Hence the reason as we were down sizing to not get a fiat/peugeot Citroen van
Vw based IH and can recommend the crafter/ man based motorhome. But they are more expensive.
Problem with Comfortmatic clutch?
- Thread starter Mr David
- Start date
Vw based IH and can recommend the crafter/ man based motorhome. But they are more expensive.
Yes, I understood your point. Troubleshooting EVs may be more complex than merely scratching your head and reading fault codes. Therein lies the similarity. Most workshops seem to lack the depth of experience and understanding necessary to fix these problems swiftly and without unnecessary expense.
I do prefer the mechanical simplicity of a single speed gearbox, no clutch or torque converter, and direct drive from an electric traction motor. That's why I wish that there was a next gen. hybrid Ducato, but I don't see FIAT letting us have one due to the impending sales ban. Which is a pity.
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Think about the payload with an EV battery onboard!! or lack of I should say....
Bring on the Hydrogen power
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CVTs have been around for years but for some reason never really got much traction. Don't know enough about EVs to know if there is any gearing or just a direct drive. Interesting times for sure
CVTs have been around for years but for some reason never really got much traction. Don't know enough about EVs to know if there is any gearing or just a direct drive. Interesting times for sure
Toyota and Renault hybrids tend to have a CVT. Honda hybrids have a single speed gearbox*. I don't know what kinds of transmissions are used in different EVs although I suspect a reduction gear is necessary somewhere in the direct drive between electric traction motor and driven wheels.
*Edit for accuracy - where there is a dog clutch to engage the combustion engine in direct drive at higher cruising speeds, the box has a second gear ratio for that purpose. Mine has this more complex transmission, although it operates seamlessly and I cannot feel any difference when it changes propulsion modes. Very clever stuff.
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Terry
LIFE MEMBER
You should say Man are made by VW- 99% identical to the Crafter.
Is there any advantage in having the 8 speed autobox MAN / Crafter transmission compared against the 9 speed Ducato autobox?
There is a rumour that the Series 10 Ducato will have an 8 speed auto box instead of the 9 speed.
Terry
LIFE MEMBER
Don’t know, last Crafter I drove was when they were in partnership with Mercedes which changed in 2017 - auto box was fine then
All I can say through our experience so far is VW 8speed dsg is on a different planet to anything I've yet to drive.
First big journey was to Spain last month 2500 miles a dream drive in rain, heavy snow and sun. Absolutely loved the drive there and back.
The 9 speed fiat is defiantly better than comformatic. A lot smoother but a very different type of box. I believe the 9 speed is a ZF produced box so not Fiat.
Before buying I asked around quite a bit regarding the 8 speed dsg box and nobody I spoke with that had one could fault it on reliability and performance and so far I can only add too there positivity
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- Aug 18, 2014
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& additionally they have to be qualified to work on electric vehicles & there is a lack of qualified technicians.https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/la...fied-technicians-to-work-on-electric-vehicles
Mother in law has a Toyota Auris hybrid with a CVT. Such a weird thing to drive
I remember the first robotic gear box I met in the 60's they were a pain, worked on a Iveco panel in the late 90's still a pain ,had a Fiat comfortmatic in 2017 never trusted it , but, maybe it is my age !I have specifically stayed away from robotic gearboxes Harvey, due to the information read on here, re the hassle, expense, and inconvenience to others of failure.
If Fiat can't get it right themselves about servicing schedules, nor proper dealership workshop practises, then what does that say about their comfortmatic gearbox. It's a nonsense that owners have to travel the length and breadth of Britain (in some cases), just to access the correct servicing.
I have also read that the Mercedes and Iveco robotic boxes, have their problems too.
My experienced HGV mechanic pal (formerly Royal Mail Fleet Workshops), won't touch robotic boxes, as in his words, "They are a nightmare to work on when they go wrong."
If forced onto an auto-box of some kind, I think I might prefer a fully automatic 8 or 9 x speed box myself.
Cheers,
Jock.
In principle there is nothing wrong with automated manual transmissions, used in many buses and HGVs.
Motorhomes are a suitable application. Most ComfortMatics seem trouble-free. Long may they stay reliable.
These days even the torque converter automatics are controlled remotely by an ecu which makes them all robotic.
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This guide on how to change the clutch fluid was posted on an Australian facebook group and I have added it to resources courtesy of the original poster.
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/foru...e-the-clutch-fluid-on-a-2016-fiat-ducato.372/
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/foru...e-the-clutch-fluid-on-a-2016-fiat-ducato.372/
Seems easy, why is everyone making it sound so difficult and only a few places can do it. I knows there's a kiss point adjustment but I don't think that needs doing unless there is a problem.
WESTY66
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- All the gear, and no idea!
If the clutch take-up point goes wrong you risk a fried clutch and a much bigger workshop bill. You need trained and experienced fitters that know what they are doing, not someone trying the fluid change procedure for the first time. I suspect sometimes the ECU has to re-learn the correct kiss point but I am not an expert.
Allison made and perhaps still make robotic gearboxes I hope if they are they have refined them because in 80s before and later they were rubbish, looking at a site it looks as if they make proper automatics now
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Seems to me that this procedure does nothing more than drain the reservoir not the whole system. Bear in mind the contamination happens at the other end of the system in the slave cylinder, so draining the reservoir probably does nothing to help the problem.
