Qubo Multiecuscan - AdBlue problems

[brom]

Hello,
A complete novice with diagnostics, so please bear with me.
I have a 2020 Qubo MJ, and a 2009 Doblo. The Qubo has only done 9K miles, and is mint - but being a complete pain with multiple warning lights. Most concerningly, some relate to the AdBlue system which was bolted onto the latest Euro6 Qubos. I am threatened with imminent non re-starting so it can't be driven.
My independent garage has a general diagnostic system, and the guy I deal with is on holiday, so the Qubo can't be looked at till next week.

However, from what he says, it sounds like sorting the AdBlue will be complete hitty-missy trial and error, at great expense of time and labour and replaced bits.

We don't have any local Fiat Main Dealers any more - and the nearest one is a chocolate fire guard, which failed to sort previous Qubo electrical tantrums.

My query - can the latest MultiEcuscan (mk5.1?) help with diagnosing the AdBlue problems? Will it be any better than the general one my garage uses?

Will it also be able to identify the annoying yellow warning triangle which randomly comes up on the Doblo dashboard for no apparent reason and then disappears again?

Are these scanners readily re-saleable, if I subsequently sell the Fiats?

Many thanks.

 

[Red Van Man]

Hello,
A complete novice with diagnostics, so please bear with me.
I have a 2020 Qubo MJ, and a 2009 Doblo. The Qubo has only done 9K miles, and is mint - but being a complete pain with multiple warning lights. Most concerningly, some relate to the AdBlue system which was bolted onto the latest Euro6 Qubos. I am threatened with imminent non re-starting so it can't be driven.
My independent garage has a general diagnostic system, and the guy I deal with is on holiday, so the Qubo can't be looked at till next week.

However, from what he says, it sounds like sorting the AdBlue will be complete hitty-missy trial and error, at great expense of time and labour and replaced bits.

We don't have any local Fiat Main Dealers any more - and the nearest one is a chocolate fire guard, which failed to sort previous Qubo electrical tantrums.

My query - can the latest MultiEcuscan (mk5.1?) help with diagnosing the AdBlue problems? Will it be any better than the general one my garage uses?

Will it also be able to identify the annoying yellow warning triangle which randomly comes up on the Doblo dashboard for no apparent reason and then disappears again?

Are these scanners readily re-saleable, if I subsequently sell the Fiats?

Many thanks.

Welcome to AdBlue hell...

My 2019 Trekking surprised me by having Adblue and it's been an utter PITA since the day I got it.. I did a test drive before buying and there was a check engine warning light on. The garage bozos said it would be sorted for when I picked up the car. (I had to get another car quickly for work, my Qubo Lounge having been written off after a woman drove out of a Give Way without stopping...)

The light was off on collection but came on again within about 50 miles or less. I took it back, they kept the car for two days and did god-knows-what, trying to force a regen was one attempt I know but nothing they did at their back street garage did any good. They kept saying I should take it for another day as they'd 'paid for the repair' already (which if true they would have fixed it??)

I didn't go back and took it to a mech in Doncaster who would delete the DPF (seemed to be the most likely suspect here) but their ECU reader suggested the DPF wasn't at fault.
Another mech came to the house to remove the adblue system (electronically) but after about 2 hours he couldn't upload the new plan to the ECU as the SCR module was faulty (the box controlling adblue injection etc.). SO I sourced a 'new' SCR on ebay (£139 all in from Italy) and I fitted it. ERROR on the dash display, 'Check adblue System' it said. Bah. So I put the old box back on, same error. I put on the replacement box and on setting off round the block it gave me the error but drove just fine. Next day when I set off for work the error had changed to 'Cannot Restart Engine in 249 miles' so I was on a death spiral.
Talked to a bod at the Adblue delete garage and he said the new box would have to be coded to the ECU for it to be recognised. OK so I booked it in at Fiat (Stoneacre, Sheffield) and could only get in 2 days later. I drove carefully noting the number of remaining miles I had until death and took it in last Weds. In 2 hours the guy had sorted it and after being relieved of another £144 I left. Almost a day and half later, of driving with a wonderfully clear dash panel - the Check Engine light reappeared.

I took it to Stoneacre in Scunthorpe on Friday and under (my assumed) warranty for work just carried out, I asked them to check it. Mech did his job and reported that they could see a NOx sensor error but it could have been something else as there are two (?) sensors in/near the DPF can so there was an error reading with one of them. He said I'd need to have the sensors removed and cleaned (adblue crud cacks up the sensors?) Cara smoked a lot going up hilss (white smoke - one guy said he suspected the injector was stuck open so over dosing the exhaust with adblue.)

That was the last straw really. I've had a Fiorino van (2012) and then 7 more Qubos since 2014, loved the time spent and the economy, even driving to the S of France in the last one (Lounge) which was perfect.

Today I went out, lost a shedload of money p/x-ing the Trekking for a Suzuki Vitara SZ-T 116BHP Auto and drove away with a carpeted, quiet, petrol car and am now waving goodbye to Fiat after 12 years.

Sad but the stupidity of the gizmos the motor trade are trying to fit to cars to appease the green brigade without thorough testing the are ridiculous. EGR which cakes up the inlet manifold, DPF (not very effective) and Adblue (another fluid you have to buy to add as if already expensive fuel wasn't sufficient) ...the motorist is the Beta Tester of these hopeless add-ons at their own expense and with no guarantee they do any good anyway.

I will miss the Fiat Forum - any Suzuki Forum I've looked at so far isn't a patch on the folks on here so I'll miss the tips and tricks I've found and used and the general camaraderie of the Fiat Forum users.

