General Fiat Ducato 2016 2.3 ltr ex ambulance

[DavidAJ]

Hi Everyone,
I have just purchased a Fiat Ducato L3H2 2.3 ltr ex Ambulance that we intended to use for a day van and his motocross hobby.
The mileometer says 109,000 but there is no service history or records apart from the MOT history. The Ducato runs and drives okay apart from a slight synchro issue in third gear but it doesn't jump out of gear so I am not too bothered. The only other issue is that the must have been a control panel or switch box under the driver's seat because there are a lot of cut wires just under the seat all taped up.
I have the following questions that I hope the members can help with:
1. Are there any visual changes that can confirm when the cam belt should be replaced, and what is the frequency.
2. Can anyone help with the connection details or schematic for the cut cables under the driver's seat.
3. The Ambulance has a diesel heater and another battery behind the seats does anyone have details of how this worked or how it was operated.

If anyone has any info that can help it would be much appreciated.

Fingers crossed

 

[Communicator]

Does it have fuse/relay panel(s) at the base of the RHS "B" pillar behind the driver? If yes then additional battery may have been plugged in there, with supply fuse on main battery fuseboard under LH front floor.

For details of "B" pillar options see "X250 Traing Manual" available in downloads section at top of page. Select larger file to download. Page 117 details main battery fuses, while page 134 et seq provides info on optional panels.

 

[DavidAJ]

Thank you for the feedback, I will check if there is a fuse/relay panel this morning and download the manual as you have suggested.
Thanks again

 

[the green vanper]

Hello,

Ambulances had lots of extra wiring for the additionnal electric / electronic system they use. As far as I remember, I've read somewhere on another forum that during a conversion the owner took out around 40 kgs of it...

As stated by @Communicator above, there is a third fusebox in the bottom of the B-pillar of the x250 and x290 and usually the extra battery was connected there by the builders, but be afraid with the manual suggested by him, as it contains data for the previous models. SEVEL could have changed it. More accurate data should be available in the owners' manual. The download section of the forum can still be a good place to look for documentationtion, check those:

2017-ducato User manual

2017-ducato User manual

www.fiatforum.com

Ducato 290 Handbook 05-15

.

www.fiatforum.com

x250: New Fiat Ducato. Conversion and fitting-out manual.

The original document prepared by Fiat Professionnal for builders / converters / upfitters dedicated for the Ducato x250 series.

www.fiatforum.com

and especially this one:

Ducato X290 Converters’ and Upfitters’ Manual

Converters manual for the post-2016 Ducato. Lots of technical information, including some very useful wiring and electrical diagrams.

www.fiatforum.com

It should be the most accurate and complex referring to your van.

As for the documentation of your van, try contacting the workshop that converted the van to an ambulance (the name should be somewhere) and getting / buying the documentation. It should be much easier to cut it out.

Before I've bought my van I was considering an buying a German ambulance and the local subsidiary of WAS, the ambulance builder, promised me that they will send me the German documentation when I will get the van. So perhaps it's worth to try.

 

[Anthony489]

Hi

The "book" interval for cambelt replacement was 5 years, but my local Fiat Professional advise that 6 years is OK. There is also a mileage interval but for private and motorhome type mileages you will hit the time interval first.

It used to be standard practice for vehicles to be disposed of from fleets just before an expensive service was due !

There is no reliable way of telling if a belt has aged, and the consequenses of belt slippage or breakage are very expensive, so unless you can see documented proof of a recent change I'd advise you to get it done.