[Kannassee]

I am really frustrated with this Quadrifoglio.

I bough it new in August 2018. When the car is not started everyday when I start the car again in a week usually the start is rough, the engine misfires, the CEL engine light turns on, the message "service electronic throttle" appears. and the DNA gets disconnected. Still under factory warranty.

There is nothing I can do to avoid getting that....I have tried everything.....trickle charger, push the buttom first and wait before starting, accelerating right away etc etc. The frustrating thing is that the DNA gets disconnected, and I have to go to the service department.

The only thing that would work is to start the car everyday or every couple of days. But sometimes I am not around to do that.

The car is now 33k and it has been doing that since it was 4k miles and 3 months old.

Every time the dealer had told me that these cars "like to be driven daily".!!!!.......that those were just some old misfires codes...that they erased the codes and that the car is now running perfectly and that they can NOT do ANYTHING. That is NOT normal.

Of course if I start the car daily that would not happen. But that is not written in the manual.

And I doubt that I would have bough the car if I would have known that.
And it seems that some other owners do not have that problem happening.

This last time I took it to the dealer and told them that I really NEED to get this problem fixed.
I even send them a couple of videos showing what happens when I start the car.

They have the SAME answer.....they can NOT do anything....everything works fine with the car....those were old misfires codes that they erased....just come and pick it up.
It is still sitting there, I really don't want to pick it up until they fix this freaking issue.

I am just fed up.

Its incredible that Alfa has not issued a recall or something like that….at least giving instructions to the service departments on how to solve the issue.???

I have read everything here, serpentine belt stretched, multiair MAF module bad, bad injectors or spark plugs, carbon build up, bad fuel pump, bad design, bad battery etc etc etc.

I HATE to admit that all the guys that told me that I was kinda crazy getting an Alfa were right.....
I took it to another dealer and they had the same explanation....these cars like to be driven daily.....

Now I don't know what to do know apart from taking it to CARMAX and getting rid of it.

I really like the car and I would like to avoid getting rid of it.
I am sure there is a fix to this issue.

Maybe I can write a letter to someone in Alfa Romeo USA?....I need to escalate this issue.

Any ideas or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

Have you tried Seafoam in the gas tank?

If that doesn't work ..probably better to get a different vehicle. Thanks to the addition of port injection in the newer ones it doesn't seem to be an issue on anything 2020 or newer. Otherwise, lots of great cars.

 

[Joe F.]

Don't give up hope. I have a 2018 Ti Sport that has given me no problems. I would contact not only Alfa USA , but contact Alfa in Milano also. Hav...e you tried to invoke the Lemon Law??? Could be you just got lemon...hate to say

 

[lost1750GTV]

I'd do the letter to Alfa usa. Edit - maybe suggest they examine every wiring connector to see if something isn't fully seated. Or needs dielectric grease on the connectors.
Ours doesn't get started every day and its fine - so there must be something minor wrong with yours.
No tender, no seafoam, no special treatment, and sadly not a lot of use the past couple of years.

 

[Kannassee]

I am sure it may be something minor, they just NEED to try to fix it.

I really LOVE the car, apart of that, no problems at ALL.

If there was a way to erase the codes I would do it myself, and just kept driving.

I dont think the problem is Alfa. The problem is the Service Departments and the dealers around here.

I read here about other guys that had the same experience and their dealers investigated, they changed the injectors, the MAP thing, the spark plugs, the fuel pump, the battery etc etc and eventually they got it fixed. I recall that Alfa even changed an engine for I think this same issue.

But these guys here have done NOTHING.
They just erase the "old misfire codes" and they say the car is perfect and ready to be driven....yup....until the next cold start in a week....

I considered the option of getting the new 2022 or 2021 model, but its gonna cost me a lot of $$$ for an identical car.....and mine is in pristine condition, no accidents, well taken care of, the extended warranty already paid off etc etc, new tires, I just spent big $$$ for brand new rotors and pads.

And maybe its just a freaking little sensor!!!.....or a software adjustment!!!....and these guys in the service department are incapable of trying to find the issue or just could not care less.

If anybody recalls a case here or knows to whom or where to write a letter, any info is appreciated.

I will try to leave the car this time in the dealer for a week, so when they start it when I am going to pick it up it they themselves get the same freaking issue.....although must probably they will just erase the codes and will return it to me.

Another idea is to drive up north and bring it to a more competent service department in another city.
Maybe they will be more competent. The ones around here are not.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Kannassee]

Have you tried Seafoam in the gas tank?

