Technical 2010 Twinair : Failed Engine Replacement

[jpop]

Hi All,
I have a 2010 0.9 Twinair Lounge that has a terrible misfire and no power. It had new plugs, coils etc. but the garage reports ow compression and that the twin air unit has probably failed. It has 104k and I was ready to write it off, but to replace with something similar would cost much more than swapping out the engine for a low mileage replacement unit (especially given second hand prices at the moment).
My question is what do I need to be aware of when looking for a replacement in terms of versions/variants (i.e. will a TA engine from a later model drop into an earlier one assuming the engine codes are the same)?
Thanks Jp

 

[jrkitching]

but the garage reports low compression and that the twin air unit has probably failed.

If it is just the uniair unit which has failed, then you can buy a replacement here. A donation to the forum will get you a discount code enabling a 10% reduction on this price. However, it's still a lot of money and about 50% more than it was last time I looked a few months ago.

But after 100,000 miles, the rest of the engine may also be getting tired, particularly the turbo components, so a low mileage replacement from a breakers may make more sense.

The biggest problem may be finding anyone outside of the franchised dealer network with any meaningful experience of working on these powerplants. The availability of workshop-grade service information in the public domain is extremely limited. A quick search hasn't thrown up any availability of properly reconditioned TA engines from any of the reputable suppliers.

I'd expect the cost of a factory reconditioned unit from Fiat (if such an option is even available), fitted by a franchised dealer, would likely exceed the value of the car, even at today's inflated prices.

I totally get what you are saying about the cost of an equivalent used car, but a 12yr old 500 TA with a blown engine could easily turn into an absolute moneypit and I'd give serious consideration to cutting your losses and selling it 'as is'.

I can see the bill for supplying and fitting a secondhand engine exceeding £2000 by the time it's running properly and if it then fails again in 3 months time, I doubt you'd have any comeback.

 

[varesecrazy]

Forum discount will soon add.up on a big spend. ;-)

Or google the part number to see what it costs elsewhere

What oil has your 500 been run on.. ??when was the mesh screen last inspected?

That all aids long life !!

 

[jpop]

If it is just the uniair unit which has failed, then you can buy a replacement here. A donation to the forum will get you a discount code enabling a 10% reduction on this price. However, it's still a lot of money and about 50% more than it was last time I looked a few months ago.

But after 100,000 miles, the rest of the engine may also be getting tired, particularly the turbo components, so a low mileage replacement from a breakers may make more sense.

The biggest problem may be finding anyone outside of the franchised dealer network with any meaningful experience of working on these powerplants. The availability of workshop-grade service information in the public domain is extremely limited. A quick search hasn't thrown up any availability of properly reconditioned TA engines from any of the reputable suppliers.

I'd expect the cost of a factory reconditioned unit from Fiat (if such an option is even available), fitted by a franchised dealer, would likely exceed the value of the car, even at today's inflated prices.

I totally get what you are saying about the cost of an equivalent used car, but a 12yr old 500 TA with a blown engine could easily turn into an absolute moneypit and I'd give serious consideration to cutting your losses and selling it 'as is'.

I can see the bill for supplying and fitting a secondhand engine exceeding £2000 by the time it's running properly and if it then fails again in 3 months time, I doubt you'd have any comeback.

Yes, I had pretty much discounted the replacement of the twinair module. It is very expensive and then there's fitting, gaskets and finding someone who knows how to do the job. Swapping the engine out seems like the only option vs scrapping the car entirely.
I take your point re. cutting you losses and I will have to weigh things carefully, but the question remains, are all 0.9 TA engines the same, what numbers/fittings do I need to check to ensure a direct replacement?

Maybe too risky, but I was thinking that something like this might work:

2017 FIAT 500 TWINAIR 875CC 0.9 ENGINE 312A200 COMPLETE PUNTO ALFA ROMEO MITO | eBay

2017 FIAT 500 TWINAIR ENGINE COMPLETE. ENGINE CODE.312A2000. IF YOU WANT A PERFECT ITEM BUY A NEW ONE. FULL WORKING ORDER.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[jpop]

Forum discount will soon add.up on a big spend. ;-)

Or google the part number to see what it costs elsewhere

What oil has your 500 been run on.. ??when was the mesh screen last inspected?

That all aids long life !!

Yes. I didn't even know the mesh screen existed until recently but it has had the correct oil. I do like the TA though so I will know for the future if this one gets resurrected or I replace it with another

 

[jrkitching]

Early engines were Euro5, this changed to Euro6 around (I think) 2015 and at this time, all TA powerplants gained a DMF (this was previously only fitted to 105HP and 4WD variants). The recommended oil specification also changed around the same time.

I have no idea how this affects the interchangeability of the various components.

 

[jpop]

Early engines were Euro5, this changed to Euro6 around (I think) 2015 and at this time, all TA powerplants gained a DMF (this was previously only fitted to 105HP and 4WD variants). The recommended oil specification also changed around the same time.

I have no idea how this affects the interchangeability of the various components.

Thanks for the info. I guess that finding an engine that's low mileage and that's had an easy life might be harder if it has to be <2015