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Fiat Ducato - First year service


Guest CAB

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Posted

Apologies if this topic has been aired before - but there is apparently a problem with the search facility.

 

Fiat Ducato High Top 120 Multijet

 

My van is approaching its 1st birthday, but has only covered some 6,000 miles. According to the service schedule in the handbook a first service is not normally required until well over 20,000 miles which is probably fine for "white van man" who would cover these distances in less than a year.

Have just called my local Fiat service centre (over 25 miles away) who can offer a "short" service (oil/filter changes + checks) for around £220 - I'm told that this is the "standard" Fiat charge.

My immedaite thoughts are....

1. This seems expensive for an oli/filter change (I'm pretty sure my previous van had a similar service for not much over £100 and that was only 4 years ago).

2. Is the service really necessary - or can I leave it for another year? If I do is this likely to affect the warranty?

3. Has anyone else recently had this service carried out by Fiat? If so what was the cost (and location of the service centre).

4. Could I use an independent service centre closer to home (following the Fiat schedule and using recommended oil/parts) which would be more convenient and probably cheaper. How might this affect the warranty.

 

Responses from current Fiat based motorhome owners would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

PS Could we please refrain form the "I would not have bought a Fiat/you should have bought a Ford/Renault/Mercedes..." type of responses?

 

Posted

Hello Cab,

 

Yes the service is necessary. If it is not carried out it will invalidate your 2 year Fiat warranty.

 

If you have the vehicle serviced by a Fiat agent during the first two years you are entitled to a third year warranty as well, so it is probably worth paying through the nose for the services to get that entitlement just in case any of the known potential defects arise on your vehicle.

 

Over £200 is a total rip off but the costs of running a dealership are astronomical, and no other franchise is any worse so bite the bullet for future peace of mind. Is it worth saving £100 a year but losing the 3rd year warranty?

 

Nick

Posted
Ask for a short service due to low mileage I did and it ,and i paid under £150.. I did not use Fiat dealer. I went to Iveco a local Commercial dealer. They service Fiat trucks and vans aslo motorhomes.. They are doing the gearbox mod for me agreed by Fiat.. I just had 2nd service with them £180.......
Posted
I to had an expensive first service, over £200, but you have to do it. Motorhomes are regarded as a special case and have to be serviced once a year during the warrenty period. If you bother to read your warrenty you will see this.
Posted

Thanks both for your responses. I think what my dealer referred to as the "short" service is a low mileage service.

Wish I had a commercial dealer nearer with more realistic charges (one who does not have to fund lounge areas/"free" coffee/team of receptionists/showrooms/courtesy cars etc.)

Just to add I did contact Fiat Motorhome Services and asked for their advice. Their response was that a low mileage annual service was "recommended". When I pressed them and asked is it essential to maintain the warranty they would not be drawn; their response was "ask the dealer". No prizes fo guessing what he would recommend!

I'm willing to travel - but it's a distance/cost saving balancing act.

Posted

Charges vary considerably from dealer to dealer - ours had its 2nd year service at Preston Motor Park for a whopping £500 and when I enquired at Walton Summit Truck Centre the very same service was £190.

Where do you think it will be going in future?

Shop around, and try the Fiat commercial dealers.

Posted

North East Truck and Van did my first sevice for £190.00

They also handled all the communication with Fiat re the judder and fitting of gearbox mods. They have branches as far south as Lincoln.

Posted

Andy,

Have taken your advice and telephoned around to other dealers using the on-line Fiat Professional location service.

If I travel an extra 5 miles I can get the service done for £165 inc VAT (estimated time for service 1.5 hours).

Looks like I'll be giving my normal dealer the elbow.

 

£165-£220 does seem a wide variation in costs - but not as much as your £190-£500!

 

Clive

Posted

You are not too specific where in the Midlands you are, but if you are near Coventry you should try Guest Trucks as they are Iveco and Fiat agents, plus there is Ford & Slater in Leicester and Guests are also in West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.