If that doesn't work ..probably better to get a different vehicle. Thanks to the addition of port injection in the newer ones it doesn't seem to be an issue on anything 2020 or newer. Otherwise, lots of great cars.

I haven't.
Thanks.
I will try that.
I am sure the problem has to do with the oil or with the fuel....because it only happens after so many days.

Maybe the oil drips and floods the combustion chamber or the spark plug?.

Or maybe something is being powered by oil and that thing drains and can not work as intended after so many days?

Or maybe a sensor finds something wrong and causes a misfire?

The only time when that happened not after the cold start was once when I was cleaning the car and it was idling for a loooong time....when I began to drive a cylinder was not firing....I just kept driving and after a couple of brisk starts it fixed up by itself...interestingly that time, no CEL lights or electronic throttle warnings. So maybe that time it was a carbon build up issue I assume.

 

[ViscontiVerde 164L*]

If you can't find Seafoam, get a bottle of Chevron Techron Engine cleaner, even stronger than the basic injector cleaner. Also once cleared up, RUN IT [email protected]!!!! SOUNDS LIKE A BAD INJECTOR or>>>>>>> carbon buildup.

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

^ thats what it is. Probably.

Carbon fumes that don't get vented when the engine is shut off. They cool become hard carbon attach to the valve and make it stick causing a misfire.

Adding port injection washes the valve and keeps it from sticking.

Yeah , Seafoam, Techron...whatever any cleaning additive will help but...it's temporary, probably have to add a bottle every couple tanks or so.

Good thing to realize also maybe, that idling solution would also work everytime. The Quad engine runs at the peak temperatures for getting rid of carbon so just idling it and letting it get to operating temperature will clear the residue out. That's why the dealer says driving it solves the problem. It does. Not trying to excuse it, just saying it is a legitimate, if obnoxious, solution.

 

[PashaAlfa]

Sounds like cold start misfire due to carbon build up, possibly clogged injectors. If you have it documented more 3 times same issue, you can talked to Lemon attorney. As mentioned above, newer 2020+ cars have port injections that washes all the carbon. Alfa dealer probably knows what it takes to fix it, they just don't want to do warranty repairs....

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

Just to be clear, there is nothing they can do besides replacing the engine. Adding port injection isn't an option.

If lemon is an option try it. Maybe see if they will swap you to a 2022 even.

Otherwise it's get rid of the car or find a workaround. The cleaning additive method is gaining alot of traction as this problem is not unique to Quads, most high compression high powered DI engines are having it to some degree..unless they have something like MultiAir/Vanos or port injection along with DI

(Not making excuses for the manufacturer, they should be more amicable to replacing the engine or car when this happens. Same time, these manufactuers drag thier feet with any and every major recall....there are manufactuers that still are fighting the Takata airbag recall. It isn't OK but... Is standard procedure often enough it isn't worth expecting different IMO).

 

[pocholin]

Have you thought about purchasing a cheap OBDII adapter to reset the check engine light yourself and not having to take a trip to the dealer for them to reset it for you? You can get the free version of Torque and do it on your phone. It doesn't fix the problem but at least, after two put three minutes of earning up the engine your can reset it and go on with your day.

 

[Peter A]

I’d lemon the car if possible there is no reason that a modern car should need to be started every friggen day. If it has been to the dealer many many time the carfax will be a mess. Dealing with Alfa and not the dealer. In the meantime I would take the car out and drive it hard, hard with plenty of high speed full throttle runs which tends to be harder than it would seem depending on where you live. That’s a big issue with a hyper performance car depending on where you live and how you drive, especially a daily driver. Good luck.

 

[GWRmotohead]

I’m with Peter, if you’ve parked the car at the dealer, I’d explore the lemon route, as for your dealer, yeah it seems they’re being lazy, they could have pulled and cleaned and flow checked injectors, scoped the back of the intake valves, plus maybe something else.

 

[QUAD19]

I am really frustrated with this Quadrifoglio.

I bough it new in August 2018. When the car is not started everyday when I start the car again in a week usually the start is rough, the engine misfires, the CEL engine light turns on, the message "service electronic throttle" appears. and the DNA gets disconnected. Still under factory warranty.

There is nothing I can do to avoid getting that....I have tried everything.....trickle charger, push the buttom first and wait before starting, accelerating right away etc etc. The frustrating thing is that the DNA gets disconnected, and I have to go to the service department.

