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2017 Fiat Ducato Hobby T60H & AdBlue


Brock

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This is the subject of a thread on the Club Together forum. The sensible owner is convinced that it requires AdBlue as it says so in the manual and has a filler point. It has the 150 MultiJet engine.

 

If anyone knows why this motorhome requires AdBlue, I would welcome an explanation.

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My understanding - having enquired at Birmingham show last October when we were looking to change our existing MH - was that FIAT are Euro 6, and that's it, no ad-blue, where Peugeot were Euro 5+ and had a tank for adblue to be added?

There was also a claim (backed up by what appeared to be ;facts') that the GFIAT output was quite a bit greater than the equivalent Peugeot used by many UK convertors......?.

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References to Adblue and filling point have been in the Ducato handbook since Euro 5+

 

The only Ducato that uses Adblue currently, as far as I am aware, is the people carrier (minibus) version since introduction of the Euro 5+ engine. The references to Adblue in my handbook state "for versions/markets where applicable".

 

If the owner quoted has a filler point, it would suggest that either his engine requires it, or the wrong filler moulding has been fitted to the vehicle, as non SCR versions only have a diesel filler behind the fuel filler flap. The filler plate moulding has a raised circular section on my Euro 5+ van, where the Adblue filler cap would be on an SCR version. He's not mistaking that for a filler cap, is he?

 

Anyway, easiest way to find out if he needs it is to just keep driving. At some point a warning will appear on the dashboard to indicate that the tank needs replenishing, if it needs it. If it doesn't, then nothing will happen!

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"uses Adblue currently, as far as I am aware, is the people carrier (minibus) version since introduction of the Euro 5+ engine. The references to Adblue in my handbook state "for versions/markets where applicable".

 

this is whats posted on the Fiat Professional website, and is my understanding.

 

it may be that Hobby have done a deal to base their vans on the people carrier cab/chassis sl as to keep costs down compared to the euro 6 version with the (more expensive?) LPEGR system that negates the ise of AdBlue.

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A Hobby Optima T60H is constructed on a Ducato ‘camping-car’ chassis (example here)

 

http://motorhomesltd.com/product/hobby-optima-deluxe-t60h/

 

I mentioned in the past that there had been a comment in a French motorhome magazine that a modification to the acceleration element of the testing relating to Euro VI motors would compel Fiat to use AdBlue throughout the Ducato range by the end of this year. This comment was made as a factual statement by an automotive expert and was said to have been confirmed by Fiat.

 

I’ve no idea if that has any relevance to the Hobby T60H issue, but a Ducato with an Adblue system should be expected to be significantly more expensive than one without - one of the reasons why Fiat chose to sidestep AdBlue for the majority of Euro VI Ducatos.

 

Logically, as the Hobby motorhome has an AdBlue filling-point it will have an AdBlue system. The Owner Handbook for Ducato Euro VI vehicles contains a fair amount of information about AdBlue-equipped models and it seems that there’s a 130 Multijet 2 motor with AdBlue and a 150 “ECOJET” motor with AdBlue (both 2.3 litre units).

 

The AdBlue motors have unique engine codes and the 150 ECOJET’s code is F1AGL411A. There’s a specific instrument-cluster warning-light for the AdBlue reservoir running low and I’d expect this to illuminate momentarily when the vehicle’s ignition is turned on. So, if there were any possible concern whether or not the Hobby actually had an AdBlue system (even though it has the appropriate filling-point), there should be several ways to confirm if that’s the case.

 

This link is to the Caravan and Motorhome Club discussion Brock refers to

 

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/discussions/information-technical-tips-advice/motorhomes/adblue-any-tips/?p=1

 

It’s plain that the original poster (“Camperval”) is not a motorcaravanning thicko and it should be glaringly obvious that the Ducato chassis used for a Hobby T60H is not that of a ‘people carrier’. This leaves the question of why Camperval’s Ducato-based Hobby has an AdBlue system and it would be worth exploring this with Hobby(UK) and/or the Hobby factory.

 

 

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monique.hubrechts@gm - 2017-05-16 5:22 PM

 

...it is not our concern.

 

That’s nonsense!

 

Received wisdom (in the UK at least) is that coachbuilt Ducato-based motorhomes (Euro V or Euro VI) do not require AdBlue - but the new Hobby T60H model mentioned above and discussed on the Caravan & Motothome Club forum clearly is fitted with an AdBlue system.

 

The warnings that are produced as the contents of a Ducato’s AdBlue reservoir reduce are described in the relevant Owner Handbook and (hopefully) an owner will notice the AdBlue filler when he/she first puts diesel-fuel into the vehicle. Nevertheless, the buyer of the Hobby T60H was unaware that the motorhome would have an AdBlue system when he collected the vehicle from the dealership and the salesman never highlighted the system’s presence when the motorhome was handed over.

 

I would have thought that anyone awaiting delivery of a Ducato Euro VI-based motorhome should now be asking themselves whether the Hobby T60H incident is a peculiar one-off, or if all new Hobby motorhomes will have an AdBlue system, or if there’s a good chance that an AdBlue system will shortly become standard for all Euro VI Ducato-based motorhomes. I can’t say that a new Ducato-based motorhome having an AdBlue system would cause me concern, but I’d certainly like to be aware that the system would be present prior to taking delivery of a new motorhome, not suddenly find out afterwards.

 

(AdBlue availability in the UK is not a problem and I noticed recently that 10litre plastic containers of it were on sale for £11 at my local Morrisons.)

 

.

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A Ducato with an AdBlue system has a 15-litre AdBlue reservoir with the AdBlue filling-point next to the diesel-fuel filler.

 

A Transit Mk 8 with an AdBlue system has a 21-litre AdBlue reservoir also with the AdBlue filling-point next to the diesel-fuel filler. Ford quotes an expected AdBlue range of 5000 miles.

 

A Mercedes Sprinter with an AdBlue system has an 18 litres AdBlue reservoir but the AdBlue filling-point is within the engine-compartment (nowhere near the diesel-fuel filler) and Mercedes quotes an expected AdBlue range of 3000 miles.

 

So to say that, for a motorhome, a full AdBlue tank will be “...sufficient for a year” is just a finger-in-the-wind generalisation, as how long a motorhome's full AdBlue tank will last before needing replenishment will depend on the manufacturer of the motorhome’s base-vehicle and the distance the vehicle is driven within a year.

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Our new Adria Twin Citroen uses adblue and this is the same engine used by Peugeot and developed by PSA. My main concern is adblue freezes at -11c as 67.% de- inonised water. Not such an issue in the UK but we store the van in Sweden during the winters. From what I have read the tanks can survive freezing without splitting and the adblue itself is unaffected after thawing but time will tell I guess.
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an update form the OP on the CC forum...

 

"Quote Report

 

Today we went to the storage site and checked the van and it is as MichaelT and Mikeandclaire say. The thing that I took to be a filler cap is just a raised disc which is continuous with the surrounding area and can't be opened! So BoleroBoy and Aspenshaw are right! I apologise unreservedly and feel rather stupid.embarassed

 

In my defence we parked the motorhome on the storage site and brought the handbooks home to mug up on things and the Fiat handbook gave instructions about AdBlue without saying only some models used it. It seemed as if it was needed by them all, so reading the handbook didn't help me either Tinwheeler!frown

 

I can only thank everyone who has given their opinion because without your advice I would have been very confused indeed!

 

I'll now go and hide behind the sofa and wait for your repliescry

 

Thanks again and happy camping!"

 

so, no AdBlue on this (or other?) Hobby converted Ducatos after all ;-)

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