Greetings all. My 500 has now done about 3000 miles, however on two occasions now when I have started up in the morning the odo digits have flashed. The first time I turned off and restarted and all was steady, the second time I left it and it continued to flash, counting on as it went. Any one got any ideas as to what it is trying to tell me. I have looked in the hand book but couldn't find anything there.

Thanks,
Nig

Hi my 500 does the same from time to time. When it first happened I called up and they said it's because each wire does so many things at the same time that sometimes one of these functions gets half a message! ie flashing instead of fully lit items on the display. I was advised to turn the car off and start it up again. So far it's worked. If yours does not sort itself out after you have turned it off I suggest you get it into the garage and have them look at this very busy 'wire!'

Clair500 said:

Hi my 500 does the same from time to time. When it first happened I called up and they said it's because each wire does so many things at the same time that sometimes one of these functions gets half a message! ie flashing instead of fully lit items on the display. I was advised to turn the car off and start it up again. So far it's worked. If yours does not sort itself out after you have turned it off I suggest you get it into the garage and have them look at this very busy 'wire!'

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If it continues you will need a proxy allignment

Thanks Clair, that sounds like a foboff answer, It does stop when turned off and re started. Cannot believe that an overloaded wire would cause that kind of issue though.

Nig

Proxy alignment.... Now that sounds painful!!!???

Nig

This has been reported before in the forum...

The flashing mileage indicates a communication problem on the CAN system. This can be caused by either, a node (ecu) that is not functioning, or the timing of signals incorrect down the CAN lines. If there are no errors in the system then it may just be due to timing, and a proxi alignment procedure would almost certainly have been done by the dealership concerned just to eliminate it. Thats what Pip was reffering to. Your dealer was correct in the fact that when they get the car if the mileage isnt flashing it means all the nodes are working, and if no errors are recorded it does mean they cant be sure to have cured it with proxi alignment. Blue and me can cause this problem on other models but the 500 is running the latest software so it may not be related, if the fault occurs again, check all the electrics to see if anything doesnt work including blue and me, and then tell the dealer.

npmaylesby said:

Thanks Clair, that sounds like a foboff answer, It does stop when turned off and re started. Cannot believe that an overloaded wire would cause that kind of issue though.

Nig

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It is true though. In older cars you had wires going every which way connecting up different things. In your 500 it operates a bus system which means that rather than just carrying one signal,say to show whether there is an ABS problem or not the system carries lots of signals.

My dealer gave me a crappy fob off answer, and contacting Fiat UK got no reply to my email at all.

restarting clears it for about a week, then it comes back again. Doesnt cuase any problems just a bit annoying as it draws your attention when driving. I thought the 5.4 or whatever blue & me update sorted it as it went away for 2wks but happened again yesterday.

Never seems to happen anytime other than from startup, would hate it to start during a long motorway drive with no way to stop engine

npmaylesby said:

Proxy alignment.... Now that sounds painful!!!???

Nig

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Should be called Poxy alignment as it never works.

I had it happen once. I know what caused it (I think). I a memory stick in playing music. I turned the car off, took the stick out & restarted it - the radio came on (as I didn't turn it off 1st) looking for the media & the mileage flashed.

It stopped flashing when I restarted the car & I had to turn off the radio, put the stick back in & the turn on the radio for that to sort itself out too. Now I always take the stick / MP3 player out before turning off the radio or car.

The dealer did the proxy alignment & a software upgrade too. He said that the settings were a bit "tight" & the flashing was sometimes being caused when it needn't. The software update extended the settings.

He also confirmed that what I did with the memory stick may cause the problem - especially without the software update. No issues since.....

Details can be found here about the software upgrade:
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/183859-flashing-mileage-solution.html?p=1981003

Will try it out hope this works

Maye said:

Will try it out hope this works

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Or just do what I've been doing for 3.5 years and turn engine off and on again. Simples

I tried this stick thing and didn't work

My 2011 twinair 500 periodically suffers from flashing odometer usually after I have turned off the auto engine stop/start feature or having accidentally pressed one or more of the steering wheel buttons for the Blue & Me, I think button is the one in bottom corner of steering wheel for Voice Integration ( looks like a black square with white cross). I pressed this button today and flashing has stopped, odometer now back to normal. Hope this helps.

Hi guys!
I also had the problem with flashing odometer on my Fiat 500 Lounge from 2010. I followed what Discoverer wrote in February 2012. I tried to turn on City Stearing bottom on and of and turned of the engine and startet again. I'm not sure it worked immeadetly. Then I went into BlueMe and deleted the user "suddenly the odometer works and no flashing" It is diffilcult to say what worked, but it works. Electronic things are tricky it is like installing Wifi routers.

I'm very happy, because I have tried to go to the dealer and they could not help me. I also wrote to the main Fiat agency, but they only advice me to a dealer. The dealer only want money and need the car in to the garage to be tested and charge me for 150 dollars. Through this forum I did it within five minutes and "free of charge"

Thanks a lot.

Arnold B.

If anyone needs this sorting and you are anywhere near junction 4 of the M25 you can bring your car round and I'll sort it for free