A Huge Thank You!

[HKF]

I'd just like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped me following our recent breakdown in France. Your help and support was invaluable and helped to make a traumatic experience much better than it might otherwise have been. I am very, very grateful

A quick brief;
Sudden loss of fuel about 45 minutes after re-fuelling.
Pulled in just after the peage on the motorway.
Fuel leaking from the engine bay.
Called Allianz and agreed to stay put for the night and be recovered at 8am the following morning.
Recovery arrived at 8.20am and diagnosed a fuel filter failure.
Recovery man called a number of garages to try to find one who could do the repair as soon as possible.
Recovery towed us in the direction of Angers.
En route, he was constantly on the phone until he found a garage who could repair it the same day.
Dropped us off and informed us of a Boulangerie a couple of minutes walk away.
Hubby went to Boulangerie while I made coffee in the MoHo.
20 minutes later, while we're sat in the MoHo, in the car park, in the sunshine, eating cakes, a man came out and did a 5 minute replacement of the fuel filter thingy.
Paid €375 for the repair and were on our way!
Not long later, we arrived at our friend's carp fishery for 5 days of total relaxation.
Now back home after an uneventful but enjoyable journey

Only thing left now is a deep clean to remove the fine diesel film along the lower doors and sides and almost all the back of the MoHo!! It must have been spraying everywhere

Thank you again, everyone!! xx

 

[nicholsong]

Thank yu for making the effort to thank your supporters.

BUT €375 for the repair, which I assume was the fuel filter housing !

 

[Gromett]

Thank yu for making the effort to thank your supporters.

BUT €375 for the repair, which I assume was the fuel filter housing !

That seemed a bit steep to me as well. But at least it wasn't anything serious.

 

[HKF]

Thank yu for making the effort to thank your supporters.

BUT €375 for the repair, which I assume was the fuel filter housing !

Oh, possibly. I can check on the paperwork but it's all in French. I guess it will be. We were just glad to be back on the road LOL

EDIT: I've added 'thingy' to my OP, to cover whatever it was

 

[Tea Bag]

Hi.
Firstly. I am so pleased there was a good outcome. Secondly. Sounds like the Carp fishery was NOT haunted.....BUGGER !!!
Tea Bag

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[DBK]

I suspect the cost might have been about right. The old design of filter housing was plastic and prone to failure, or more accurately it was very difficult to refit after a change of filter. There was a special tool which helped but perhaps it wasn't used the last time the filter was changed?

I suspect the garage have replaced the entire unit for the new all metal design which wouldn't have been cheap. We have read of breakdowns on here recently costing over €10K so just enjoy your holiday.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Thanks for coming back and updating us - it’s good to know the outcome and that all is well. Hopefully DBK is correct and you now have a better fuel filter than before.

 

[HKF]

Hi.
Firstly. I am so pleased there was a good outcome. Secondly. Sounds like the Carp fishery was NOT haunted.....BUGGER !!!
Tea Bag

Hahaha! Nope, not a single ghost or ghoul in sight. Sorry to disappoint you

 

[HKF]

Thanks for coming back and updating us - it’s good to know the outcome and that all is well. Hopefully DBK is correct and you now have a better fuel filter than before.

Ooo, I hope so! How will I know, please? Do you know what the metal one should look like, please?

 

[Wildbill]

Ooo, I hope so! How will I know, please? Do you know what the metal one should look like, please?

It will be in the same place as the original you will know if it plastic or metal if it steel a magnet will stick to it.
Bill

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[eurajohn]

My guess would be a brand new genuine Fiat replacement of the original type.
If it has been replaced by the later type a magnet will not stick to it as the canister is aluminium, (at least is on mine).

 

[HKF]

It looks like it's plastic

And, before I freak out this one's cracked, can someone please confirm that this 'line' is part of the moulding and
not a crack?!?!

 

[HKF]

Oh, possibly. I can check on the paperwork but it's all in French. I guess it will be. We were just glad to be back on the road LOL

EDIT: I've added 'thingy' to my OP, to cover whatever it was

Here's what the invoice says;

 

[royandsharont]

I don’t think it is cracked, it would be weeping at least.

