Hi Guys, looking for help/ideas with my 1999 Fiat Ducato 2.8idtd based motorhome. (38,000 miles). Good performance in 1st, 2nd 3rd 4th gear but when travelling steady on a flat long (say) motorway in 5th gear instead of staying at a steady speed (65mph) the vehicle just gets slower and slower. Change down, increase speed back up to 65mph and soon the speed drops down again, despite keeping the accelerator in the same sort of position. It seems like its fuel starvation just in 5th gear, is that a possibility? There are no 'odd' noises.

Thanks in anticipation

Would NOT be fuel starvation. Sounds like you are lacking overall power and may be in limp mode. Lots of possible causes including egr, maf, blocked cat etc. Needs to have the ecu scanned for faults.

the egr is common to block up check it and I would blank it off
do you get black smoke from it ?

Any smoke? If not first thought is an issue with the LDA / LDA hose on the pump.

Hi, thanks for your replies

There is no smoke, either white or black and there are no unusual noises. the vehicle starts, each, first turn of the key.

I'm sorry but I do not know what a LDA/LDA hose so cannot comment!

I'm sure that it is of a temporary type problem as just occasionally managed to get to 70mph in it yesterday, other times I struggle to keep it at 50mph.

I've put some injector fluid into fuel tank, just to see it things improve, as I am not sure what else I can do

LDA is a diaphragm on the top of the pump that gets pushed by the boost pressure in the inlet manifold and pishes a conical pin tgat enriches the fueling. A leak here would be noticeable at low boost cruising conditions.

oigle said:

Would NOT be fuel starvation. Sounds like you are lacking overall power and may be in limp mode. Lots of possible causes including egr, maf, blocked cat etc. Needs to have the ecu scanned for faults.

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The 2.8idTD engine is mechanical injection. No egr, maf or ECU just a pump on the side of the engine. Some have cats and their badge says 2.8idTDcat so this one most likely doesn't.

I've recently picked up a 2000 7 berth camper with the 2.8idTD engine and have been disappointed with it's performance compared to my 2001 2.8jtd maxi van.

The clocks are in Km as it's a dutch import so I'll give you my experiences in Km.

Pulls fine in all the gears up to and including 4th where I will bring it up to 85 and then go up to 5th where it will then work it's way up to 110k or even 120k if necessary. BUT if you let it drop to 80k in 5th then it will die a death and you will have to drop to 4th. Even changing up from 4th to 5th too early will kill the acceleration.
I feel that the gap between 4th and 5th is too big and that the engine just doesn't have the power to bridge the gap unless it already has momentum to do so. I've learned to use the decline of a hill for building up speed to get into 5th.

I'm going to chance a set of new injector nozzles to see if it helps but I doubt it will, but maybe it'll improve the 19mpg I'm getting

So maybe they are just a bit underpowered and badly geared for our heavy campers?

I stand corrected, some idTD do have an EGR valve, though I've yet to see one.

Torq said:

The 2.8idTD engine is mechanical injection. No egr, maf or ECU just a pump on the side of the engine. Some have cats and their badge says 2.8idTDcat so this one most likely doesn't.

I've recently picked up a 2000 7 berth camper with the 2.8idTD engine and have been disappointed with it's performance compared to my 2001 2.8jtd maxi van.

The clocks are in Km as it's a dutch import so I'll give you my experiences in Km.

Pulls fine in all the gears up to and including 4th where I will bring it up to 85 and then go up to 5th where it will then work it's way up to 110k or even 120k if necessary. BUT if you let it drop to 80k in 5th then it will die a death and you will have to drop to 4th. Even changing up from 4th to 5th too early will kill the acceleration.
I feel that the gap between 4th and 5th is too big and that the engine just doesn't have the power to bridge the gap unless it already has momentum to do so. I've learned to use the decline of a hill for building up speed to get into 5th.

I'm going to chance a set of new injector nozzles to see if it helps but I doubt it will, but maybe it'll improve the 19mpg I'm getting

So maybe they are just a bit underpowered and badly geared for our heavy campers?

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19mpg doesn't sound right unless you're driving around at 140km/h or driving in central dublin all the time. You can fit a lower fifth gear but it won't help the economy. I'd check the boost pressure and contemplate grinding the lda pin.

corcai said:

19mpg doesn't sound right unless you're driving around at 140km/h or driving in central dublin all the time. You can fit a lower fifth gear but it won't help the economy. I'd check the boost pressure and contemplate grinding the lda pin.

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It was doing 80 to 90KmH around the crappy roads of the ring of Kerry and mostly in 4th gear. I would have expected closer to 30mpg. The max recommended speed in 4th is 100KmH so 90 is close to the top end so could explain why the mpg is so bad. 5th gear wasn't really an option on those roads.

You haven't said much about your motorhome. How big and heavy is it? Is it pushing the limits of the chassis GVM?
Sounds like your 5th gear is way too high for the purpose. A lower 5th would help a lot and would actually improve your economy as the motor would not be struggling so hard.
I used to pull a 2500kg caravan with a Nissan Patrol 4.2L petrol engine. It would pull it in 5th but 4th was much easier on the motor and gearbox and the economy didn't suffer at all.
As you say there is no black smoke, I would also look at increasing the fuel slightly as mentioned already to see if it helps and check the boost level. A small amount of black smoke under full throttle is desirable for best performance.

