Technical The one and only Dualogic failure thread

[RussH]

Yes it has all this on it

Oil changed
Oil filter replaced
Sump plug washer replaced
Air filter replaced
Pollen filter replaced
Engine diagnostic check
Fuel filter replaced
Airbag diagnostic check
Transmission diagnostic check
Diagnostic error results recorded
ABS diagnostic check
Door lubrication
Service light reset
Bonnet lubrication
Boot lubrication
Full vehicle saftey check
Written vehicle report
Service book stamped

It hasn't played up since Saturday so I'm keeping my fingers crossed

Lyn

That doesn't say they checked the gearbox box oil.

I'd suggest taking it back. Get them to confirm the oil level and to check the gearbox diagnostics.

Symptoms suggest low gearbox oil pressure. Could be failing seals or low oil (it then gets air bubbles in there which affects the pressure). An oil change could help.

Search AlexGS for some informed advice on preventative maintenance. Prevention is better than cure and all that.

I'd ignore someone who admitted continuing to drive with a known gearbox fault and then moans about the cost of replacing it.

 

[ahmett]

That doesn't say they checked the gearbox box oil.

I'd suggest taking it back. Get them to confirm the oil level and to check the gearbox diagnostics.

Symptoms suggest low gearbox oil pressure. Could be failing seals or low oil (it then gets air bubbles in there which affects the pressure). An oil change could help.

Search AlexGS for some informed advice on preventative maintenance. Prevention is better than cure and all that.

I'd ignore someone who admitted continuing to drive with a known gearbox fault and then moans about the cost of replacing it.

That's what this is Mr. Russy. A known gearbox fault that can be only fixed for 1200 GBP. So yes she should check oil level, but there is always a reason why oil level is low. Fixing anything less is not fixing the problem correctly, which is why Fiat generally replaces the whole unit instead of certain parts (that's what the Fiat main dealer tech told me).
It is not normal, its probably why Fiat make it so difficult to check the oil in the first place, as in the car must be jacked up to see it from below the bottom of the car!

 

[Mercedes]

I had no idea the part cost so much

I will book it into the garage who serviced it and get them to check it out. After that I really don't know. I think I paid top money for the car as it was hard to find an auto, then I paid out a few hundred for front and rear sensors as I am used to having those on our Mercedes, now of course I realise a car as small as a 500 really only needs the rear ones, if that.

Lyn

 

[ahmett]

I had no idea the part cost so much

I will book it into the garage who serviced it and get them to check it out. After that I really don't know. I think I paid top money for the car as it was hard to find an auto, then I paid out a few hundred for front and rear sensors as I am used to having those on our Mercedes, now of course I realise a car as small as a 500 really only needs the rear ones, if that.

Lyn

In Greece generally you reverse until you hit the car behind = )

 

[ahmett]

I had no idea the part cost so much

I will book it into the garage who serviced it and get them to check it out. After that I really don't know. I think I paid top money for the car as it was hard to find an auto, then I paid out a few hundred for front and rear sensors as I am used to having those on our Mercedes, now of course I realise a car as small as a 500 really only needs the rear ones, if that.

Lyn

A friend told me never to get an auto in a small, unsophisticated car. It seems he was right.

 

[Mercedes]

I've had a few smaller auto cars and never had a problem, Peugeot 206, Mercedes A Class, VW Golf V5, also have a friend who has an auto Mini, none of them have been a problem. In fact one of my friends has a 10yr old Fiat Panda with what seems to be a similar problem as mine, like mine it just plays up when she is doing a maneoveure that requires reversing and it's been doing that for years and never got any worse. If only I felt comfortable driving a manual, but I don't

Lyn

 

[DavyP]

I've sent you an e-mail ,direct with possible answer to your problem.

 

[ahmett]

I've had a few smaller auto cars and never had a problem, Peugeot 206, Mercedes A Class, VW Golf V5, also have a friend who has an auto Mini, none of them have been a problem. In fact one of my friends has a 10yr old Fiat Panda with what seems to be a similar problem as mine, like mine it just plays up when she is doing a maneoveure that requires reversing and it's been doing that for years and never got any worse. If only I felt comfortable driving a manual, but I don't

Lyn

Problem is the Fiat Dualogic is not a 'real' automatic. It's a hydroelectrical manual. I am hoping the next generation 500 will not have this gearbox anymore, it will have a dual clutch automatic like most new automatic cars being sold these day.

The Dualogic is a very old technology (1995 released).

 

[Mercedes]

See that terminology means nothing to me

I know our Mercedes has a tiptronic gearbox and I thought it would be a similar thing with the dualogic box, guess I was wrong.

Lyn

 

[varesecrazy]

See that terminology means nothing to me

I know our Mercedes has a tiptronic gearbox and I thought it would be a similar thing with the dualogic box, guess I was wrong.

Lyn

It IS similar.
basicaĺly its a Manual gearbox- with irs own oil- , but instead of a clutch pedal..it uses sensors and special oil..all driven by a computer.

