rogher Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I value the speed limiter that comes as part of Mercedes’ cruise control. If you’ve not experienced this, you may not appreciate what I’m talking about, but variable speed limiters are becoming more common in family cars, too. I’m wondering what is available in the Fiat Ducato base for motorhomes? I believe that there is some kind of speed limiter available but it may only be a warning rather than a physical control. Can anyone tell me how it works and what option must be requested? It’s a shame but it seems that dealers are not very knowledgeable about the details of base vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 My manual for the x250 shows that a speed limiter can be set, can't check how it works as it's with van at the 'new house', and I've never played with it. I''m not sure what you gain with it, as AFAIK it only sets max speed which I would set at 70mph and this would not help at lower speed limits which are usually more important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Roger As Colin says, a ‘speed limiting’ feature is available for later X250 and current X290 Ducatos. It’s probably best for you to look at the Ducato handbook to decide whether or not you’d be interested in what’s offered. http://aftersales.fiat.com/elum/Home.aspx?languageId=2 (I don’t know if if motorhomes based on the Ducato camping-car chasis would normally have this feature.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I had a speed limiter on a car once; it was easy to set as a temporary limiter and made life much easier when you had to stick to a speed limit (such as an average speed check) so that you could relax about speed control and concentrate on everything else. Not much use in heavy traffic when other people were varying their speed of course, but nonetheless a useful driving aid in many situations. Took me a while to understand how to work it of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Thanks for the link, Derek. I need to get a valid registration to get past the first hurdle. I’m on the look-out for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 I think that the latest Fiat models do offer a ‘proper’ limiter. That is, they prevent the vehicle from exceeding the speed set by the driver, but allow travel at any speed up to that. I don’t suppose many of us will have one of the new models yet, but I’d like to find out how easy the speed limiter on them is to operate. Until you’ve tried one, and it seems that very few people have (StuartO being an exception), you may not realise the value. They are so much more use than cruise control and, I think, safer. I’ve had them since 2007 and use them all the time. On a Peugeot the speed was changed one mph at a time, which was a bit of a pain changing 10mph or more at a time. The Merc is much better except that it’s only calibrated in mph – you cannot switch to kph when on the continent. I much prefer the Merc base to Fiat but choice is rather limited for motorhomes. If Fiat can accommodate kph and allows you to jump from 30kph to 50kph with ease, it’ll be worth considering and widen my choice of m/h considerably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 rogher - 2015-01-25 10:57 AM Thanks for the link, Derek. I need to get a valid registration to get past the first hurdle. I’m on the look-out for one. No need for a registration number. Simply choose Fiat Professional from the "brand" part of the page, and follow on from there. ;-) (Or shortcut the process by using the link I posted some days ago: http://aftersales.fiat.com/elum/Home.aspx?brand_code=77&id_language=2 ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Thanks, Robinhood. After 350+ pages (I missed it the first time), I’ve seen that some models may be fitted with what I’m looking for and it appears to use kph although I imagine that there may be a service code/procedure to select mph. So it may be possible to alternate between mph and kph if only you knew how (or a man that can). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 According to the UK x290 options list, the speed limiter is an optional add-on to cruise control (and only available on the 130/150 engines) The German pricelist on the other hand, implies that in their market it is available only on 130/150 engines AND you get it bundled with cruise control. ..of course, as per ongoing discussions on here, what is actually available in a motorhome is what the convertor has opted for as standard or an option (and may bear no relationship to other retail models). Edited for typo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markh1 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Why is it safer than cruise control? I've got it on three of my vehicles and never use it, for it to be effective you need to sit with you foot flat to the floor, the limiter then stops you exceeding the limit you set, just set your cruise control to the same speed, you'll use less fuel and it's easier on your right foot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 I think it’s better than cruise control because, with cruise control, the vehicle maintains a steady speed, if it can, irrespective of the road conditions. You can find yourself getting too close to the vehicle in front or going around a bend too swiftly unless you keep knocking it out and back into cruise. With a speed limiter you set the current limit and drive normally. The limiter simply prevents you from exceeding the set limit unintentionally. On a straight open road there’s less difference between the two but I still prefer the limiter. In towns you wouldn’t set cruise to 30mph but you can use the limiter and are free to concentrate on other matters. It’s easy to forget the limit, too, but the limiter can take care of that. The only problem is adjusting it as you enter a different zone. While reading the owner’s manual I saw that there is a traffic sign recognition option available. Sadly it only seems display a sign on the dash, rather than warn if your speed exceeds the current limit or even adjust the speed limiter setting if you have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 rogher - 2015-01-25 4:24 PM In towns you wouldn’t set cruise to 30mph but you can use the limiter and are free to concentrate on other matters. Why not? I use the cruise very successfully at 30 mph - or 40 mph - in town albeit often one gear down from top at 30 to maintain flexibility. What other matters need your concentration may I ask? The joy of cruise control and not speed limiter for me is that when the opportunity to overtake or speed up comes you just do it and reset the cruise with a push of a button as and when required. So whilst I have read with interest the theory of using a speed limiter it really is not for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 We’re all different, Tracker. You’re not the first to say they use cruise in a 30mph area, so maybe there’s something I’ve missed. You can kick-down to jump out of the limiter much in the same way as you can with cruise. Cruise let’s you take your foot away from the accelerator but continues relentlessly at the set speed. Limiter lets you drive as normal (so requires use of the accelerator) but saves you from a speeding ticket. I don’t think you can use cruise in a congested area unless everyone else is going faster than you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Tracker - 2015-01-25 4:35 PM ....What other matters need your concentration may I ask?.... If you do some advanced driving training you'd start to find out! