General Ducato motorhome problems after not starting it for 6 weeks

[Autoswan]

The saga continues grrr !
Found a diesel leak ! When serviced the diesel filter water sensor screw in thread had snapped . Looking online at replacement and see a lot that look the same around £14 but in description most say Saab? Are they universal fitting Ok for my Ducato? or should I hunt for one that says fits mine ? Local motorfactors don't have them.

 

[Communicator]

The saga continues grrr !
Found a diesel leak ! When serviced the diesel filter water sensor screw in thread had snapped . Looking online at replacement and see a lot that look the same around £14 but in description most say Saab? Are they universal fitting Ok for my Ducato? or should I hunt for one that says fits mine ? Local motorfactors don't have them.

My 2006 x244 has the plastic bodied UFI filter. I can confirm that a similar filter is fitted next to the fuel tank of our 2011 Saab 9-3. Not sure if identical., but can you check part numbers?

Have had any result from changing the absolute pressure sensor?

 

[Autoswan]

My 2006 x244 has the plastic bodied UFI filter. I can confirm that a similar filter is fitted next to the fuel tank of our 2011 Saab 9-3. Not sure if identical., but can you check part numbers?

Have had any result from changing the absolute pressure sensor?

Hi communicator.
The UFI PA6.6GF30 12V printed on my diesel filter water sensor looks the same as the cheap ones on eBay with Saab in thier description.
I was going to take off the pipe from air filter I mentioned earlier first then try changing the absolute pressure sensor if nothing changed. But diesel leak is priority atm. So once I know which part to get for that I'll then carry on with the next steps.

 

[Autoswan]

Changed absolute pressure sensor and a tried other things but at a dead end now. So had to bite the bullet and book it into Fiat next month as a last resort !

 

[bugsymike]

Changed absolute pressure sensor and a tried other things but at a dead end now. So had to bite the bullet and book it into Fiat next month as a last resort !

Did you ever get a smoke test done?
I had a Fiat Doblo that went into limp mode when you booted it, in the end it was an air leak on the inlet manifold at the EGR connection.
Let us know what Fiat Dealership finds please.

 

[Autoswan]

Did you ever get a smoke test done?
I had a Fiat Doblo that went into limp mode when you booted it, in the end it was an air leak on the inlet manifold at the EGR connection.
Let us know what Fiat Dealership finds please.

Smoke test showed no leaks. No Erg on this van. Crafty fiat said they just put thier diagnosis price up a few days before I booked it in too !

 

[bugsymike]

Smoke test showed no leaks. No Erg on this van. Crafty fiat said they just put thier diagnosis price up a few days before I booked it in too !

Diagnosis price is less relevant, than if they find the cause of problem.
We have a good local diagnostic company that the trade uses as a last resort as they are not cheap. The point is they know what they are doing and give good diagnosis.
At the end of the day it is as good as the guy using the equipment.

 

[Autoswan]

After code said not recognising key I've got a sneaky feeling that when the firm bypassed the immobiliser in the ECU that it may be the reason the lights comming on ?
The guy said dont plug in the 2 plugs back into the immobiliser after but it wouldnt start. code said crank shaft sensor so I changed that. Still wouldn't start till i plugged n the smaller plug/ wire from ignition coil to immobiliser but leaving out the bigger plug from the immobiliser ? It started straight away for the first time since this all began. but the engine light came on every time i rev it as said earlier.
Other codes for sensors had me changing the others till no codes at all but engine light still comes on when revved
Maybe it's searching for immobiliser but throwing no code and driving fine just lighting up engine management light ?
Going to see the guy that disabled the immobiliser in the ECU to see what he says.
Keep trying before fiat take it on next month.

