# Fiat Ducato Electric Windows Problem



## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

My MH Fiat based just over 2 years old.

When in Portugal in Nov 05 electric windows played up. Sometimes working but mostly not. For rest of the trip they mostly didn't work. When they don't work the central locking also doesn't work i.e. in that if I putthe internal catch down on cab door the other door catch doesn't go down either. When that happens I also know the windows won't work either.

In Jan 06 Chelston MH services replaced the electric window module/unit? and also found an electrical fault which they repaired.
When I checked at dealers e.g. turned ignition key windows worked.
Didn't use MH until yesterday and found electric windows didn't work! and of course central locking. On getting back into MH in Plymouth they worked again! During drive home, NOT working again. At home after fiddling with silverscreen and open & closing cab doors, found Central locking and windows working again. THIS morning, having not touched cab doors, turned ignition key and found electric windows/central locking not working again.!!

Please, Any ideas anyone? Its got to go back in to be fixed but I do not have any confidence in the garage as they were supposed to have fixed it!!!!


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

From my vast mechanical and electrical knowledge (  ) this sounds like the well-known Loose Connection Syndrome.

G


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## Bagshanty (Jul 24, 2005)

... or more likely, a bad earth connection somewhere. If something strange is happening, it's usually an earth problem. In Romania in 2004, in our J reg talisman, just as the heavenas opened, the wipers refused to wipe. Then 5 minutes later, after I had got thorough wet, the started again. A week later, the same again. This time I noticed that instead of the indicator winking, the headlights were flashing at the same rate. 

A good boodgie out of the the earth connectors, which were well and truly corroded, wire brush, sandpaper, and vaseline, and problem solved. Mind you, Tilly was then 11 years old, not 2, but I would certainly investigate that before I spent too much money.


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi
In my opinion don't fool around with clowns, get a qualified auto electrician to look at it. I realise that your van may be under some sort of warranty, however the fools already changed a (probably) hugely expensive module, only to then find "an electrical fault" which they "fixed". Sounds like a good story to me :roll: :roll: 
Seriously Rita have a good auto electrician look at it, they will probably have it sorted in 1/2 hour and it is possibly going to be something simple as described by Bagshanty...

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Keith


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Thnks grizzly, I too thought it was a loose connection but chelston MH said not!
Thanks Bagshandy, Kands(keith) I will get onto an auto electrician on Monday. The MH is now out of warranty, just. Although fault reported before out of warranty. I do not really trust Chelston MH to fix this as they have already had it twice, Dec and Jan.
Thanks again.


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## MOTORHOMER (May 9, 2005)

zulurita said:


> Thnks grizzly, I too thought it was a loose connection but chelston MH said not!
> Thanks Bagshandy, Kands(keith) I will get onto an auto electrician on Monday. The MH is now out of warrenty, just. Although fault reported before out of warrenty. I do not really trust Chelston MH to fix this as they have already had it twice, Dec and Jan.
> Thanks again.


If you reported the fault before the warranty expired & They didnt manage to sort it they should still do it under the warranty for you.

Motorhomer


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Yes Chelston will look at it again under warranty and its booked in for March 16th but I just do not have much confidence in them as its twice been looked at!

I have already an auto electrician lined up for tuesday  I'd sooner pay somebody who knows what they are doing than keep being messed around.


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## 96505 (Oct 12, 2005)

My passenger side doesn't work...the relay clicks, that's all.


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Just a thought Rita, but if it will be treated as a warranty call by Chelston, then may I suggest that you call them on Tuesday morning and say that the windows have packed up in the lowered position thereby leaving the vehicle insecure and tell them that you have HAD to call out an autoelectrician to get the vehicle fixed and secure. Ask if they will pay for the repair if you supply the reciept from the autoelectrician (make sure he puts down that the windows were lowered and inoperable though :wink: :wink: )
You may be lucky and get reimbursed for the trouble you have had as a direct consequence of their inability to resolve the issue earlier.

Good luck and let us know how you get on....

Keith


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

What a marvellous idea...................  Why didn't I think of that! Mind you I am going to check windows before settiing off as its no good if they are working................. and if they are... will be open and guess what won't be working by the time I arrive! Like on Thursday worked in Plymouth but not on way home!

Many thanks


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN  

The Auto Electrician has fixed the electric windows, took him about 5 mins to trace the fault.

The fuse block behind battery had a CRACKED FUSE and when moving wires replicated the fault.

When driving there the windows wouldn't work but when I went to show the auto electrician, yes you've guessed it, the windows worked!!! So I was really pleased when he found the fault so promptly.

Needless to say I have phoned Chelston Services to complain about their work as they twice had the MH in to look at this fault and UNNECESSARILY replaced parts.


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Glad to hear that you are sorted now Rita, that is the power of using a good electrician. If I were you I would write to Chelston's MD and tell him the saga and ask him what he is prepared to do about it.... Tell him that you had the inconvenience, time and cost of your visits to his company and now have the cost of the auto electrician to repair what his technicians could not repair (twice). He may surprise you and be generous in this issue, worth a try anyhow?

Well done

Keith


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Hi Keith,

 The letter was written and posted to Chelston as soon as I came home  
I will definitely use this auto electrician again if I have any electrical problem in the future........... he certainly came up trumps  

Thanks again


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Update.

Had a very prompt reply to my letter by email and Chelston refunded my £30 so I am well pleased. So credit where credit is due, Chelston did respond to my letter and are looking into this matter.


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## Bagshanty (Jul 24, 2005)

zulurita said:


> ..... Had a very prompt reply to my letter by email and Chelston refunded my £30 so I am well pleased.


I'd say that the swift and positive turnaround of your letter by Chelston redeems their reputation. The way you can tell a good organisation rom a duff one is how they handle things when things go pear shaped.

(Which is why, on an unsurance front, I reckon Direct Line is excellent, but Lloyds TSB, Admiral and Norwich Union are crap, and Direct Line now has all our insurance)


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## apothecary (May 14, 2005)

*autoelectrician*

Who is the auto electrician you used?I live near Par so he could be useful to me, and anyone else down here.


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

He does quite a bit of work for a friend of mine in Torquay. I would guess that Par would be out of his area. I went to my friends house or he would have come to me.


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Congratulations Rita...
Firstly for getting the windows sorted and secondly because you were successful in being reimbursed from the dealer. I have to agree with Bagshanty, everyone can be seen as good when there are no problems, it is the genuinely good that perform well when there are problems, so I would say that Chelstons deserve a pat on the back for their response (I imagine someone there is getting more than his/her back patted though) lol.

Well done Rita, the power of MHF shines through once again......

Keith


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Yes and thanks for ALL help received here on MHF


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