Latest Fiat Ducato silver dashboard vent covers - where to get black replacements

[Matrix Meanderer]

Driving our new 18 plate Fiat Ducato Adria motorhome for only a few miles before I became aware of the reflected images of the four silver dashboard vent covers on the windscreen.

 

Not sure if this is an Adria addition or standard in all new Ducatos.

 

Either way its poor design 8-) They may look flashy but the reflection of both drivers side vent covers is right at eye level. The previous Ducato version had matt black vent covers.

 

I did think about taking them off and spray painting them which would be a cheaper option but prefer replacement covers. Drawing the Remis blind is a bit too drastic :-D

 

So can anyone recommend a supplier to replace these vent covers with matt black covers?

Or any other way of getting rid of these annoying windscreen reflections?

[Deneb]

The silver vents are part of the Techno or Technico dashboard pack. The basic dashboard still has black vents, so you could presumably order them from Fiat, but I hate to think at what cost.

 

Strangely, I have not been bothered by them at all. I only notice the reflections in the footage from my dashcam, not whilst driving.

[Matrix Meanderer]

Thanks. I had similar problems on a Mercedes a few years ago which I cured by applying black tape over the offending parts. Maybe try that again!

[Keithl]

Matrix Meanderer - 2018-03-27 6:58 PM

 

Thanks. I had similar problems on a Mercedes a few years ago which I cured by applying black tape over the offending parts. Maybe try that again!

 

Exactly what I was going to suggest!

 

Try using matt black insulating tape, it's very stretchy and should mould round the trim quite easily and won't mark if you pull it off later.

 

Keith.

[Derek Uzzell]

If there’s a firm nearby that carries out vehicle ‘wrapping’, they might have an off-cut of black non-reflective material.

 

Or perhaps some carbon-fibre film for that boy-racer look?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluelans%C2%AE-Carbon-Fiber-Black-Sticker/dp/B011BM8AVQ/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_201_lp_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T2V0F3V8FVCWXT3898A8

[flicka]

There are lots of supplies of self adhisive wood effect dash trims online. However they quote for 2006 onward (i.e The X250 model year)

Maybe a phone enquiry would identify if they are also suitable for the X290 models.

[Millcourt]

I had same really annoying reflection problem. Our base vehicle is a Peugeot Boxer (2015), which comes out of the same Italian factory as the Fiat Ducato. I expect the silver covers on the vents are the same. I found the silver covers were fairly easy to just ease off the black plastic vents. They are attached with small strips of double-sided adhesive thin sponge. When removed it revealed the matt black vents, which are presume may be standard on commercial van variants of the base vehilcle and that the addition of the silver plastic stick-ons is just to give the impression of a more "car-like" styling.

 

If removed carefully, they will be undamaged and could be replaced if needed when (say) you sell the vehicle. Pictures of the front and back of one of the silver stick-on plastic covers are attached.

 

Edit....... there does not appear to be any means of attaching pictures to postings on this Forum!!!!!

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

To attach a picture you first of all need to compose the text of your posting, then tick the “Attach a file after posting” box at the bottom of the posting window and click on the SUBMIT button.

 

When the “Attach a file” screen appears choose the file that contains the picture you wish to attach. (Note the warning that the maximum file size is 100KB.)

 

If you want the file to be visible on your posting, the file’s extension needs to be .jpg (for example vent-cover.jpg)

 

If the file has a different extension (for example .jpeg) as long as its size does not exceed 100KB it should attach OK, but the file-reference on the posting will need to be clicked on to see it.

 

When the “Upload successful” message appears, click on the Submit button in the “Attach a file” box.

 

The software driving this forum is about 13 years old and it is showing its age nowadays. If you find that that, after clicking on the Submit button in the “Attach a file” box, there is a lengthy delay and a "Microsoft SQL Server Native Client 10.0 error..” error message occurs, page back and click again on the Submit button in the “Attach a file” box.

 

(I’ve attached a file with a .jpg extension and the same file with a .jpeg extension so that you’ll see the difference.)

[Matrix Meanderer]

Thanks all for the suggestions.

 

Since posting I've bought a roll of matt black stage tape which is cloth based but peels off easily without damage.

 

I'll certainly look to remove the silver covers when we get the vehicle out of its secure storage. Hope it is the same for the 2018 variants.

 

What a pity Fiat designers didn't check this aspect when tarting up the standard cab (lol)

 

 

[Millcourt]

Many thanks Derek for explaining how to attach pictures. Useful to know for future postings. For the moment I think Ian has got the drift of my explanation without pictures.

[Derek Uzzell]

It’s a pity this issue was raised as - having looked at my Ducato with its basic black dashboard - I’m finding it just a little bit dowdy.

 

I’m considering getting a trim kit, but I’m having trouble deciding whether the color should be lipstick red, seasick green, tangerine or leopard-skin.

 

I’m tempted to choose leopard-skin (example attached) as that’s really ‘stylish’ and bound to add value when I come to sell the vehicle.

[laimeduck]

Should have done this on April 1st Derek?