candapack Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 Away in van, switched off hab lights to go to bed, saw a red light on the dash. It was the Unstable Load warning light. Van had been parked up with key out for about 6 hours. The light had gone out next morning. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 I understand that your Hobby “Siesta” is a 2014-registered vehicle. I’ve looked at a Fiat Ducato Owner Handbook that I would expect to apply to your Hobby, but I couldn’t find anything in it relating to an “Unstable Load” warning light. (in fact, when I GOOGLE-ed generally on “unstable load warning light” I got no relevant results.) I notice that, in January 2020, you asked about a ‘padlock symbol’ warning light illuminating when cruise-control was selected. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Engine-Immobilizer-light-on-dash/54266/ but I don’t know if you subsequently resolved that issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Couldn't possibly be the "doors locked" indication light could it? Just below the fan speed selection switch, on the internal central locking button. It illuminates for a while after the doors are locked. It is not especially bright, so wouldn't be very noticeable with interior lights on, but easily enough seen with them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted April 30, 2021 Author Share Posted April 30, 2021 Hello Derek and Brian, thanks for replying. Firstly, I don't know where my brain came up with the "Unstable Load" description, it is in fact the Self-Levelling Suspension Failure light. In my defence, it was late at night when I saw the light and referred to the manual, then went to bed. No drink had been taken. That was a couple of days ago and I didn't refer back to the manual before posting. Just seems odd that any dash light comes on when ignition has been off for some time. Secondly, the previous issue re cruise control has not been resolved. It's intermittent, mostly when the headlights are on, and doesn't seem to be causing any problems so I'm just living with it. Anyway, any thoughts welcome and thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Here's a link that might help, https://www.fiatforum.com/ducato/347092-self-levelling-suspension-warning-light.html It appears it's a known Fiat fault and appears to require a cluster replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 ..it all, including the link to the previously reported problems (posted by Derek): https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Engine-Immobilizer-light-on-dash/54266/ ...points quite strongly to the widespread cluster problem, well known by Fiat. My advice in that above link still applies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted April 30, 2021 Author Share Posted April 30, 2021 So, is a cluster replacement a big (i.e. expensive) job? And are these wee niggles indicative of something potentially more serious, or can they be ignored? The van is 7 years old, starts, stops and takes me where I want to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 If you do a Google search they seem to range from between £370 - £470 but there's a company advertising repair of instrument clusters, www.cartronix.co.uk. Don't know anything about them so not a recommendation but might be worth a call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddy Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 A Fiat fix would be very expensive but the company www.cartronics.co.uk repair them for £150.00 with a lifetime warranty. If you check their website the problem is explained about this common fault, or you could phone and talk to them about it. You send them your display and they repair and send it back very quickly. Many people have used them to sort out this problem on their Motorhomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 candapack - 2021-04-30 8:50 PM So, is a cluster replacement a big (i.e. expensive) job? And are these wee niggles indicative of something potentially more serious, or can they be ignored? The van is 7 years old, starts, stops and takes me where I want to go. The parts (largely) and labour cost via a Fiat dealer will be expensive, unless you can get them to pay for all or part of it since it is a well known fault. Removal and replacement is not an onerous or difficult job, and Cartronix at £150 is an avenue you could explore (though, in reality, as a known problem pressure on Fiat to fix the issue would be intrinsically better). https://cartronix.co.uk/product/fiat-ducato-mk3-van-and-motor-home-instrument-cluster-dash-repair/ The main issue about ignoring it is what point does it fail an MOT test, due to spurious warning lights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DickB Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Once you start getting lights glowing when the ignition is off, the instrument cluster is on its way out; definitely a MOT failure. I removed and took my cluster to Cartronix (luckily only 7 miles) and it was repaired in 24 hours. Apparently the cause is the use of sub standard components by the supplier to Fiat, possibly accentuated by damp. Cartronix replaces components and give a lifetime warranty. According to Cartronix the same problem occurs on other makes which use the same supplier of the dashboard cluster; some Ford's and others I can't remember. The original fault was seen by the Fiat main dealer doing a service, and there was no suggestion that Fiat would consider this a warranty situation on my 2013 model, even though it is a well known problem, so my guess is that the situation would be the same for a 2014 model. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 Thanks everyone. Sounds like I better do something about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 This early-2019 forum discussion may also be worth reading. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/MOT-failed-due-to-dash-error-lights-partially-showing-/51415/ Potential MOT-test failure was commented on (it really depends on which warning lights are spuriously illuminating) but - if some lights are illuminating incorrectly and the vehicle itself is unaffected - the driver may assume that, if a warning light does illuminate correctly, that is also just a false alarm. Even though Chris’s Hobby is 2014-registered (and probably a Ducato ‘X250’ model) it might still be worth exploring a free-of-charge cluster reolacement with Fiat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Get in touch with Fiat directly, I recently replaced my Airbag controller only to find after, via this forum, that it was a known problem and Fiat were supplying replacements free and even my dealers weren't aware of this so try Fiat first, can't hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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