I'm fairly new to the Fiat Forum (please be nice to me).
I am suffering from what I now know is a fairly common fault on Multipla's where the spare wheel winch fails and cannot be repaired. My local Fiat dealer wants nearly £100 for a replacement part, which I am reluctant to pay as these items seem to fail with remarkable regularity.

Does anyone know of an after-market alternative to the winch mechanism? I've removed the winch from the car so I know there are 4 fairly substantial looking mounting bolts available in the floor of the boot to fasten something to (a basket mechanism perhaps) but I haven't been able to source anything as a replacement.

Can anyone help in sourcing an alternate part or offer any advice on maintenance of the winch to prevent this happening again?

Many thanks,

Matt.

Hi fella.

Well, when mine went about two years ago I was curious to see what had gone wrong so I hacked and levered my way into the thing and the guts of it had literally crumbled/smashed apart. Reluctantly purchased a new one from Fiat at Canterbury and fitted it meself. £85.60

However there is a bloke on ebay currently breaking a Multipla so you might get lucky, if you are the ebaying sort!

If not try and find one being broken on the net or through local breakers, if I were you. It'll probably be about £20.00 or something I expect. I considered an alternative option, then thought about sodding about on the motorway at rush hour trying to get the bloody spare out when Fiat had already provided a useable, if not rather fragile, option!

I know where you're coming from though and if you do cobble something useable together, then post it here and you never no, we may all be grateful in time! Good luck with it anyway.

Hi again. A poster on another Multi forum has said that this breakers yard has a 03 Multipla being broken. Front end smashed but everything from the doors backwards supposedly fine. May be worth a bell but I know its miles from you.

Hainford Hall Motor Salvage
Hall Road
Hainford
Norwich
Norfolk
NR10 3LX
Tel: 01603 898197
Fax: 01603 890825

Hope this helps!

Hi,

Thanks for the info on a possible breaker with a multipla. I have been trying to find this flippin' part thru breakers for a couple of weeks now with no luck so I'll give that one a go in the morning.

There are a couple of multipla's being broken on ebay but I've already been in touch with them and had no joy there. I spoke to one company (F L Auto's I think - or something like that) who have an ebay listing at the moment. The listing seems to show they have at least 2 multipla's being broken for parts. When I spoke to them , I got the impression they were the nearest I'd found to multipla specialist but they told me that the winch was one of the first items to go.

I'll keep hunting and let you know how I get on.

Thanks,

Matt.