Technical Fiat declined to change my oil!

[oouie]

Hi all, new chap here

Hope this is the correct section to ask in ... Fiat main service center have declined to change my oil unless I pay for a diagnostic first!

Long story as short as poss:

• Doblo 1.3 multi jet, 2013
• I bought it last July 2024
• It had one owner from new who was Wessex Water
• It had then 49675 miles on the clock (I looked at the MOT history before I bought it and all looked good)
• It currently has 52934
• It came with no service history as Wessex Water do their own "in-house" servicing

It is a very, very clean van and drives very well.

The oil warning light began to "flash" on Monday 17th February 2025 (so the start of this week) at approx 4pm (I was less than 1 mile from home).
I parked at home and after letting the van cool down, I checked the oil level and it was good.
I looked in the manual and it states:

" ENGINE OIL DETERIORATED
(MultiJet versions with DPF only)
The warning light starts to flash together with a message on the display (for
versions/markets, where provided) when the system detects that the engine oil
has deteriorated.
If the warning light flashes, this does not mean that the vehicle is faulty, but simply
informs the driver that it is now necessary to change the engine oil as a result of
regular vehicle use. If the oil is not changed, warning light
and engine operation is limited to 3000 rpm when a second threshold is reached.
If the oil is still not changed, when a third deterioration threshold is reached, the
engine is limited to 1500 rpm to avoid damage.

Contact a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible."

So I did contact a Fiat dealership and booked the van in for an oil change (£160+vat) which was to be done on Monday 24th (this coming Monday).
They then asked me via email to state when the van was last serviced and what the mileage was.
So I replied telling them all about everything (the car dealer I bought from and all of it).

They today have emailed me to say that before the oil change is done that they need to do a "diagnostic" on the van (£180+vat) and that their first appointment for such is 16th April???

Not being funny but I could change the oil myself ... but I cannot reset the "computer" stuff!

Any advise please?

 

[simon_16vpunto]

You can reset it yourself. I did it on my 71 plate

 

[Googlebot]

Or buy multiECUscan and the leads. I also had to buy a second hand laptop. All of that came in at the same price of one Fiat rip off diagnostic.

 

[The Panda Nut]

It sounds to me that they dont want the work, but the dealer attitudes are not very positive, They think they know it all but seem to talk out of the wrong end a lot of the time. If you dont wanta diagnostic dont have it. You asked them to change the oil. Ask if they are incapable of doing this! If the light does not go out then a diagnostic might be required, but £160 is too much. You could buy MES and have a meal out on the change from £160. This sort of dealer rubbish makes my blood boil!

 

[Blackie27]

The dealer is probably raging because you never bought one of their over-priced cars.

 

[Zardo]

Client: I want you to change the oil
Dealer: I want you to change your order
Client: Now I want to change the oil and the dealer

 

[bugsymike]

OP may have dodged a bullet , a friend of mine recently had his oil and filter expensively changed to comply with his Peugeot Dealer warranty just before a trip to France, luckily he glanced under the vehicle a couple of days later and saw a puddle of oil under the sump plug and got them to recover it back to the dealership, initially they suggested he replaced the oil and drove it back himself which he declined!!!
They said the fault was the new oil seal on the plug. Even back in 1969 as an apprentice I was taught to check for oil leaks after road test etc.

 

[Blackie27]

OP may have dodged a bullet , a friend of mine recently had his oil and filter expensively changed to comply with his Peugeot Dealer warranty just before a trip to France, luckily he glanced under the vehicle a couple of days later and saw a puddle of oil under the sump plug and got them to recover it back to the dealership, initially they suggested he replaced the oil and drove it back himself which he declined!!!
They said the fault was the new oil seal on the plug. Even back in 1969 as an apprentice I was taught to check for oil leaks after road test etc.

I think nowadays with most, "Not All" within the service industry it is all about the Money. Cutting as many corners as possible to save a buck, and to charge/fleece the customer as much as possible. And with the covid scam the prices they are now charging is criminal.

One year I was visiting my daughters for Christmas. I drove from one daughters house to the others and during the drive the exhaust went. Lucky enough there was a kwik-fit beside my daughters ( I was the only place that was open between Christmas and New Year) so I drove in and got the exhaust done. This was around 2006.
I waited with the missus in their wee waiting room while the works were done. While we were waiting there was a woman there also waiting for whatever she needed done to her car.
The manager came in from the work area and mentioned her name, she went to the desk and he was tapping things into the computer. Then their dot matrix printer fired into life and started to print. I though wow she has had a lot of work carried out, as the printer was going full pelt. He said to her. "That's you all done, that will be £443.45p." WHAT she cried.
We had to change your tiers, front brake pads, oil and oil filter and your front wiper blades.

Well she said "You are the experts and know what your doing, I was only wanting my wiper blades changed, good job I came in"

I looked at the wife and she looked at me and we both burst out laughing.

Rip of Bassas.

 

[Whysub]

So lucky that Doblo's (and MPV's in general) are so common here in Spain. Every mechanic knows Doblo's, Combo's, Berlingo's, etc., etc. inside out.

Through a bit of research and also asking around, I found a superb independent mechanic 12 miles away, who knows the Doblo range inside out, and has all the appropriate hardware and software he may need. Labour rate is very low (€35 an hour, plus 21% IVA tax), and he is quick and thorough. Last service was about €200, including fitting new front brake pads, and all filters.

Only downside is I don't (yet) speak Spanish at a conversational level, and he speaks no English apart from Hello. Google translate is a godsend.