Fiat Ducato 2.8 idTD engine (2001)?

Eddiex

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I'm looking at a Auto Trail that is fitted with the 2.8idTD engine. My online search with regard to this engine has thrown up conflicting pros and cons. I understand that the JTD was the replacement that came with the different fuel injection system and maybe an increase in power. Some mention the 5th gear issues but I can't quite work out which model years that were affected?

Does anyone here have any experiences with vans fitted with these engines - good or bad?

Thanks
 
we had one in a euramobil, excellant engine as long as you dont want a race car, keep it serviced and will last for ever,no brain to go wrong as well,(y)(y););)
 
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:giggle:we had one in a euramobil, excellant engine as long as you dont want a race car, keep it serviced and will last for ever,no brain to go wrong as well,(y)(y););)
I like the idea of it 'lasting for ever'! I'm not after a race car :giggle: but, not having owned a MH before, would it be able to bob along at 60mph on the motorway and on reaching a mild incline, not slow down so much as to be embarrassing/frustrating. From what I have read this engine comes with a 126 bhp ish engine?

For a point of reference I'm coming from a 1971 VW Camper which as you probably know, was sloooooow! I'd like something that could cruise a little bit faster.
 
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The 2.8 JTD is a good solid engine that will run without giving trouble if serviced regularly. It does not have the bolt on emmission gizmo's that can cause trouble on more recent engines such as EGR valves and DPF filters.
It won't set the world alight for performance but it will get you to where you're going.
Check where reverse gear is, left and up is the more recent trouble free variety whilst right and down have been known to have trouble with the 5th gear. The recommendation is to overfill the gearbox by half a litre. There is no dipstick so the only way to know the current level is to drain and replace.
 
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bhp is 95,ours would cruise at 60 slow down a little on hills, slow a lot on steep hills(alps) you do have to use the gears to get the best out of them, 5th is only good on motorways above 45/50, we preferred the scenic routes so tend to avoid m/ways, had ours 5 years all over europe, she was 7.2 mtr and 4.1 t, my only problem was in Pau 2018 when a driveshaft seized and damaged the g/box casing, got another box for £250 and swapped out, , ask away,

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The 2.8 JTD is a good solid engine that will run without giving trouble if serviced regularly. It does not have the bolt on emmission gizmo's that can cause trouble on more recent engines such as EGR valves and DPF filters.
It won't set the world alight for performance but it will get you to where you're going.
Check where reverse gear is, left and up is the more recent trouble free variety whilst right and down have been known to have trouble with the 5th gear. The recommendation is to overfill the gearbox by half a litre. There is no dipstick so the only way to know the current level is to drain and replace.
The idTD is not a JTD though.
 
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Gearbox problems were not really solved until 2007.
 
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Gearbox problems were not really solved until 2007.
They were solved with the newer gearbox with 5th gear being internal around 2004. Then Fiat started having issues again with the new X250 gearbox in 2007 burning clutches out in heavier motorhomes.

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They were solved with the newer gearbox with 5th gear being internal around 2004. Then Fiat started having issues again with the new X250 gearbox in 2007 burning clutches out in heavier motorhomes.
Sorry but all gearbox's prior to 2007 still had an add on 5th gear although Fiat did slightly modify them I think around 2002, reverse is in a different place on them newer gearboxes.
 
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Many thanks for your replies.

95hp doesn't sound ideal but, as you say, I guess it will plod along quite happily for many miles just with basic servicing and no worries about modern gizmos found on later models.

My old VW T2 struggled a lot on hills and whilst I loved it for what it was it made long journeys tiresome at times.

Having not owned a MH it's hard to know what to expect in terms of 'performance' from an older MH.

What is the engine noise intrusion like in ones of these, say at about 60mph? Again, my VW was noisy to the point of conversation was difficult at speed. Is the engine sound proofed sufficiently to be able to talk without shouting? It would be nice to arrive at a destination feeling relatively relaxed and not deaf!!
 