Torq said:

It was doing 80 to 90KmH around the crappy roads of the ring of Kerry and mostly in 4th gear. I would have expected closer to 30mpg. The max recommended speed in 4th is 100KmH so 90 is close to the top end so could explain why the mpg is so bad. 5th gear wasn't really an option on those roads.

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Ah with all the inertia of a 7 berth fuel economy will be banjaxed on those kind of roads. In 4th at 90 you're a few hundred rev out of the power band.

I had a 99 motorhome 2.8 with the same sort of problem,turned out to be the turbo waste gate valve seized, you can free it off with lots of wd40

FiatTechSam said:

I had a 99 motorhome 2.8 with the same sort of problem,turned out to be the turbo waste gate valve seized, you can free it off with lots of wd40

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Checked the wastegate last week hoping it would be stuck, unfortunately it's not. I was wondering if the actuator is vacuum or pressure controlled, it seems to be by pressure. I assume this is correct, will have to rev the life out of her this evening while watching the actuator to see what if anything happens.

Just realised that I've hijacked this thread but maybe my experiences will help the OP if they come back!

So I revved it to the max this evening and there wasn't a budge out of the wastegate actuating rod. So either I don't have enough boost or the actuator is stuck as I know the wastegate isn't. So some time in the future I'll pull all the induction system apart and check for leaks but before that the actuator (which is pressure not vacuum controlled) will be removed and checked.

Torq said:

Just realised that I've hijacked this thread but maybe my experiences will help the OP if they come back!

So I revved it to the max this evening and there wasn't a budge out of the wastegate actuating rod. So either I don't have enough boost or the actuator is stuck as I know the wastegate isn't. So some time in the future I'll pull all the induction system apart and check for leaks but before that the actuator (which is pressure not vacuum controlled) will be removed and checked.

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The wastegate will only activate when you reach maximum boost which cannot happen revving it in neutral. Main thing to check is that the gate is closed - if open, all the gas is being bypassed.

interesting! Think I'll stick in a boost gauge to see whats going on. I reckon though that at some point I'll throw a 2.8jtd engine into her. I've a 01 jtd with 75k mikes on the clock, she's worth very little but drives great and once I've no more use for her (in a years time) she'll become an organ donor.

Incidentally I weighed the jtd today, while bringing some rubbish to the dump, at 2760kgand at that weight she'll pull 50kph in 5th gear without any problem. The idTD camper would die in 5th at that low a speed.

Hi Guys. I dont have a manual but I do have a 2.8idtd Ducato A class on a Maxi chassis.
You have an Iveco engine in effect but its a kinda halfway house between the previous 2.5 and the 2.8jtd
If its a maxi you'll have 16" wheels and a bigger slightly better gearbox
The engine for the most part is the same as the slightly later JTD. Both could have been bought at the same time back then
So for servicing it pretty basic stuff
Change the oil and oil filter regular and if a camper and even if you dont do 6000m per year change the oil and filter at the end of each season. My own campers oil is still clear and clean after 16 years.
All service parts are readily available and both oil and fuel filters are spin-on
The timing belt should be changed every 4 years minimum and is basically the same t belt service as the later 2.8JTD
The exhaust may or may not have a CAT and it doesnt matter either way what you fit as there is no ECU to control emissions and either way has no bearing on MOTs
There is a security device to read a chip in the key and it gives problems. Best done away with and easliy done
Power is a bit of a problem on the 4 ton models and if some of you find you are forever reving the engine and changing gears I can write a post on how to move to a more torquey type of power. No smoke, better mpg. Been doen 100s of time of basic old school turbo diesels.
In fact there are those and I am one of those who would have said a few years ago this is the one to have.
It is direct injection which is easy stared and is turbo but it doesnt have a computer and doe not have fault codes or limp modes etc.
Its a heck of an engine for the mechanicaly minded who want to do their own work.
Front springs are often a problem and there are all sorts of overpriced versions around but take my word for it front springs on this axle weight are not rocket science and there are heavy duty version available from your local parts shop that fit, no problems
Top strut mounts need replaced as do the springs.
The springs were a problem waiting to happen from the day the thing was built I think.
Springs are heavy, real heavy on these maxi's and not a job for little screw spring compressors.
I have a hydraulic compressor if anyone is near me in NI and I will hlpe you change springs but I have a lot of pains so you have to do the most of the screwing as such.
Air suspension is available from the www. Near all use Rubina air bags and Rubina are a recognised manufacturer so there's not much point in looking for over priced branded kits.
The turbo's very occasionally die but a cassette can be bought for little and kept on board. You'll probably never need it once you have it but it could save 1000s if you start to pour out smoke. Any good small garage man can and do changed them. A cassette is the bit in the middle with the turbine wheels, casing and seals. As long as you dotn drive fro many miles the other tow housings are likely to be fine. That is why cassettes have became popular.
I do not know everything about these idtd's but I was a mechanic, old school and I'll share what I know of it helps.