Joined the Comfortmatic failure club

Hi all, good to find a current discussion about the Comfortmatic :) A lot of what is floating about is very old and I would hope things have moved on over the years (Or maybe not)
I have a 2018 Ducato 2.3 150 based motor home and have the dreaded Gears not available,
Finally managed to get the error codes off the gearbox and have the following:

P2919-64 - thrust bearing Signal/message plausibility​

Am I looking at a faulty sensor? Plastict bits floating about off the Clutch plate? or something else? and if it is the plastic bits is there an option to work around the problem other than replacing the plate? I saw maybe early in this tread someone saying that as it is the same gearbox and clutch as in the standard manual if you can force the sensor to ignore the problem for a bit the plastic bits get broken down and stop being a problem as they would in a manual,
 
Sparks1061 said:
Hi all, good to find a current discussion about the Comfortmatic :) A lot of what is floating about is very old and I would hope things have moved on over the years (Or maybe not)
I have a 2018 Ducato 2.3 150 based motor home and have the dreaded Gears not available,
Finally managed to get the error codes off the gearbox and have the following:

P2919-64 - thrust bearing Signal/message plausibility​

Am I looking at a faulty sensor? Plastict bits floating about off the Clutch plate? or something else? and if it is the plastic bits is there an option to work around the problem other than replacing the plate? I saw maybe early in this tread someone saying that as it is the same gearbox and clutch as in the standard manual if you can force the sensor to ignore the problem for a bit the plastic bits get broken down and stop being a problem as they would in a manual,
Click to expand...
We've had this problem, suggested we may need to have new slave cylinder and clutch due to dirty fluids with plastic springs being damaged. Diagnosed in Inverness.

Upon return home took to Adams Morey in Southampton who have subsequently diagnosed contaminated fluids and replaced accordingly and inform me all is well. Collecting MHome tomorrow.

Dilemma: should I have gone for full repair?

Having had a helpful discussion with Inverness who explained that advice about replacement slave cylinder and clutch was because there is a relationship with this and contaminated fluid but it's not always the case. To be sure then the gearbox has to come, costly labour charge.

Inverness added that because we drove to South West from there without any problems the worst case scenario may not be applicable.

Adams Morey have road tested our MHome and all seems well.

To reassure our worries about confidence in future driving of MHome we do have some "background" support if worst case scenario happens.

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So all change, having finally run Multiecuscan with the correct vehicle and gear box selected I now get a new error message,

so now have the following error message when I start the engine
P2919-64 Gearbox control unit initialization failed

No messages before I start the engine and I am able to run the various actuators with no error message.
Not sure how it can be a problem with the control unit when it clearly works with the engine not running and I can hear the actuators working,

Does anyone have any ideas? And I have added a second earth strap from the engine and also from the Comfortmatic casing.
 
Lisa said:
We did challenge this and asked her to double check, as well as questioning it under a service. The answer was still no.

I’d be interested to know if anyone has had theirs done at Camper UK?….
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I recently booked mine into Camper UK for a major service. It is five years old when the service is due. The comfortmatic system has never been touched so I asked them to change the actuation fluid as it should have been done at four years. They said they won’t touch it unless there is a problem as doing anything causes more problems.
 
Pappy said:
I recently booked mine into Camper UK for a major service. It is five years old when the service is due. The comfortmatic system has never been touched so I asked them to change the actuation fluid as it should have been done at four years. They said they won’t touch it unless there is a problem as doing anything causes more problems.
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I imagine they're afraid to touch it incase something then goes wrong with it and they get the blame.

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Colino said:
I imagine they're afraid to touch it incase something then goes wrong with it and they get the blame.
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Could be but perhaps they should be more worried about getting the blame for missing out a specified part of the 4 year major service i.e. replacing the clutch activation fluid.
Pappy said:
I recently booked mine into Camper UK for a major service. It is five years old when the service is due. The comfortmatic system has never been touched so I asked them to change the actuation fluid as it should have been done at four years. They said they won’t touch it unless there is a problem as doing anything causes more problems.
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I would ask for that in writing so that if the clutch system fails for want of doing one of the specified service items you can expect them to put it right. Bear in mind if it does fail it usually takes out some very expensive components with it and you can add an extra zero to the bill.
 
Pausim said:
Could be but perhaps they should be more worried about getting the blame for missing out a specified part of the 4 year major service i.e. replacing the clutch activation fluid.
I would ask for that in writing so that if the clutch system fails for want of doing one of the specified service items you can expect them to put it right. Bear in mind if it does fail it usually takes out some very expensive components with it and you can add an extra zero to the bill.
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I would have thought asking for that kind of guarantee they would become too busy to fit the vehicle in
 
Pappy said:
I recently booked mine into Camper UK for a major service. It is five years old when the service is due. The comfortmatic system has never been touched so I asked them to change the actuation fluid as it should have been done at four years. They said they won’t touch it unless there is a problem as doing anything causes more problems.
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Had my service there a few months ago (don’t even ask) and they told me the same thing about the comfortmatic, so I booked it in at adams Morey and travelled down to Portsmouth from Yorkshire to let the experts do it👍👍 money and time well spent, also met up with 3 of my southern funster friends and had a great time👍👍
 
Nanniemate said:
I would have thought asking for that kind of guarantee they would become too busy to fit the vehicle in
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Or they might decide to do the job properly in the first place. I bet they use the standard Fiat times for their charges and don’t make a deduction for leaving out the bits of the service they don’t like doing.
 
