Technical 2015 Ducato 3.0 losing power. Help wanted.

[Daxxie]

Hi, I have bought a 2015 motorhome with a Fiat 3.0 engine.
Had 57000km on the clock when I bought it.
Took it to a Fiat dealer for a service.
A bit later I noticed that sometimes there was a loss of power.

Usually after a while of driving or after a steep hill.
It is still driveable but a bit of throttle will just give a tiny bit of power. Some more throttle wil result in heavy shaking and juddering of the engine. (mainly between 2000 and 3000rpm) Only option is to shift down a gear or two and floor it to keep it going.

Turning off the engine for a couple of minutes usually cures the issue


There is NO engine warning lihght or any fault codes.

Some people suggested EGR, so had it disabled in the software and mechanically blocked off. Didn't make a difference.

I changed fuel filter and fuel cap. No difference!


I have a MES file.
This was recorded this morning on a flat piece of highway.
Between 1984 - 2643 seconds I experienced loss of power.
I lowered my speed a bit from 100 to 90Km/h, temperature dropped drastically and engine behaved normal again.
Between 2862 2974 lost some power again.

Any ideas?

 

[bugsymike]

Hi, I have bought a 2015 motorhome with a Fiat 3.0 engine.
Had 57000km on the clock when I bought it.
Took it to a Fiat dealer for a service.
A bit later I noticed that sometimes there was a loss of power.

Usually after a while of driving or after a steep hill.
It is still driveable but a bit of throttle will just give a tiny bit of power. Some more throttle wil result in heavy shaking and juddering of the engine. (mainly between 2000 and 3000rpm) Only option is to shift down a gear or two and floor it to keep it going.

Turning off the engine for a couple of minutes usually cures the issue


There is NO engine warning lihght or any fault codes.

Some people suggested EGR, so had it disabled in the software and mechanically blocked off. Didn't make a difference.

I changed fuel filter and fuel cap. No difference!


I have a MES file.
This was recorded this morning on a flat piece of highway.
Between 1984 - 2643 seconds I experienced loss of power.
I lowered my speed a bit from 100 to 90Km/h, temperature dropped drastically and engine behaved normal again.
Between 2862 2974 lost some power again.

Any ideas?

If it was alright before the service I would sling it back at them and say that!

 

[cris1117]

Sounds very much like the start of the crank sensor breaking down, its a common fault on older Fiat diesels they are cheap and easy to fit so worth a go.

 

[bugsymike]

Sounds very much like the start of the crank sensor breaking down, its a common fault on older Fiat diesels they are cheap and easy to fit so worth a go.

Nothing impossible, but generally Crank Sensor either works or not , so engine stops until cooled a bit and then restarts as though nothing has happened, until the next time.
I had it once on a 1.9 Doblo of mine and in the past I had a customer whose Vauxhall Corsa always broke down at the same junction on her way to work, of course by the time I got there it would start instantly. In those days diagnostics were "specialised" I took it to one and got a bill for £200 and the vehicle was exactly the same (he got no further trade from me!) I then took it to the Dealers and before I had got back there was a call telling me the Crank Sensor was at fault, they replaced it and deleted error codes with the guarantee of no further issue, so well worth the bill which was less than the "expert"!!!

 

[cris1117]

Nothing impossible, but generally Crank Sensor either works or not , so engine stops until cooled a bit and then restarts as though nothing has happened, until the next time.

Not so, I have personally had a Fiat Stilo 1.9 jtd that would drive with the sensation of a petrol with a constant bad backfire and only kept running full throttle in low gears turn off for a minute and would drive normally for several miles and the misfire sensation would start again.

I changed crank sensor took less than 10 minutes and car ran normally again.

 

[bugsymike]

Not so, I have personally had a Fiat Stilo 1.9 jtd that would drive with the sensation of a petrol with a constant bad backfire and only kept running full throttle in low gears turn off for a minute and would drive normally for several miles and the misfire sensation would start again.

I changed crank sensor took less than 10 minutes and car ran normally again.

Which is why I said "nothing impossible".
All I have experienced in 55 years in the motor trade servicing and repairing many different makes of vehicles, is as I described, however I never claim I know everything as we are all learning until the day we die.