Common faults below

Fiat Engine Carbon Cleaning

What we see most on Fiat engines, what causes it, and which clean fixes it. Every job starts with a scan and a quote at our Kings Park workshop.

Fiat engine carbon cleaning at Expert Carbon Cleaning, Kings Park Sydney
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Which Fiat do you have?

Most Fiats we see are Ducatos — vans, courier vehicles or motorhome bases — and the 2.3-litre MultiJet diesel in them has a particular problem with how those vehicles get used.

A courier Ducato does short drops and long idles. A motorhome Ducato does something worse: it sits for months, then does a long trip, then sits again. Both are bad for a particulate filter, and both leave deposits in the EGR circuit and on the injectors.

If your Ducato is a motorhome, the most useful thing on this page is the last section. Vehicles that sit have their own failure pattern, and it is not the one most workshops look for.

Common Fiat carbon problems

What we see

If you drive a petrol Fiat

If you drive a diesel Fiat

Diesel

Particulate Filter Blockage on the Ducato

  • A regeneration needs a sustained uninterrupted run to burn the soot out.
  • A delivery Ducato doing short drops never gets one; a motorhome gets one occasionally, but not often enough to keep up.
  • Every abandoned cycle leaves the filter fuller than before.
  • Warning light, then limp mode — often at the worst possible moment on a trip.
  • Fuel consumption up and a hot smell after parking.
  • Warnings arriving closer together.
  • Codes in the P2002 and P2452–P2463 range.
  • Where we can, we clean the filter on the vehicle — nothing removed, cut open or replaced. If it has to come off, it gets a three-stage clean and new gaskets, quoted first.
  • We check the EGR and fuel sides in the same visit, because on a Ducato they are usually what loaded it.
  • Nothing is deleted. A vehicle without its emissions equipment is not roadworthy in New South Wales.

Fixed by

DPF Cleaning

From $715

See the service →
Diesel

EGR Sludge from Idling

  • The EGR valve recirculates sooty exhaust gas into the intake, and long idles are the worst condition for it.
  • Soot meets oil mist from the breather and forms a deposit that narrows the runners and sticks the valve.
  • A van that idles at the kerb, or a motorhome that idles to run accessories, builds this quickly.
  • Flat throttle response, worst loaded or on a hill.
  • Black smoke under acceleration.
  • Rough idle with EGR flow codes (P0401, P0402).
  • We clean the EGR circuit and intake manifold so the airway is clear again.
  • On a fully loaded Ducato this often changes how the vehicle climbs, because there was so little spare airflow.

Fixed by

EGR & Intake Manifold Cleaning

Quoted after the free scan

See the service →
Diesel

Injector Fouling and Hard Starting

  • Deposits on the injector tips spoil the spray pattern, so diesel arrives as droplets rather than a fine mist.
  • Poor combustion makes more soot, loading the filter faster.
  • Fuel that has sat in the system for months leaves deposits behind as it degrades.
  • Long cranking after the vehicle has been standing.
  • A rattly, uneven idle.
  • Smoke on start-up and worse economy.
  • Fuel rail pressure codes (P0087, P0088, P008A).
  • We clean the whole fuel system on the vehicle with the engine running — injectors, pump and rail — nothing removed or sent away.
  • On a motorhome this is worth doing before a long trip rather than after something goes wrong on one.

Fixed by

Diesel Injector Cleaning

Quoted after the free scan

See the service →

If you drive a hybrid Fiat

Applies to any Fiat

Any Fiat

A Vehicle That Sits for Months

  • Long periods parked let fuel degrade in the rail, moisture settle in the exhaust and deposits set hard on injector tips and valves.
  • The first long drive after months of standing then asks a dirty engine to work hard, which is when faults appear.
  • Because the vehicle has done very few kilometres, nobody suspects carbon.
  • A vehicle that runs badly for the first hour of a trip and then improves.
  • Warnings appearing on the first long run of the season.
  • Very low kilometres and a surprising amount of deposit when anything is opened up.
  • A full engine carbon clean treats the intake and exhaust sides in one visit, which suits an engine that has been standing rather than worked.
  • Best done before you travel. We scan first and give you the price before starting, so you can plan it around your trip.

Fixed by

Full Engine Carbon Clean

From $715

See the service →

Keeping your Fiat clean

Prevention

To keep a Fiat Ducato clean, plan around how it is used. A courier Ducato’s 2.3-litre MultiJet does short drops and long idles. Its filter never finishes a self-clean (DPF burn), and the EGR circuit sludges up. A motorhome Ducato sits for months, so fuel degrades and deposits set on the injector tips and valves. Clean a motorhome before a trip, not partway through one.

If it runs badly for the first hour of a trip or goes into limp mode, book a time at our Kings Park workshop. We scan it free first, tell you what it needs, and quote before any work starts. A courier van may need an on-car DPF clean. A motorhome that has been standing may need a fuel system clean or a full engine carbon clean, planned around your trip.

Highly recommend! The service was professional and quick, and the mechanic was transparent about the necessary repairs. My car runs great now, and I appreciate their efficiency and clear communication. I'll definitely be returning for future service.

Madi Sh · Google review

Great service, had many issues with my DPF system. All other places quoted me over $5000 and needing a full replacement. Naz was extremely helpful and got my car back on the road in a few hours for a fraction of the cost. Highly recommend to anyone having issues with Land Rover Models.

Michael Matheson, Land Rover · Google review

Before any engine work on your Fiat, search your VIN on the government vehicle recalls site. Recall repairs are free, so check there first.

  • Don’t idle the engine to run accessories. Long idles are the worst condition for the EGR valve. Soot meets oil mist from the breather and sticks the valve, which shows up as flat response on a hill.
  • Give a courier Ducato an open-road hour. The filter on a courier Ducato only burns off its soot on an uninterrupted run. Nas’s rule of thumb is a steady run of about half an hour every week, or an hour every fortnight. Every abandoned self-clean leaves it fuller than before.
  • Treat a slow first start as a warning. Long cranking after the vehicle has been standing points to deposits on the injector tips. Those deposits make more soot, which loads the filter on the trip that follows.
  • Don’t judge it by the odometer. On a vehicle that sits, very low kilometres don’t mean a clean engine. Have it scanned before the first long run of the season, which is when warnings can appear.

Book your Fiat in

Get a free quote

Tell us the model, the kilometres and what it is doing. We will scan it and tell you which clean it needs, and what it costs, before any work starts.

Get a Free QuoteCall Nas — 0455 455 644

Tell Nas about your car

What are you driving, and what is it doing? Nas will call you back to talk it through — we scan the car at the workshop first, and nothing starts without your OK.

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