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We have a 1999 MH fitted with the 2.8 idTD not the best for MPG but we can happily cruise along at a steady 60+ or so on long journeys, and will happily accelerate to 70+ when absolutely needed. Only really need to drop down to 4th on long or steep'ish hills. Acceleration isn't bad for a 3.5T MH, OK not exactly gazelle like but perfectly acceptable. We picked it up 6 years ago with 54K on the clock, done an additional 16K up 'til late 2019 (unfortunately barely used since then) so not exactly high mileage, but it starts 1st time every time, happily runs all day (300+ miles in a day) with no issues. Easy to service and apart from needing cam belt changes every 5 years cheap to maintain.
 
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We have a 1999 MH fitted with the 2.8 idTD not the best for MPG but we can happily cruise along at a steady 60+ or so on long journeys, and will happily accelerate to 70+ when absolutely needed. Only really need to drop down to 4th on long or steep'ish hills. Acceleration isn't bad for a 3.5T MH, OK not exactly gazelle like but perfectly acceptable. We picked it up 6 years ago with 54K on the clock, done an additional 16K up 'til late 2019 (unfortunately barely used since then) so not exactly high mileage, but it starts 1st time every time, happily runs all day (300+ miles in a day) with no issues. Easy to service and apart from needing cam belt changes every 5 years cheap to maintain.
Thanks - this is good to know! From how you describe your MH it's something that I could be be very happy with. Can you give me your opinions on noise levels in the cab from the engine/road noise when, say cruising, at 60 on a motorway for example?

Like most of us, I dream off setting off through Europe in my MH, doing 200 odd mile a day whilst not being over stressed by the background thrumming of an overstressed engine!
 
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95bhp for the 2.8idtd sounds low, I thought it was 120bhp and the 2.8td about 90bhp

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We have the 2.8 idtd in ours, no electric stuff to go wrong , it’s all mechanical. They are rated at 128 bhp I think.
maybe a bit noisier than more modern engines but I find it ok.
 
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95bhp for the 2.8idtd sounds low, I thought it was 120bhp and the 2.8td about 90bhp
A little known fact is that BHP only really affects top speed, its totally irrelevant, its torque that makes smooth progress possible.
The figures to look at are where that torque is delivered on the RPM scale, torque is also the thing that makes progress on long hills possible or not as the case may be.
The torque levels on some modern engines are really inadequate, but its all in the name of emissions which is understandable.

The old saying that "there is no substitute for CC's" is true, our car is ultra heavy, 0-60time is 7.7, so not that good, but 40-70times are awesome & far more relevant, thats where a Mercedes 3.0 engine & 770Nm torque makes its presence felt.

This is all relevant though, if your main miles are done on motorways or the likes, then torque makes progress sweeter & more relaxing.

Its a minefield & there are many different views & it all boils down to driver styles as well as power.
All I want from our old motorhome is relaxing stress free driving, its not a sports car, its a glorified commercial vehicle & with the Ducato based vehicles it's the poor ergonomics that make journeys unpleasant, not the powerplant.
 
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Sorry but all gearbox's prior to 2007 still had an add on 5th gear although Fiat did slightly modify them I think around 2002, reverse is in a different place on them newer gearboxes.

Those vehicles with the 2002 upgraded modifications can be identified by the oval speedo binacle. Prior to the mods the speedo binacle was rectangular.

I bought a new vehicle with the 2002 upgrade and kept it for 10 years. Only major probs during that time was the front wheel bearings needed replacing at 40k miles.
 
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Thanks again - I've just found these details from the online Fiat Ducato Wikipedia entry relating to the 2000 - 2001 MY

2.8idTD engine
122 PS (90 kW; 120 hp) @ 3,600 rpm285 N⋅m (210 lb⋅ft) @ 1,800 rpm

2.8JTD/HDI engine
128 PS (94 kW; 126 hp) @ 3,600 rpm300 N⋅m (221 lb⋅ft) @ 1,800 rpm

If I have the correct entry the later engine has a tad more BHP and torque but not such a huge amount it seems to make me want to dismiss either based on just those figures.

All I want from our old motorhome is relaxing stress free driving, its not a sports car, its a glorified commercial vehicle & with the Ducato based vehicles it's the poor ergonomics that make journeys unpleasant, not the powerplant.
This is what I am after - a relaxing stress free drive. From what I've read about these engines (I'm looking at an Autotrail at the moment) the cabin noise, whilst not a quiet as more recent MH's, is acceptable.
 
