Fiat Questions

paulhelenwilko

paulhelenwilko

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Hello all,

We are looking to change our motorhome (don't hold your breathe this may take a long time !).

As most Mohos seem to be based on Fiat (we have a transit) it is difficult to get away from them. From time to time I have read of issues with reading the speedo in certain light conditions. Is this true ? Is it still an issue or does it just apply to certain models ? Is the issue the same in an A class ?.

Any other Fiat quirks ?

What do people think about the servicing costs ? (We take our transit to the main ford commercial dealer and have an interim service for £149.)

Is the Fiat chain or belt and at what mileage/age does it need changing ?

Paul
 
My motorhome is a 2004 Eura Mobil Fiat based A class, with a 2.8 JTD engine.
It is classed over 4.5t with a tag axle.
It was second hand when we bought it with low miles and a bolt on performance box.
I have owned it for over 6 years and it has 54,000 miles on it now.
I believe we are due a cam belt change soon, according to a mechanic our belt is in good condition.
The engine gets a service every two years at a reasonable cost (can't remember exactly).
We have had no major engine problems, at one point during a trip through Europe the water temperature gauge showed an extreme temp, but after lifting the bonnet, there was no overheating to be seen and nothing was done. That was about 3 years ago and since then we have had no problems with overheating.
We were parked up in Brownhills (where we bought the van from) one weekend when the roller screen on the front packed up, luckily Brownhills were able to affect a repair at reasonable cost.
I have had no problems with reading the speedo on the dash, and didn't know that it was a Fiat problem.
We had a silencer box replacement done in Scotland early this year (£71)
A most recent problem was a leaking radiator, which was replaced.
Overall I am very pleased with the Fiat engine, it pulls away very briskly and can easily exceed legal speeds.
I get about 330 miles to a tankful of diesel, driving at motorway speeds, which calculates at about 20mpg, not brilliant, but I could reduce my speed to improve this, although I did not buy the vehicle for its mpg :)
I have all the luxuries of air con and even a separate gas heating system for the cab as well as the habitation areas (including the garage).
The large front screen has a metal roller shutter that is raised and lowered with a flick of a switch, and the side cab windows are double glazed with electric windows on the drivers and passengers doors.
If I could, I would have liked to have had cruise control
 
My Fiat base has been owned since new (2016) and did have issues with the dash illumination. It was fixed by a software upgrade which essentially turned the dash light on when the ignition is engaged. It improved the readability, although I use my satnav to keep an eye on speed. The fuel and temperature gauges are easily visible and should a warning light come on it will be apparent.

The issues that I have had are common and should be challenged with a dealer or Fiat should any occur.
1. Warning lights (more than one) glowing very dimly when no warning was in effect. The instrument panel was replaced under warranty. Early in year 2.
2. Airbag and seatbelt light illuminated. A faulty ECU at the start of year 3 which was replaced as a goodwill gesture by Fiat.
3. Windscreen wiper control unit failed at start of year 2. Replaced under warranty.

Having had these items sorted the van seems to run well now. 30,000 miles in 3.5 years at 28mpg. I do find that the driving position is such that my left knee is often in contact with the fascia which is a little bit of a nuisance. Not as comfortable as my Mk5 Transit was, although the seat in the Fiat (Aguiri) cannot be faulted for comfort. It is an A class swivel seat with 2 armrests.

Coincidentally I have been intending to contact my dealer (who are both Hymer and Fiat professional franchises) to ask advice on my timing belt. I have a lot of faith in my dealer who have an excellent reputation for customer service. As stated my van has 30,000 miles on it. It was registered 1/1/2016 so is really a 2015 model with possibly a 2014 engine. My understanding is that it is good practice to replace the belt at 60,000 miles or 5 years. I did search the engine number and VIN but cannot pin down the date of manufacture, so will contact my dealer a little closer to the annual service, damp check and habitation routine in January.

As for cost, I cannot recall with recourse to the file, it is further complicated by the fact that I am in N. Ireland and the dealer is in the R. of Ireland. but know that I am fairly satisfied with the price, probably not much different to a transit dealer. I also factor in that being an A class it has a more difficult access to the engine than a coach built. Add the good customer service and discounted accessories keep me satisfied. Our other 3 family cars are serviced by a local one man part time mechanic, so I know the value of both approaches.

Davy
 
Only had my new Fiat based Pilote 2 months but had a 2013 Swift Fiat based motorhome until 2 years ago.
No major issues with either vehicle. My latest 2019 150 bhp vehicle is a far superior ride than my Renault pvc, much less body roll, better acceleration and less need to drop a gear on gradients.
Regarding the speedo visibility issue no problems with either vehicle and the 2019 dash is illuminated when ignition is on.
On both I have had the small warning triangle illuminate. Contacted the main dealer who asked for me to bring it in when it happens. It never occurred again lol.
Service charges can vary considerably, it pays to shop around. My local fiat professional dealer is more convenient but £60.00 dearer than a one 20 miles away for the first service.
Without looking at the manual the first service is 2 years but I always get an interim service done yearly for my peace of mind, oil and filter change etc.
 
The belt should not need replacing until 5 years have elapsed or you do very high mileage.

If your vehicle is five years old, whatever the mileage, then have the belt replaced – not replacing it and then having the belt break could be catastrophic for the engine and your bank balance.

Most garages will advise you that the water pump should be replaced at the same time and it is considered sensible to do that.

I had the belt and pump on mine done on my 2013 2.3 150 Ducato engine a few months ago for £375 at a Commercial Garage – it may not be the cheapest but I knew they do Ducato vehicles on a regular basis and are used to doing the procedure.