So..get the garage to check:
1 : the level of oil in the gearbox
2: the level of fluid in the duologic reservoir

IF The duologic fluid level is low..then get it filled up..and purged of air and recalibrated

This will get it working perfectly

Charlie

 

[wenflo]

Re: Fiat 500c 1.4 petrol Duologic Transmission Failure - Australia

I do have an 2010 Punto with Dualogic. I have changed this parts already 2 years ago.
Now I have the same problem again.

 

[ahmett]

It IS similar.
basicaĺly its a Manual gearbox- with irs own oil- , but instead of a clutch pedal..it uses sensors and special oil..all driven by a computer.

So..get the garage to check:
1 : the level of oil in the gearbox
2: the level of fluid in the duologic reservoir

IF The duologic fluid level is low..then get it filled up..and purged of air and recalibrated

This will get it working perfectly

Charlie

yes but if the oil is low there is something wrong with the system.

 

[ahmett]

Re: Fiat 500c 1.4 petrol Duologic Transmission Failure - Australia

I do have an 2010 Punto with Dualogic. I have changed this parts already 2 years ago.
Now I have the same problem again.

did you replace the whole actuator unit? because any other fix is temporary basically. that's what happened to me, replaced bits and pieces but the problem kept on coming back until i changed the whole unit at once!

 

[varesecrazy]

yes but if the oil is low there is something wrong with the system.

agreed,
but it's quite possible it's a VERY minor leak,
but the MainDealer's "service history" doesn't mean they've ever checked the levels..:bang:

 

[wenflo]

Re: Fiat 500c 1.4 petrol Duologic Transmission Failure - Australia

Yes. Dealer charged me $2480.00 for this. Car was like 4 month at the garage.
I went to check right now. The Oil reservoir is half filled. Seems that it has a minor leakage too.

 

[ahmett]

Re: Fiat 500c 1.4 petrol Duologic Transmission Failure - Australia

Yes. Dealer charged me $2480.00 for this. Car was like 4 month at the garage.
I went to check right now. The Oil reservoir is half filled. Seems that it has a minor leakage too.

well the only thing you can do is fill it to maximum. this is what I will do when my warranty is about to expire on the dualogic, go to the dealer and make them check the oil free of charge.

unfortunately thats the best you can hope for. i don't think having a dualogic is good in Australia due to the lack of spare parts and the expenses involved to fix it.

 

[liav24]

Re: Fiat 500c 1.4 petrol Duologic Transmission Failure - Australia

Yes. Dealer charged me $2480.00 for this. Car was like 4 month at the garage.
I went to check right now. The Oil reservoir is half filled. Seems that it has a minor leakage too.

I replaced the whole robot unit too last Thursday, left the car for a day.
The mechanic showd me the older robot, it was half filled (the little bottle on the side of it), also the oil fluid was bit dark and not orange clear like when its new.
This also cost me 10000 shekels = 2500$ +- (after a discount, it was supposed to be 3000$), the most expensive service i have ever had on a car that supposed to be cheap for driving, i guess what you save on the fuel goes on the parts..haha.

What Fiat does in these cases is literally throwing thier fault products costs over their costumers, that is why i will never buy another Fiat again, maybe manual, i even sent them an Email 2 weeks ago and got no answer.
But i will never reccomend to anybody to ever buy a Dualogic gearbox - the Manual tranny will be way better and more reliable.

Also they dealership told me the robot is a new vesion of the old ones - the same catalog number - but an improved one. I don't know if its true but i do know its a bit louder and when you open the driver door - the "robot whine" is a bit shorter, the older one was about 8-10 seconds, the new one is 6-7 sec.

 

[ahmett]

Re: Fiat 500c 1.4 petrol Duologic Transmission Failure - Australia

I replaced the whole robot unit too last Thursday, left the car for a day.
The mechanic showd me the older robot, it was half filled (the little bottle on the side of it), also the oil fluid was bit dark and not orange clear like when its new.
This also cost me 10000 shekels = 2500$ +- (after a discount, it was supposed to be 3000$), the most expensive service i have ever had on a car that supposed to be cheap for driving, i guess what you save on the fuel goes on the parts..haha.

What Fiat does in these cases is literally throwing thier fault products costs over their costumers, that is why i will never buy another Fiat again, maybe manual, i even sent them an Email 2 weeks ago and got no answer.
But i will never reccomend to anybody to ever buy a Dualogic gearbox - the Manual tranny will be way better and more reliable.

Also they dealership told me the robot is a new vesion of the old ones - the same catalog number - but an improved one. I don't know if its true but i do know its a bit louder and when you open the driver door - the "robot whine" is a bit shorter, the older one was about 8-10 seconds, the new one is 6-7 sec.

yes lets see how long the 'new one' lasts right? i drive my car a lot so lets see what happens in the next few years!

 

[liav24]

Ahmett - i'm guessing your's is the newer robot - do you hear the short "whine" for about 6-7 seconds too? or is it a long whine? is it louder than before?
It should be similar to mine after all we have the same 2010 1.4 Dualocrap

 

[ahmett]

Ahmett - i'm guessing your's is the newer robot - do you hear the short "whine" for about 6-7 seconds too? or is it a long whine? is it louder than before?
It should be similar to mine after all we have the same 2010 1.4 Dualocrap

yes exactly and i changed it march 2015. so far after about 10,000 kms its a bit weird but no warning lights yet so should be ok for now!