The only thing that would work is to start the car everyday or every couple of days. But sometimes I am not around to do that.

The car is now 33k and it has been doing that since it was 4k miles and 3 months old.

Every time the dealer had told me that these cars "like to be driven daily".!!!!.......that those were just some old misfires codes...that they erased the codes and that the car is now running perfectly and that they can NOT do ANYTHING. That is NOT normal.

Of course if I start the car daily that would not happen. But that is not written in the manual.

And I doubt that I would have bough the car if I would have known that.
And it seems that some other owners do not have that problem happening.

This last time I took it to the dealer and told them that I really NEED to get this problem fixed.
I even send them a couple of videos showing what happens when I start the car.

They have the SAME answer.....they can NOT do anything....everything works fine with the car....those were old misfires codes that they erased....just come and pick it up.
It is still sitting there, I really don't want to pick it up until they fix this freaking issue.

I am just fed up.

Its incredible that Alfa has not issued a recall or something like that….at least giving instructions to the service departments on how to solve the issue.???

I have read everything here, serpentine belt stretched, multiair MAF module bad, bad injectors or spark plugs, carbon build up, bad fuel pump, bad design, bad battery etc etc etc.

I HATE to admit that all the guys that told me that I was kinda crazy getting an Alfa were right.....
I took it to another dealer and they had the same explanation....these cars like to be driven daily.....

Now I don't know what to do know apart from taking it to CARMAX and getting rid of it.

I really like the car and I would like to avoid getting rid of it.
I am sure there is a fix to this issue.

Maybe I can write a letter to someone in Alfa Romeo USA?....I need to escalate this issue.

Any ideas or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry to hear of your problems, hope someone takes note and rectifies your issues.

 

[Kannassee]

Have you thought about purchasing a cheap OBDII adapter to reset the check engine light yourself and not having to take a trip to the dealer for them to reset it for you? You can get the free version of Torque and do it on your phone. It doesn't fix the problem but at least, after two put three minutes of earning up the engine your can reset it and go on with your day.

Are you sure that would work with Alfa?….I would try that…..it really bothers me to take the car to the dealer to get rid of the limp mode

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

Should work, that's a standard code, not Alfa specific.

I think. What code are you getting?

In all honesty though, I would at least see if Alfa will have a conversation about lemoning and swapping to a 2022. Assuming you are eligible in your state of course.

 

[Kannassee]

Well I think its too late for the lemon law option, the car is already 3 years old…..I should have done that in the beginning.

Now I will try to contact Alfa and see what happens…..for sure I will try the Seafoam additive or the Chevron Engine cleaner,

I am getting creative here but if the issue is gas vapors that produce carbon….maybe if I iddle the car and before turning it off rev the engine to 2000 or 2500,(not 5000 rpm!!!) cut the gas and I turn it off then….the intake would be cleaner…?…..probably this makes no sense lol

If that doesnt work, then the OBDII adapter to reset the codes…..or turn on the car every couple of days…..or sell it……lots of options!!!!…..hopefully they could try to change something, at least the injectors or the multiair thing….lets see.

Thanks a lot guys for all the suggestions!!!

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

I don't think that would work but why not try?

The issue..pretty sure....is the vapors being trapped because the intake valve is closed and reving it wouldn't change that. Pretty positive that's why systems like MultiAir allow for independent opening of the intake valve. It happens as the engine shuts off to vent. But that's a theory..love to prove it right or wrong. Try your idea see what happens!!

Also, just for clarity Techron is better then Seafoam..I use Seafoam like a generic term for engine cleaners like some people say Pampers for any diaper...Coke and soda...

Looked it up real quick.. yeah Florida has a 24 month time limit. Might see if Alfa will goodwill... But.... Yeah .... Get not doing that too.

 

[pocholin]

Are you sure that would work with Alfa?….I would try that…..it really bothers me to take the car to the dealer to get rid of the limp mode

Like @ALFAOFFROAD said, it should. I use a cheap one I bought about 8 years ago, time to replace it but it still works to clear codes on any car...including the Alfa a few times after the battery issues I have.

 

[ArizonaExige]

Yup...... even the Harbor Freight OBDII reader works to read and clear the codes (although I'd buy one on Amazon with good reviews over the Harbor Freight one). I keep a cheap OBDII reader in the glove box of all my vehicles.

Also, as mentioned, Seafoam or similar with each fill-up and if available, keep the vehicle on a trickle charger 24/7 regardless of battery age. I also keep the key far away from the car so they don't chit-chat to each other.