So, wife calls this morning, on the way to work. "Car was making a funny noise and then it all stopped with no power".

RAC man called, broken cam belt, likely internal damage.

2008 JTD 1.9 Multi - cam belt replaced 29 months ago.

Current est. cost £1500 rebuild. We're a family of 6, so the Multipla has been the perfect vehicle for us, and with them no longer made is it better the devil you know - spend the money and have the repair done - or should we look elsewhere?

Could be worse, could have happened whilst we were in the midst of our trip in Feb to the Alps!!

Hate this situation with older cars - never can decide whether to repair or replace. What would you do?

For that kind of money, you could buy another similar vintage model and - if you were that way inclined - strip your current one for parts. There's a fairly late model listed in the Classifieds right now for £1.2k, though no photos (I've just asked for some) - https://www.fiatforum.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=33651

Edit: Just realised when they said late model, they meant late model of the earlier version. I presume your current one is the less 'ugly' version?

larkim said:

So, wife calls this morning, on the way to work. "Car was making a funny noise and then it all stopped with no power".

RAC man called, broken cam belt, likely internal damage.

2008 JTD 1.9 Multi - cam belt replaced 29 months ago.

Current est. cost £1500 rebuild. We're a family of 6, so the Multipla has been the perfect vehicle for us, and with them no longer made is it better the devil you know - spend the money and have the repair done - or should we look elsewhere?

Could be worse, could have happened whilst we were in the midst of our trip in Feb to the Alps!!

Hate this situation with older cars - never can decide whether to repair or replace. What would you do?

Click to expand...

surely that model engine is available for 500, and you can have it "refreshed" while access is easy..,clutch , flywheel ,etc
Charlie

Finding a replacement engine for a late model Multipla isn't so easy. There weren't that many sold in the first place and getting an undamaged engine from an accident write off isn't going to be easy.

Getting a replacement for an older, pre-DPF Multi is easy. There are loads on ebay for £2-300, delivered.

widemouthfrog said:

Finding a replacement engine for a late model Multipla isn't so easy. There weren't that many sold in the first place and getting an undamaged engine from an accident write off isn't going to be easy.

Getting a replacement for an older, pre-DPF Multi is easy. There are loads on ebay for £2-300, delivered.

Click to expand...

not found in other FIAT's..??

If you take the ancillaries off as need be - a JTD is a JTD, isn't it?

Actually it is even a Vauxhall CDTI or any of the other cars in which these engines were fitted. The engine was a joint venture between Fiat and General Motors and is found in MANY cars.

It amazes me how few people realise just how incestuous the motor industry is. Motor manufactures want to make money and they don't do this by reinventing the wheel. If they can get an engine from another manufacturer to fit their needs they will do so.

Fiat 500 and new Ford KA - Built on the exact same subframe
Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto - essentially the same car
Peugeot 107, Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1 = SAME CAR !!!

I own a SEAT ALHAMBRA MK2 which is the EXACT same car as a Ford Galaxy and a VW Sharan. In fact they are all VW's built in Portugal. Ford just paid VW to rebadge a whole lot for them. I had a moron arguing with me the other day that his Ford Galaxy was a better car ???????

Go figure !!

So this was what went. £1300 was the damage, of which £700 was parts. You are all right of course, perhaps i could have had it done cheaper, but its back on the road which makes for a happy wife!

Impressive photo, impressive feat (getting it back on the road). Many these days would have scrapped the car, given the cost of repair.

Let's hope that you in the clear for a while, for repair costs!

Oh, how I wish your last statement had come true...

Unfortunately, we were relying on the Multi to get us to the French Alps over half term, so when the car went back to the garage after 500m or so just to check everything was working as it should after such a major rebuild, we asked for a winter check over etc. £900 later...

Brakes, glow plugs (knew about that one), wheel bearings etc etc. You name it.

Still, it's better the devil you know, and with a family of 6 there is still no cheap alternative to getting us all around in the comfort that the Multi does.

We've now returned from the Alps. Only two minor (!) issues. First was a frozen on handbrake, which TBH I should have seen coming as that happens in the UK too. A few pans of steaming hot water under the relevant area, and a little "dragging" of the wheel freed that up for our return journey.

However, all but about 100 miles of the trip were done in limp mode. Given that most was on the Autoroute and 3000rpm is good for almost 130kph (provided you are not going uphill!) we didn't lose much time, and in the UK the trip up from Folkestone to home was actually driven faster than the SatNav predicted by a couple of minutes.

So now its another trip to the garage, but I think first of all I'll have a look at the MAF sensor and see if that is what is causing the limp mode.

On start up, the car revs freely above 3000rpm, but after a short drive if you park up the engine is being limited to about 3500rpm if it is rev'd out of gear.