretty dangerous, you're risking bent valves.

> Question #3 (rhetorical) : when do I admit that either I bought a
lemon, or 
> that Alfas in the 90s turned into the caricature of the unreliable
Italian 
> car?  Maybe Alfa left the US market because the 164 drove it out...
Or 
> maybe I'm just unlucky and bitter...

Or ???? for not having it checked out beforehand?

Come on, you bought a car with 135k miles on it, and it's got a few
things wrong.  Why do people sell used cars?  It's typically not because
they're running perfectly.

If the PO mislead you, then contact him and seek some assistance in
fixing the problems.

The first two problems are probably stuff he didn't know about.  The oil
leak he must have, it doesn't just start leaking 2 quarts of oil all of
a sudden.

If the PO won't help, then consider it tuition.  But don't chalk the car
up as a lemon yet - sort it out properly, give it proper maintenance,
and then cast your judgment on the car in a year or two.

bs
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