General Ducato 2.8 jtd campervan

[Jefrey69]

Hello all,
I haven't owned a Fiat for many years (ah, the old Tempra 1.4), but am thinking of buying a Ducato campervan from 2002. It's the 2.8jtd, with 105000miles on the clock....
Has anyone any good ideas of what I should be looking for? I'm going to see the thing in a weeks time, and any pointers would be gratefully received...
Thanks in advance..

 

[FreeSpirit]

Hi
Welcome to the forum,
Check this post out below for "Common Faults with 244 Model"
https://www.fiatforum.com/ducato/205055-common-faults-244-model.html
Also check out the history of Timing Belt changes on the 2.8JTD engine & general service history on the vehicle.
Cheers

 

[toyogran]

With a bit of maintenance and common sense the Ducato 2.8JTD is a reliable work horse and ideal powerplant for your motorhome. You don't say what load capacity it is, but ours humps 3.5T around with no problems and gives about 30mpg on a good run with a steady right foot.
Apart from the usual things mentioned check the scuttle drain from the windscreen which conveniently drains over the gearbox and can cause problems like seized gear selectors and linkage and at worst water ingress into the gearbox. Search on this forum about these items there are a few postings.
Suggest you extend the rubber drain pipe so that it misses the gearbox and prevent future problems.
Regular engine oil and filter change history is essential!
Check the front radiator/cross member. Very prone to rusting as all the water which driains from the bonnet channels etc is routed over the headlamps and onto the cross member which is hollow and holds the water. Not hard to replace and not expensive. It isn't strictly a structural item but some MOTs fail them on this rust if severe.
Check the sump also prone to rusting and perforation unless there has been an engine undertray fitted from new.
Rear brakes can 'snatch' due to their design and need careful adjustment. A good bevel on the leading edge of the 'tophat' brake shoes helps a lot.
The 20mm diameter metal coolant pipe that passes over the rocker box can come adrift at the welded support bracket due to vibration.
Have a look at the cam and auxilliary belts. Due to their exposed environment they can freeze in very cold conditions and if wet previously be catastrophic.
They are not bad rusters compared to many alternatives thanks to the galvanised dip coating but watch out for areas which have been exposed and not treated where rust can start.
Check if it's got the later 5th gear box. The earlier one was prone to failure due to the poor splash lubrication system of the bolted on 5th gear arrangement. It's the gearbox that has reverse left and up on the gate that you want.
They are not OBD compliant and need Multieuscan software to interpret the fault codes but this readily available.
You can download the Fiat Elearn workshop manual which is useful for info as there's no alternative publication.
Finally, there are some very hands on experts on this forum who can point you in the right direction when if things go seriously wrong!
Good luck if you. decide to buy it!