"redTed" wrote:

> I have heard the "diesel" engine sound at start-up, on occasion. But it
> quietens out fairly quickly.

In which case it would seem the sensible time to replace it as you have the
clear symptoms of a variator on its way out. I guess Alfa improved the
reliability of variators after 2000 but they can still fail like anything
else.

What mileage has it done?