Prevent Fiat Ducato Engine Rust - Stop water from entering engine bay 

Cheers Afram just happened upon the video by chance and now got another important job to go on the list for my Ducato Bessie.

Thanks that was very informative. I’ve had similar issues. Your solutions are good, though I used a less messy black heat resistant electrical tape overlapping the plastic scuttle where it meets the windshield. I used hight temp. Jenolite Rust Shield spray instead of WD40 on my fuel injectors and depression they sit in on the engine. The WD 40 will offer good but limited protection that could eventually wash off if subjected to more water, whereas the clear Jenolite spray hard-coats the vulnerable injectors like a varnish consolidating any rust already present and shedding any water. I also used it to protect any exposed electrical connections in the engine compartment. No marks for the vehicle designers though who should have resolved this issue.

I got 2008 model 250 and found this luckily almost at the beginning. There was basically no seal at all, so I replaced it with non-hardening type of sealant. I also drilled bigger holes both ends of this gutter, originals were always blocked with some tree stuff etc. Luckily this is almost the only thing that is not build properly in Ducato. 15 years and 127 000km later only had to replace brakepads and Throttle Cap (not EGR) Tnx. for this excellent video btw.

Thank you so much. After viewing this video, I checked out my engine and it was covered in water. There was a huge gap between the glass and the seal. Fixed it with silicone. Saved my van!

I can’t believe these base vehicles are still having this problem. I had a new 1995 Boxer Motorhome and after only a few months discovered that water had leaked into the battery which caused the acid to overflow and completely strip all the paint off the chassis components below and had attacked the wiring harness. Next was a 2000 Boxer after a couple of years the Speedo stopped working. I disconnected the drive from the gearbox and a milky emulsion of water and oil came out, I had to pay a substantial amount for this to be fixed (gearbox out). A short time later it lost synchromesh on second gear and a reconditioned unit had to be fitted. We then bought a 2005 Ducato and by now I was paranoid about the water leak issue, sure enough it was still occurring but I managed to keep it at bay with some Heath Robinson trays over the engine. And again in 2008 we bought the newer version of the Ducato, sure enough the same thing was still happening. We sold this in 2010 and after break of 12 years we’ve just bought the Mk 8 version of the Ducato, looks like I need to get down to B & Q for some more DIY preventative work! Thanks for the video 👍

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just use PVC Jointing tape 50mm wide to seal the screen to scuttle. keeping an eye on drain holes

I used black electrical insulation tape between the glass and the rubber seal just make sure that everything is clean and dry , I chose a sunny day so that everything was warm so it stuck well . Just take your time and do a neat job and it looks the part .

Thank you for making this video sir!

Thanx for the tip ,i am about to buy one ,so will check this out

Interesting and somewhat alarming vid - thank you. I’m going to treat the injector valley on our van with XCP Rust Blocker as I think it’s more suitable than WD-40 for inhibiting corrosion

Hi Afram, I too own a Fiat Ducato, (2012 model). After having an injector problem I discovered that same rusty colour covering every thing under the engine cover. To cut a long story short, only one injector could be removed, ( water and aluminium and steel do not mix very well ). This meant engine removal, new cylinder head, 4 new injectors, 4 new injector pipes, gaskets etc etc. The whole job cost around $12,800.00..... All this because the lower windscreen bezel was not sealed properly from the factory.. footnote, if you own a Ducato check for water in and around the injectors often, not only at service time.. Happy travelling....

I've noticed a lot of water on the top of the engine too .Fortunately the previous owner had sprayed oil on top which has prevented the rusting however there is water pooling there. I'll definitely silicone the area as you have .Thank you for posting this Movie !👍

Also the drain pipes drain down into the inner wing and onto the chassis, leaves and debris accumilate in a big blob,in the inner wing I extended the pipes down on to the top of the wheel arches after i cut a hole in the top of the plastic inner wing, so now it drains on to the top of the tyres, remember to prop the passenger side wiper off the screen with a block of wood or something to allow the water to drain straight down into the drain, spray the top of the injectors with copper grease, to protect the seats.

Nice work man

Thank you so much for this video. You probably saved many of our vans. Does anyone in Europe have a brand similar to Selleys to recommend?

Hi there, I just ordered a Ducato 8 series model 2023. Do you think I'll have the same water issue? Tha k you in advance, cheers, Roger, Belgium

My Ducato with an Iveco F1AE engine is at the injection specialist right now, for this exact problem. Rusted injectors and snapped bolts that retain the injectors. You need to get those injectors out asap, and then re grease the bolts and injectors every two years.

I am about to sortout the scuttle on my Boxer motorhome as I have the same leaking, I am going to remove it thorugh (and wipers, bonnet etc...) as I have a ton of dirt behind it. I will be resealing mine back in with sikaflex ebt+

HI Thanks for this

Check the end of that drain hose above the engine. I've seen it clogged with leafs at the bottom causing the spill at the joint.

