Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio?

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Sun 2 Jul 2023 17:35
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - 43576

I have owned the Grande Punto 1.3 multijet 75bhp 2006, average not great of 54mpg out of real 63mpg I did not know that the fifth gear was a bit short for a diesel vehicle. Because at 70mph the rev meet at 2,900rpm is a quite high for diesel, I know that average diesel meets at 2,400 rpm. The 90bhp Grande Punto offer a sixth gear. I had few issue with water pump, I think it is the third time it fails, two drive belt snap. Does something to do with high rev for a long time wear it quickly?

Since been looking for a small van for my work. I saw a Fiorino 90bhp out of 1.3, but still have the fifth gear!

I have felt the sixth gear would have been helping a better MPG, engine life and more quiet on cruise at 70mph.

If I drove non-stop like I do 86 miles at 70mph at 2,900 rpm, would that be bad for the engine?

Also, why does the Fiat make that car to rev so much?

Thanks

Edited by 43576 on 02/07/2023 at 17:38

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Sun 2 Jul 2023 17:46
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - Big John

I have owned the Grande Punto 1.3 multijet 75bhp 2006, average not great of 54mpg out of real 63mpg I did not know that the fifth gear was a bit short for a diesel vehicle. Because at 70mph the rev meet at 2,900rpm is a quite high for diesel,

That's about what Mrs BJ's 1.2 petrol Panda does at 70mph and that has slightly less power and revs higher. By any chance did the car ever had a gearbox swap?

Edited by Big John on 02/07/2023 at 17:48

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Sun 2 Jul 2023 18:12
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - Adampr

It's a 90bhp van. It needs low gearing so that it can move!

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Sun 2 Jul 2023 18:16
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - badbusdriver

The Multijet is quite a small engine and it isn't that powerful. You say 1.3, but strictly speaking it should be classed as either a 1.2 or 1.25 as the actual capacity is 1248cc. The Fiorino is a van and as such it (potentially) needs to deal with a reasonably heavy payload. Not sure what that is in your specific model but in the mechanically identical Citroen Nemo, this could be as much as 660kg, quite a lot for such a small van. So if the gearing is too long, the engine will be labouring under load more than is good for its longevity.

Maximum power is developed at 4000rpm, so cruising at 2900rpm should cause no problems at all.

I have a VW Caddy 2.0SDI (that is the non turbo). It has 70bhp and at 70mph in top gear it is doing around 3200rpm.

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Mon 3 Jul 2023 00:36
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - Bromptonaut

Yup, I'd say around 3000rpm at 70 in top wasn't that far off beam for a small car/van with a 75PS diesel engine. Does it have a turbo/intercooler?

Would it even make much difference to real world mpg if it were doing (say) 2500 at 110/kph?

Or would it run out of puff pretty quickly on motorway inclines; I'm thinking Alpine or Massif gradients, not those in England's pretty tame landscape.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 03/07/2023 at 00:41

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Mon 3 Jul 2023 07:43
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - badbusdriver

Yup, I'd say around 3000rpm at 70 in top wasn't that far off beam for a small car/van with a 75PS diesel engine. Does it have a turbo/intercooler?

Yes, it is a turbo diesel. The most common version has 75PS, but the OP was looking at the more powerful variant with 90. There is hardly any difference in torque between the two though, 195 vs 200nm.

Would it even make much difference to real world mpg if it were doing (say) 2500 at 110/kph?

I wouldn't have thought so but I've always been led to believe that how far open the throttle is affects your mpg more than the actual revs. Plus, in the case of a Fiorino, the aerodynamics, because it aint the most slippery of shapes!.

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Mon 3 Jul 2023 19:08
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - Dave N
I’ve a 2017 Berlingo with a massive 75hp. I regularly carry a 400kg pallet and it can maintain 70mph up all motorway hills without problem. At 70mph its turning at 2300 rpm.
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Tue 4 Jul 2023 06:23
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - paul 1963
I’ve a 2017 Berlingo with a massive 75hp. I regularly carry a 400kg pallet and it can maintain 70mph up all motorway hills without problem. At 70mph its turning at 2300 rpm.

Beat me to it Dave! I too drive a 75hp Berlingo and agree with you about the revs etc, I don't lug pallets around but I do tow 200 litre barrels of oil on occasions.

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Tue 4 Jul 2023 17:57
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - Dave N
I thought with just 75hp it would be dire, but was pleasantly surprised. Apart from first gear being ridiculously low, it goes along ok. I also bought a Jimny LCV last year, and despite having 100hp, and being smaller and lighter, it doesnt go anywhere near as well.
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Tue 4 Jul 2023 19:25
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - badbusdriver
I also bought a Jimny LCV last year, and despite having 100hp, and being smaller and lighter, it doesnt go anywhere near as well.

You'd have to drive the Jimny like a n/a petrol* to get the most out of it. If you do, there is no question it would soundly whup a 75bhp Berlingo.

52bhp per tonne vs 90bhp per tonne?

As Scotty says, "Ye canna change the laws of physics"

:-)

*Peak torque (of which there is 30% less than the Berlingo) and power are at 4k and 6k revs respectively.

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Tue 4 Jul 2023 21:19
Fiat Fiorino - Fiat 1.3 multijet why short gear ratio? - Dave N
The trouble is, in the Jimny your ears give up long before you can reach 6000rpm, not to mention my inbuilt mechanical sympathy lol.
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