Joined the Comfortmatic failure club

[dunnah01]

But it was not serviced according to the schedule (even though I thought at the time it was). I had a 3 year service plan from new with the supplying, non Fiat Professional, motorhome dealer, who it seems use a garage around the corner for the mech stuff, and their own workshops for the habitation stuff. Records show the service plan was little more than changing the oil every year, no differential between years 1, 2 or 3. The Comfortmatic was ignored. Yet it's clear the clutch fluids needed to be checked if not changed after 2 years, and as part of the failure is this fluid was contaminated Fiat can quite reasonably say failures were due to inadequate maintenance.

I am going to be having words with the motorhome dealer, but don't expect to get anywhere.

You could show them the official Fiat Comfortmatic manual which does not show any requirement beyond checking the clutch fluid at 90k or 2 years. Checking is just looking at the reservoir to make sure there is no leak.

 

[Pausim]

You could show them the official Fiat Comfortmatic manual which does not show any requirement beyond checking the clutch fluid at 90k or 2 years. Checking is just looking at the reservoir to make sure there is no leak.

When I picked up my Fiat motorhome in 2019 they did not issue a Comfortmatic manual. The handbook they did supply clearly shows checking the Comfortmatic clutch fluid at 2 years and replacing it at 4 years. I hope that Fiat might be sympathetic but quoting an older manual that has been superseded may not help.

 

[WESTY66]

When I picked up my Fiat motorhome in 2019 they did not issue a Comfortmatic manual. The handbook they did supply clearly shows checking the Comfortmatic clutch fluid at 2 years and replacing it at 4 years. I hope that Fiat might be sympathetic but quoting an older manual that has been superseded may not help.

What’s changed in the comfortmatic that the old box’s need fluid checking and the new box’s need fluid changing?

 

[L' Hobo]

What’s changed in the comfortmatic that the old box’s need fluid checking and the new box’s need fluid changing?

Could it be that they found out, by the number of breakdowns, that the 'just checking' regime didn't work?

 

[MisterB]

I am at Brownhills having cam belt change, which was booked about two months ago. I have asked about gear box oil change but the lady on the desk just shrugged her shoulders BUT she did write it on the works notice to ask if they do it.

Had I known/realised a while ago I would have taken it to Southampton for cam belt and gear box oil change (it's probably same distance away!)

Edit - oops I meant clutch fluid BUT asked re gearbox oil. But they haven't responded so far anyway! If they do I will mention clutch/brake fluid change instead!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[WESTY66]

Could it be that they found out, by the number of breakdowns, that the 'just checking' regime didn't work?

Could’ve, but little comfort to those that were going by the book and just checking and then the comfortmatic packing up
So if we all change the fluids they won’t pack up Happy days

 

[Landy Andy]

I am at Brownhills having cam belt change, which was booked about two months ago. I have asked about gear box oil change but the lady on the desk just shrugged her shoulders BUT she did write it on the works notice to ask if they do it.

Had I known/realised a while ago I would have taken it to Southampton for cam belt and gear box oil change (it's probably same distance away!)

Did you ask for the gearbox oil to be changed, or the clutch fluid to be changed. There is a big difference.

 

[Marie-Claire]

May I ask how much brownhills are charging for a cam belt change , soon be decision time werger it goes to fiat pro or an Indy commercial garage

 

[zac]

Mine had a major service this year in March including cambelt etc but i am just asking the dealer if they changed the comformatic clutch fluid as i dont recall seeing this on the invoice and as its back with them for another issue they can sort it whilst it's there if they haven't.

Am i right in saying this should have been included?

 

[MisterB]

May I ask how much brownhills are charging for a cam belt change , soon be decision time werger it goes to fiat pro or an Indy commercial garage

Will let you know, but it was discounted as I bought my motorhome from there.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Larrynwin]

With suggestions that Fiat Comfortmatic is “not fit for purpose” and many posts giving the impression that failure is likely I wonder just how many of these have actually failed bearing in mind this is based on the OP which is current.
What are the numbers , a few or many out of thousands , or in response to the OP are posters opinions making a mountain from a molehill ?
It’s good that the issue of clutch fluid change is raised as it seems that dealers may not have been doing this but beyond that is the problem as bad as the thread implies.

 

[MisterB]

Did you ask for the gearbox oil to be changed, or the clutch fluid to be changed. There is a big difference.

Oops !! Thanks for the nudge !

