Anyone experienced a start fail when engine is hot on Fiat Ducato based vehicles?
We have had several frustrating start failures on our MH when the vehicle is hot and after a long run. Strangely, it only happens if we stop for more than 10 minutes and less than 45 minutes – turning the starter key does not turn the starter motor! Everything else works – just the starter motor does not turn. Outside this timing window, always fine.
At first, we all thought it was the starter motor, but that was ruled out at an early stage after testing out a replacement. Then everyone suspected the security system, but again that was temporarily disconnected, and it still happened! But we are not sure if this is conclusive, and the security system remains a contender.
Now we also think it could be something to do with the engine management system.
Recently the problem occurred when waiting to board the Channel Tunnel train on the French side. We could not start, and the recovery crew came to help. They had seen the same because of low AdBlue and the engine management system preventing a start! Later we checked and found we were 2/3 full of AdBlue. By the time they got into further investigation we had passed 45 minutes and the vehicle started. At least we got on the train, but the stress wondering whether we would start at the other end…it did – been on more than 40 minutes.
We have also heard of this happening on other Ducato vehicles and have been in convoy with friends when it happened on theirs at the same time as ours – very weird! But still no idea what the cause was.
Oh, and the Auto Stop/Start feature never fails – as it happens before the 10 minutes timeout!!! But pull into a petrol station – spend longer than 10 minutes at the pump and were in trouble…
But despite many investigations no one appears to have discovered why. We now know how to avoid it, but not how to prevent it!
Anyone got any ideas? A real puzzler…
We have had several frustrating start failures on our MH when the vehicle is hot and after a long run. Strangely, it only happens if we stop for more than 10 minutes and less than 45 minutes – turning the starter key does not turn the starter motor! Everything else works – just the starter motor does not turn. Outside this timing window, always fine.
At first, we all thought it was the starter motor, but that was ruled out at an early stage after testing out a replacement. Then everyone suspected the security system, but again that was temporarily disconnected, and it still happened! But we are not sure if this is conclusive, and the security system remains a contender.
Now we also think it could be something to do with the engine management system.
Recently the problem occurred when waiting to board the Channel Tunnel train on the French side. We could not start, and the recovery crew came to help. They had seen the same because of low AdBlue and the engine management system preventing a start! Later we checked and found we were 2/3 full of AdBlue. By the time they got into further investigation we had passed 45 minutes and the vehicle started. At least we got on the train, but the stress wondering whether we would start at the other end…it did – been on more than 40 minutes.
We have also heard of this happening on other Ducato vehicles and have been in convoy with friends when it happened on theirs at the same time as ours – very weird! But still no idea what the cause was.
Oh, and the Auto Stop/Start feature never fails – as it happens before the 10 minutes timeout!!! But pull into a petrol station – spend longer than 10 minutes at the pump and were in trouble…
But despite many investigations no one appears to have discovered why. We now know how to avoid it, but not how to prevent it!
Anyone got any ideas? A real puzzler…
