Technical Multiair engine problems

[Marv80]

Hey guys, first timer just looking for some advice. Have an 11 reg bravo multiair sport. Driving to work the other day and it started stuttering and the engine management light started blinking away. Was at work anyway, so I stopped, started it again and all seemed ok. Driving home later the same happened again. Seems to only be happening when it's warm and upon further inspection we seem to have some mayo looking oil on the bottom of the oil cap.

What my question is really, is, definite head gasket? or could it be to do with the multiair system? The car's only done 25k and I bought from a main dealer 4 months ago so I'm assuming the years warranty should cover this either way?

Sorry for the long post, just fretting about potential costs.

 

[LSP]

Hey guys, first timer just looking for some advice. Have an 11 reg bravo multiair sport. Driving to work the other day and it started stuttering and the engine management light started blinking away. Was at work anyway, so I stopped, started it again and all seemed ok. Driving home later the same happened again. Seems to only be happening when it's warm and upon further inspection we seem to have some mayo looking oil on the bottom of the oil cap.

What my question is really, is, definite head gasket? or could it be to do with the multiair system? The car's only done 25k and I bought from a main dealer 4 months ago so I'm assuming the years warranty should cover this either way?

Sorry for the long post, just fretting about potential costs.

If it still have warrenty, why don't go the dealer? Sounds to me that the car has to little oil in the engine. Had the same with a Panamera Turbo some months ago.
Drove that car, suddently start stuttering and engine management light started blinking to. I checked to oil and it was way to low. Refilled it, and problems were gone. Was not my car btw. Terrible to see how people treat cars.

Try refilling your oil. If that doesn't help, search further. The thick oil, can be caused due to the head basket. but after just 25k miles? Hell no! Or you must have been driving the car fast with cold engine and didn't let it cool down before turning the engine off.

 

[KHALED25]

If it still have warrenty, why don't go the dealer? Sounds to me that the car has to little oil in the engine. Had the same with a Panamera Turbo some months ago.
Drove that car, suddently start stuttering and engine management light started blinking to. I checked to oil and it was way to low. Refilled it, and problems were gone. Was not my car btw. Terrible to see how people treat cars.

Try refilling your oil. If that doesn't help, search further. The thick oil, can be caused due to the head basket. but after just 25k miles? Hell no! Or you must have been driving the car fast with cold engine and didn't let it cool down before turning the engine off.

With the MA engine the best advice I could give you is to not try doing anything yourself. Take it to your dealer. If it's the multi-air unit (could very well be according to your symptoms), then it'll be changed under warranty, and the replacements rarely fail. If it is due to incorrect oil level, then have them check it. Multi-air engines are very sensitive to oil level. If they mess up anything, it'll be on them then.

 

[Marv80]

With the MA engine the best advice I could give you is to not try doing anything yourself. Take it to your dealer. If it's the multi-air unit (could very well be according to your symptoms), then it'll be changed under warranty, and the replacements rarely fail. If it is due to incorrect oil level, then have them check it. Multi-air engines are very sensitive to oil level. If they mess up anything, it'll be on them then.

Cheers guys. It's definitely not cause I've been ragging it around from cold so I guess I'll just bite the bullet and take it in. Dealer is approx 20 miles away from me. Probably best not to drive it?

 

[varesecrazy]

Cheers guys. It's definitely not cause I've been ragging it around from cold so I guess I'll just bite the bullet and take it in. Dealer is approx 20 miles away from me. Probably best not to drive it?

double check both coolant and oil levels,

IF coolant is low = speak to dealer

tell them your suspicions,
they may well collect it..do you have the AA cover anyway..??

charlie - Oxford

 

[Marv80]

double check both coolant and oil levels,

IF coolant is low = speak to dealer

tell them your suspicions,
they may well collect it..do you have the AA cover anyway..??

charlie - Oxford

Coolant is fine, oil is probably a bit over full if anything, just further fuelling my suspicions.

Thanks for all your help guys.

 

[varesecrazy]

Coolant is fine, oil is probably a bit over full if anything, just further fuelling my suspicions.

