Fiat 2nd / 24mthly service.

[Ninian]

Hi, Phoned my local Fiat Professional dealer to have my second year service carried out and he has quoted me £499. Is this a standard Fiat price or have you had yours carried out cheaper.

[Robbo]

I assume your van is now coming up to 4 years old, so out of warranty.

 

In which case, you may wish to have it serviced at any competent garage with suitable lifting facilities.

 

I normally follow the Fiat recommended service schedule with respect to mileage (and time) and usually have a low mileage service with items added on as necessary, like brake fluid change etc. My annual mileage is about 6000 miles.

[Brock]

If that includes VAT, labour and all parts, then it is slightly dearer than I paid.

[lennyhb]

Had my first service at 2 years old £120 for a light service at local independent commercial service centre. Didn't bother with a Fiat dealer as it was out of warranty at 2 years old.

Not sure why you would be having a 2nd service at 24 months that's when the 1st one is due.

[Ninian]

Hi, no my van is two year old, and it had a service at the end of the first year at the same dealership. I wasn't aware it didn't require a service at that time and the Fiat Dealership never mentioned that it was two year service. They have now sent me a letter stating that the Brake Fluid should be changed now. ????

[henrypartridge]

I believe that if you do low mileage, as many of us do compared to normal commercial use, an oil change at one year is worthwhile. Fiat don't insist on it but interestingly Peugeot do if you do less than 6000 miles in a year. I think it's to do with contamination of the oil, mepaybe a DPF thing?

 

My mate says "oil is cheap, engines are expensive."

 

I've had warranty work done at a Fiat Professional dealer but for my one year service I took the van to Nick Fisher at Euroserv. Bit of a journey but a proper job and way less than main dealer. It'll be going back for 2 year service next year.

 

As for brake fluid, a proper mechanic will do a hydrometer test and change the fluid if needed. Obviously it's more profitable to just change it automatically. Profitable for the garage I mean, not us LOL

[Brock]

When I spoke to a Fiat Professional rep at the NEC two years ago, he recommended an oil change every year if my annual mileage was 6,000 or less. However, he said it was not a requirement and I should follow the advice of my local Fiat Professional garage. It recommended an oil and filter change at 18 months and a full service at 3 years based on my usage. This assumed I was using Selena oil. Having had that done, it recommended I was good for another two years.

 

With motorhomes, it seems service intervals are finger in the air jobs.

[derek pringle]

hi,

If this is just for an engine service and does NOT include habitation, I would say shop around.

cheers

derek

[Derek Uzzell]

I hesitate to say this, but details of a Ducato’s “Scheduled Servicing Plan” will be provided in the Ducato Handbook.

 

My 2015 Ducato X290’s first MANDATORY service is (as shown in its Handbook) at 30,000 miles or 2 years (whichever comes first) - it’s not at 12 months or 18 months. The Handbook suggests that the time-interval between services continues to be 2 years indefinitely, but I was advised by the service manager at my nearest Fiat Professional agency that it is now annually after the first service.

 

It’s also worth highlighting that the SELENIA oil recommended by Fiat is far from cheap, so if a price for servicing is quoted that seems particularly inexpensive it would be wise to confirm exactly what oil is going to be used.

[John52]

Derek Uzzell - 2016-11-27 10:09 AM

The Handbook suggests that the time-interval between services continues to be 2 years indefinitely, but I was advised by the service manager at my nearest Fiat Professional agency that it is now annually .

As Warren Buffet says, Never ask a Barber if you need a haircut (lol)

 

[Derek Uzzell]

John52

 

Except I did not ask the service-manager of the Fiat Professional agency for advice...

 

We were discussing potential pitfalls with having a non-Fiat agency perform mandatory servicing on a Ducato within the vehicle’s warranty period. He said that, if a major under-warranty-claim were made (say a motor blew up) Fiat could be very picky about servicing to the extent of having the oil that had been used analysed. And, if servicing within the warranty period had been carried out by a Fiat agency, there was more likelihood that Fiat would be sympathetic to a claim when the warranty had expired.