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Agreed, cruise is no use at all in congestion but never having used a limiter I was unaware you could kick down to over ride it which makes it safer and more usable I guess, but the thought of having to take my eyes off the road to fiddle with a speed limiter still does not appeal to me. To disengage cruise all it takes is a dab on the brake or clutch pedal which does not even have to be hard enough to activate either followed by a touch on the reset button to re-engage it. I do have to wonder whether all these electronic gizmos are really doing us any favours in the long term by seemingly reducing the levels of skill and concentration needed to be safe and replacing them with an electronic switch - and that includes cruise control which I do use a lot - so whilst I can see the appeal I think I will stick to using my senses to limit my speed !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 StuartO - 2015-01-25 5:14 PM Tracker - 2015-01-25 4:35 PM ....What other matters need your concentration may I ask?.... If you do some advanced driving training you'd start to find out! :-D I did, and whilst it is true that I learnt a lot I have never had a problem maintaining awareness of my speed as well as my concentration and what others around me are doing thanks. Forty five years and half a million miles without an accident and even the last one in 1971 we were hit by an out of control idiot driver so I have never lost my NCD. but thanks for the tip as I know you care and mean well and I also know that I do not know it all and never will and so I continue to learn. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markh1 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 You'll also find you can't reset the speed limiter on the move in a ducato, so if you have at 60mph and arrive at a 30mph limit, you need to stop switch the engine off, then switch the ignition back on and reset the limiter to 30mph, don't believe me? Go try! I just have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 markh1 - 2015-01-25 7:00 PM You'll also find you can't reset the speed limiter on the move in a ducato, so if you have at 60mph and arrive at a 30mph limit, you need to stop switch the engine off, then switch the ignition back on and reset the limiter to 30mph, don't believe me? Go try! I just have! Sounds dangerous to me. What happens if you heed to give it a bit of welly to avoid danger and you can't overide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markh1 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Indeed you can't, if it's set to 30mph that's as fast as you vehicle will go, there's no way to switch it off other than through the control panel, which on a ducato won't work while your in motion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Progress eh? Doncha just love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 markh1 - 2015-01-25 7:19 PM Indeed you can't, if it's set to 30mph that's as fast as you vehicle will go, there's no way to switch it off other than through the control panel, which on a ducato won't work while your in motion I’m pretty sure we’re talking about different things, markh1. I think you may have found how to set the (fixed) speed block. That is something that is normally set by a dealer to limit top speed. The bit that I read suggested only high settings (90/100/110/130kph) though, so I don’t know how you managed to fix it at only 30mph/50kph. There should be a stalk from the steering column by which the speed limiter can be varied and the owner’s manual for a new X290 clearly suggests that adjustments can be made (up or down) whilst in motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 The latest Fiat Ducato X290 Owner Handbook indicates that two versions of cruise-control are now available - one without a ‘speed limiter’ (as was the case with the X250) and one with - and the type fitted should be immediately evident from the design of the operating stalk. (See Page 55 of Owner Handbook.) The operation of the speed limiter is explained on Pages 57 and 58. As I suggested earlier in this thread, it’s a helluva lot easier to read those two pages than to try to summarise the scope/operation of the X290’s speed limiter feature here, but a significant difference between the X290’s ‘normal’ cruise-control feature and the speed-limiter version is that the latter can be ‘programmed’ with the vehicle stationary as well as in motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 The position in the UK seems to be that (for Ducato X290 ‘commercial’ panel-vans with the 2.3litre 130/150 motor) cruise-control is a cost-option for ‘basic’ specification vehicles, with cruise-control + speed limiter as a slightly dearer alternative. When the van has the more expensive “TECHNICO” specification, cruise-control + speed limiter is included. The TECHNICO specification (about £2000 extra) expands the basic specification with the following additional features: MANUAL AIR CONDITIONING FRONT FOGLAMPS REVERSE PARKING SENSOR U-CONNECT SATNAV DAB RADIO 5" TOUCHSCREEN CD/USB/AUX LED DAY RUNNING LIGHTS LARGER ALTERNATOR (180Amp) SPECIAL WHEEL TRIMS REAR CAMERA SPEED LIMITER + CRUISE CONTROL HIGH LEVEL INSTRUMENT PANEL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 The Merc and VW Crafter are going to be fitted with a Telma truck style electromagnetic brake retarder which looks like a first for light commercial vehicles. The drawback is the price, £2,650. These should be fitted as standard to all vehicles. Perhaps Fiat Ducato will be next to announce they are going to fit them. There will be people who are familiar with the Jake brake that's fitted to heavy commercial vehicles. My favourite is the Volvo engine brake retarder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogher Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Very interesting, rolandrat, but nothing to do with the kind of speed limitation that I had in mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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