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Obsessed with smuts
I have a FIAT 500 1.3 Multijet Diesel. About two weeks ago I had the problem, exactly as described in your column. I towed the car to the FIAT dealership and got from them the answer that there were 2.5 litres too much oil in the engine and that they will not repair the car on warranty. After that I contacted FIAT UK, who spoke to the dealer and came back to me with the same answer. Do you have any report from any independent engineers supporting the fact that the problem is caused by diesel getting into the sump? It would be really helpful to clear the dispute.
Asked on 4 September 2010 by RF, via email
Answered by
Honest John
A diesel Particulate Filter is intended to collect smuts on start up, then burn them off later in the car’s journey by injecting extra fuel into the combustion chambers. If there is no ‘later’ this does not happen and the extra fuel dribbles down the bores into the sump, contaminating the oil in there, and if it rises past a certain point, leaving the engine to run uncontrollably on its sump oil rather than its fuel oil. If you were not warned of this when you bought the car you may have a case against the dealer who sold it to you for selling you a car "of unsatisfactory quality". FIAT had a specific person to contact over this problem but has now replaced her with a standard e-mail address: customerrelations@fiat.com . FIAT has replaced engines in this circumstance.
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