Goldfinch305
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Just joined Goldfinch305 hello to everyone on this forum 
Ducato Motorhome
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Ducato Motorhome
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Goldfinch305
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Hello airwave i have a 2004 Burstner Elegance 660i 2.8 jtd motorhome as recently posted don’t know where to start with my troubleshooting problems some people stated it could be earth straps or loose connections or fuses don’t know exactly know where to look for all the earth straps to check if damaged or not any help appreciated
Hmmm , so what kind of problems do you have . I have a 2.8 , but it's an idtd model before yours , the primary difference is , you have an ecu , and i don't . I will warn you though the layout will likely be different .Hello airwave i have a 2004 Burstner Elegance 660i 2.8 jtd motorhome as recently posted don’t know where to start with my troubleshooting problems some people stated it could be earth straps or loose connections or fuses don’t know exactly know where to look for all the earth straps to check if damaged or not any help appreciated
Crystalfiat1991
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Hi everyone - The Fiat Ducato Hobby 1991 is a great vehicle and for its age in great condition. It is LHD. The only problem we ever have is the clutch playing up when we've been travelling for a couple of hours especially in Cornwall, lol... In 2020 we had a new clutch kit and cable fitted which solved the problem wonderfully after we tracked down the correct LHD cable. 3 years later, after a trip to a garage who claims they haven't touched the clutch it is playing up again. It wasn't right from the moment I collected it but it was working fine when I took it to them. Any ideas? Is there clutch fluid required? Can't see anywhere to check it only the brake fluid cannister is visible under the spare wheel. So, we are having a new clutch cable fitted but I have my doubts... It still looks as new as it did in 2020.
Well first off , hi right back at ya , my friend .
Right well first off , you can't find the fluid reservoir ? . I'm afraid the answer to that one , is staring you right in the face . You mentioned earlier in your post , you had to "track down the right cable" , well there's your answer . You don't have one , the clutch is cable operated . Now i should say at this point , that i have heard of some vehicles that have both , but i've yet to come across one . This is made slightly more difficult in that your particular vehicle is first generation , whereby mine is second , 93 onwards , so i have no direct experience of your vehicle itself . Normally the reservoir is quite close to the gearbox , and fairly easy to spot , so as a double check , examine the gearbox , and just check there is not a pipe that disappears into the bell housing . This will be between the engine , and gearbox , and usually a much bigger diameter than the gearbox itself . However , i'm fairly confident in being able to say , knowing my vehicle is basically a revamped series one , using a slightly bigger version of the same 2.5 engine , with pretty much the same gearbox , you'll be the same as me , and it will be purely cable operated . So that should deal with that one .
So with that dealt with , what will the problem be , well as you only mention , "it's playing up" , and not say in what way it's actually playing up , it's difficult to be sure . But i'm gonna stick my neck out and guess , it's not releasing properly , which would mean it's sticking . Now there are several reasons why this could be happening , with much of these down to the cable itself . It's not unheard of , to actually have a duff cable , was this an original cable or an after market product . The fact , that when new it was running fine leads me to believe it could be dry . This is quite common on a motorcycle , where the mechanics are completely out in the open , and there are such things as hydraulic cable oilers to overcome this problem . However most cables that i have fitted recently have a plastic core , which means they don't need oil , but equally it could be the lever on the clutch housing itself . Look where the cable connects to this lever , sorry i can't remember it's name , on the top of the gearbox . This lever will be attached to a shaft that disappears into the casting , this shaft can become stiff . But don't forget the other end where it attaches to the pedal though . Is this linkage stiff , has the pedal swivel bolt being adjusted .
Now another clue here is when you say later , "it wasn't right" , now this is interesting , because it could be indicating the cable has been run wrong . In other words it's being incorrectly fitted , and doesn't follow the same path as the original . However , the sequence as to where you have mention this , makes it sound as if you're talking about the second time it went into the garage , not the first , so this won't actually be the case .
If that assumption is correct , then actually i would question what work the van was in for in the first place . Service , well i would expect a garage to adjust the clutch , it's rare ,but should be done . Have they done this correctly . If not a service , could they have damaged the cable in some way doing whatever job it was in for , maybe they snagged it in some way .
On the minus side it could be the clutch release bearing , but frankly at this point , i don't think there's a problem with that . Yes it can suddenly go , but i seriously doubt at this time , my money is on the cable .