Who is Alfa Romeo? This history on the Alfa Romeo website and Wikipedia article provide a little bit of insight....Enzo Ferrari started his racing career with Alfa Romeo. The history of the Alfa Romeo crest/badge can be found HERE.
This 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce was purchased from Alfa Romeo of St. Petersburg- they seemed to be great providing information and organizing the deal prior to and during our visit to pickup the car.
But, several post sale issues came up that were handled poorly or not at all, I would not recommend this dealership. You can find the FL state auto dealer complaint form HERE.
Pics below are from the dealership ad and they were nice enough to send me some video as well.
The new Veloce trim package replaces last years Ti Sport package.
Window Sticker HERE, Build Sheet HERE, Dealer AD HERE.
Alfa Romeo did not give us an AGM battery so I decided to proactively purchase and install an AGM battery- An Odyssey ODP-AGM49 H8 L5 from FCP Euro with their LIFETIME guarantee (Odyssey specifications HERE), Also available from Amazon.
Videos that show how these batteries are made HERE and HERE.
I found a good Giulia battery replacement DIY video. I started my R&R by connecting jumper cables to a functioning spare battery and the jump terminals under the hood- this will prevent memory loss and having to reset things when the OE battery is removed for replacement (NOTE: be careful to remember you still have power at the rear wiring after you remove the OE battery).
-Next, I removed the vent tube,
-loosened the 10mm nut for the ground terminal and removed the ground terminal/IBS assembly carefully,
-removed the positive terminal cover by depressing two releases and pulling up,
-loosened the 10mm nut for the positive terminal AND removed the two Phillips head screws on the red retainer (this works like sheetrock anchors to hold the positive electronics to the battery) which should allow the positive terminal to be pulled free,
-removed the 10mm nut on the mounting plate at the passenger side base of the battery.
To remove and install the replacement battery, it helps to have another set of hands to hold the wiring out of the way. When installing, it is also helpful to hold the vent tube out of the way as the battery is put into place, careful to slide the battery in from the passenger side to go under the fixed driver side battery mount.
-Next, bolt passenger side mounting plate in place,
-reinstall the positive terminal tighten the terminal nut and screws for the red retainer,
-install positive terminal cover,
-install vent tube,
-install ground terminal/IBS assembly and tighten nut,
-remove jumper cables from jump terminals and battery up front,
-reassemble any interior cover pieces for battery
DONE.
Some additional information on Alfa Romeo IBS (aka, Intelligent Battery Sensor) can be found in this thread HERE and PDF doc HERE
Prior to taking my car in for PPF, I decided to remove the emblems, I think debadged is cleaner looking. Park the car in the sun and/or use a hair dryer to warm the double sided tape/adhesive. You can then use fishing line/dental floss OR a plastic trim removal tool to carefully remove the emblems. Typically there is some tape/adhesive left behind, I use a pinstripe removal tool with a drill to get the worst of it off and then follow that with WD40, not a great lubricant but great for fishing and adhesive removal. Next, throughly wash the area with soap and water to remove the WD40, dry, and wax.
Ordered and installed Stuff4Car Start Stop Deactivator, shipping was quick and they are very responsive to questions.
Installation Instructions HERE and Installation Video HERE.
Forum thread HERE for alternative method of achieving this.
I already had the module specific cables but decided to purchase the MES Multiplexed License that included the CANtieCAR Interface (interface support HERE). The interface supports Bluetooth, USB, and WiFi modes and has a built-in multiplexor which allows connection to all vehicle modules without additional cables/adapters. The interface also has a built-in memory card which acts as a USB drive and contains the drivers and software.
NOTE: The following is provided for informational purposes only, user assumes all risks. At least one forum user has had issues as detailed HERE. Most of the forum write-ups are using power/ground into the light/rain sensor (where this user had an issue), same color wires are present in the mirror plug if that seems more desirable....or you might not decide this worth the risk- YMMV.
Had already done the same V1 installation in my Stelvio, some minor differences with the Giulia. Valentine 1 Gen2 radar detector (Owners Manual, Quick Start Guide, Programming Guide, Troubleshooting, How To Upgrade) hardwire installed using a Xislet Radar Detector Hardwire Power Cord Mirror Plug Tap with Inline Fuse from Amazon, I used the cord with the smallest pins. A good forum thread on how the trim pieces come apart/off to access the mirror plug is HERE.