Guests:02476 584488

Ford & Slater:01162 632900

 

Nick

Guest Tracker
Posted
I wonder if Nick at Euroserv does servicing but is maybe too shy to advertise?
Posted

Thanks for the plug, Richard, but I definitely advocate using the main agents for the first couple of years. The cost is by far outweighed by the potential advantages. We don't. All of our servicing is done in house because our vans will do 50 to 75 thousand miles a year and we would only get 2 years of warranty anyway.

 

After that though...

 

Nick

Posted
And don't forget the habitation check, separate from the annual mechanical service but necessary under the warranty and not done by Commercial Dealers. Don't do it and then have a problem you will not be covered under the warranty. They have you by the B***s >:-(
Posted

I looked into the 3rd year warranty when I bought the van. I believe the answer is (but others may have more up to date information):

 

If you bought your motorhome from a major converter it is likely to be on a "camper" chassis and registered as such with Fiat for their Camper Services. This gives 2 years warranty and Camper Assistance (I believe with the RAC). The converter may, or may not, offer a full or limted 3rd year warranty.

If (as I have done) you purchase from a smaller scale supplier the motorvan is still registered with Fiat as a "commercial" vehicle. It is then eligible for 1 year roadside assistance (I believe with the AA) and 2 years warranty plus a 3rd year "dealer warranty" which effectively is an extension of the Fiat warranty - but only if the van is serviced by a Fiat service centre according to the service schedule.

 

I did try initially to get Fiat to accept my conversion as being eligible for Camper Assistance (but failed). Looking back I'm glad I didn't as I would almost certainly have lost the 3rd year warranty.

Posted

Cab is right,

 

The third year 'option' warranty only applies to Fit cars and vans originally supplied through Fiat Auto UK and would not apply to anything supplied to a continental builder even if first registered in the UK.

 

The other point raised about the AA cover that UK commercials get (one year from registration) needs further explanation; In your document folder you should find a card with a phone number so that before the first year runs out you can extend cover for a further two years for just £139 and this includes all of the original services and European cover. Well worth the cost and we always take advantage of it.

 

Obviously this will only be relevant to van conversions supplied and registered in the UK, but there are a few of you out there.

 

Nick

Posted
I have a Trigano Tribute and it came with 3rd year Warranty, I did not request it. When reading documentation Pack there was a document stating 3rd year warranty. Also advising about Fiat Assist,
Posted

Peugeot recommend a first year inspection (£72) then a scheduled service at two years.

Warranties are usually two years manufacturer followed by a top up third year from UK Dealers where a chassis is supplied from a UK dealer to a converter in the UK, if your van is imported it will only have a two year warranty.

Posted
euroserv - 2009-10-22 12:27 PM

 

 

Yes the service is necessary. If it is not carried out it will invalidate your 2 year Fiat warranty.

Nick

 

Only applies to UK brought vans, if you brought your van on the other side of the channel 1st service is at 45000 km (28000 m) no time limit.

Rip off Britain again!

 

 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
euroserv - 2009-10-23 11:50 AM

 

 

 

The other point raised about the AA cover that UK commercials get (one year from registration) needs further explanation; In your document folder you should find a card with a phone number so that before the first year runs out you can extend cover for a further two years for just £139 and this includes all of the original services and European cover. Well worth the cost and we always take advantage of it.

 

 

Nick

 

Follow-up

(1) Have found a Fiat dealership which will carry out the first year "short" service for £154 (the variation between dealerships in a 20 mile radius was £154-£224).

(2) After a number of telephone calls to the AA and Fiat Customer Care I have failed in my attempts to extend the AA cover for 2 more years as advised by Nick above. In the end the AA simply advised taking our personal membership.

Didn't help when I discovered that the AA had the incorrect name/address for my vehicle (they did confirm I would have been covered as the breakdown insurance is for the vehicle not the "owner".

Anyone offer further information on this - I think my membership card and other documents must have been posted off to a rather surprised recipient.

 

Clive

 

Posted

After reading through my "Fiat Professional Servic & Warranty" booklet from cover to cover I am even more confused on the need for an annual service.

 

The Ducato 2.3 & 3.0 MultiJet maintenance programme clearly states that the first service is not due until 28,000 miles under normal circumstances.