Brom, I hope you find salvation somewhere for the problems you've just encountered. There are firms out there that will delete the adblue system to make it totally invisible to the ECU and untraceable by any garage mech doing MOT or any other test - that's a go-to you might consider to make one less trial in the fight against the giants by the little guy (motorists!)

Good Luck and Au Revoir Mes Amis

R-V-M (Paul)

 

[brom]

Welcome to AdBlue hell...

My 2019 Trekking surprised me by having Adblue and it's been an utter PITA since the day I got it.. I did a test drive before buying and there was a check engine warning light on. The garage bozos said it would be sorted for when I picked up the car. (I had to get another car quickly for work, my Qubo Lounge having been written off after a woman drove out of a Give Way without stopping...)

The light was off on collection but came on again within about 50 miles or less. I took it back, they kept the car for two days and did god-knows-what, trying to force a regen was one attempt I know but nothing they did at their back street garage did any good. They kept saying I should take it for another day as they'd 'paid for the repair' already (which if true they would have fixed it??)

I didn't go back and took it to a mech in Doncaster who would delete the DPF (seemed to be the most likely suspect here) but their ECU reader suggested the DPF wasn't at fault.
Another mech came to the house to remove the adblue system (electronically) but after about 2 hours he couldn't upload the new plan to the ECU as the SCR module was faulty (the box controlling adblue injection etc.). SO I sourced a 'new' SCR on ebay (£139 all in from Italy) and I fitted it. ERROR on the dash display, 'Check adblue System' it said. Bah. So I put the old box back on, same error. I put on the replacement box and on setting off round the block it gave me the error but drove just fine. Next day when I set off for work the error had changed to 'Cannot Restart Engine in 249 miles' so I was on a death spiral.
Talked to a bod at the Adblue delete garage and he said the new box would have to be coded to the ECU for it to be recognised. OK so I booked it in at Fiat (Stoneacre, Sheffield) and could only get in 2 days later. I drove carefully noting the number of remaining miles I had until death and took it in last Weds. In 2 hours the guy had sorted it and after being relieved of another £144 I left. Almost a day and half later, of driving with a wonderfully clear dash panel - the Check Engine light reappeared.

I took it to Stoneacre in Scunthorpe on Friday and under (my assumed) warranty for work just carried out, I asked them to check it. Mech did his job and reported that they could see a NOx sensor error but it could have been something else as there are two (?) sensors in/near the DPF can so there was an error reading with one of them. He said I'd need to have the sensors removed and cleaned (adblue crud cacks up the sensors?) Cara smoked a lot going up hilss (white smoke - one guy said he suspected the injector was stuck open so over dosing the exhaust with adblue.)

That was the last straw really. I've had a Fiorino van (2012) and then 7 more Qubos since 2014, loved the time spent and the economy, even driving to the S of France in the last one (Lounge) which was perfect.

Today I went out, lost a shedload of money p/x-ing the Trekking for a Suzuki Vitara SZ-T 116BHP Auto and drove away with a carpeted, quiet, petrol car and am now waving goodbye to Fiat after 12 years.

Sad but the stupidity of the gizmos the motor trade are trying to fit to cars to appease the green brigade without thorough testing the are ridiculous. EGR which cakes up the inlet manifold, DPF (not very effective) and Adblue (another fluid you have to buy to add as if already expensive fuel wasn't sufficient) ...the motorist is the Beta Tester of these hopeless add-ons at their own expense and with no guarantee they do any good anyway.

I will miss the Fiat Forum - any Suzuki Forum I've looked at so far isn't a patch on the folks on here so I'll miss the tips and tricks I've found and used and the general camaraderie of the Fiat Forum users.

Brom, I hope you find salvation somewhere for the problems you've just encountered. There are firms out there that will delete the adblue system to make it totally invisible to the ECU and untraceable by any garage mech doing MOT or any other test - that's a go-to you might consider to make one less trial in the fight against the giants by the little guy (motorists!)

Good Luck and Au Revoir Mes Amis

R-V-M (Paul)

Oh, I do feel for you. So similar to my experience. Our Qubo goes into our long-suffering garage on Monday, to be investigated. But, even when/if sorted, we have lost all confidence in it.
So -
We are changing to a 2017 petrol Skoda Yeti - the selling garage has agreed take the Qubo when it's fettled. Looked at a Vitara, but the forward-jutting headrests were uncomfortable for us - otherwise a contender.
It's such a pity. My wife in particular loved the Qubo. Space, visibility, comfort, economy, handling - but the add-on gizmos to that wonderful 1.3 motor have destroyed its reliability.

At least I still have my faithful 2009, 120-horse Dobbie. They don't make 'em like that any more!

Enjoy the Vitara - and thanks for your help in the past.

 

[brom]

Further update on our Qubo's woes with AdBlue. As I said, it went to the garage yesterday, and was given a thorough investigation....
CONFESSION TIME - mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
It appears that I, when re-filling the screen-washer fluid on 10th January, filled the AdBlue tank instead!

It then took several weeks for the mishap to work its way through the system.

When my mechanic was cleaning the AdBlue injector, he could smell perfume, not pig-pee! And when drained, the AdBlue tank contents were blue - not transparent.
How could I do this idiotic thing?
Well - the screenwash filler, under a blue cap, is to the RIGHT of the engine bay, at the front.
The AdBlue filler (under a brighter blue cap) is to the LEFT of the engine bay, at the front.
And it was dark and raining. But even so....
It was an expensive mistake. The system has been stripped down and cleaned, and the diagnostics re-set. Lots of labour.
On the other hand, no expensive parts were needed, and the system is now as clean as a whistle!
I will be using anti-crystallisation fluid in the AdBlue, to be on the safe side in future, but the Qubo has had a reprieve.
A SALUTARY LESSON!