Chuns Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 ... probably somebody will know the answer. Certainly would seem so here! If I import a new Ducato-based X290, and change the speedo card (having bought it from Lockwood International, as seems common), will breaking the seals in doing so invalidate the Warranty? On the whole Vehicle? Or just the speedo head? With the new card at about £50, and a new speedo at around £1000, it is a £950 gamble!!! Regards to all Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I don't think that there's a court in the land that would side with Fiat if they refused to honour a warranty claim on say, a faulty engine or gearbox, just because you'd removed the speedo cover. And if it can be proved that all you've done is change the sticker on the display I think that the same would apply to the mechanical side of the speedometer. I wouldn't worry about it, people do what you're doing all the time and I've never heard of any warranty problems arising from it. And what's the chance of a faulty speedo anyway? Must be very rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Had Enough - 2015-04-29 4:34 PM I don't think that there's a court in the land that would side with Fiat if they refused to honour a warranty claim on say, a faulty engine or gearbox, just because you'd removed the speedo cover. And if it can be proved that all you've done is change the sticker on the display I think that the same would apply to the mechanical side of the speedometer. I wouldn't worry about it, people do what you're doing all the time and I've never heard of any warranty problems arising from it. And what's the chance of a faulty speedo anyway? Must be very rare. Not as rare as you think. A number of owners had this problem recently with Peugeot Boxer based Motorhomes, including a friend of mine. I also think that it has happened on Ducatos as well. maybe a member on here can confirm this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 You could just use a sat nav read out, it would be more accurate as well. You may need type approval for things like rear fog lamps and headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 No you can't, the speedo dial must be a dual dial showing MPH & KPH, and the markings must be illuminate when the lights are on to be acceptable by the VCA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 If you are that worried about it if anything goes wrong you can put the KPH dial back in, it only takes a few minutes. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Honestly........this a new one!lol your worrying about nothing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Chuns - 2015-04-29 4:28 PM ... probably somebody will know the answer. Certainly would seem so here! If I import a new Ducato-based X290, and change the speedo card (having bought it from Lockwood International, as seems common), will breaking the seals in doing so invalidate the Warranty? On the whole Vehicle? Or just the speedo head? With the new card at about £50, and a new speedo at around £1000, it is a £950 gamble!!! Regards to all Peter Have had two Fiat Ducato imports with Lockwood cards. The replacement is indistinguishable from the original when fitted, and I can see no reason why it would be taken to be anything other than a genuine replacement. Your only risk, IMO, would be if the speedo was faulty, when the fact it had been tampered with would become obvious. As suggested, keep the original card, and put it back should that happen within the two years warranty period you will get on an import. If the seals were queried (Is the X290 speedo is sealed, neither the X250 nor its predecessor ware?) who is to know who actually broke them. Personally, I think you are worrying over something so unlikely it is not worth considering. Get a copy of the warranty and read it as the X250 warranty says in terms that a component is warranted unless that component has been meddled with. It may have changed, but if it hasn't the risk is limited to the actual speedo itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuns Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Thanks, Brian, a most helpful and considered response. Of course, as has been said, I may be worrying about nothing; but wisdom is what I sought, and what I got. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I wouldn't bother as I've had a few LHD vans with KPH dials and never had a problem. It's not part of the MOT either. How many European immigrants here have LHD cars with KPH readouts, thousands I bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 peter - 2015-04-29 10:05 PM I wouldn't bother as I've had a few LHD vans with KPH dials and never had a problem. It's not part of the MOT either. How many European immigrants here have LHD cars with KPH readouts, thousands I bet. You can not register a vehicle with a KMH speedo it is not acceptable to the VCA and you need a certificate from the VCA before you can register a vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-04-29 10:15 PM You can not register a vehicle with a KMH speedo it is not acceptable to the VCA and you need a certificate from the VCA before you can register a vehicle. My 'van is, as you know, a LHD import. It still has the original speedo, which is in kph. What I'm not sure about, as it's in my warehouse twenty miles away, is whether the dial reads mph as well in smaller numbers around the dial, but the large main readout on the dial is definitely in kph. My 'van got type approval and was registered without any problem. However, in the centre, between the speedo and rev counter there's an lcd display which also displays the speed and I can set that to either kph or mph. It appears that setting this to mph is enough to get type approval and register it, even though the main speedo reading is still kph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuns Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 Now that is an interesting thought! I'll have to find out if that is the case in mine. Many thanks. