# Fiat Ducato water ingress



## brenbo (May 1, 2005)

Hello,

I am fairly new to this forum, so please excuse me if things go wrong!

In early November, I will be taking delivery of a new Mclouis Tandy, based on a Fiat Ducato X250 Chassis. This is not our first motorhome, as we switched to a caravan a few years ago, and now (Having seeing the error of our ways), are switching back to a motorhome!

I have been rather cocerned to read about the water ingress problems into the engine compartment. I would hope that now Fiat have fixed this problem on new vehicles, but can anyone tell me what to look for to check if the fix has been fitted?

I hesitate to ask the supplier, as I'm sure I would just be "Fobbed off" with a non-commital answer!

I am also cocerned with the reverse gear/judder problem, but all I can do is check it in reverse before I pay for the vehicle!

Many thanks in advance for any replies.....


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## maxautotrail (Aug 21, 2007)

brenbo said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am fairly new to this forum, so please excuse me if things go wrong!
> 
> ...


Welcome to the forum.

The early models of the latest shape Ducato did not have a plastic cover over the injectors. The water gully at the bottom of the windscreen is a two part fitting with the join in the centre. This leaked water onto the exposed injectors where there is a channel for the water to collect (and stay) resulting in rusting injectors.

Also, there is a hole (to drain water) on the near side and this drips on to the engine compartment below. On the off-side there is a bigger hole that has a pipe to direct the water away.

Fiat should be as a minimum now be fitting an engine cover to stop the water dripping on the injector channel. They are also sealing the join (well my dealer did). I'm not sure what if anything they have done with the drain on the near side but some people have fitted a pipe and enlarged the hole to direct the water away.

Hope that helps and good luck with the purchase.

Keith


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## mikeyv (May 23, 2007)

brenbo said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am fairly new to this forum, so please excuse me if things go wrong!


According to your details alongside your post

Joined: May 01, 2005 
Posts: 105

Weird?


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

I noticed this with my unit the other day when the rain was persistent, I will be completing the remedial work myself. should take about 10 mins.


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

The Fiat rep at the NEC showed me their remedy on their X250 display. 

They have sealed the centre join on the plastic strip below the widscreen and they have made the holes on that strip larger to ensure the water drains away. They have also put on a plastic cover over the top of the engine to prevent rusting of the injectors. 

They claim also to ensure that all water is drained away from the engine compartment but you do hear stories of water being drained from the screen onto the rear of the headlights but I cannot see how this can happen.


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## imlach (May 13, 2008)

Hello Gelathe the reason the water drips over the back of the headlights is because if you you look at the windscreen there is a recessed channel all the around the windscreen and where this channel goes under the windscreen seal at the bottom the water has free access to the back of the headlights, just try it lift the bonnet and get somebody to pour a little water down the side of the windscreen and see what happens. Regards Imlach 8O 8O


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

mikeyv said:


> brenbo said:
> 
> 
> > Hello,
> ...


Not weird at all.
The poster hasn't posted for some years but has come back to us.
Welcome back brenbo. The site has grown a bit since you posted regularly but there are still many of the original members here.
Good to see you.


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## 127162 (Aug 21, 2009)

Hi. Just purchased a new Geist 690 with the same problem. The gutter at the base of the windscreen wasn't attached to the windscreen therefore the water gushed down into the engine compartment. There was no cover over the engine either. In conversation I mentioned "Not fit for purpose" to my supplier. I now have a new water proof gutter and an engine cover. Problem solved. Fiat are obviously still sending these verhicles out with the old fittings. Shame on them
Jim


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

JIM22 said:


> Hi. Just purchased a new Geist 690 with the same problem. The gutter at the base of the windscreen wasn't attached to the windscreen therefore the water gushed down into the engine compartment. There was no cover over the engine either. In conversation I mentioned "Not fit for purpose" to my supplier. I now have a new water proof gutter and an engine cover. Problem solved. Fiat are obviously still sending these verhicles out with the old fittings. Shame on them
> Jim


I don't think any of us know how long the converter has had the chassis/cab in stock before using it.


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## brenbo (May 1, 2005)

Hi, Many thanks for all your replies.

The question now is, if I can't see that a cover has been fitted over the injectors, (Which seems the easiest thing to look for), am I within my rights to refuse to accept until the correction has been made?

Well spotted, I have been a member of this forum for a few years, but when I sold my last motorhome, a few years ago, I stopped checking the forum. I was surprised when I tried to re-register that I was still a member! It seems you are a member for life (Or maybe longer!!) once you have joined.

Once again, thank you all for your informative replies......


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## 80bongo (Aug 18, 2007)

Hi All,
Not a reason not to buy an X250 as they do drive nicely and handle well, but the FIAT/dealer fix for the water ingress to the engine bay will not work.
Mine was done a little over a year ago and on inspection this week I found that the two 10mm drain pipes had fallen off. The adhesive used doesn't stick to the pipe. Also the pipes are so small as to be too easily blocked. On the drivers side this means that the wiper spindle will become immersed and the water leak into the wiper spindle housing. That will become a very expensive replacement when well out of warranty. FIAT should offer a replacement moulding with a pipe stub of a much larger size included in the moulding.
The adhesive used to stick the two halves of the scuttle moulding doesn't last either, mine was leaking again. The two halves overlap by about 2mm!
Water also leaks out of the end of the housing below the wiper spindle through the porous foam seal, this drips into the side of the engine bay. I took mine to bits this week as its out of warranty. The attached photos should give you an idea of whats happening under the bonnet and out of sight.
The first pic is of corrosion under the header tank; the second the corrosion beginning on the wiper mechanism (sorry they're not very crisp) and the third an indication of where to look for problems.
Top to bottom.
Water level above wiper spindle because of leaf (singular) blocking drain.
Water leaking through end of sponge seal.
Water damage to wiper spindle.
Staining from water leaking through wiper spindle.
Have a look down here, corrosion beginning inside wing.
Corrosion under header tank.
Oh yes, and if you look on the other side of the van under the headlamp, you'll find a large Bosch relay sitting in its water filled socket.
I now have sundry bits of plastic milk bottle and yogourt pot covering various bits of electrics and the Waxoyl has been liberally applied.
The rest of the coachbuilt van was a DIY kit as well. 
Do we Motohomers get a good deal from the manufacturers? Nope!
Andy.


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