Thinking of buying a 2007 Alfa 147 Collezione for my missus.

Getting rid of her Megane which has been a PITA with electrics – are there any particular issues I should look out for when I go and kick the 147’s tyres? Apart from the obvious FSH ?

Ta!

Older ones were famous for timing belt failures. The VVT went on mine 02 plate and it sounded like a diesel when it started. Great fun though.

Ok. This is a 1.6 Twin Spark petrol (2007 model).

I’ll check the belts have been done recently.

Front wishbones and drivers seat height adjuster were common faults.

Get yourself over to alfaowners.com iirc there is a buyers guide on ther, iidrc then there’s still loads of useful info.

We looked a few years back and struggled to find a tidy one so bought a very tidy Megane. Mrs gd hated the megane and it was gone eleven months later. I doubt a 147 would have been sold on as quick even if it had had some gremlins!!!

the traction control is a primitive bosch system which has independent wheel sensors and one on the steering wheel.

if one is confused it’ll crash the system and say VDC failure. you turn it off and on again. and it’s fine.

mine has 200k on it, and it’s still fun to drive.

check the oil weekly

That looks nice bigrich !

not bad for 14 years old, eh?

Yes, I have a 2.0 Twinspark that looks as good as the one above. 110k on the clock.

The engines need the oil checked and topped up regularly. Try and find out if the current owner checked this weekly.

Email in profile if you want some more information.

Oh and check the thermostat is working correctly. Engine temp shoul rise steadily to 90 degrees and then hold steady.

If it does not do this it will need replacing.

oh and it should fire straight away – if it chunders then the crank position sensor might be nadgered.

and the gear linkage bushings are rubbish, but cheap and easy to replace.

never, ever, ever selespeed, ever.

Crikey, ok better write a list of these things!!

Selespeed?

it’s a flappy paddle gearbox, where a hydraulic actuator sits on the top of the gear box. it’s shit, and breaks all the time.

So, we’ve had the 147 a few weeks now. Very happy with it – dealer completed full service prior to sale inc : new wishbones, new timing belt kit, new discs and pads.

Happy days. The old Megane was worth FA

Ran a 147 for a few years, bet you’re expecting a litany of expensive, niggly faults…

…not quite. They’re not that expensive to run and they all have Bosch electronics so are as about as reliable as a noughties Audi or VW in that respect.

Timing belts are vital, but then this is true for everything. The one thing to watch is the suspension – Alfa’s service schedule allows for replacement of wishbones instead of pressing in new bushes. Most places will skip these, so make sure it’s done. The wishbones (upper and lower) aren’t expensive, nor is individual replacement, but given that the majority of cars have simple McPherson struts, there simply isn’t the specialist knowledge out there to ensure that all Alfas are kept in fine fettle. A neglected 147/156 can be costly to put right because of this- it’s easy to find yourself replacing several different suspension links in one go as a result.

Also, handbrake cables corrode. Replacement is as cheap as chips, but a sticky rear caliper will make your diagnostic think that the rear suspension is iffy.

my alfa independent garage mechanics are ace, and recommend it gets driven hard periodically to give it an ‘italian tune up’.

Good to know thanks. I’ve discovered we have an Alfa specialist just a few miles down the road – perfect for future tinkering.