Hi
I'm after some advise , I bought my first fiat doblo a 2007 1.3 multijet family model recently ,well pleased with it,drove it back to France where I live ,it was faultless.
Unfortunately after a couple of weeks , when I came to start it in the mornings it would not rev past 1000 , just idle , I could put the throttle pedal to the floor and nothing! Eventually I could slowly build up the revs and get her going!
The other day same thing but this time the idle speed dropped and it conked out and now won't idle at all,and the engine management light is on.
A friend came over with a eobd reader and said it was the mass air flow sensor , I replaced this and no difference ??? The code is still there p0101 and I can't erase it , will the engine management light still being on mean it won't start?does this mean it's a different fault or his reader is cheap and won't clear the code????
All help appreciated , before I get ripped of by a French mechanic!!!:bang:

It's reporting you still have a problem on the MAF side of things. That code of itself, and the engine light being on because of it, don't automatically mean it won't start, although it might start and run like a bag of scheiss.
That it won't start at all is a pointer to something really being up the creek.

Check: wiring - including earths, and including the earthing between frame and engine. Pull wiggle and properly check earths are sound and no wires or cables are dry jointed etc.

Check for air leaks - especially where you've replaced the MAF - it's easy enough to split a pipe or leave a gap without realising it.

If *I* was you - after doing that and getting no joy, I would clean the old MAF quickly with contact cleaner (NOT WD40 etc) and replace the new MAF with it, and see what the code says then.
If it chucks up the same code *alone* (no others) leave it on and investigate more. Your new MAF wouldn't be the first item sold that was faulty out of the box.

Failing that, something I'd also have a poke around at would be the EGR valve. What is it like? Full of sheiss? Clean? Blanked off?

French brett said:

All help appreciated , before I get ripped of by a French mechanic!!!:bang:

Click to expand...

PS: French mechanics are no more likely to rip you off than any other mechanic - unless you shout at them in English because you think they'll understand you better - then they will, just like a Brit mechanic would a Frenchman who shouted French at them thinking they should understand French

Thanks for the reply, all help appreciated !!!

French brett said:

Thanks for the reply, all help appreciated !!!

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I replied last night.. can't see it here

does your van have

dpf - Diesel Particulate Filter..??

they can have all kinds of weird stuff with running.., just a thought

the Panda section has MUCH more traffic related to this engine

Charlie

Thanks for that I'm new to the forum, it's a 2007 1.3 multijet family model, I'll have to checkout the dpf , I'm not that mechanically orientated not through lack of trying though!!!
Cheers

I know this sounds a silly - even rude - thing to say - but have you checked that voltage is getting through to the glow-plugs?
I'm thinking that in a nutshell, if you have compression and fuel, it should at least *try* to effing start.
If you had no fuel for whatever reason you'd get other codes. If you had no compression, you'd presumably have noticed
With fuel and compression unless it's way to cold - which I know from living in France for a few years it can get - at least *something* should bloody happen...

I know I'd try spraying some Easy Start in it just to see what happens :yum: but I can get like that if I'm stumped :devil:

Sinny said:

I know this sounds a silly - even rude - thing to say - but have you checked that voltage is getting through to the glow-plugs?

I know I'd try spraying some Easy Start in it just to see what happens :yum: but I can get like that if I'm stumped :devil:

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glow plugs.. always a possibility
however You'd NORMALLY get a warning light well before any starting issues

:idea:try heating the plugs 2 or 3 cycles BEFORE cranking the engine

IF it's better then it's a heating issue..!!

DPF is a "SOOT - TRAP" in the exhaust it uses all kinds of engine management "magic" to get itself RED_HOT to clean out..,
IF it's not "regenerating" correctly , you'll have trouble..

SEARCH DPF REGEN in the 500 section for ideas..,

Charlie

Hi thanks for the info, I don't think it's the plugs it starts and then dies after a few seconds, just won't tick over????ill take a look at the dpf section tonight though , do you think it could be the erg valve??? The error code was mass airflow and clearly it's not that??