Thanks so much for highlighting this. I have a 2019 Ducato motorhome and after removing the black plastic cover which is quite easy I discovered rust forming on the injector nuts as you describe so thank you so much for the advanced warning. To protect against any further water ingress which appears impossible to stop dripping from various orifices above I have customer formed some strong Alcathene plastic to add more protect other than the supplied plastic cover. I have taken note not to allow this anywhere near anything hot. Anyway that sorted to stop future water I then proceeded to rectify the rusting nuts and associated injector coupling. WD40 is not permanent enough so I advise you use ACF50 designed to kill rust, protect and dispel moisture, and provide a future corrosion protective layer. Now ACF50 was designed for the US aircraft industry for use on aircraft carriers for moisture and corrosion protection and removal. Its sold in spray cans and plastic bottles. The spray cans block up too easy so pay the little extra and buy the bottle. Its not cheap but it will solve the problem. Then check every year clean and apply a little more with a brush. www.mandp.co.uk/products/acf-50-anti-corrosion-formula-1-litre-bottle-k-547736 To remove the plastic hood originally fixed first unclip the little pipe attached on the LHS, then pull with purpose at the rear middle, LHS and then pull sideways away from the final fixing on the RHS. Carefully remove the hood and inspect. This is just a push fit so your not going to break anything. Just watch out when removing the cover you don't knock any electrical connectors. Anyway job done and now part of my annual check. Thank you once more. Mike

Great video i was getting the same. Just wanted to ask if u had any bother with rusty bolts etc alternator cheers

Is that plastic supposed to be stuck to the windscreen? Mine is not and ive noticed water is getting under my cab floor

We have a 2022 Ducati Motorhome, its exactly the same water leaking into the engine from the scuttle. You would think fiat would screw there heads on and listen to millions of complaints. Simple fact they don’t give a sh-t

Wd40 is pretty much a solvent. It will evaporate off in a very short time and will provide very little corrosion protection. Try a light oil, like 3 in 1, if you want longer term protection.

Had the same problem with my Fiat Ducato 2008. Poor Italien design.

Hello Sir, could you do a video how to drain headlamp (half) full of water? After several days of heavy rain, left headlamp has water in it. Obviously, the solution is to get the lamp out and dry the whole thing, before glass goes beyond repair... Would be great to see a similiar, educational video on how to do this. thank you

Did you test Central drain is running freely? I've seen other videos which tested and found it was blocked so backed up to the joint and hence leaked.

If a jobs worth doing, do it right. Remove scuttle clean it up and reseal, putting onto top scuttle to me is bodging!!

My 2017 is the same

Be aware that any silicone products used on or near to the windscreen to seal will give you problems if you need a replacement screen. Windscreen repair/replacement companies will not fit a replacement screen if they suspect silicone around the seal or body of the vehicle. They will insist that you have the body resprayed to remove all traces of silicone before they fit a replacement. They do this to guarantee that their bonding products will not be compromised by silicone and in the event of an impact that the screen doesn't fall out.

Why is this issue not in recall status.

the windscreen wiper on the passenger side stops the water going down the drain

Wd40 isn't much good, it's mostly white spirit with a tiny bit of oil. I've sprayed my recessed injectors with corrosion x ...it polar bonds to the metal and is unbelievably good at freeing seized components as it creeps up the threads. I've sprayed all other areas with corroheat. Use self amalgamating tape to wrap around the union of the windscreen drain that is immediately above the engine cover. I don't get any water drips in at all now and boy has it rained lately 😢

What role does the terpentine play in this process?

stupid design! what a piece of junk! Fiat should pay for all engine replacements at their cost!

If silicone causes problems should the windscreen need to be replaced, a good black or transparent heavy-duty tape is the answer.

Acf50 over wd

Just resealed my windscreen ,not impressed fiat !!Thanx for the clip .

We have 2008 model no problems at all just lucky .

The window wiper mechanism is made of cheese

What is the problem engine no start no diesel in the injector

That product, makes rust. Spray it on a clean metal plate, leave it covered, outside, within two days, rust....

Useful, but no mention of the main scupper (the entire drain assembly).. This is extremely poor fiat design.. Check the shown main drain pipe, often comes away, replace clip with a decent jubilee clip, and check the smaller drain pipes located at each end of scupper. They are extremely poor design and often missing, enabling water to cascade onto engine and electronics below.. Owned a Ducato Mk4 Camper for 5 years, its a regular problem. Rubbish design Mr Fiat. Try harder.. 😉

My 2008 citroen relay has the same problem,it affects fiat ducato and Peugeot boxer too.if you don't attend to it and you ever need injectors replacing...you've probably got a very expensive problem.also the drain on the passenger side,drains water from scuttle and straight onto the gear box linkage below. A good dollop of grease on the linkage will protect the linkage.very poor design and the manufacture should bare some responsibility for the thousands of engines, ending up with very expensive repairs due to their incompetence..spraying wd40 will have no benefit at all,it is not designed for this use.