Off the top of my head when mine leaked a Fiat full replacement was £250. I bought an original one from Coastal Motorhomes for £125. I think you could buy copies on eBay relatively cheap but given the problem could they be guaranteed? So the one in France was likely to be the right main dealer price fitted. Cheaper than Fiat here £235 for the part

 

[Nirvanauk]

I’ve just paid £350 for the complete assembly at my useless fiat dealer in York.

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[Landy Andy]

It looks like it's plastic

And, before I freak out this one's cracked, can someone please confirm that this 'line' is part of the moulding and
not a crack?!?!


View attachment 640111

View attachment 640112

That’s just a line from the manufacturing procedure.

 

[HKF]

That’s just a line from the manufacturing procedure.

Phewee!! Thanks Landy Andy I can sleep tonight now!!!

 

[eurajohn]

Again just for info, when they leak it is not because they have cracked it is as others have said because the seal (rubber washer) has failed to remain firmly seated at the joint between the lower filter holder and the retainer ring at top

 

[HKF]

Again just for info, when they leak it is not because they have cracked it is as others have said because the seal (rubber washer) has failed to remain firmly seated at the joint between the lower filter holder and the retainer ring at top

Thank you so much, eurajohn

 

[Drexl]

Good the OP got their filter fixed and were back on their way relatively quickly.
There is another fuel filter type used - I have it fitted to my 2020 Boxer. This is I believe a UFI filter that is 2 part made of plastic with the bottom male threaded half holding the O ring. The bottom half screws into the top half. My van has not had a replacement filter cartridge yet but there is a youtube video showing this type of canister being opened and the filter element being replaced. Go to 4mins 40 secs.

My filter housing photo attached.

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[March Hare]

Well done HKF, I'm really pleased to hear that everything worked out ok!

We broke down driving up through Germany three years ago - we weren't in the motorhome but in my OH's car which was a Mercedes. We had Green Flag breakdown assistance and they were superb and provided a translator if we needed it. It was a Saturday lunch time, we were picked up within the hour and the car taken to the nearest Mercedes main dealer. They had stayed open especially for us, including an engineer in the workshop. They gave us drinks and sandwiches for lunch and when they returned the car to us, they said there'd be no bill as it was a pleasure to see us driving a Mercedes car!

 

[eurajohn]

Good the OP got their filter fixed and were back on their way relatively quickly.
There is another fuel filter type used - I have it fitted to my 2020 Boxer. This is I believe a UFI filter that is 2 part made of plastic with the bottom male threaded half holding the O ring. The bottom half screws into the top half. My van has not had a replacement filter cartridge yet but there is a youtube video showing this type of canister being opened and the filter element being replaced. Go to 4mins 40 secs.

My filter housing photo attached.

Between the OP's type and the one shown in your link, there have been a few different ones, although the only one I am aware of having leaking problems are the original ones and only after they have been worked on.
Incidentally the older (leaky) type are UFI as well as the later one linked to.

 

[Shrimp]

Years ago Hymer had a fuel filter internally disintegrate. Mechanic came out but he couldn’t find the OBD to plug into in spite of Manic telling him it is too old for such tech! He hadn’t got a clue!
Van got taken to a garage where an older mechanic sorted it!
Annoying as we had a new filter waiting to be fitted!

 

[nicholsong]

Would somebody please remind me what the OP's engine is.

 

[Mrsambulancekidd]

Glad everything was sorted out so well for you, it could have been so much worse.
I agree with Landy Andy

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[eurajohn]

Would somebody please remind me what the OP's engine is.

X250 not same as yours

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Here's what the invoice says;

View attachment 640115

Looks like half an hours labour which is fair, some would charge a minimum of one hour, 266 euro for the filter, which might be OK if it's a genuine part, but also might be a bit of a rip off (£126 on Amazon), 6.21 euro for cleaner and 5 euro disposal.

 

[HKF]

Looks like half an hours labour which is fair, some would charge a minimum of one hour, 266 euro for the filter, which might be OK if it's a genuine part, but also might be a bit of a rip off (£126 on Amazon), 6.21 euro for cleaner and 5 euro disposal.

It actually took 5 minutes, so I guess they charge by the half hour. I'd hope it was a genuine part, as it was done at a Fiat dealer