 

[bugsymike]

After code said not recognising key I've got a sneaky feeling that when the firm bypassed the immobiliser in the ECU that it may be the reason the lights comming on ?
The guy said dont plug in the 2 plugs back into the immobiliser after but it wouldnt start. code said crank shaft sensor so I changed that. Still wouldn't start till i plugged n the smaller plug/ wire from ignition coil to immobiliser but leaving out the bigger plug from the immobiliser ? It started straight away for the first time since this all began. but the engine light came on every time i rev it as said earlier.
Other codes for sensors had me changing the others till no codes at all but engine light still comes on when revved
Maybe it's searching for immobiliser but throwing no code and driving fine just lighting up engine management light ?
Going to see the guy that disabled the immobiliser in the ECU to see what he says.
Keep trying before fiat take it on next month.

I had a similar age Iveco Daily 2.8 JTD with a Bosch MS6.3 ECU, long story short the chip for the key was lost, both local Iveco Dealers wanted around £1000 if I towed it the 30 odd miles to them.I posted the ECU to a guy in Bradford who disabled the immobiliser side and gave me strict instruction not to reconnect the box the aerial antenae around the key was connected to up under the dash. It started straightaway and was totally reliable at a cost of £137 including postage, a year or so later I sold the vehicle and informed the new owner what had been done. This was around 14 years ago.
If you are going to a Fiat Dealer they may start talking telephone numbers for new ECUs etc. to reinstate as original. So if you drive in there, make sure what ever you choose to have done that it is capable of being driven out again!!!

 

[Communicator]

After code said not recognising key I've got a sneaky feeling that when the firm bypassed the immobiliser in the ECU that it may be the reason the lights comming on ?
The guy said dont plug in the 2 plugs back into the immobiliser after but it wouldnt start. code said crank shaft sensor so I changed that. Still wouldn't start till i plugged n the smaller plug/ wire from ignition coil to immobiliser but leaving out the bigger plug from the immobiliser ? It started straight away for the first time since this all began. but the engine light came on every time i rev it as said earlier.
Other codes for sensors had me changing the others till no codes at all but engine light still comes on when revved
Maybe it's searching for immobiliser but throwing no code and driving fine just lighting up engine management light ?
Going to see the guy that disabled the immobiliser in the ECU to see what he says.
Keep trying before fiat take it on next month.

I am sorry that you had not raised the matter of key code failure on forum, before taking drastic action. I seem to have cured a similar problem on my 2006 2.8jtd, by cleaning the contacts on the code receiver. I was getting afailure rate of 40% on a small test sequence in March 2023. I have not seen any code failures since cleaning the contacts. For your information the small 3 way connector is the aerial connection, without power via larger connector, reinserting only the aerial connector could not have any effect on starting, as there would be no communication with the engine computer (ECU), via pin 6 of the larger 8 way connector.

If the ECU continues to raise an alarm at about 3000rpm, then it is trying to tell us something, but I doubt that it would be waiting until 3000rpm to discover that the code receiver is missing.

 

[Autoswan]

it only started after I replugged in the smaller Arial wire from key coil part back into the immobiliser.
I'm apprehensive in trying to plug in the larger plug into immobiliser as the guy said don't do it.
When it first wouldn't start I tried a combination of key on and off sequences i found online, before starting and it worked a couple of times then wouldn't have it at all after leaving it off over a weekend.

After trying everything listed on this thread I'll try anything before giving it to fiat but I've run out of ideas. The codes show clear / nothing wrong ! It drives fine but there's something not right because when I put key in and turn position 1 all lights go out and stay out when I start it. But as soon as I give the throttle a quick press or slowly build revs slowly to 3000 the light comes on every time. So somethings not right ?

 

[Communicator]

it only started after I replugged in the smaller Arial wire from key coil part back into the immobiliser.
I'm apprehensive in trying to plug in the larger plug into immobiliser as the guy said don't do it.
When it first wouldn't start I tried a combination of key on and off sequences i found online, before starting and it worked a couple of times then wouldn't have it at all after leaving it off over a weekend.

After trying everything listed on this thread I'll try anything before giving it to fiat but I've run out of ideas. The codes show clear / nothing wrong ! It drives fine but there's something not right because when I put key in and turn position 1 all lights go out and stay out when I start it. But as soon as I give the throttle a quick press or slowly build revs slowly to 3000 the light comes on every time. So somethings not right ?