How on earth can Camper UK, (and others like them), who claim to be "Fiat Professional" workshops, not carry out the correct servicing/oil changes, specified by Fiat themselves? 🤷‍♂️

Jock. :xdoh:

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Motus in Glasgow told me the same when I asked in June, van isn’t 4 years old yet so not a worry just now.
 
Fiat can't agree amongst themselves how often to change the clutch fluid but the score is about 4-1 to change rather than check at 2 years so go with the consensus.
 
Latest from Camper UK regarding servicing my four and a half year old comfortmatic after I queried the actuation fluid change requirement:-

Apologise, I have been trying to get to the bottom of this for some time for you and I finally have an answer.
So, yes on one hand you are correct however, the way it is worded is not quite correct and most manufactures do change their processes as time goes on so the booklets although at the time are correct but after that may not.
Long and short of it is the hydraulic fluid is to be checked every 2 years and topped up if required but then changed every 6 years or 90 thousand miles which to be honest most motorhomes never see.
The above has come from Fiat and the service packages we have to do and means your vehicle will be due its change next year.
I hope this answers the question and puts your mind at rest on the matter, I have also learnt something as a result of my investigation and will put it to good use going forward.
 
Pappy said:
Latest from Camper UK regarding servicing my four and a half year old comfortmatic after I queried the actuation fluid change requirement:-

Apologise, I have been trying to get to the bottom of this for some time for you and I finally have an answer.
So, yes on one hand you are correct however, the way it is worded is not quite correct and most manufactures do change their processes as time goes on so the booklets although at the time are correct but after that may not.
Long and short of it is the hydraulic fluid is to be checked every 2 years and topped up if required but then changed every 6 years or 90 thousand miles which to be honest most motorhomes never see.
The above has come from Fiat and the service packages we have to do and means your vehicle will be due its change next year.
I hope this answers the question and puts your mind at rest on the matter, I have also learnt something as a result of my investigation and will put it to good use going forward.
Click to expand...

Are you going to ask for an earlier change than they deem necessary?
 
Pappy said:
Latest from Camper UK regarding servicing my four and a half year old comfortmatic after I queried the actuation fluid change requirement:-

Apologise, I have been trying to get to the bottom of this for some time for you and I finally have an answer.
So, yes on one hand you are correct however, the way it is worded is not quite correct and most manufactures do change their processes as time goes on so the booklets although at the time are correct but after that may not.
Long and short of it is the hydraulic fluid is to be checked every 2 years and topped up if required but then changed every 6 years or 90 thousand miles which to be honest most motorhomes never see.
The above has come from Fiat and the service packages we have to do and means your vehicle will be due its change next year.
I hope this answers the question and puts your mind at rest on the matter, I have also learnt something as a result of my investigation and will put it to good use going forward.
Click to expand...
Then why does it say change fluid at 4 years in the service schedule listed in the handbook? My Comfortmatic is also 4 and a half years old and Adams Morey changed it last year at its 4 year service. What does your Fiat Ducato handbook say (not the old separate Comfortmatic book which has been superseded).

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our Sept 2019 Burstner 3.3 150 Comformatic’s hand book states check at 2 years, change at 4. It also states change the cam belt at 5 years. Played safe had Adams Morey change the fluid and the belt a 54 years and 23000 miles as we will be in Portugal when the 5 years are up for the belt.
 
Pappy said:
Latest from Camper UK regarding servicing my four and a half year old comfortmatic after I queried the actuation fluid change requirement:-

Apologise, I have been trying to get to the bottom of this for some time for you and I finally have an answer.
So, yes on one hand you are correct however, the way it is worded is not quite correct and most manufactures do change their processes as time goes on so the booklets although at the time are correct but after that may not.
Long and short of it is the hydraulic fluid is to be checked every 2 years and topped up if required but then changed every 6 years or 90 thousand miles which to be honest most motorhomes never see.
The above has come from Fiat and the service packages we have to do and means your vehicle will be due its change next year.
I hope this answers the question and puts your mind at rest on the matter, I have also learnt something as a result of my investigation and will put it to good use going forward.
Click to expand...
Hi.
I have dragged my heals over letting anybody interfere with the Comferwhatsit thingy. Thank you for riding shotgun on this. We regularly cross over the " hilly bit " between Mortaqua and Luso Portugal on the 234 road.( En route to Praia de Mira ) It is a short stretch up and over that bit.... BUT very bendy and hilly...with goods traffic hauling up one side and down the other,so the " Comfi " is working away like a good 'un. The old saying " If it aint broke don't fix it " I have to add that it has very rarely seen me use the " Gear stick mode " I just wonder if alternating between the two often affects it somehow. . Thanks again for the post,i can sleep easy......................... 'ish (y)🚛;)
Tea Bag.
 
Pausim said:
Then why does it say change fluid at 4 years in the service schedule listed in the handbook? My Comfortmatic is also 4 and a half years old and Adams Morey changed it last year at its 4 year service. What does your Fiat Ducato handbook say (not the old separate Comfortmatic book which has been superseded).
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My handbook says the same as yours. I assume Camper UK are correct when they say Fiat now says 6 years, unless anyone can show this to be incorrect.
 
Pappy said:
My handbook says the same as yours. I assume Camper UK are correct when they say Fiat now says 6 years, unless anyone can show this to be incorrect.
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I have no idea where the new 6 years comes from and if I were keeping my Comfortmatic I would be getting the fluid changed more often than the stated 4 years, not less often. I have still got 6 months to run on my 5 year warranty so keeping to the published service schedule last year seemed like a no brainer for me. I would be saying to them that I had paid for a 4 year service and it should have included the fluid change so please put it right. If they declined or wanted to charge for this I would put them on notice that in the event of a Comfortmatic failure I would hold them responsible.

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