# Ducato Clutch Problem - Fixed?



## terry111 (Mar 3, 2013)

I am considering the purchase of a brand new panel van conversion based on the Fiat Ducato. My current van is a coachbuilt on the old Fiat 2.8JTD. I am aware of all sorts of problems with the clutch on the newer 2.3L 130 & 150bhp engines (and possibly on the 3L 180bhp?). I have read many forum threads and am beginning to think I need to avoid Fiat! However, most vans are based on the Fiat / Citroen / Peugeot so presumably they all had the same problem.

My questions is - Has this problem been resolved? If it hasn't, would I be less likely to have a problem with a 3L or 2.3L engine?

I would be interested to hear from anyone with experience of newer Fiat Ducato's (say 2011 to date)?

Thanks


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## Kontiki (Mar 3, 2013)

I have a 2009 A class with the 3 litre Fiat, it has done just over 20k miles & I have felt the clutch slipping if I put my foot down in fifth gear at about 2000 revs. I read there was a problem with the clutch lining on the earlier vans like mine & read quite a few reports about clutches wearing out on the 3 litre vans after about 20k miles. Hopefully it should have been rectified but......??????

If you are buying one then try it out on the road, get up to around 50 (about 2000 rpm in 5th gear) & accelerate hard. This would show if the clutch was slipping, but then again it would only show what the clutch was like at that time.

Sorry just read your post again & see that you are thinking of a new van.


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## terry111 (Mar 3, 2013)

Kontiki said:


> I have a 2009 A class with the 3 litre Fiat, it has done just over 20k miles & I have felt the clutch slipping if I put my foot down in fifth gear at about 2000 revs. I read there was a problem with the clutch lining on the earlier vans like mine & read quite a few reports about clutches wearing out on the 3 litre vans after about 20k miles. Hopefully it should have been rectified but......??????
> 
> If you are buying one then try it out on the road, get up to around 50 (about 2000 rpm in 5th gear) & accelerate hard. This would show if the clutch was slipping, but then again it would only show what the clutch was like at that time.
> 
> Sorry just read your post again & see that you are thinking of a new van.



Have you had any problem reversing up an incline? Or is that something you rarely have to do?


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## letale (Mar 3, 2013)

Hi just to add to your to your clutch dilemma. I have a rapido fiat base vehicle 2.3 ducato 2007 with 41000 miles on the clock and I have hade no clutch problems at all. I live on a hill so the first thing I tryed after hearing about the clutch problems was to reverse up the hill. no problem. The problem might be with the british conversions. best of luck


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## Kontiki (Mar 4, 2013)

I think the reversing issue was more related to the 2.3 litre, there is enough power in the 3 litre to easily reverse without juddering. I personally think that the reverse gear was too high on the 2.3 which meant you had to reverse at a faster speed or slip the clutch, trying to reverse slowly could cause some vans to judder. Fiat I think had 3 fixes for the problem, they would re-map the engine, change engine mountings & finally they would strip the box & fit a different gear & casing. I would have thought any new van should be ok now.:drive:


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## oldpolicehouse (Mar 7, 2013)

Kontiki said:


> I think the reversing issue was more related to the 2.3 litre, there is enough power in the 3 litre to easily reverse without juddering. I personally think that the reverse gear was too high on the 2.3 which meant you had to reverse at a faster speed or slip the clutch, trying to reverse slowly could cause some vans to judder. Fiat I think had 3 fixes for the problem, they would re-map the engine, change engine mountings & finally they would strip the box & fit a different gear & casing. I would have thought any new van should be ok now.:drive:



Hello

I had a 2009 2.3 (think it was manufactured in 2008) Rapido. It juddered quite badly in reverse no matter how hard I tried.
I rang the dedicated Fiat camper number in Italy and was contacted by a very charming Italian lady (with a really sexy voice).Sorry going a bit off topic then.
Anyway she sent a modification kit to my local Fiat dealership and I took it in to be fitted. It was entered in my service book as having a Class B modification. When I asked what this entailed they said it was all the fixes you mentioned. They did forget to tighten the earth strap up on the new engine mounting which caused me to break down on the Autobahn a few days later but hey that's about par for the course with UK Fiat dealerships.

Reversing was fine after that and I had no further problems. Recently got rid of it with 33,000 miles on.

Not sure but I think this particular fault does not occur on later models. The worst years seem to be 2007 - 2009

Blue Skies


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