Hello sir. First and foremost, thank you for all the car knowledge you have shared throughout the years ❤️ My wife and I appreciate it.
I purchased a new 2022 Ram Promaster City (automatic) with 3 miles on it about a month ago for my locksmith business... Apparently these small engine work vans have been discontinued in the USA. Anyways, due to my profession I drive about 4-5k miles a month. I wanted your advise on how I can maximize the life expectancy of this vehicle specially since I don't trust Ram/Fiat engineering.
My plan is to do a transmission filter and fluid change every 60k miles. Full synthetic oil change and filter every 5k miles. Small bottle of gas treatment every oil change. Since this is a new vehicle I'm not sure when I should start doing an engine flush and how often... I've never owned a new car lol So all I known is old already beat up cars that need all sorts of love... What else do you recommend I can start preparing for now to make this new engine and transmission last as long as possible? Any information would be extremely helpful and appreciated 😀
Ram Promaster City
Ah yes, the Fiat Doblò.
Apparently these small engine work vans have been discontinued in the USA
They have been discontinued not only in the USA, but world-wide.
Their replacement, the third generation Doblò, is the French-Japanese Citroen/Toyota Jumpy/ProAce City (with an engine developed by Ford of Britain and a Toyota transmission) but it probably will not be marketed on non-europeans markets.
The main issue with the 2nd generation Doblò, the "Ram Promaster City", is that they're a complete scam.
I remember someone on the form asking when they considered buying one for over $30k! this is a $11,000 car (starting at $16k Australian also I herd they go on sale for under 10k pounds: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/fiat/doblo and that's with rear windows and seats, not the barebones US market ones) and even there, it struggled to compete with the other European vans.
I don't trust Ram/Fiat engineering
Nothing about this is a RAM, it was designed by FIAT before the merger with Chrysler.
The engine here is the "Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance 2.4 MultiAir", which has been used in some Chryslers but the block and head designed by Hyundai and a VVT+VVL system designed by Fiat - these engines have a well deserved reputation for premature failures and lack of refinement.
The transmission here is the same troublesome unit as in some larger Hondas and Fiats, the ZF 9HP - these have a fetal design flaw, it uses hydraulic pressure to keep gears disengaged, but when the transmission wears, eventually, the pressure drops so much it can actually engage the dog clutch when it's not supposed to and week the transmission.
Just a uniquely bad design from Fiat.
4-5k miles a month (...) how I can maximize the life expectancy of this vehicle
well, you're going to need very frequent oil chances, especially if you're driving that much in urban environments.
If you don't change the oil frequently enough and it gets dirty, eventually the MultiAir will get clogged and that's not a cheap repair (if anyone in the US will even want to undertake it, since it's an Italian designed nightmare.)
Mostly I see complaints about oil burn, so keep an eye out for that too.
And another thing you should do is VERY frequent transmission oil changes (as far as I remember the filter is replaceable too) - at most 30,000 miles, these are just pure piles of junk.
They will try to tell you that "the transmission is sealed" but actually it's pretty friendly to replace the oil in.
you can find a lot more about the ZF 9HP or as FIAT-Chrysler call these 948TE
Small bottle of gas treatment every oil change. Since this is a new vehicle I'm not sure when I should start doing an engine flush and how often
Would not do any of these - just replace the oil frequently enough, and I definitely would not use "gas treatment".
What else do you recommend
learning the shift patterns and adapt your driving style to them - try to shift as less as possible and keep the engine at low RPM. Sell at first signs of issues (jerky shifts, oil consumption, engine noises) - Definitely sell before 150k miles.
I don't trust Ram/Fiat engineering
If that occured after the purchase, I suggest you start saving for something more reliable.