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That's one (fairly complex) way of partially changing the fluid and will be fine if done every couple of years. There's no reason why you can't just gravity bleed it which is much simpler. The complication comes when you need the diagnostics to fully change all the clutch fluid including the small bit left in the Master/Slave unit. This requires a routine in the diagnostics to open and close the clutch about 10 times to pass the small amount of fluid in the unit up into the reservoir. Once you've done the routine you ideally change the fluid in the reservoir again but probably not essential.
I have a Bessacarr 599 with the comfortmatic gearbox, after reading the reviews here and being concerned I contacted a fiat dealer who told me if it’s working then leave it alone, I asked about the oil change and he said it was a sealed unit, apparently a replacement box is around £9000, I am now going to look for a warranty company to cover
Some Fiat dealers are not keeping up to date with the latest service schedules. The gearbox oil does not need changing but that is not what is being suggested here. According to the latest Fiat advice the Comfortmatic clutch activation fluid does need changing (not the gearbox oil).
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Strange and confusing advice again from the dealers
I'd also be wary of any warranty company that offers to cover the Comfortmatic gearbox - on the basis that it isn't a gearbox so may not be covered.
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If the Fiat Professional workshop you use has no experience of changing the clutch activation fluid, it seems risky to use your MH as a guinea pig.
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Being the owner of a 2010 3 litre Ducato based Burstner fitted with a Comfortmatic gearbox I have been following this and all the other threads on the subject with much interest. My ‘van has done over 80,000 miles and all of them trouble free in respect of the Comfortmatic. I am therefore one of the ‘many silent owners’ who are more than satisfied with their Comfortmatic.
Incidentally, after reading about Adams Morey in one of these threads i was passing their Portsmouth depot about 8 months ago so popped in and spoke to the service manager (who owns/owned a vehicle with a Comfortmatic) he also advised me to have the oil changed at least every two years (I was mistakenly changing it every four to which he said the comparatively high mileage probably helped). He also told me that his Bournemouth depot were also well up to the job of changing it so I went there as its closer to my home. I followed his advice and in the future will have it changed even more often.
Hope this is useful.
Incidentally, after reading about Adams Morey in one of these threads i was passing their Portsmouth depot about 8 months ago so popped in and spoke to the service manager (who owns/owned a vehicle with a Comfortmatic) he also advised me to have the oil changed at least every two years (I was mistakenly changing it every four to which he said the comparatively high mileage probably helped). He also told me that his Bournemouth depot were also well up to the job of changing it so I went there as its closer to my home. I followed his advice and in the future will have it changed even more often.
Hope this is useful.
Is the Bournemouth one still doing Fiats?
UPDATE
After much testing with the diagnostic tester, topping up the and bleeding the clutch fluid we came to the conclusion that the slave clutch cylinder had failed. This was also indicated by clutch fluid weeping out of the bell housing. With the engine removed and the bell housing opened this was confirmed. The clutch itself was in very good condition considering it had done nearly 100,000km and all its plastic spring covers were in place.
Whilst the engine was out it was possible to easily inspect other aspects of the engine. A number of other things were found:- cracked exhaust manifold, badly perished brake servo vacuum pipe, worn belts and pulley bearings, and worn waterpump bearing.
These defects, a new clutch plate, without plastic spring covers, plus slave clutch cylinder have now been replaced. And it now all works correctly so a result.
Now to sort out the original problem that the van went in for ie adjust and balance the handbrake.
Does anyone know what the 'special technique' is for making the Fiat Ducato parking brake behave like a emergency brake such that it will pass its technical inspection. We've set it up as per the Fiat instructions, followed all the advice that has been posted on 'Motorhomefun' and from other forums but still won't pass its technical inspection (MOT). So, please, does anyone know what this 'special technique' is?
After much testing with the diagnostic tester, topping up the and bleeding the clutch fluid we came to the conclusion that the slave clutch cylinder had failed. This was also indicated by clutch fluid weeping out of the bell housing. With the engine removed and the bell housing opened this was confirmed. The clutch itself was in very good condition considering it had done nearly 100,000km and all its plastic spring covers were in place.
Whilst the engine was out it was possible to easily inspect other aspects of the engine. A number of other things were found:- cracked exhaust manifold, badly perished brake servo vacuum pipe, worn belts and pulley bearings, and worn waterpump bearing.
These defects, a new clutch plate, without plastic spring covers, plus slave clutch cylinder have now been replaced. And it now all works correctly so a result.
Now to sort out the original problem that the van went in for ie adjust and balance the handbrake.
Does anyone know what the 'special technique' is for making the Fiat Ducato parking brake behave like a emergency brake such that it will pass its technical inspection. We've set it up as per the Fiat instructions, followed all the advice that has been posted on 'Motorhomefun' and from other forums but still won't pass its technical inspection (MOT). So, please, does anyone know what this 'special technique' is?
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How old is the vehicle?, has the vehicle got got rear brake drums and brake shoes , or rear disc brakes where the hand brake mechanism applies the brake pads to the disc , or disc brakes on rear with inboard brake drums for handbrake only?
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