French brett said:

Hi thanks for the info, I don't think it's the plugs it starts and then dies after a few seconds, just won't tick over????ill take a look at the dpf section tonight though , do you think it could be the erg valve??? The error code was mass airflow and clearly it's not that??

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I realise your mates gear isn't throwing up any code for this, but I'm going chuck in two words here: Crank Sensor.

Will the fault become apparent if I test the voltages???
Cheers

French brett said:

Hi thanks for the info, I don't think it's the plugs it starts and then dies after a few seconds, just won't tick over????ill take a look at the dpf section tonight though , do you think it could be the erg valve??? The error code was mass airflow and clearly it's not that??

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so - if it starts straight away, does keeping you foot on the gas keep it running..??

loss of "natural idle" / or it just dies after a few seconds anyway

Hi
No keeping my foot on the gas won't even bring the revs up
Building up to the day it died , when I started it in the mornings I couldn't get the revs to build up for ages even with the pedal to the floor nothing? Then gradually it would slowly build up and then run ok.????

French brett said:

Will the fault become apparent if I test the voltages???
Cheers

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It's certainly worth checking the sensor wiring for continuity, because wires can deteriorate / dry joint etc. and theres hearsay incidents of wiring crumbling within looms over time (not Fiat particularly, in general)

The fact that it starts suggests you haven't got a massive air leak or anything wrong that would stop it running. If it only had an air-leak or a dodgy MAF and it started, it would *probably* keep running, but badly.

Thats why I mentioned the crack sensor as worth checking? Maybe you know someone who has the same engine who will let you swap it out and see what happens??

TBH - the fact it starts well rules out LOTS of the expensive stuff ( fuel pressure, etc)

I'd be looking at decent diagnostics next ( MultiECUScan) rather than keep swapping parts..,
Charlie

varesecrazy said:

TBH - the fact it starts well rules out LOTS of the expensive stuff ( fuel pressure, etc)

I'd be looking at decent diagnostics next ( MultiECUScan) rather than keep swapping parts..,
Charlie

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What the man said...

I wouldn't go and buy anything else, and I'd keep the receipt for the new MAF as well... but if you have a mate who is willing to swap items like sensors over with yours, that's worth doing to eliminate the actual parts being at fault - or even finding the fault.

That's what I like to here , think I'm gonna go down that route,
Cheers all

Hi I'm still waiting for a towing eye to arrive from ebay so I can get towed to the garage as the person who sold me the car neglected to tell me there was no breakdown kit. In the car
Quick question I was just looking under the car randomly and noticed at the rear of the vehical near the rear wheels the rubber gaiters rotted away at the bottom ? Can anybody tell me what they are and do, is this a problem them being damaged , and can I replace them easy enough?????

All advise welcome

French brett said:

Hi I'm still waiting for a towing eye to arrive from ebay so I can get towed to the garage as the person who sold me the car neglected to tell me there was no breakdown kit. In the car
Quick question I was just looking under the car randomly and noticed at the rear of the vehical near the rear wheels the rubber gaiters rotted away at the bottom ? Can anybody tell me what they are and do, is this a problem them being damaged , and can I replace them easy enough?????

All advise welcome

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Rubber gaiters?

Do you mean the rubber things "hanging down" over the springs? the black things in this pic? (There are various colours)



or this:



They are the only things I can think of you might mean, and they are the spring assists. They are pretty much a wear item, but unless they are *really* knackered or you're due a Controlle Technique, don't worry about them at this stage. they are a POP to replace, but you have bigger fish to fry...

PS: I think you'll find that all cars towing rings us the same thread - you could borrow one if you need to


(sorry, pics are AWOL )

Thanks for your reply , I think they are the bump stops? Ordered a pair of ebay anyway , might need to pick your brains on how exactly to fit em if that's cool with you ,bought this car for my wife , thought I would be ideal family vehical with 7 places as we have 3 kids so gonna try hard and get it all sorted for her!!
Listen just wanna say I really appreciate all the kind and helpfull responses from everyone here
I have used other forums in the past,mostly expat sites when we moved and 90 percent of people using them are a@@e holes ,giving unhelpful and condasending replies!!!!
You all seem a genuine bunch which is refreshing
Cheers all