 

[Pausim]

When I picked up my Fiat motorhome in 2019 they did not issue a Comfortmatic manual. The handbook they did supply clearly shows checking the Comfortmatic clutch fluid at 2 years and replacing it at 4 years. I hope that Fiat might be sympathetic but quoting an older manual that has been superseded may not help.

I suspect L’ Hobo has it at #424 but it may be that there have been some design changes too, I wouldn’t know.

 

[L' Hobo]

With suggestions that Fiat Comfortmatic is “not fit for purpose” and many posts giving the impression that failure is likely I wonder just how many of these have actually failed bearing in mind this is based on the OP which is current.
What are the numbers , a few or many out of thousands , or in response to the OP are posters opinions making a mountain from a molehill ?
It’s good that the issue of clutch fluid change is raised as it seems that dealers may not have been doing this but beyond that is the problem as bad as the thread implies.

I think, as I said last year when I did mine on a manual gearbox, as the clutch & brake fluid share the same reservoir and the brake fluid is changed on Fiat Service schedules, clutch fluid is NOT change on ANY of their Services!

Some people think that it has been done BUT the same small amount of clutch fluid just keeps going up and down the same clutch pipe and, although the is a small amount of fresh fluid reaching the the top of that pipe, it's down at the bottom where the Master & Slave cylinders are situated, that needs the change.

I cannot speak about the Comfortmatic as I never had one but it, and the early gearbox oil change on the manual, certainly made a big difference.

Sorry Rob for poaching on the Comfortmatic thread but as most readers, probably, drive a manual, I thought it worth saying?

 

[MisterB]

Did you ask for the gearbox oil to be changed, or the clutch fluid to be changed. There is a big difference.

Still at Brownhills and no response re the clutch fluid change. Apparently I need an oil filter and oil change due to a small oil leak, nothing to be concerned over though they said, BUT they wanted to charge me £90 + for labour "as it takes an hour to drain down" - even though the vehicle is already in there having cam belt change, so why wouldn't they just leave it draining when they continued with the cam belt? I said no on principle and took the time to ring Moray at Southampton. They can do the clutch fluid change and oil change for around the same price as Brownhills! Plus they're probably closer to where I live!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Larrynwin]

I think, as I said last year when I did mine on a manual gearbox, as the clutch & brake fluid share the same reservoir and the brake fluid is changed on Fiat Service schedules, clutch fluid is NOT change on ANY of their Services!

Some people think that it has been done BUT the same small amount of clutch fluid just keeps going up and down the same clutch pipe and, although the is a small amount of fresh fluid reaching the the top of that pipe, it's down at the bottom where the Master & Slave cylinders are situated, that needs the change.

I cannot speak about the Comfortmatic as I never had one but it, and the early gearbox oil change on the manual, certainly made a big difference.

Sorry Rob for poaching on the Comfortmatic thread but as most readers, probably, drive a manual, I thought it worth saying?

Mine is a comfortmatic with the separate fluid reservoir which I had changed at my request early this year when serviced.
In the seven years since new this is the first time according to service records that the comfortmatic clutch fluid has been changed.
Previous services by Becks the supplying dealer (now closed) and since at Simpsons neither mention comfortmatic fluid checks .

 

[Kannon Fodda]

I have no idea as to how many comfortmatics do fail prematurely, but clearly there are a few. Indeed, regardless of naming in the Fiat group vehicles of the robotised automatics, the underlying Selespeed system has weaknesses. Indeed a colleague at my former work had a similar gearbox system on her Fiat 500 called Dualogic, and that went belly up at a young age. Adams Morey said that it seemed to go in batches as to how many Comfortmatics they saw, they could go months if not a year without any issues and then almost a few at once. As I was leaving they had another two vans to look at (no further details known).

I can only re-iterate that the guidance was clear that regular changes of the clutch hydraulic activation fluid system is good preventative maintenance. It won't guarantee no failure but reduces some risks. The manual I have for my 2019 van integrated the comfortmatic with the main handbook, rather than a separate addition of some earlier Ducatos. The manual suggests a check every 2 years and change every 4 years, but in the notes then suggests changing every 2 years albeit not clear when the 2 year change should apply, perhaps heavy duty use (which Adams Morey though applied to the local courier type stop start delivery vehicles) and cold weather. Simon Potter has his fluids changed annually. But to change the clutch hydraulic activation fluid does need the Fiat diagnostic software to activate the Comfortmatic otherwise the bleed valve on the clutch can't be operated, unlike a manual clutch, and hence many independent garages won't be able to do the Comfortmatic.