I hope that is a minor error of omission. The battery/alternator light, oil pressure, and brake warning lights should stay on.

I also, have a 2.8jtd which may not be started for two months or more. It has not raised any fault codes as a result, but battery is on float charge. On a recent trip there were perhaps three start failures, for which I am blaming the ignition switch start contact, as there was no sound from the starter solenoid. Got to start somewhere, so I am in the process of changing the switch, but will keep the original as a spare. If problem re-occurs I will have to look elsewhere.

 

[Autoswan]

I hope that is a minor error of omission. The battery/alternator light, oil pressure, and brake warning lights should stay on.

I also, have a 2.8jtd which may not be started for two months or more. It has not raised any fault codes as a result, but battery is on float charge. On a recent trip there were perhaps three start failures, for which I am blaming the ignition switch start contact, as there was no sound from the starter solenoid. Got to start somewhere, so I am in the process of changing the switch, but will keep the original as a spare. If problem re-occurs I will have to look elsewhere.

Yes I meant engine warning light goes out when key position 1. Then stays out when engine starts. But comes on when a quick press on throttle or slowly build up revs to 300 rpm. Where it also comes on .
Booked into fiat this Friday. So fingers crossed .

 

[Autoswan]

Well that was a waste of time ! After waiting weeks to take it into Fiat This morning I just had a call from them saying I need to take it to an autoelectrician ( which I've had 2 look at it already ! ) Don't they have any ? which is why as a last resort I booked it into Fiat! And they said they will sort it out for sure, now guy said they plugged thier computer in and they think its a wire problem , guessing ! Not able to sort it out. So much for main dealers garage !
So stuck with it by looks of it as I've done everything I can think of but im not an auto electrician !
Not happy with them at all !!

 

[cid]

dear autoswan, if your van is running and behaving correctly and nobody can detect a fault, have you thought about either removing the bulb or sticking a bit of tape over it and forgetting about it. bloody computers will be the death of us or lead us into poverty if we let them. seriously though, just keep monitoring it until something goes wrong or doesn't. to keep paying out cash with no results is futile. all the best. ian,

 

[jackwhoo]

After code said not recognising key I've got a sneaky feeling that when the firm bypassed the immobiliser in the ECU that it may be the reason the lights comming on ?
The guy said dont plug in the 2 plugs back into the immobiliser after but it wouldnt start. code said crank shaft sensor so I changed that. Still wouldn't start till i plugged n the smaller plug/ wire from ignition coil to immobiliser but leaving out the bigger plug from the immobiliser ? It started straight away for the first time since this all began. but the engine light came on every time i rev it as said earlier.
Other codes for sensors had me changing the others till no codes at all but engine light still comes on when revved
Maybe it's searching for immobiliser but throwing no code and driving fine just lighting up engine management light ?
Going to see the guy that disabled the immobiliser in the ECU to see what he says.
Keep trying before fiat take it on next month.

Perhaps you should go back to the firm that deleted the immobilizer from your ecu

 

[Autoswan]

dear autoswan, if your van is running and behaving correctly and nobody can detect a fault, have you thought about either removing the bulb or sticking a bit of tape over it and forgetting about it. bloody computers will be the death of us or lead us into poverty if we let them. seriously though, just keep monitoring it until something goes wrong or doesn't. to keep paying out cash with no results is futile. all the best. ian,

It won't pass mot with light hidden. It's supposed to stay on before starting then go out when it starts. But it's not coming on at all till I start it and give it some throttle.

 

[Autoswan]

Perhaps you should go back to the firm that deleted the immobilizer from your ecu

Did that. Can't get van near thier garage in a lane. Proper firm but crap access, and they won't come out !

 

[Autoswan]

Other options left are to plug in the immobiliser that he said not to and see if that works. If not take it to a proper garage unlike fiat that will test the ECU and have the van in there as it's bigger and deals with all sizes of trucks etc with autoelectricains permanently staffed there.

 

[jackwhoo]

Really don't think you can blame fiat on this one . You have had a third party alter the programming on the ecu which van have all sorts of knock on effects , which it appears to have done.