Using the Bluetooth connection to the V1 from my Android phone with the JBV1 app adds a lot of useful functionality- Some discussion around the JBV1 app can be found HERE, helpful settings guide HERE.
BlendMount (P/N BV1-3030) was ordered and installed (Installation Instructions HERE). Customer Support with BlendMount is AWESOME
When the oil change notification popped up at ~6300 miles, I did the same as in StelvioForum post #48HERE to clear the notification (it does not reset the service interval)......by next oil change I'll have extension cables installed so that I can use a SGW Bypass with AlfaOBD or MultiECUScan to not only clear the service notification but reset the service interval.
I chose Madness AutoWorks Monza Exhaust on my Stelvio (Giulia installation HERE) but thought I would try something different with the Giulia, a lot more to choose from.
I narrowed my choices down to: aFe Catback Exhaust that was on sale (installation instructions HERE, forum discussion HERE and HERE, video HERE) or MA Performance Catback Exhaust that was discounted by sales (installation instructions HERE, forum discussion HERE and HERE, video HERE)
Why MA Performance? Their responsive customer service staff and quality of their exhaust, no one else builds an exhaust to a spec where v-band clamps can be used. Exhaust arrived well packed with all required hardware.
My exhaust removal and installation detailed in pics below. One of my favorite tools bought later in life was the Lisle Exhaust Hanger Removal Pliers, wish I had bought this tool 20 years ago, makes hanger removal SO easy as demonstrated HERE. Installation took a few hours, not bad at all- Everything lined up easily.
First, the Stelvio exhaust was WAY easier to remove/replace compared to the Giulia.....Giulia required more disassembly and finesse. Car in the air on QuickJacks with extensions, had to use my cheater 2x4 ramp extensions under the front tires to slide them in/out. Next, I removed all the under panels in front of the rear diffuser and the front under panel. Starting at the downpipe and working back: I removed nuts at the downpipe>exhaust connection, removed nuts for the front hanger, removed tunnel brace, loosened clamp and removed front exhaust section, removed exhaust from mid hanger, removed bolts for four rear exhaust hangers, removed rear section by flexing the diffuser and "gently" flexing thin metal diffuser mounts to pull exhaust down and out- all mounts still attached to muffler. Rear most mounts not reused, rear mounts and front mount removed from OE exhaust and installed on MAP exhaust. Front pipe installed (OE downpipe gasket is reused), front mount installed with both nuts followed by downpipe nuts. Tunnel brace reinstalled with washers/shims for added clearance. Sleeve clamp installed on front pipe and connecting pipe. V-Band clamps installed for last pipe, all clamp nuts tightened to the point where there was enough play for adjustments checking tip alignment and possible interference areas. All nuts tightened- I may be able to get the tips more centered, will revisit at my 1k mile oil change when it's back up in the air.
Road Test.....Exhaust sounds aggressive at cold start but mellows a bit as it warms up, sounds great. I did not hear any metal to metal contact so adjustments around interference points seems to be OK.
Video: Cold Start/Idle, Warm Idle, Throttle Blips
Having already done a similar mod in my Stelvio and some other past autos I have owned, I decided to source two rear center headrests to replace the bulky outer rear headrests to improve visibility.
Done, $80 each on eBay from two different sellers, visibility out rear window a definite improvement....and able to fold down the rear seats without moving front seats forward is nice too.
Windows tinted by Solar Tint Service using Xpel Prime XR Black 30 for the side and rear windows. I thought about XR Plus but for the cost difference did not think the minimal performance advantage was worth it- comparison chart HERE.
Both Xpel and Solar Tint Service offer a Lifetime Warranty.
OE GTA/GTAm carbon fiber mirror caps installed, protected by Xpel PPF installed by prior owner. Mine were purchased on eBay lightly used/pre-owned but Alfissimo sells these HERE.
Great video that shows mirror cap removal HERE and factory service manual instructions HERE.
Alfa Romeo - 110th Anniversary of Alfa Romeo, live from the Arese Museum
Alfa Romeo USA - Celebrating 110 Years of Emotion