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 I imported my 2006 MH new from Germany and the speedo dial was changed, headlights adjusted. I suffered a catastrophic gearbox failure within a few weeks. Fiat replaced the gearbox under warranty without a hint of complaint. They had to bring one in specially from Italy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Chuns - 2015-04-30 8:07 AM Now that is an interesting thought! I'll have to find out if that is the case in mine. Many thanks. P No, its unlikely, as German vans have KPH speedo's only. Hence the requirement to change by VCA. If van bought from an importing dealer, odd ones occasionally get through without checks. but i would check your compliance with "UK construction & use regs" 8-) TIP: when van arrives at German dealer, get them to take photo of speedo with lights on, send this to Lockwood. reason being: there are many different speedo's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Had Enough - 2015-04-29 10:39 PM lennyhb - 2015-04-29 10:15 PM You can not register a vehicle with a KMH speedo it is not acceptable to the VCA and you need a certificate from the VCA before you can register a vehicle. My 'van is, as you know, a LHD import. It still has the original speedo, which is in kph. What I'm not sure about, as it's in my warehouse twenty miles away, is whether the dial reads mph as well in smaller numbers around the dial, but the large main readout on the dial is definitely in kph. My 'van got type approval and was registered without any problem. However, in the centre, between the speedo and rev counter there's an lcd display which also displays the speed and I can set that to either kph or mph. It appears that setting this to mph is enough to get type approval and register it, even though the main speedo reading is still kph. The speedometer-related requirements for an imported motorhome are as follows: "That a speedometer has been fitted which is capable of indicating speed in both miles per hour and kilometres per hour, either simultaneously, or by operation of a switch. Note: We can not accept secondary devices, hand written changes or multiple stickers applied to the speedometer. We can only accept the changes detailed below. The speedometer must be marked up to the maximum speed of the vehicle, with graduations at 1, 2, 5, or 10mph, and with values at intervals not exceeding 20mph. For this change we can accept the following options. a) That the factory fitted speedometer is dual marked as standard b) The existing (digital) speedometer is, permanently, re-programmed, through a standard feature of the vehicle, to display the vehicle speed in mph c) A miles per hour speedometer is fitted in-place of the factory fitted unit d) A professional, single, miles per hour, overlay is applied directly to the speedometer face plate, not the glass front plate (the overlay must be durable and accurate, with markings visible in both day and night driving conditions). e) A dual marked dial / facia has been added as a replacement to the factory fitted one." As your MERCEDES SPRINTER-based motorhome has a digital speed-readout that can be switched between mph and km/h it will meet the Vehicle Certification Agency’s requirements even if the motorhome’s big conventional ‘clock face’ speedometer dial only carries a km/h scale. The standard for EU speedometers includes the requirement that they MUST be able to display speed in km/h. There is a concession that a speedometer may also show the speed in mph, but it’s the km/h capability that takes priority. It’s rare to see a dial-type speedo with a km/h 'outer scale' plus an mph ‘inner scale’ and (at least for modern EU-marketed vehicles) you won’t find a dial-type speedo with an mph-only scale. The norm for dial-type speedos is a km/h-only scale or (for UK-marketed vehicles) an mph 'outer scale' with a km/h ‘inner scale’. (Incidentally, swapping a Ducato X290’s km/h-only speedometer ‘card’ for a dual mph+km/h one involves the same process as used for the preceding X250 models. As the procedure is straightforward and no ’seals’ are broken, the chances of the vehicle’s warranty being affected negatively can safely be ignored.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Derek Uzzell - 2015-04-30 8:49 AM As your MERCEDES SPRINTER-based motorhome has a digital speed-readout that can be switched between mph and km/h it will meet the Vehicle Certification Agency’s requirements even if the motorhome’s big conventional ‘clock face’ speedometer dial only carries a km/h scale. It would appear so. I've just been up to my office and checked the speedo whilst I was there. The main dial only reads in kph but, as I said, I have the digital read-out, which is currently set to mph, although when in Europe I can switch it to kph if I wish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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