 

I said that my previous Transit-based motorhome (bought in Germany) had always been serviced annually by a non-Ford agent, but as the Ducato’s service interval was 2 years and his Fiat Professional agency was conveniently close to my home, I planned to have my present motorhome serviced there. That’s when I was told that - after the initial 2-year service - subsequent servicing was now on an annual basis. I'm doubtful that this is correct (though I’ve no problem with it being advised that servicing SHOULD be performed annually) but at this stage I don’t care.

[Tall_Mike]

We have a Fiat X290 - Our local Fiat dealership HTC advised that there is a mandatory 2 year service, - planning to have that done while the vehicle is in warranty (just) so that any oddities can be fixed.

 

Being a Comfortmatic - and we have had past problems, I am not entirely sure that all well although there are no indications it's going to fail, want to ensure that if it does need any expensive remedial works it is covered, it may just be me being overly sensitive on this, getting stick on the M6 was scary in the extreme although HTC fixed the problem - (New brake light switch of all things). More a confidence thing.

 

HTC advised optionally that we may have an oil and filter change at 1 year, - the van has currently done about 4200 miles since new - (Aug 15), - We had the Hab check done in Aug 16 but I haven't had oil service done - at least not yet.

 

Setting any possible gearbox gremlins aside - My concern is that in April next year we are driving to Slovenia and Austria among other places, - expecting to cover 2000 miles at least. - Should we simply leave it until Aug 17 and have the full service then, - or have the oil changed before our trip?, - it would need to be done in April 17 - and then again in August 17, - or have it done now. - Dec 16 and run with it until Aug 17 ?.

[Ninian]

I queried the service at 24 mths and as the van was now out of Fiat warranty but still had the insurance backed warranty it was advisable to have the service done now, as I thought I could have left it until April before I would go away on holidays but they said no to keep the warranty right it must be done as scheduled.

[Derek Uzzell]

Tall Mike

 

I bought my Ducato-based motorhome in April 2015 and plan to have its first service in March 2017. I shall not be driving the vehicle before then and this will comply with Fiat’s servicing schedule and precede a trip abroad next April.

 

If you are concerned about having no servicing work carried out until after your April 2017 trip, having a full service done, say, a month beforehand should be the logical option.

 

I can’t find anything in my Ducato’s warranty/servicing documentation about timing flexibility, or the impact on the 2-year period of choosing to have interim oil/filter changes carried out. On the face of it, it looks like - if you just had an oil/filter change done now or shortly before your April 2017 trip abroad - you’d still need to have a full service performed before the 2-year anniversary and, presumably, this would include another oil/filter change.

 

The servicing requirements are oriented towards commercial vehicles covering a good deal of distance annually, not low-mileage motorhomes, so it’s not easy to predict what Fiat’s ‘official’ attitude might be.

 

 

 

 

[Dave225]

The 1st major service is at 30000 miles, or 2 years as far as I am aware. I had mine done at a Fiat Prrofessional dealership and was mightily unimpressed. I discovered they had broken the fuel filter while suppopsedly replacing it,and I was leaking fuel all over the road. I had to get a replacement filter fitted but of course will never use them again. The price was in the £400 plus bracket and was supposed to inlclude all the main bits. I am still checking what was actually done. Once the warranty has expired at 3 years I suggest getting the servicing done by a garage where you have confidence.

 

The only other comment is that if you buy Fiat parts, they are extremely expensive for what you get, but hopefully you will not need too many in a motorhome.

[Will86]

The word 'Professional' is surely only a means to add more pound notes.

 

Either the trader completes the task correctly according to the documented service schedule whether he be a FIAT agent or Bob down the road, or he does not.

 

I see little difference, Except that FIAT have a hold on the owner should a major fault occur, which could quite likely have occurred if serviced by a FIAT agent.

 

It will cost you just the same based on any traders costs versus FIAT who may well penalise you for not following their 'rules'.

 

Surely an engine change is just that regardless of who does it.

 

Or ... is it that FIAT (on this forum) appear to produce so many faults that the only way they can cover them is to make the Professional title appear as a goodwill gesture.

 

All the traders I've ever known have no requirement to call themselves Professional so why do Fiat ?

