2017 Fiat 500 JUNKED Over THIS!? 1.4 Multi-Air Engine Failure Could've Been Avoided WITH MAINTENANCE

I couldn't count how many multiair cars we have had towed in to our shop that quit running.... put some oil in em, crank em a bit... boom running and driving again. Best thing I can say for that design, it protects the engine from lack of oil, becuase it won't run without it😅

For a cheap engine, I was impressed by how, minus the hose, well it looked, and no Funny parts! Not Fiat fan, but still impressed.

Next week is a 5HP Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine. Can't wait!

This channel should have easily over a million subscribers

I loved the line " I hope whoever designed this gets gout ..twice " 😅👍

Oh hell yeah! Thank you for listening! Keep looking for the 1.4T version!

So....The way this engine works, the intake cam pushes on a lifter, but the amount of lift is determined by the oil pressure. No oil pressure is no lift, which means there is air flow. Thus there is no need for a throttle plate on this engine. Very clever! This system reduces pumping losses, but it cannot be more than 1-2% more efficient for all this extra complication over a true DOHC system.

Your videos are always on point, keep it going

Only the Italians would figure that complex “multi-air” doohickey would somehow be a better idea than a camshaft…

That built in bracket on the intake manifold to the valve cover is 90% of the reason I hated working on European cars. They are full of crap like that. It's so common that it feels intentional. I remember when the multi air engines were announced and they said that the intake valves would be hydroelectrically activated, I thought it was a freaking cool idea...that was never going to work in a mass-produced car, let alone a cheap appliance like these engines are all installed in. No freaking way that something that obviously delicate would ever last in a cheap toaster of a car.

These are shockingly very reliable engines if you just change the oil every 5-6k miles, do plugs at recommended intervals, and do the timing belt services.

THANK YOU ERIC! I have two cars with the turbo version of this engine, asked for a teardown if possible, and you came through! I just changed the spark plugs in both of our cars not long ago, pretty sure the turbo version has the 30K mile change interval while that base model engine has a 100K interval. Not expensive to change them but you need a thin-walled spark plug socket. FWIW old plugs looked fine, gap was pretty much near spec but changed them anyway. NGK/FIAT designed a plug specifically for the MultiAir engines but Denso, Bosch, and possibly a few others have developed compatible plugs since then. Before anybody badmouths FIAT for this design, the wife legit hits 50mpg in straight highway driving with her turbo 500 and she definitely does NOT hypermile her car. Great little engines...IF you take care of them properly.

The timing belt has a service interval of 150k, although it’s a good idea to do it before that mileage. The plugs are OEM copper core, so they require replace every 30k. Almost all major work requires a tear down of the front end of the car to do (the engine compartment is extremely tight). I was surprised you didn’t notice the harmonica balancer is wider than the block. The Fiat 500 is a small light weight car with a very short wheelbase and an extremely tight turning radius. They were an econobox, but not like average one (4 wheel disk brakes were standard along with sway bars and good tires). The engine was designed by a Ferrari engine designer a long time ago and uses forged rods and crank and will easily travel all day at 90 mph. I had one of the very first ones built for 6 years and had a ball with it and still miss it.

Thank you eric for granting us our wish for a multiair engine. Here's a liitle more info on the multiair engines: 1. Co-developed with the germans (schaeffer group) 2. Used in some ingenium engines from Jaguar-Land Rover 3. Servicing and oil changes must be frequent but most of all: ALWAYS USE THE OIL PRESCRIBED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I've seen a person come up to me and say that his engine failed because he put some cheapo oil in it. 4. Originally i think they used 5w-40 but later switched to 0w-30 oil (at least for the 900c two cylinder versions) 5. The 2-cylinder version (twinair) comes with tiny water pump with a metallic impeller. Not bad for such a small engine. BUT, the pump is hidden behind the timing belt. Good luck changing it. Overall they're great little engines, torquey on the turbo versions (if you're on boost...) and reliability improved significantly after 2015 AFAIK. But you need a VERY LIGHT foot to get the advertised fuel economy. Otherwise it fucking drinks fuel like it was thirsty in the desert. Looking forward for more content from Italian cars!

Dude, you're gonna turn into a Snack pack one day. Lol ! 😆

The commitment to the water pump bit gets me every single time.😂

As a retired mechanic, I always enjoy watching your engine autopsies.

my girlfriend has a 5spd abarth and she loves that lil thang 😂😂

it wouldn't have been an oil related failure because if there is not enough oil in it the multi air system goes first and throws an engine failure before the engine even have a chance of killing itself.

Re: the intake bracket bolt... Remember, zero auto makers make anything to actually repair, they're made to ship out the door and last as long as the warranty, and that's it. They care not if someone later has to do maintenance beyond oil changes and such. Annoying they don't think of that, but there it is.