Ducato Aircon Pipe Rubbing on Oxygen Sensor

[Jimsnap]

One of our 2020 Ducato's aircon pipes has failed after rubbing through on the oxygen sensor.
The van is 11 months outside warranty but this has obviously been rubbing since new.
I've found others on the Adria Twin Facebook page with the same problem, and would like to see if anyone here has had this issue, and whether they managed to get it replaced under warranty or Fiat Goodwill?
Also, if you haven't had a problem yet then it might be worth checking, it's around £400 to fix!

Thanks

Jim

 

[Mark McG]

we had the same problem with our vehicle when new in 2017 was fixed under warranty with no comment - wonder why they don't sort the problem with a production fix!

 

[Jimsnap]

we had the same problem with our vehicle when new in 2017 was fixed under warranty with no comment - wonder why they don't sort the problem with a production fix!

No idea, it's very odd, it would be a very simple fix.

 

[andyelbac]

Great advice but how on earth do I tell what the air con pipe looks like or where it's located under the bonnet. Do you have a picture?

 

[Guigsy]

This happens so easily and is very common in car manufacturing. A very small difference in pipe length causes a sag of a couple of cm. Or a slightly different bend in a bit of hardline means something rubs half a car length away. All it takes is a supplier's tooling to wear a bit or them to alter a process in a seemingly inconsequential way. The part was fine in testing and it's still in spec now, but it's drifted and an increasing number of failures start happening even though the design hasn't changed.

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[Jimsnap]

Great advice but how on earth do I tell what the air con pipe looks like or where it's located under the bonnet. Do you have a picture?

It’s the one with the yellow sticker

 

[Jimsnap]

This happens so easily and is very common in car manufacturing. A very small difference in pipe length causes a sag of a couple of cm. Or a slightly different bend in a bit of hardline means something rubs half a car length away. All it takes is a supplier's tooling to wear a bit or them to alter a process in a seemingly inconsequential way. The part was fine in testing and it's still in spec now, but it's drifted and an increasing number of failures start happening even though the design hasn't changed.

Great advice but how on earth do I tell what the air con pipe looks like or where it's located under the bonnet. Do you have a picture?

Here's another one, different van, same problem. I've ringed the trouble spot

 

[McLouis]

Here's another one, different van, same problem. I've ringed the trouble spotView attachment 768264

Just wondered if anybody got anywhere with this.? Had a guy out to recharge the aircon on a 2020 Ducato and guess what hole in the pipe due to rubbing on the Lambda sensor.

Just for my own sense of entertaininment I slackened off the nut holding the fill block and tuned the lower pipe a few degrees and it is now a good 15 mm from the sensor. It's a case of poor fitting.


So now I just have to fix it, £227 from coastal motorhome or try Bee Cool, or a braze on pipe crimp at the lower end and a hose crimp union for the rubber pipe. I think for me the top braze on crimp fitting is a bit close to the filling block.