lennyhb Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Sorry for starting another thread on this, hoping Nick (euroserv) will see it, don't want to bother him with a PM unless I get desperate. I have the usal problem with dim warning lights, Fiat have rejected my claim. I think the mistake I made was taking the van to a local Fiat Commercial dealer who have only recently been appointed and mine was the first motorhome they had seen. They took photo's of the instrument cluster and forwarded them to Fiat who said the instrument cluster had been tampered with so they would not replace it under warrenty. I raised a case with customer services they came back to me and said they would not go against their warranty department descision. Well of course the instument panel has been tampered with you can't register a LHD vehicle without changing the speedo dial and plenty of other vans have been in the same situation and they have changed the cluster without question, my mate had his done a few weeks ago. Changing the speedo dial can no way effect the workings of the electronics which are at fault and we all know it is a very common fault. Now wondering what the best course of action is, hoping for a bit of advice from Nick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Hi Lenny. Hope Nick soon sees your post and can advise a possible way forward out of your current dilemma. When you say the instrument cluster has been tampered with, assume you mean a MPH overlay has been added to comply with UK requiments? If this is the case, this wouldn't affect the electronics at the back of the cluster, as you rightly say. I assume the problem with the panel lights didn't occur just after installing the overlay but some appreciable time afterwards. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Yes they were fine for 18 months only started playing up a couple of months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Yes they were fine for 18 months only started playing up a couple of months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Hi Lenny, This is a preposterous situation to find yourself in. In cases like these, you have to treat stupid with stupid, so this is how i would proceed. 1. Since Fiat are saying the the warranty has been invalidated by 'tampering' with the cluster.... Who carried out this modification? If it was not you, I would speak to whoever did it and explain what has happened and ask them to write a short letter explaining what they did and why; thereby making clear that they do this all the time and that it can in no way affect the operation of the device. 2.. Look through as many of the threads concerning the 'phantom lights' on this forum and any other and print it all out. Then highlight each individual case and the outcome. 3. Send all of your 'evidence' to the manager of the customer relations team at Slough with a covering letter explaining what you are doing and why. Other than that; I can't see much chance of success unless you hold whoever did the modifications accountable. Fiat need to have the stupidity of their argument spelled out for them. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Thanks for your help nick much appreciated. The dial was origanly change by the dealer but he fitted the wrong dial, so I subsequently had to change it. As you say no way it can effect the electronics, big mistake was taking to that partictular dealer. My mate took his to a different Fiat dealer they just looked at the dial and ordered a new cluster. Unfortunatly not much point in taking it to another dealer as it will be on the Fiat data base. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 Update. Fiat would budge, found several companies that do repairs I finally got around to having it done last Friday. Used Cartronix at Waterlooville, £125 +VAT (£150) lifetime warranty (providing they are still in business). They repair 4-5 a month for motorhome dealers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 Did they swap out the cluster or repair your one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 The instrument-cluster on my 2015 X290 Ducato-based Rapido motorhome developed the characteristic dim and spurious warning lights fault. This was demonstrated to the Fiat Professional agency at Imperial Commercials, Gloucester and a replacement cluster was ordered under warranty. When I was contacted and told that the new cluster was ready to be installed, I asked if this had a kmh-only speedometer dial (my Rapido is LHD). This was indeed so. I had already removed the faulty cluster to see how easy that task was and had confirmed that the mph/kmh speedometer dial on it was not the original Fiat version. I knew that the Rapido’s speedometer dial had been modified (presumably using a Lockwood conversion) prior to the motorhome being UK registered and I had been given the original kmh-only dial. I put the latter back on the faulty cluster just in case Fiat might quibble over there being a mismatch between original and replacement. The replacement cluster was fitted with its kmh-only speedometer dial in situ and a note appended to the work sheet that I had specified this. (Yes, I know there’s a legal requirement for a UK-registered vehicle to have a ‘dual scale’ speedometer, but I don’t care!) I have the mph/kmh dial and it’s a fairly simple job to fit it, but as most of my motorcaravanning is outside the UK I prefer a kmh-only dial. (Not that I look at it much as I use the sat-nav’s digital speed readout instead.) I asked if faulty instrument-clusters were returned to Fiat for inspection/repair and was advised that this normally was not the case. Regarding the software fix to backlight the cluster to improve its readability in poor daylight conditions, I was told that, although the problem had been present to some extent on X250 Ducatos, it was much worse on X290s fitted with the optional chromed ‘trims’ over the speedometer and rev-counter and this had provoked Fiat into doing something about it. I’ve chosen not to have the software modification made. Instead I’ve ‘front-lit’ the cluster via a strip of directional LEDs stuck beneath the ‘eyebrow’ above the instruments. The LEDs are powered from an ignition-switched supply with a separate switch to turn them off at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 colin - 2016-07-18 11:04 AM Did they swap out the cluster or repair your one? Repaired my unit. You can only get a replacement unit from Fiat about 900 quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambo63 Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 My Peugeot 2015 on 3rd replacement cluster in six months.for warning lights dim when cruise control on. Was told by Peugeot it was down to condensation on printed circuit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 lennyhb - 2016-07-18 6:55 PM colin - 2016-07-18 11:04 AM Did they swap out the cluster or repair your one? Repaired my unit. You can only get a replacement unit from Fiat about 900 quid. I've always been of the opinion that it was dry joints on the pcb, although it does seem odd they haven't fixed the problem. With the number of replacements which have also failed probably best to get it repaired. But saying that mine has been like it for years and I haven't bothered getting it fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 rambo63 - 2016-07-18 7:21 PM My Peugeot 2015 on 3rd replacement cluster in six months.for warning lights dim when cruise control on. Was told by Peugeot it was down to condensation on printed circuit Received wisdom is that the Ducato-related problem is also due to condensation (and hence the reason why motorhomes are particularly affected as they tend be little used during the winter). I understand that - like you with your Peugeot - some Ducato owners have had several successive instrument-cluster replacements. Replacement clusters now being fitted apparently have a different Fiat part number and, hopefully, are immune to the fault. I’ve also been told that some Ducato owners have experienced MOT-test difficulties when the tester considers that the dimly glowing or spurious warning lights constitute a safety defect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 19, 2016 Author Share Posted July 19, 2016 colin - 2016-07-18 9:09 PM I've always been of the opinion that it was dry joints on the pcb, although it does seem odd they haven't fixed the problem. With the number of replacements which have also failed probably best to get it repaired. But saying that mine has been like it for years and I haven't bothered getting it fixed. Now you tell me, if that's all it was I would have sorted it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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