I too am the unfortunate owner of a new shape Fiat Ulysse and have suffered numerous faults, glitches and irritants (40 days with the local dealer since last May and counting...). If it's any consolation Top Gear magazine also had a nightmare with theirs in (reported in last month's issue).

One outstanding problem, touched upon in previous entry, is the audio volume. This was ok until one of the many visits to my Fiat dealer.

Now all volume base (not bass) levels (ie CD, Radio, Phone and Nav) are low when the vehicle is started and you have to crank it up to 29/30 to hear anything.

It's a basic Connect system and I've got the automatic level adjustment set to 'On' but can't find anything in the manual about increasing the 'start up' volume levels.

Hi whumon,

Welcome to what is now the 'gripe' site, although some of us, me included, have nearly perfect vehicles.

I presumed the 'start-up' levels were the same as the ones they finished at! What exactly has your Fiat dealer done to the car? It sounds like it may be an RT3 problem, and may need replacing under warranty, unless the dealer has already done this without you knowing.

What happens if you turn the automatic level adjustment to 'Off'? At the end of the day, you shouldn't be at level 29 - I find 14ish is comfortable - no doubt one of the other members will enlighten further.

Stuart

Hey whumon,
Welcome to the gripe club!

I've got the same problem. Whenever I power up, everything is set to 15 or so and I cant hear a thing. eg: I make a phone call and I cant hear anything unless I crank it up to 29 or 30. Listen to radio 4 on the motorway and I sometimes have to lean forwards to hear what they're saying. - even on full volume. I have to do this every time I start the car.

Others say that a setting of 15 or 16 is fine.

I've raised this with the dealer, and I suspect it's tied in to the problem that I have where the whole connect system (the basic one like yours) shuts down "to avoid damage due to over temperature". The dealer has ordered a new connect system (having already replaced the complete engine management unit (5 weeks in the garage) ) - I'm waiting. Its been about 6 weeks on order now, and they have no idea when the thing will turn up.

Froggy

Hi,

How did your engine management change go. Mine was in yesterday for a new engine management ECU but when they installed it the car wouldn't rev past 3,000rpm. It did solve the errors it was showing before for the auto box and emmissions. Sadly the dealer couldn't get it to rev properly so they ended up putting the old unit back so I could at least use the car. They are contacting the Fiat Technical department for ideas (not sure if they really exist).

You can't blame the dealers as they can only work with the info they are given, which is not much.

Did yours have the same problem about the revs.

Andy

Did you know that they contact Fiat technical via fax! They send them a fax and wait for a reply, no phone calls, no e-mails just fax. I didn't believe this until a friend of mine who is an ex-Fiat mechanic confirmed it.

Keggers

Hi Keggers

Yes that is the case, they fax the problem over & then Wait!! I know because like you my car has many problems too!

Paul

Hi Poggy,

Well there's another story. It went in to teh dealer to solve the Connect system problem (volume too low and unit shutting down). They said it was a software update needed. They managed to crash the computer system during the update which then meant they couldnt do anything. Start the car, lock it etc. So they had to get a new ECU. This took 5 weeks during which time I had a Multipla (ugh). When the right unit eventually turned up (yes they sent the wrong one first) the new unit (or it's installation) added a whole set of new faults to the car (tyre pressure sensor warning every time I started up, windows that no longer close when locking the car). And, to make things even better. It hasn't solved the problem it went in for!

It went in at the end of November.. still waiting.

Now waiting for a response from my letter to Fiat MD and UK Customer Services Manager.

Froggy

Hi,

My car was in the garage today for a new engine ECU which was supposed to fix the auto gearbox fault and emissions fault. Anyway they had already tried to install the new ECU a couple of days ago and after installation it wouldn't rev past 3,000rpm. They ended up taking the new one out and putting the old one back again so I could drive the car.

Today however the expert from Fiat came to look at the car and after adjusting the auto gearbox selection switch, repairing some broken wires and resetting the auto gearbox memory, it seems to work. The down side is that the new engine management ECU was the wrong one which is why it didn't work originally. It will have to go back again when Fiat send the right part.

Also the RT3 unit started bleeping again as soon as I got in to drive back. The dealer didn't know what was causing this and I suggested that we use the new software 5.4B from the Eurovan2 site and see what happened. They said that they would be happy to do this as they would have to get a replacement anyway if it didn't work. The RT3 was happily bleeping and I stuck the CD in, immediately the bleeping stopped and the new software loaded. It all seems to work at the moment, but as the bleeping is random I will have to wait for a while to be sure it has worked completely. I don't hold out much hope but we will have to see. If not it is time for a new RT3 unit.
The only difference with the new software is that the unit doesn't start up again for a few seconds when you pull out the ignition key to warn you to put the car in "Park" etc, but this is actually much better. Also it seems to start up much quicker.

Froggy good luck with yours and let us know what happens.

