Lancia Delta
Direct-injection turbo with 200 hp, also known from Alfa Romeo. Powerful engine with a sporty character. Timing chain instead of belt, but check turbo and high-pressure pump at high mileage.
Muted turbo comfort
200 hp sounds promising, but the sluggish automatic and over-soft suspension take the bite out of the 1.8 Turbo. Relaxed cruiser rather than sporty hatch.
Engine Weaknesses 5
The filter screen in the banjo bolt oil feed to the turbocharger can clog and cut the turbo off from its oil supply. Alfa Romeo recommends inspecting this screen at every oil change.
Symptoms: Sudden power loss, turbo whistling, pressure drop at high load, in the worst case total turbo failure
The oil separator on the cam cover sticks or its membrane tears. Oil is drawn directly into the turbo and burned. Repair possible with silicone oil treatment of the membrane, then renew the cam cover gasket.
Symptoms: High oil consumption (up to 1 litre per 1,000 km), smoke from exhaust, oil in turbo intake area
The standard clutch in the 939B1000 is at its limit with higher torque. Sporty driving or light tuning quickly leads to clutch slip and wear.
Symptoms: Clutch slip under high load, poor engagement, clutch smell
The upper cam cover gasket on the 939B1000 develops leaks. Combined with a failed PCV membrane, the result is serious oil loss that is difficult to locate.
Symptoms: Oil smell when engine is warm, oil on cam cover, blue exhaust smoke, oil on ignition components
The variable camshaft phaser solenoids (intake and exhaust side) can fail and cause misfires and a check engine light. Solenoids can be swapped without removing the engine.
Symptoms: Check engine light, misfires, rough idle especially when cold, engine runs as if on fewer cylinders
Vehicle Weaknesses 8
Temperature switch or fan control faulty — engine overheats in traffic queues or at low speed. Thermostat can also stick.
The rear brake calipers on the Delta 844 seize from lack of use, as the electric parking brake requires little mechanical actuation of the rear brakes. Pistons corrode inside the caliper.
Isolated reports of front coil spring breakages, especially on vehicles with 18-inch tyres and sports suspension. A broken spring can damage the tyre.
Steering rack develops play — knocking when driving over uneven surfaces and when turning in. Adjustment or replacement of the steering rack required.
Actuator motors for the climate control system (temperature, air distribution or recirculation flaps) fail — climate regulation no longer works correctly.
Sunroof drain hoses block — water runs into the interior and damages electronics under the seats or in the footwell.
Wheel bearings wear prematurely on the Delta 844 compared with similar vehicles. Rear wheel bearings are particularly affected. Seized brake discs complicate removal.
Screws, nuts and panel seams start to rust after around 2 years. Metal connections and sheet metal brackets show corrosion faster than on German competitor models.
