Lancia Ypsilon
Factory LPG variant of the FIRE 1.4 8V. Bivalent operation on petrol and LPG. Watch valve seat wear in pure LPG operation; regular gas system check important.
Economical and stylish
LPG barely dents the already modest power — a cheap commute with style.
Engine Weaknesses 3
Running exclusively on LPG removes the protective soot layer from the valve seats. Exhaust valves hammer harder against the seat, leading to compression loss and power drop. Fitting gas-hardened valve seat inserts solves this permanently.
Symptoms: Gradual power loss, compression values dropping on one or more cylinders, higher gas consumption.
Clutch disc and pressure plate wear prematurely on the 350A1000 due to the low engine torque in the lower rev range. Frequent city driving significantly worsens the problem.
Symptoms: Clutch slipping on take-off, no clean engagement, scraping when depressing the clutch pedal
The LPG injectors show signs of wear from 80,000–100,000 km. Gas seals and solenoid valves in the gas system become leaky over time and need inspection.
Symptoms: Poorer throttle response on LPG, rough running on gas, higher gas consumption
Vehicle Weaknesses 9
EPS control unit or electric motor faulty — steering becomes extremely heavy. Frequently from 80,000 km. Replacement of the steering module costs 600–1,200 €.
Brake lines rust preferentially at the plastic retaining clips on the underbody. On older vehicles the entire brake system including wheel cylinders must be checked for corrosion.
Door lock actuators fail individually — door can no longer be locked/unlocked by remote or interior button. Driver's door most commonly affected.
Plastic window regulator guide breaks — window drops into the door or jams. Typical Fiat/Lancia defect on the range.
The front control arm rubber bushings wear prematurely and become sloppy. Anti-roll bar bushings also tend to crack. Typical knocking when going over bumps.
Shock absorbers tend to develop leaks from around 100,000 km. Vehicles at MOT are frequently flagged for worn dampers. Aftermarket parts are available.
From around 8 years of age, the sump tends to rust through. The subframe and exhaust manifold are also corrosion-prone. Lack of cavity sealing promotes salt damage.
Blower resistor burns out — fan only runs on the highest setting or not at all. A cheap wear part, but frequently affected on this model.
The plastic headlight lenses yellow heavily due to UV exposure. This impairs light output and leads to MOT failures.
