On Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:03:21 +0000, (SteveH)
wrote:

>Zathras > wrote:
>
>> >You're really not selling me the whole diesel thing, you know
>>
>> Being a little more honest, the noise was like throwing a con-rod!!
>> The car only suffers from it for the first quarter mile (not mile as I
>> said previously) after a sub zero cold start - I always was surprised
>> by it as it tended to occur on 2nd gear takeoffs and last a fraction
>> of a second. After the quarter mile all is settled down though.
>>
>> There are diesels that don't suffer from this but I can't recommend
>> those here! Probably later 2.4s were improved - I would hope there was
>> a step improvement on the move from uni to multi-jet.
>
>Not sure what the issue is.

First generation fuelling control of that type of common rail wasn't
perfect for all operating conditions, I suspect. The rattle is
proportional to engine load. I tried not to load the engine too much
when frozen stiff but the occasional time, you'd approach a junction
and not stop but accelerate from rather low revs in second with a
significant jump in engine loading. Lotsa rattling for a second. It's
not a phenomenon I've experienced except on the 2.4 and it's probably
something only an owner would experience unless you were in a country
where temperatures were always lower than -5C..

Just to be clear, this momentary aberration does not affect my opinion
that the 2.4 10V is a fabulous sounding motor for true engine
enthusiasts.

>Having lived with a fairly vocal diesel for 100k miles, it was only the
>cold start that really made a lot of diesel clatter.

>Once warmed up, and you were inside the car, the turbo made more noise
>than the combustion.

The Alfa has both a loud engine (which sounds superb) and a loud turbo
whistle when cold. It tended not to rattle in the same way as other
diesels - it was a bit kinder on the ears. The car was never remotely
quiet. Honestly, I thought my hearing had failed when I got in the
beemer!

>At idle, you had to check the rev-counter to ensure the car was still
>running.

Never needed with the Alfa 2.4..it was only quiet with a feathered
accelerator when cruising (at any speed)..which was totally fine by
me.

>I miss my TDI, to be honest - they're so lazy, with massive low-down
>torque and incredibly refined on the motorway - ISTR a normal cruise was
>off-boost.

I've now got 300lb-ft at 1300rpm and am having all sorts of
traction-off-the-line issues at the rear. The rears light up too often
- the traction on my old front wheel drive Alfa was vastly superior.

--
Z
Scotland
Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather (sold)
'Oil' be seeing you..
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