Technical ZF 9-Speed Auto A snippet of info

[HughJampton]

There has been quite a volume of debate (complaint) about issues with the 9-speed ZF Auto box fitted to recent Ducatos (and now superseded).

The weight of complaints in Germany prompted ProMobil (one of the major motorhome magazines) to pursue the issue with Fiat. There is an article detailing this in the magazine, but the online version is simply a summary, with the detail behind a paywall.

Anyhow, this last week they seem to be in receipt of an admission of the issues by Fiat, and notice of a remedial (more likely pre-emptive) software upgrade to "fix" the known issues. Most of the story is again behind a paywall, but there is enough detail here:

Getriebeprobleme beim Ducato-Basisfahrzeug: Fiat verspricht Hilfe bei Getriebeschäden

Die Neungang-Wandlerautomatik hatte bislang viele Fans. Allerdings treten immer häufiger Probleme auf. Jetzt gibt es neue Informationen direkt von Fiat. Wir beantworten außerdem die wichtigsten Fragen in einer FAQ.

www.promobil.de

to be of interest, particularly as it contains a service bulletin number. (Opening in Chrome will allow translation).

In typical Fiat fashion, it appears there will be no recall (as per the twin EGR issues), but anyone with such a box might like to enquire of Fiat whether the update is available to them (particularly if they use Fiat servicing).

 

[Steve928]

In Chrome I can get around the paywall by going directly through Google translate (loading the page normally and then clicking on translate doesn't have the same effect).
Hopefully the link below should get past the paywall in most browsers:

https://www-promobil-de.translate.g...l=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc&_x_tr_hist=true

 

[greygappers]

In Chrome I can get around the paywall by going directly through Google translate (loading the page normally and then clicking on translate doesn't have the same effect).
Hopefully the link below should get past the paywall in most browsers:

https://www-promobil-de.translate.g...l=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc&_x_tr_hist=true

Speaking as a person stranded in Spain with a dodgy 9 Speed gearbox this is very helpful. we had an issue 18 moths agon which cost us over £900 to have investigated and we were told the resolution was a loose wire. It worked fine until tis week when we go the usual warnings. We have limed to a Fiat professional dealer hear in Vittorio. They have said go back to UK! So tomorrow on a low loader to Bilbao to catch the ferry. Oh €700 for that! so this seems like a battle about to start with Fiat.

 

[jackwhoo]

Speaking as a person stranded in Spain with a dodgy 9 Speed gearbox this is very helpful. we had an issue 18 moths agon which cost us over £900 to have investigated and we were told the resolution was a loose wire. It worked fine until tis week when we go the usual warnings. We have limed to a Fiat professional dealer hear in Vittorio. They have said go back to UK! So tomorrow on a low loader to Bilbao to catch the ferry. Oh €700 for that! so this seems like a battle about to start with Fiat.

Any update?

 

[greygappers]

Any update?

Well yes quite a lot really, The garage in Portsmouth were very helpful but in the end though we had always used Fiat to service the van the last service was the wrong type. (Though brought to a Fiat Professional garage it seems they did the wrong type of service) So all help refused. But Elddis contacted Fiat directly and in the end we split the cost of £4,000 between us. But bhere is the rub while in the garage it was looking like a new gearbox would be required. £12k so we found through contacts a ZF expert in Sheffield called MR Gearbox. As when the gearbox was working there was no errors he suggested we replace the battery. We got the garage to do this and asked to test it again but as Fiat head office was now involved they would not. But in the end under pressure from Elddis Fiat tested the van and after 150 km there were no errors! But as the system showed errors in the past tghey decided to replace the solinoid kit and the wiring harnes for the gearbox.

We go the van back in May and took for a 3000 mile run in Europe over 20 month with no issues. Was it the battery? was it the parts replaced? or a software update? Our AdBlue usage dropped by over 3/4 was 5lt pre 1000 now 5lt per 3000? plus we now get 29 mpg rather than the 26 prior. So we happy and really appricate the support we had from Elddis.