I have owned this Ducato based motorhome from new. It is now 5 years old. I have used the Fix & Go unit to top up the tyre pressures on a fairly regular basis, with no problem.

In the past I have plugged it in to the cigarette lighter socket and topped up the rear tyres to 75 psi, with the vehicle engine running,as recommended in the instructions.

Today I connected the unit up as I have in the past, and the fuse blew.

I checked the owners hand book and identified the fuse that should have been for the cigarette lighter. F14 -10amp.

I checked the fuse, no mean task as the fuse box cover is directly under the bonnet release cable. The fuse was OK.

I then checked fuse F15 which was supposedly for the ancillary power socket which is situated next to the cigarette lighter on the dash. This was a 15 amp fuse and it had blown.

Just out of curiosity I tried the Fix & Go connected to the 12v power socket, and that promptly blew.

So, apart from the fact that the information in the handbook, regarding fuses relative to the two 12 v sockets, is incorrect, I just had to replace the blown fuses ?

I replaced them both, and tried the cigarette lighter socket again, and the fuse blew after the pump had run for a few seconds.

This would indicate that the pump is faulty ?

I then tried the unit with a 'spare' 12 volt automotive battery that I just happen to have hanging around. Connection was made with a 15amp in-line fuse in the positive feed. The connecting cables were heavy duty.

I topped up one rear tyre by a couple of pounds, but on attempting to inflate the other rear tyre, the fuse blew.

So I guess this probably proves that it is the Fix & Go unit that is faulty ?

My several questions are as follows.

1. Are the mini blade fuses purchased from the local Go-Faster shop any less reliable than genuine Fiat fuses. There has been some talk of inferior quality fuses causing all sort of problems ?

2. These Fix and Go units seem to be difficult to locate, and there seems to be several different models on the market. Does anybody know if there are any reliable 12 volt units out there that can be used instead ofthe Fix and Go? Driving the vehicle to the nearest garage, with an easily accessible tyre inflation unit, means that the tyres are hot/warm when I get there. Inflating hot tyres is frowned upon by many tyre manufacturers and vendors. The limitations imposed by the vehicle wiring need to be considered. 12 volt 10/15 amps, means that 120/180 watts is a maximum.

3. How do other motorhome owners resolve this tyre inflation issue ?

Incidentally the Fix &Go repair liquid has passed its sell-by date, but as I have no intention of using it can stay that way.

The pump supplied with the vehicle will be weak and cheap, intended to be adequate, but not meant for regular use. However, despite being cheap for the manufacturer to include with the car, a genuine replacement will be expensive.
Every car accessory shop can sell you a tyre inflator pump, ranging from £15 - £60. Just need to find the one that fits the space available and/or your budget.
https://www.halfords.com/workshop-t..._re=mmworkshop-_-Garageequipment-_-Tyreinflat
https://www.eurocarparts.com/tyre-inflators

Something like the Ring RAC900 compressor is suitable for the pressures of Ducato tyres, but it connects with crocodile clips to the jump lead terminals under the bonnet, since its power consumption would be too much for the 12v sockets in the cab.


The small plastic bodied inflators supplied with tyre goo kits in lieu of spare wheels are only designed for emergency tyre inflation and often even struggle at that. You have done very well to get as much use out of one as you have!

As a Ducato motorhomer myself, I totally agree with the previous entry that the Ring RAC 900 is the best buy in my opinion for "on the road" DIY tyre inflation. Apart from a petrol station airline (if it's working!) is the best bit of kit to deal with the sort of tyre pressures you're after.

Cheers, Mick

I bought the predecessor to the ring one on clearance in argos around 2008 still going great, just remember to start it before connecting to the tyre because the stall current will blow cigarette lighter fuses.

Much food for thought is gleaned from the preceding words of wisdom !

I feel I need to clarify a few points.

Obviously the Fix & Go unit is designed for emergency use only.

Using it for regular topping up of the tyre pressures was never the manufacturer’s intention.

So, as has been said, I have been lucky so far,

Just out of curiosity, and because my wallet is not as full as I would like, I dragged out the ‘spare’ 12 volt automotive battery once more,andconnected the Fix & Go to it, I then attempted to top up my Citroen DS3tyres.

The unit ran for a short time and then the 15amp in-linefuse blew.

I thought Bo**ox, this looks as if the amperage is insufficient for the job.

Watts = Volts x Amps ? (I am not an electrician, I am an ex-RAF Airframe Fitter / Ex-Bae Technical Instructor).

So, 12 x 15 = 180 Watts; maybe this Fix & Go unit requires more woomf ?

I replaced the 15 amp in-line fuse with a 20 amp one and successfully topped up the car tyres.

There was no sign of any overheating.

So, maybe connecting to battery terminals using heavier cable is the way to go ?

(Why it previously worked via the vehicle cigarette lighter socket is odd)

Maybe the lower pressure required by the car tyres, as opposed to the 75 psi required by the motorhome has something to do with theproblem.