[AlanS]

Fiat Professional is just the name given to the commercial vehicle arm of Fiat which includes motorhomes. I had an oil change / light service carried out which cost just over £130 by a dealer / service agent for commercial trucks and Fiat Pro vehicles. They also arranged with Fiat for a replacement gearbox on my 18 month old Ducato (unheard of in a vehicle with so few miles and age). They have also undertaken Fiat recall work on our motorhome and I have been totally satisfied at how both they and Fiat have conducted themselves.

Alan

[Derek Uzzell]

Will86 - 2016-11-28 8:20 PM

 

The word 'Professional' is surely only a means to add more pound notes...

 

 

Although the “Professional” part of the brand-name might be construed as indicating the expertise of Fiat Professional agencies and the high quality of the work they perform, (as AlanS says) it actually relates to the type of vehicle involved - light-commercial vehicles operated by ‘professionals’.

 

According to Wikipedia the “Fiat Professional” brand-name was launched in 2007

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Professional

 

and the background is explained here

 

http://www.fiatprofessional.co.uk/company/history

 

http://www.fiatprofessional.co.uk/uk/company/about-fiat-professional

 

Regarding Fiat warranties, my 2015 Ducato has a 24-month ‘vehicle’ warranty, a 36-month ‘paintwork’ warranty and a 8-year ‘anti-perforation’ warranty. I thought this was the standard for recent Ducatos, so it would be helpful if Dave225 could clarify his comment "Once the warranty has expired at 3 years”.

[Tall_Mike]

Our Van was a demonstrator - We bought in early Jan 16 but it was first registered in August 15.

 

We got the balance of the Fiat Warranty from Jan 16 out to August 17. I kind of feel that offering only a 2 year warranty on the Fiat piece is pretty stingy, beyond that we fall into "goodwill" which might be great or might be non-existent, but helped if everything is done by the book.

 

I am not sure if an option to take out an extended warranty exists.

 

- The van has (I think) a years warranty on all the bits and pieces from our date of purchase and a 10 year Adria damp warranty - provided we have a habitation check every year. - Plus the individual pieces of kit, - the TV, the Truma etc have their own warranty, - very complex situation.

 

Service due at 2 years, optional oil change quote was about £160 I think which seemed a bit salty - we will never do anything like the pre-requisite mileage, - averaging maybe 5 thousand a year.

 

As mentioned the Fiat schedule is really aimed at high usage business users, not low mileage but always fully loaded domestic usage, felt like the smallest boy in the school last time I went to the Fiat truck place in the van, with lorries of all sorts around me.

 

 

[Dave225]

Derek Uzzell - 2016-11-29 9:06 AM

 

Will86 - 2016-11-28 8:20 PM

 

The word 'Professional' is surely only a means to add more pound notes...

 

 

Although the “Professional” part of the brand-name might be construed as indicating the expertise of Fiat Professional agencies and the high quality of the work they perform, (as AlanS says) it actually relates to the type of vehicle involved - light-commercial vehicles operated by ‘professionals’.

 

According to Wikipedia the “Fiat Professional” brand-name was launched in 2007

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Professional

 

and the background is explained here

 

http://www.fiatprofessional.co.uk/company/history

 

http://www.fiatprofessional.co.uk/uk/company/about-fiat-professional

 

Regarding Fiat warranties, my 2015 Ducato has a 24-month ‘vehicle’ warranty, a 36-month ‘paintwork’ warranty and a 8-year ‘anti-perforation’ warranty. I thought this was the standard for recent Ducatos, so it would be helpful if Dave225 could clarify his comment "Once the warranty has expired at 3 years”.

 

Apolgies, I was referring to the conversion warranty which is a year longer than the base vehicle.

[Derek Uzzell]

Tall_Mike - 2016-11-29 11:03 AM

 

...Service due at 2 years, optional oil change quote was about £160 I think which seemed a bit salty...

 

 

If you carried out the oil change yourself, you would be paying at least £50 for the recommended Selenia-branded oil with the cost of the filter on top of that. Factor in the time it takes to carry out the task and a realistic commercial profit margin and £160 is probably not extortionate.