Fiat ducato x290 speedo meter reading.

[monique.hubrechtsgm]

Was this daylight reading problem solved by FCA in the UK?

[Derek Uzzell]

Depends what you mean by “solved”.

 

In an August 2017 forum discussion I said

 

"Difficulties with X290 speedometer visibility have also been discussed (at great length) in UK motorhome magazines and forums. These are a couple of O&AL examples

 

http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/fiat-dashboard-lighting-/45838/

 

http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/old-thread-dashboards/46477/

 

A software revision that causes the instrument-cluster’s illumination to come on with the ignition can be applied, BUT ONLY TO X290 FIAT DUCATOS. The software revision is ‘on demand’ and (at least in the UK) free-of-charge. I think Euro 6 Ducatos have the revised software as standard.”

 

It should be a simple matter to include the instrument-lighting revision within the standard ECU software so that the revision is installed when Euro 6 X290s are being built, but I don’t know if that’s the case. As it seems to be UK motorcaravanners who primarily complain about the daylight visibility issue, the revision might only be factory-installed on RHD X290s, as instrument readability is particularly difficult on RHD X290s that have the UK’s mph/kmh speedometer markings. I expect there are forum members who own motorhomes based on a Ducato Euro 6 and who will be able to say whether or not their vehicle’s instruments are illuminated whenever the ignition is switched on.

[colin]

I know that a Citroen supplied throu WildAx in September 2016 has always on instrument lighting.

[pagey]

hi i have a march 2017 x290 and my dash lights come on with the ignition

[Derek Uzzell]

monique.hubrechts@gm - 2017-12-15 3:48 PM

 

Was this daylight reading problem solved by FCA in the UK?

 

Monique

 

It appears from the last two postings that the instrument-cluster of ‘X290’ vehicles marketed in the UK (Citroen Relay/Fiat Ducato/Peugeot Boxer, and presumably RHD Euro 6 versions) is now illuminated automatically whenever the vehicle’s ignition-switch is turned on.

 

As you asked about the speedometer-lighting situation in the UK specifically, does that mean that the instrument-cluster lighting of left-hand-drive Euro 6 ‘X290’ vehicles marketed in Continental Europe DOES NOT automatically illuminate whenever the igntion-switch is turned on?

[Gerry McG]

My RHD 150hp Euro 6 x290 Ducato PVC ( built by Fiat in Oct 16) dash lights are permanently on

[MikeJJ]

If I remember the discussions correctly with Fiat at the time, they maintained that part of the problem resulted from the option to have the chrome rings to make the instrument cluster look nicer. These created tunnels and masked some of the numerals. Instrument clusters without the chrome rings were more easily seen in poor light.

 

Certainly my Euro6 chassis, which was RHD, even though the body was built by Pilote in France had the permanently-on instrument lighting with the chrome rings (an extra-cost option).

 

Could it be that most RHD chassis also had these rings fitted whereas many continental LHD chassis didn't?

 

I never bottomed-out what happened on Peugeot chassis of the same generation.

[Derek Uzzell]

My understanding is that the instrument-lighting software revision offered by Fiat for Ducato X290s was not offered for Citroen Relay or Peugeot Boxer equivalents. Nowadays (so it would appear) all Euro 6 X290s, whether they be badged Citroen, Peugeot or Fiat, have their instrument-cluster automatically illuminated whenever the vehicle’s ignition switch is in the ON position.

 

In my posting of 15 May 2017 8:27 AM in this earlier discussion

 

http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/fiat-dashboard-lighting-/45838/31/

 

I said

 

"I was told by a Fiat Professional agent that the readability problem became much more acute when the X290 cluster was fitted with the optional blingy chromed trim...and it was this factor that ‘encouraged’ Fiat to develop the software revision.”

 

but I don’t know if that was true.

 

It’s certainly the case that the option that involves chrome-trimmed ‘cowls’ being over the speedometer and tachometer won’t help low-light visibility of those instruments, but I’ve no idea if more RHD X290s than LHD ones had the ‘cowl’ option. in any case, whether or not the speedometer and tachometer have cowls over them, speedometer visibility will be worse on RHD versions than on LHD ones.

 

(As will be appreciated from the attached photo, the cowls are an integral part of the instrument-cluster’s main plastic moulding, so removing the chromed trim does not remove the cowl.)

[monique.hubrechtsgm]

Derek i have to check this whit my fellow drivers in our agility club. I drive x290 - 2015, ECapproval x250 fiat. But my partner !.9 mtrs long does not see it under its umbrellar. The fiat myDucato site which is ZFA related instead of euro 5-6 does not enter this subject. The fiat prof dealers can tell you this. I run whit a gps speedo signal which all the time says you are running to fast unless the voice is off.

[Derek Uzzell]

As far as I’m aware no 'Euro 5+’ Ducato had it’s instrument-cluster automatically illuminate when the vehicle’s ignition was switched on, and the only way for this to happen was for an owner to request that a Fiat Professional agent apply a revision to the vehicle’s software.

 

I’ve no idea if Fiat made this ‘solution’ available outside the UK, but I don’t recall it being mentioned on non-UK motorhome forums or in non-UK motorhome magazines. Presumably the software revision would work on LHD Ducatos as well as RHD ones but, as I have no interest in having the revision carried out on my 2015 LHD Ducato, I can’t say for sure if that’s so.

 

If your (tall) partner cannot see the instruments because the ‘shroud’ above them is in his sight-line, just having the speedometer with its red night-time illumination on at all times seems unlikely to help.