Bad day yesterday

[dealornodeal]

Picked up my new Kontiki 650 a month ago and was very pleased with it. Went to storage yesterday to bring it home for a wash and polish, got home a smelt 'funny very hot smell' looked under bonnet and found what I thought was coolant on top of air filter. Oh well I thought contact Fiat Assist and get it sorted. Called them and RAC man arrives and diagnoses it as a coolant leak but cant see where from goes under the engine and says 'Oh dear you have an oil leak from head gasket not to bad but definitely there also a weep from a coolant hose clip' checked oil and coolant levels both down but nothing serious.
Contact Fiat Assist and they arrange collection of Motorhome to take to Fiat Professional dealer to get it rectified, the earliest they can look at it is Monday. MH has covered a massive 870 miles!!!!!!!!!
Not a good start, I have 2 previous MH based on Fiat Ducato no problems and yes I know they are built for 'white van man use' and as such are good for very high mileage.
Has anybody else had any similar problems?

 

[jollyrodger]

Hope they can get you back on the road asap

 

[Steve and Denise]

I would say more bad luck than a major problem there are thousands of Ducatos out there that run for years trouble free, but do agree it should not happen, I’m sure Fiat will sort it out for you.

 

[chaser]

I would say more bad luck than a major problem there are thousands of Ducatos out there that run for years trouble free, but do agree it should not happen, I’m sure Fiat will sort it out for you.

afraid theres also a hell of a lot as dont

 

[Gellyneck]

Not motorhome but Ford Galaxy. 161 miles on the clock and oil started pi**ing out of it in the middle of Glasgow rush hour! I was as popular as rabies in a guide dog home!

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[Clarky]

Hard luck!
Just one of those things with a new vehicle.
I'm sure Fiat will get it sorted quickly.
Perhaps better to happen now, despite the disappointment, rather than miles away in Europe or in a couple of years time and out of warranty.

Richard.

 

[dealornodeal]

Heard back from garage yesterday they believe it is the sump gasket and not the head gasket that is leaking they have ordered the part and hope to get it fixed today. The coolant leak they cant find but have suggested that it might relate to when Swift were doing the conversion they tap into coolant system as they use it to heat the van whilst travelling via Alde system they think some was spilt onto air filter housing and this was reactivated by water coming off he bonnet when I opened it. I will keep my eyes and 'nose' open and check the levels

 

[Lenny HB]

Just bad luck. On our 3rd Ducato not had any problems with them.

 

[Armytwowheels]

The coolant leak they cant find but have suggested that it might relate to when Swift were doing the conversion they tap into coolant system as they use it to heat the van whilst travelling via Alde system

Not heard of this before, I thought it was only vans that had a heat exchanger that could heat the van via the engine.

 

[dealornodeal]

I think it has got a heat exchanger reading the blurb. only had it a month so not needed to really heat the van yet especially on route

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[Armytwowheels]

I think it has got a heat exchanger reading the blurb. only had it a month so not needed to really heat the van yet especially on route

Ok, I didn't release Fiat did a heat exchanger. It is useful if travelling in cold weather.

 

[TerryL]

We have one on our 2007 Ducato - it's under the drivers seat and doesn't half kick out the heat when it's switched on!

 

[mikebeaches]

Sorry to hear of your woes with the new van. As others have said, probably just bad luck.

We're on our third Ducato without issue, but I had a brand new Renault company car a few years back that through a drive shaft with 150 miles on the clock - off the road for a fortnight to fix it.

Hope you get it sorted soon.