Any garage who service Ducato should be reasonably priced but if you use a Fiat Dealer expect to pay top notch prices – I was quoted silly money for the belt and pump change by my Local Fiat Dealer.

An interim service takes about 1 and a half hours and probably about £150 + inc filters, etc - Full Service nearer two hours and around £250 + inc parts.

Others may have found cheaper or dearer quotes but it depends on where you live and finding a reliable garage.

Hope this helps

?
 
Fiat use the sofim iveco engine and my old iveco banger has the 2.8 belt drive cam,it was easy to change as mine is a proper inline donkey.
 
Re reading the Speedo - I do have an issue with that due to the binnacle and seat height.
However gadget john on you tube recently showed a head up display which you plug into the OBD port. It was only £27 off amazon and projects your speed and other info into the windscreen. I will be ordering one.
 
We have a 2015 Fiat based Chausson. 25k miles and get 25 to 29 mpg. Ave 27.

I had the airbag ECU fail like many others. £475 to replace which I now know was well over price as it was done by Fiat Professional. I am told the ECU’s fail because of condensation moisture getting down behind the dash from the windscreen. It gets to the ECU. So I have a flannel in the centre between the dark and the window to stop it.

Other than that it’s been a good engine..

I did recently have a stage 1 tune done to it and it’s now fab at getting up mountains! Recommended. Does nothing for your MPG really but it feels much better to drive.
 
You will also find some motorhomes are built on the Peugeot Boxer which is very similar to the Ducato. However the Peugeot has a different engine to Fiat and the 2.2 is timing chain so nothing to worry about. I believe the chains also need changing but only after very high mileage, not on age.
 
I had my Fiat serviced in Holland at a Fiat Professional Dealer, more than £100 less than in Essex at the dealer!
AND they reprogrammed the automatic gearbox, no charge for thus.
Two years ago Lisbon main dealers labour rate was €40 an hour!
 
Glass man said:
I had my Fiat serviced in Holland at a Fiat Professional Dealer, more than £100 less than in Essex at the dealer!
AND they reprogrammed the automatic gearbox, no charge for thus.
Two years ago Lisbon main dealers labour rate was €40 an hour!
Click to expand...
.
Can I ask why you had your autobox reprogrammed?
 
Yes of course.
I found it continually changer 5,6,5 ,6,5 on hills.
Apparently they are set up in the factory for general use as a delivery van, often half loads or empty.
My van is uprated to 4,400kg and I often travel with some water, so i guess always over the expected 3,500kg .
The reprogramming solved this, it now stays in 5 much longer.
You can of course change manually.
Interestingly I found that if I did NOT USE cruise control it stayed in 6 far longer and when in 5 also stayed without the rapid changes.
It is excellent at staying in a low gear downhill and very good on hill decent.
 
YOLO BUS said:
Re reading the Speedo - I do have an issue with that due to the binnacle and seat height.
However gadget john on you tube recently showed a head up display which you plug into the OBD port. It was only £27 off amazon and projects your speed and other info into the windscreen. I will be ordering one.
Click to expand...

I appreciate an OBD readout might be a smidge more accurate but you can get free heads up apps for your phone that also project to the windscreen. I tried a couple of different ones from the Play Store and they work really well. I'd actually bought an OBD model before I found out about the apps... ended up putting the unused unit on the raffle table at last New Year's meet!
 
paulhelenwilko said:
Hello all,

We are looking to change our motorhome (don't hold your breathe this may take a long time !).

As most Mohos seem to be based on Fiat (we have a transit) it is difficult to get away from them. From time to time I have read of issues with reading the speedo in certain light conditions. Is this true ? Is it still an issue or does it just apply to certain models ? Is the issue the same in an A class ?.

Any other Fiat quirks ?

What do people think about the servicing costs ? (We take our transit to the main ford commercial dealer and have an interim service for £149.)

Is the Fiat chain or belt and at what mileage/age does it need changing ?

Paul
Click to expand...
 
Our heater matrix leaked at 21k miles and less than three years since first registration. Fiat was unable to supply a replacement part. The leak of coolant damaged the passenger airbag control unit. We had a replacement matrix manufactured in the UK. Final bill was £1,455 inc. vat.
Had this occurred in a Ducato Van it would have been a warranty claim but on 2 years warranty on motorhomes. Time this anomaly was rectified. Habitation conversion did not alter Fiat’s dashboard or engine components so why only 2 years?
 
paulhelenwilko said:
Hello all,

We are looking to change our motorhome (don't hold your breathe this may take a long time !).

As most Mohos seem to be based on Fiat (we have a transit) it is difficult to get away from them. From time to time I have read of issues with reading the speedo in certain light conditions. Is this true ? Is it still an issue or does it just apply to certain models ? Is the issue the same in an A class ?.

Any other Fiat quirks ?

What do people think about the servicing costs ? (We take our transit to the main ford commercial dealer and have an interim service for £149.)

Is the Fiat chain or belt and at what mileage/age does it need changing ?

Paul
Click to expand...
Dashboard light was faulty on (I think) quite a few vans . Would be covered by warranty
 
Minisorella said:
I appreciate an OBD readout might be a smidge more accurate but you can get free heads up apps for your phone that also project to the windscreen. I tried a couple of different ones from the Play Store and they work really well. I'd actually bought an OBD model before I found out about the apps... ended up putting the unused unit on the raffle table at last New Year's meet!
Click to expand...
Hi Jenny,

Which app do you use?

Regards,
Del
 
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