Thanks for all your help guys.

coolant would DROP if it's being pumped into the bores

Charlie

 

[IanHuntly]

If it still have warrenty, why don't go the dealer? Sounds to me that the car has to little oil in the engine. Had the same with a Panamera Turbo some months ago.
Drove that car, suddently start stuttering and engine management light started blinking to. I checked to oil and it was way to low. Refilled it, and problems were gone. Was not my car btw. Terrible to see how people treat cars.

Try refilling your oil. If that doesn't help, search further. The thick oil, can be caused due to the head basket. but after just 25k miles? Hell no! Or you must have been driving the car fast with cold engine and didn't let it cool down before turning the engine off.

The spluttering on the Multi-Air units is not a low oil problem. My wife's Punto Turbo has gone through 3 units in the space of 55K miles. The symptoms are identical, runs fine for around 5K, then starts with occasional mis-firing at idle, followed by loss of power (as though the drive by wire cut out) at around 3000rpm under light to medium load, ending with the car losing power on a cylinder, until you either switch off or boot it, then stays Ok for a 5 to 20 miles. We know several ower with this problem and multiple MA changes across all the models using this unit. The dealers openly admit they have no idea what to do next, no code is stored in the OBD. Looking across the net, seems to me that Fiat need to serious consider redesign and recall before they get to a class action from owners.

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

It's not the amount, but the oil quality that's critical with the MultiAir unit.
Use ONLY oil that has the correct specs ( see owners handbook) and nothing else, not many brands meet those specs, I'm afraid.
Change oil and filter every ~6-7000 mls (10.000km), and change the small MultAir filter every 30.000mls ( 50.000km), ofter overlooked, and NOT in the service schedule.
Engine will last forever.

 

[gadge]

...... and change the small MultAir filter every 30.000mls ( 50.000km), ofter overlooked, and NOT in the service schedule.
Engine will last forever.

I'm on 30500 miles on my multiair and (touch wood) so far so good. I 100% belive in oil changes - on all cars - and belive you can never do too many. I've been using the selenia stuff (personas) since I've owned it and it's well worth the extra price and in fairness it's not that much more than the equivalent castrol stuff.

I got to ask though what's the "multiair filter"?

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

https://newalfaparts.co.uk/home/506-multi-air-oil-strainer.html

 

[gadge]

I see! I’ve never seen one of these! where’s it located?

 

[varesecrazy]

I see! I’ve never seen one of these! where’s it located?

A question a lot of franchise mechanics would ask..


My TA also has one.. although the MA version is supposedly a LOT more accessible.

 

[varesecrazy]

The spluttering on the Multi-Air units is not a low oil problem. My wife's Punto Turbo has gone through 3 units in the space of 55K miles. The symptoms are identical, runs fine for around 5K, then starts with occasional mis-firing at idle, followed by loss of power (as though the drive by wire cut out) at around 3000rpm under light to medium load, ending with the car losing power on a cylinder, until you either switch off or boot it, then stays Ok for a 5 to 20 miles. We know several ower with this problem and multiple MA changes across all the models using this unit. The dealers openly admit they have no idea what to do next, no code is stored in the OBD. Looking across the net, seems to me that Fiat need to serious consider redesign and recall before they get to a class action from owners.

This is an OLD THREAD..

IN the interim period..we hear that it is a gasket seal issue..

A Ff member has had success with gasket replacement on old multiair units.

Charlie

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

I see! I’ve never seen one of these! where’s it located?

Look here as well, read postings from 12-11-2016.

https://www.fiatforum.com/tech-talk/182896-how-much-oil-engine.html

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

Hi All,
I would like to buy a car and a couple of days ago checked one but noticed something strange. One of the pipe comes from the engine? was wet. I wiped it off and it was oil (1.9 Mulitjet 8V) . Could you please tell me what that pipe is used for and where it goes ? (see the uploaded picture, I found the picture on the internet).

View attachment 187017

That's not a MultiAir engine.


Could be a cranckcase ventilation pipe that came loose...
Have a look at ePER on top of this page, and studie the pictures there carefully.

 

[Semir]

Yes, Sorry, wrong topic...
I deleted my post here and raised the issue at a suitable topic... Thanks!
(I wrongly indicated the pipe too)