The only items I can find that need replacing before 28,000 miles are: clutch and brake fluids (every 2 years) and pollen filter (every year).

Does this mean I only need to have the pollen filter changed?

Also it states that so long as the garage is VAT registered and Fiat parts (or an equivalent quality) are used there is no compulsion to use a Fiat dealership for servicing.

 

There is a "get out" clause in that some items are "starred" with the footnote "Check to be carried out more often than indicated in the Maintenance Programm (consult your dealer for advice)."

These items are mainly visual checks and fluid top-ups.

Talk about lack of transparency and potential confusion.

 

Finally ...

As I had not yet received confirmation of the 3rd year Dealer Warranty I chased this up with "FiatCare Administration" who informed that the this has now been transferred back to Fiat itself giving a full 3 year warranty with Fiat. I have been given a number to confirm this is the case for my vehicle - will report back later.

 

In the meantime I would advise any owners of "Fiat Commercial" vehicles (mainly panel van conversions) to check how they stand over 3rd year warranty (I believe coachbuilt conversions generally come under "Fiat Camper Assistance" and the 3rd year warranty provided by the converter).

 

Clive

Posted
"Under normal circumstances".  But, your van is not used under normal circumstances, it does a low annual mileage.  I can't answer for your particular vehicle, but is there not a section that stipulates shorter service interval when the vehicle is operated, for example, in a "hot or dusty environment" (or similar words), or completes a low annual mileage?  Possibly saying service annually, or after 18 months, or after two years.  Most seem to.
Posted

Brian

Fiat describe "Heavy Useage" under the following headings:

Mostly used for:

Towing a trailer or caravan

Dusty roads

Short repeated journeys (less than 5 miles) at sub-zero outdoor temperatures

Engine when idling or driving long distances at low speeds (e.g. door-to-door deliveries)

 

I don't think many motorhomes would fit any of the above criteria.

 

Still trying to make sense of my warranty. Fiat Camper Assist say I have a commercial vehicle and therefore not eligible for their services.

Fiat Commercial say I have a panel van specified for a motorhome conversion, and therefore not eligible for commercial (3rd year) warranty.

 

Checked with the RAC (Fiat Assist) - not registered with them

Cheched with the AA (Fiat Commercial0 - registered and covered with them as a Fiat Commercial vehicle.

 

Awaiting clarification form Fiat Customer Relations....

 

Clive

 

PS Plan to go for the Oil/filter change with a dealer although possibly not strictly necessary - better safe than sorry especially until my warranty issues are resolved.

Posted

Clive,

 

I have to admit that I am not surprised that you did not have much joy when calling the telephone number in the warranty pack in order to extend the Fiat AA assurance. It is an absolute nightmare to do because noone in the department seems to know how to do it. We normally have to let the operator speak to their supervisor and call us back. We always get there in the end, but it does take a little perseverence. It's a bargain so they are probably trying to sell you something more expensive by pretending to not know what you mean.

 

Nick

Posted

just read replys to first service is the citreon jumper/relay different to

yours in the uk. here in france book states first check 2000 kml oil & check free

+ engine cover fitted then 45kml or 2 years normal or 25kml or 1yr harsh. ( book in german )

mfg warranty 2 years no offers to extend to 3 yrs

can any one state cam belt change for citroen relay 2.2 120bhp 2008 model (POSSEL ) only ref is 10 yrs or 150000 klms ! also does any know if this is a FORD engine . cost of service here will post a reply

Posted

I don't know if this helps but according to my Fiat service manual vehicles based on the 2.2 Multijet engine (which I believe is a Peugeot/Citroen unit) the "Auxiliary drive belt" (assuming this is the cambelt) should be checked at 50,000 miles, changed at 75,000 miles, and checked again at 125,000 miles.

 

Also interestingly the assigned service labour times for the 2.2l engined vehicles are significantly less than the 2.3l (e.g. 50,000 miles 1.80 and 3.55 hrs respectively - and 1.85 hrs for the 3.0l).

 

Clive

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