Very please with our new 2015 ducato 2.3 but I am having difficulty actually seeing the instruments (particularly the speedo) as the new model's cowls seems to create almost total shade! It is impossible to make our the KPH as those letters are smaller.

I thought that with the headlights on (there are no driving side lights now) that it would illuminate it all a bit better but no, that too is very dim although working.

Can anyone help with the following

Is it possible to increase the brightness of the bulbs?
Is it possible to wire the instrument cluster to illuminate all the time (maybe connected to the day time running lights?

On 2012 model you can adjust the brightness using the menu buttons (see handbook)

Tried that and the new 2015 model doesn't seem to have this option nor does it have side lights! Mind you that wouldn't help in the daytime!

After visit to main dealer for help, they informed me that there is a daylight sensor in the centre of the dash which at night time adds DIMMER to the menu option if the headlights are on. In daylight it is not an option but if you cover the sensor with a cushion the option re-appears!! None of that is in the handbook.

Glad you sorted it

I am still having difficulty actually seeing the instruments in day light (particularly the speedometer) as the new model's cowls seems to create almost total shade! It is impossible to make out the KPH as those letters are smaller.

The combination of concentrating on driving and shading of the speedometer makes any chance of reading the smaller numbers impossible! Re: images the left one is the new "improved" one and the right one is the older clear one!!!

I am wondering if it would be possible to remove the perspex window in front of the instruments (complete with the cowls) and replace it with an old style 2006 onwards clear perspex one with no cowls??

Any ideas please for a permanent solution that does not involve using a sat nav would be great.

I have the same fault with my 4 day old Motorhome and I will be contacting fiat as it is obviously not a one off situation so will post their reply later.

looks like they are pointing away from your vision as if the cowls should have been mounted in the opposite side if you see what I mean.

G4SJI said:

I have the same fault with my 4 day old Motorhome and I will be contacting fiat as it is obviously not a one off situation so will post their reply later.

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Glad to know it is not just my eyes! I have emailed Fiat customer services and basically got told that they would hold my complaint on file and that I should contact the main Fiat Professional dealership - watch this space!

The designer must have been 4ft tall!

gullrock said:

Glad to know it is not just my eyes! I have emailed Fiat customer services and basically got told that they would hold my complaint on file and that I should contact the main Fiat Professional dealership - watch this space!

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I also have the problem with not being able to see the speedo whilst driving in daytime.
I have never experienced anything like this before on any of the dozens of different vehicles that I have previously owned. I bought a new RollerTeam motorhome on a Fiat Ducato 2.3 chassis a few weeks ago and drove it last week for the first time. Needless to say I am very very disappointed with this vehicle and due solely to the speedo problem. I am thinking that the van is not safe to drive with this problem. I will contact Fiat UK to see if they are prepared to offer a full working solution to it and if not I am going to go back to the dealer that I bought it from and as for a full refund as I believe that it is not safe to drive as it is.
I wonder how I stand on the issue of a refund, I think that I will contact the trading standards for their view.

herbiesdad said:

I also have the problem with not being able to see the speedo whilst driving in daytime.
I have never experienced anything like this before on any of the dozens of different vehicles that I have previously owned. I bought a new RollerTeam motorhome on a Fiat Ducato 2.3 chassis a few weeks ago and drove it last week for the first time. Needless to say I am very very disappointed with this vehicle and due solely to the speedo problem. I am thinking that the van is not safe to drive with this problem. I will contact Fiat UK to see if they are prepared to offer a full working solution to it and if not I am going to go back to the dealer that I bought it from and as for a full refund as I believe that it is not safe to drive as it is.
I wonder how I stand on the issue of a refund, I think that I will contact the trading standards for their view.

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I have had a call from Italy and the lady has escalated my complaint and I am now waiting for a more senior person to contact me. I am not holding my breath though! In the meantime I have wired a small pad of LEDs to the ignition and stuck it next to the speedo and now I can read it! Not an ideal solution though.

On the question of a refund, good luck, but however much you think it should happen I believe it might be an uphill struggle! Although your redress is with the dealer maybe Fiat will sort something out instead?

gullrock said:

I have had a call from Italy and the lady has escalated my complaint and I am now waiting for a more senior person to contact me. I am not holding my breath though! In the meantime I have wired a small pad of LEDs to the ignition and stuck it next to the speedo and now I can read it! Not an ideal solution though.

On the question of a refund, good luck, but however much you think it should happen I believe it might be an uphill struggle! Although your redress is with the dealer maybe Fiat will sort something out instead?

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Had a call from Fiat this morning in which they advised me that they did not have any planned updates or remedies for this problem. They also said that they had not had any complaints about it from other owners !!
I am now even more bemused and annoyed about this and am not sure what to do next. I think that I will contact the local trading standards for their advice. I will also contact Which as I am a member. As the Ducato is one of the most favoured base vehicles for motorhomes their must be hundreds of other people who have experienced this problem, but how can you find out if this is the case, or is it just me and a couple of other FiatForum users who have noticed. I can't really believe that to be the case.
Incidentally does any body know that if all fails and I have to go down the same route as Gulloc and fit some form of l.e.d.s on the dash to illuminate the speedo, would that invalidate the Fiat warranty ?

Amazing!!!

As far as warranty goes my LEDs are wired using a piggy-back fuse holder to one of the fuses under the dash (RHS) and no wiring modification have therefore been done.

I have just had a further call from Fiat and they are saying that my dealer has said all is ok but to me the dealer said it was a design fault. They have stated that there is no design fault it is perfectly ok and when I requested a replacement instrument cluster from a 2014 vehicle (without the cowls) she said it couldn't be done (this from a customer service representative with probably minimal mechanical experience no doubt).

I asked to speak to her manager and she refused to put me through, repeating that they would make a note of my complaint but they would not consider any further action and that was final.

How about raising it as a safety issue with Vosa, not being able to see the speedo is surely a safety issue:
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-recalls-and-faults/report-a-serious-safety-defect

Good idea. I have just written to Watchdog too.

gullrock said:

Good idea. I have just written to Watchdog too.

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Funny enough, I have just written to watchdog too.It would be good if anyone else who has this problem could do the same.
I will also contact vosa.

gullrock said:

Good idea. I have just written to Watchdog too.

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Gullrock
If you contact VOSA they ask for photographs of the part concerned.
I noticed on one of your blogs that you show an excellent photo of the instrument cluster which shows the shadowing effect quite well. This would give them some indication of the problem. I have tried to take a photo of my dash, but it comes out showing the speedo as being clear as a bell so I can't submit one.

I already have! Have you tried turning the flash off?