Andy

Hi just to update you with my status.
No word from Fiat other than a "holding letter".
Car went in today to solve the rear-washer-pissing-out-inside-the-car problem and to fit a new window controller. Hey guess what, the controller I waited 3 weeks for was the wrong one, despite trying to fit one from another car in the showroom (that was different too) I now have a one-touch window that takes 20 button pushes to close (it goes about an inch per click!). But at least now I can clean my rear windscreen without getting out of the car. - hey thats not bad for twenty grand!

However, the Connect system still shuts down (if it works at all) after about an hour leaving me without radio/cd/clock and of course navigation, which is usually at the critical moment just as I drive into some city centre on the way to a meeting. - still no news about the replacement.

[!]
froggy

Since my car came bck from the dealer yesterday, I've had exactly this problem - I used to have the radio/CD volume at about 15/16 but now it has to almost at the top of the scale when you are up to motorway speed. The phone is completely inaudible now. Anybody else had this? Is it possible they have changed a setting in the RT3 by mistake?
Martin

Surprised nobody else has piped up on this one as it's a known issue created by the dealer techs clumping around inside the delicate setup.

There's an option that sets the audio output level to drive speakers or an external amp. It should be on speaker but if it gets set to external amp the level is very low.

We had this done during a fix for something else. Took ages to pursaude them it was wrong and to fix it. The dealer kept saying that if you cranked the volume up it was ok. But we kept pointing out that at startup every single audio setting was too low and they all needed re-adjusting every time.
Eventually they found the mistake and it was an easy fix.

Just tell the deal that one of the RT3 settings has been changed from speaker output level to external amp output level and it needs changing back.

Excellent post, Pat - first time I have come across that solution

Well I may have some answers but my Ulysse sunroof still leaks in the rain.
The dealers got no idea why. or even which roofs leaking.
I live in hope that somebody will post one day that they have a fix!

ARRGHH!! Yes! Yes Me Too!! :bang:

I went through about 4 months of visits to my dealer with this EXACT problem and he eventually had to replace the whole RT3 unit (at a cost to Fiat of £2000!)

In a way, I feel sorry for the technicians - the MKII Ulysse is a quantum leap from MKI so they are playing catch-up with the new computer stuff, and from what I gather Fiat Technical are hard to get hold of (apparently you have to fax them and wait for a reply - all very cloak and dagger)

Thats why this forum should be mandatory reading for all dealers!!

P.S. Pat thanks for sharing the knowledge :worship:

I'm so tempted to try and get my hands on the diag machine. I do computers as part of my work and I'm sure it would be a real eye opener to see what lays within the RT3. An experienced eye could gleen a lot of userful info for the forum and even feedback to the dealers.
Yes I to feel sorry for the poor techs who have had to move from oil and bolts to digits and uploads for them it must seem like hell on earth. To those working with computers all day it's probably a nice distraction.

Pat H said:

I'm so tempted to try and get my hands on the diag machine. I do computers as part of my work and I'm sure it would be a real eye opener to see what lays within the RT3. An experienced eye could gleen a lot of userful info for the forum and even feedback to the dealers.
Yes I to feel sorry for the poor techs who have had to move from oil and bolts to digits and uploads for them it must seem like hell on earth. To those working with computers all day it's probably a nice distraction.

Click to expand...

The diag computer analyses the body computer not the RT3 although it seems one or two parameters on the RT3 can be adjust such as the external amp part and the speed that the video turns off at. The body computer and the RT3 do have a cable between them.

There was a diag for sale on E-Bay but I couldn't work out exactly which models it would work on and what the software release it was on.

As you say it would have been fun to be able to look at what you can adjust. The bleeping seat belt reminder springs to mind!

Paul

I have had a play on the Examiner unit, but only for 30 mins or so when we were doing an RT3 firmware upgrade; I wanted to see how it all worked. H

However, the tech guy at my dealership has now left, which is a shame - he seemed to know what he was doing as well.

Well guess what, just collected the car from the dealer. The volume is still far too low, but all they are advising is that I need a complete new RT3 - despite the fact that the volume was fine up until they had the car in last time! This on the basis that "...he wouldn't have changed anything like that". It's really frustrating - they just don't seem to be taking it seriously. Added to that, although they have replaced the parking sensor ECU, it still doesn't work, as they now have to order a new buzzer unit. :bang:

Dealer has now had three attempts at the low volume problem. They say they have been in fax contact with Fiat, have worked through all the relevant service bulletins, and checked all the settings, including the speaker/external amplifier one. They conclude the "set is faulty" so that's that apparently - strange that it worked fine up until the first time it went into their workshop - obviously a pure coincidence! I will try writing to Fiat customer service, but as audio equipment is specifically exluded from the third year warranty I'm not too optimistic.

martinw said:

but as audio equipment is specifically exluded from the third year warranty I'm not too optimistic.

Click to expand...

Didn't know that....great!

Paul