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@3600 rpm they can be noisy, ours used to cruise happy at 2800rpm, we could hold a conversation at any speed they are well insulated, and please note ours was a heavy weight and usually loaded to max,, we did well over 25000 miles in ours belts changed when we got here and again just before we PX, I used to do oils filter etc every 6000 m

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They aren't the quietest of engines but as others say, as long as you aren't trying to go constantly flat out and are happy to find that happy cruising speed then they are not too bad, to be honest around 60ish the wind noise from the body, especially the roof light, is equally intrusive.
 
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@3600 rpm they can be noisy, ours used to cruise happy at 2800rpm, we could hold a conversation at any speed they are well insulated, and please note ours was a heavy weight and usually loaded to max,, we did well over 25000 miles in ours belts changed when we got here and again just before we PX, I used to do oils filter etc every 6000 m
They aren't the quietest of engines but as others say, as long as you aren't trying to go constantly flat out and are happy to find that happy cruising speed then they are not too bad, to be honest around 60ish the wind noise from the body, especially the roof light, is equally intrusive.

Great! Roughly, at 2,800 rpm, what is your roadspeed?
 
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Those vehicles with the 2002 upgraded modifications can be identified by the oval speedo binacle. Prior to the mods the speedo binacle was rectangular.

I bought a new vehicle with the 2002 upgrade and kept it for 10 years. Only major probs during that time was the front wheel bearings needed replacing at 40k miles.
Sorry to hijack this thread Wagoneer, but my 2002 (upgrade model) just failed its MOT for front wheel bearings! Can you remember roughly what it cost to replace them? (it only failed on nearside..) MOT garage said it could be a problem (for him) to replace as he'd have to use the MOT ramp but as he has a contract with the Ambulance Service, he'd have to turn down 3 or 4 hours of MOT's at £100/hour :( He was quite upfront that he'd have to charge accordingly.:cry:
 
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Sorry to hijack this thread Wagoneer, but my 2002 (upgrade model) just failed its MOT for front wheel bearings! Can you remember roughly what it cost to replace them? (it only failed on nearside..) MOT garage said it could be a problem (for him) to replace as he'd have to use the MOT ramp but as he has a contract with the Ambulance Service, he'd have to turn down 3 or 4 hours of MOT's at £100/hour :( He was quite upfront that he'd have to charge accordingly.:cry:

One of my front wheel bearings (nearside) failed on a trip down to Spain. Had both replaced at a Fiat garage in Spain. Cost was about £500. They couldn't get access to a ramp because of vehicle height. So, repair all done at ground level.

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One of my front wheel bearings (nearside) failed on a trip down to Spain. Had both replaced at a Fiat garage in Spain. Cost was about £500. They couldn't get access to a ramp because of vehicle height. So, repair all done at ground level.
Mmm, interesting. I suspect that he just doesn't want to do it then! Might have to phone around....
Thanks Wagoneer (y)
 
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Mmm, interesting. I suspect that he just doesn't want to do it then! Might have to phone around....
Thanks Wagoneer (y)

Don't know where you live in Surrey but I've used a Water company garage at Redhill that accepts MH's. Get my MOT and servicing done there. Customer facilities are pretty basic.

 
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its all been said above i had one in an autotrail Cheyenne great engine it will last forever with correct oil changes the only thing i noticed is the clutch seemed a bit weak ie it was easy to slip it so be aware , i would be happy to have one now except for the emmissions
 
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............. i would be happy to have one now except for the emmissions
Thanks - Are you saying this because generally emissions are becoming and issue in all older vehicles or because this particular Fiat engine is known for having emission problems?
 
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Thanks - Are you saying this because generally emissions are becoming and issue in all older vehicles or because this particular Fiat engine is known for having emission problems?
on all older engines not any particular make the iddt is a euro3 so no worse than any other older engine but it is getting more difficult to visit some places but do you need to go there anyway ie london ,bath, bristol ,birmingham and maybe some others
 
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