 

[WESTY66]

Still at Brownhills and no response re the clutch fluid change. Apparently I need an oil filter and oil change due to a small oil leak, nothing to be concerned over though they said, BUT they wanted to charge me £90 + for labour "as it takes an hour to drain down" - even though the vehicle is already in there having cam belt change, so why wouldn't they just leave it draining when they continued with the cam belt? I said no on principle and took the time to ring Moray at Southampton. They can do the clutch fluid change and oil change for around the same price as Brownhills! Plus they're probably closer to where I live!

So, how much for the comfortmatic fluid change?

 

[MisterB]

So, how much for the comfortmatic fluid change?

I think it was around £90 !!

 

[WESTY66]

I think it was around £90 !!

Quite reasonable given the Greif it could cause if it’s not done!
Thanks for sharing

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MisterB]

Quite reasonable given the Greif it could cause if it’s not done!
Thanks for sharing

To be fair if it wasn't for Rob (Kannon Fodda ) and other contributors on this forum, I wouldn't have known re Moray Adams

 

[gus-lopez]

I think, as I said last year when I did mine on a manual gearbox, as the clutch & brake fluid share the same reservoir and the brake fluid is changed on Fiat Service schedules, clutch fluid is NOT change on ANY of their Services!

Some people think that it has been done BUT the same small amount of clutch fluid just keeps going up and down the same clutch pipe and, although the is a small amount of fresh fluid reaching the the top of that pipe, it's down at the bottom where the Master & Slave cylinders are situated, that needs the change.

& usually when someone finally changes the dirty old black fluid for some nice new stuff the slave cylinder then starts to leak as the old dirty fluid has scored the seals & the new stuff finds an easy way out.

 

[WESTY66]

& usually when someone finally changes the dirty old black fluid for some nice new stuff the slave cylinder then starts to leak as the old dirty fluid has scored the seals & the new stuff finds an easy way out.

Cheers Richard

 

[Lenny HB]

But to change the clutch hydraulic activation fluid does need the Fiat diagnostic software to activate the Comfortmatic otherwise the bleed valve on the clutch can't be operated,

I did read on the Fiat forum that it can be done by disconnecting the battery then opening the bleed nipple and the fluid will drip out. Not sure I would want to risk it. Also said can be done using multiscan.
Apparently if not done correctly it can screw up the clutch alignment.

Mine is going in for a service at my local independent on 9th June if they haven't got the software to do it I'll leave it for now.

 

[zac]

I checked with the dealer and they said mine was done recently which was the 6 year service ( ie service every 2 years), they quoted check every 2 years like others on here have said. Just glad mine was done so won't get done for 2 more years now.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Kannon Fodda]

I did read on the Fiat forum that it can be done by disconnecting the battery then opening the bleed nipple and the fluid will drip out. Not sure I would want to risk it. Also said can be done using multiscan.
Apparently if not done correctly it can screw up the clutch alignment.

Mine is going in for a service at my local independent on 9th June if they haven't got the software to do it I'll leave it for now.

When they change the clutch activation fluid they will then need to run the calibration routines thus needing the software (Multiecuscan appears to have these), hence why a DIY job by dripping out wont work. Calibration routines will check and set things like the kiss points to allow for clutch wear and stuff.

 

[Reevsie]

My comfortmatic on a 2015 plate and the box went at 18k. Auto worked great but no manual or reverse. Tried several attempts at Fiat to resolve this but to no avail. One day on a Forum I was told that the wire loom behind the O/S headlight that goes through the bulkhead was too short and worked loose. I was sceptical and thought "Never in a million years would this work." But I was at my wit's end and would try anything. Gave it a go and it did not work. Tried several attempts and to my surprise, it worked. Then after about 5 k more miles it went again. Did the same thing and it fixed it a second time.

I was told the loom was made too short and it pulls somewhere behind the bulkhead it works loose and this was the cause of my problem. Hope yours works out as easy to fix as mine did.

 

[Jackd]

Replacing clutch & brake fluid these days is a doddle. They use a vacuum tool.

 

[WESTY66]

Replacing clutch & brake fluid these days is a doddle. They use a vacuum tool.

I’ll leave the Carthago for you to do then

 

[dunnah01]

Replacing clutch & brake fluid these days is a doddle. They use a vacuum tool.

Not on the Comfortmatic where the Master/Slave unit (and CSC) is electronically operated via a hydraulic solenoid from the main Comformatic system so you can only move the cylinder piston (equivalent left foot on a manual master cylinder) with the right software. Multiecuscan can do all the necessary procedures.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}