I can find no information, via Google, with regard to the electrical specification of this device. Is a 180 wattage insufficient?

Regardless, tomorrow, I will have another bash at inflating the motorhome tyres using the ‘spare’ battery and the heavier cable with the 20 amp in-line fuse. This way I will do no damage to any ‘on-board’ wiring systems,nor will I blow any more ‘awkward-to-get-at’ fuses !

Meanwhile, as accessing the motorhome battery is a bit of a pain, involving removing carpets undoing a few screws and lifting the floor panel in front of the passenger seat, only to be greeted with a rather complex battery terminal set-up, perhaps, ………….. connection to the leisure battery would be easier ?

That is the plan for tomorrow. Using my ‘spare’ battery I will attempt to top up the motorhome front tyres, and if that is successful, I will try connecting via the leisure battery in order to top up the rear tyres.

Bearing in mind that the chances of my having to use thisFix & Go, while on a motorhome vacation, are hopefully slim, I may not have to buy a new inflation device after all ?

PS
I noticed that nobody commented on the topic of the qualityof fuses ?

There is a special positive battery connection under the bonnet that is for jump starting and attaching compressors etc. Very easy to access. No need to access battery itself.

While undoubtedly the Ring compressor, as recommended above, is the best, I take your point about not wishing to spend that amount of money on something which may only see very occasional use.

I purchased an identical looking item to the RAC 900 from ebay for £25 (then found another seller who had it for £20 ) and found it perfectly satisfactory; just ensure that you select one that is supplied with battery clips as opposed to a lighter plug.

Monty205 said:

maybe this Fix & Go unit requires more woomf

So, maybe connecting to battery terminals using heavier cable is the way to go ?

Why it previously worked via the vehicle cigarette lighter socket is odd

Maybe the lower pressure required by the car tyres, as opposed to the 75 psi required by the motorhome has something to do with the problem.

I noticed that nobody commented on the topic of the quality of fuses ?

Click to expand...

The unit supplied by Fiat is intended to be used with the 12v sockets in the vehicle, so there should not be a power demand mismatch. You have used this successfully for some time which suggests all was well.
The pump is probably a dry one, so no lubrication. It is getting worn and old. Usually with all these devices there is a warning about max time for use before allowing it to cool. Either the motor is getting tight as it gets hot, or the pump. This then demands more current and rightly, the fuse blows.

Fuses are very simple things. The wire is made in very long lengths before being cut into tiny bits for each fuse. There will be lots of samples taken from each wire for testing, so the quality of fuses will not be an issue.

When connecting the pump to a battery rather than a 12v socket, be careful not to create any sparks, and keep the pump, and fuse, as far away from the battery as possible. Batteries give off hydrogen, and even a tiny amount near a spark is unwelcome.

The real issue is the pump is getting old, and now being asked to do more than it is capable of. (Like asking me to run 400m, my fuse would blow before I completed the task too.) You might get away with using it for a few minutes, letting it rest, running it again, etc, but if ever you have to use the fix & go, that will need a full inflation in one go to avoid the goo setting in lumps. Although as long as some has found its way to the hole, the imbalance while you travel to a tyre shop is hardly a problem, as the tyre will be scrap anyway. The efort of cleaning the goo is more than the cost of a tyre, so once 'gooed' the tyre is unrepairable.

Plan your next excursion in the van a day shorter, use the saved funds to buy the best pump you can.

All the above has been read, learned and inwardly digested.


Thanks a lot troops !

Monty205 said:

Maybe the lower pressure required by the car tyres, as opposed to the 75 psi required by the motorhome has something to do with theproblem.

Click to expand...

Yes, current is proportional to load

Anybody out there have any experience with this particular device ?


Halfords Advanced Rechargeable Multi-Purpose Tyre Inflator.


The blurb looks good, and it specifically quotes pressure capabilities relative to motorhomes ?


Is the description valid, or is it pie-in-the-sky? I wonder?

Hmm, plastic parts, rechargeable battery, LED display and associated electronics. What could possibly go wrong?

Get an RAC900, or search off-road driving forums for cheaper but similar tried and tested units. They may cost slightly more to buy, but when they're still working and you've had to replace the cheaper (but probably overpriced) gadget two or three times in the same period, the cost comparison swings the other way

I have several compressors, the one I use for my motorhome is a Ring 240v unit I run from my inbuilt inverter as I've always felt 12v pumps were always built down to a price. I've had a RAC900 for several years that I used to inflate tyres at the race track direct from the car battery. I never used the inbuilt pressure setting, I just wound it up to maximum. As said elsewhere on here your unit will now be getting a bit old and tired and on the limit to its demand for wattage out of the battery. If you've got an inverter buy yourself a 240v unit, if not then the RAC900, but be careful not to severely burn your hand on the compressor head - don't ask how I know!