Fiat Doblo '17 Petrol Engine Running Too Rich: Seeking Advice and Shared Experiences

Hey there! Not too long ago, my '15 Fiat Panda was showing pretty much the same symptoms you've just described - the thing was guzzling fuel like a beast, exhaust didn't smell right, and acceleration was all herky-jerky. Same as your Doblo, my check engine light was glowing like a Christmas tree, and every cold start was an epic saga! Turned out to be a defective fuel pressure regulator. Did a fair amount of harm to my engine overall. Mechanic explained that it was causing fuel pressure to go off the charts and feeding too much fuel to the engine (hence the smell, the smoke, the horrid fuel consumption). It's a serious issue, no two ways about that. Can't say it enough - get it checked ASAP before it does more damage. The fix involved replacing the faulty regulator, checking the fuel rail, and giving the injectors a once-over to make sure they hadn't copped any damage. I was fortunate, no damage to the injectors, but we ended up cleaning them up a bit while we were at it. Long story short, it's a pain, yes, but it's definitely fixable. Good luck with your Doblo keep us posted! Cheers!

Hey, thanks a million for taking the time to write such a detailed reply. Sounds like a mirror image of what's happening with my Doblo. I reckon it might be the same issue with the fuel pressure regulator. I guess I understand now why it feels like my little devil's devouring fuel like a starved monster. Just out of curiosity, do you recall how much you ended up coughing up to fix this mess? Also, has anything related to this cropped up again since you got it sorted out? It would be a great help to know what kind of bill I'm potentially looking at. Cheers for the heads up though, I'll book it in with a mechanic pronto. I'll keep you fellas updated on how it goes. Cheers!

Hey again, No worries, happy to share my saga if it helps you out a bit. As for the cost, the bill came to 250€ for me. It was mainly the defective fuel pressure regulator that had to be replaced and that chunked most of the cost. And the good news? Since I got that sorted out, the mixture problem's been fixed, no more rich running. It's been running smooth as silk since then, no recurrence of any of the old issues. Car's back to its old self, no more thick black smoke or smelly exhaust, and the fuel economy's much better! Definitely worth getting it looked into ASAP. It's a costly fix, but considering the damage it could do if it goes unchecked, I reckon it's money well spent. Already looking forward to hearing how your Doblo's story unfolds. Keep us in the loop! Cheers!

Hey. Good on ya for being such a sport and sharing your experience, really helped put things in perspective. The cost sure had me wincing a bit but if it gets my Doblo back to its old self, it's a price I'm prepared to pay. I'm relieved to hear the problem hasn't returned for you; fingers crossed it's the same case with mine. Your advice has given me a solid base to go off when I see the mechanic. Always better to walk in aware, isn’t it? I'll definitely let you all know how it goes. Thanks again for your help! Cheers!