Technical Parking Help Unavailable message + Dials not working

[mpw1966uk]

My Fiat Bravo is displaying Parking Help Unavailable when I start the ignition and there are a number of other issues with the dash:

• Speedo/Revs/Fuel/Temp dials not working
• Yellow warning triangle displayed along with Power steering/ABS warning lights
• Digital Mileage readout is displayed but static (not changing)
• Stereo is not working (no audio, no display)
• No beeping from rear parking sensors (which makes sense given the Parking Help Unavailable message)
• No audio feedback (clicking noise) from indicators but indicator lights are working
• None of the trip computer functions are working

but the car drives fine, lights/indicators/brake lights are working, power steering is working (i.e. City mode button toggles between the two steering modes but there is no feedback of this on dash).

I've checked all the fuses (ones by the battery, 2 heavy-duty ones on positive terminal of battery and all the ones behind the glovebox) and they are fine. (Only ones I haven't checked are 4 that are supposed to be in the boot for heated seats, which I don't have, and the weight sensors in the seats)

This happened just over a week ago - the car was fine on the way to work but had this problem at the end of the day after sitting in the heat for a day.


Any ideas anyone?

Is it worth disconnecting the battery for a while and then reconnecting?

 

[Rigby]

Could be a bad earth or dodgy relay. Best to get it looked at by the dealer or an auto-electrician.

 

[danthewam]

Alternator?

 

[neilshep]

I know its a totally different car, but...............

W've just had problems with my wife's C4. It had a few instances of "not starting", then starting OK a few minutes later. It then broke down on me with various symptons. The engine would turn over, but not fire. Radio and instruments stopped working, as did heater fan, and the electric windows would not wind up.

The AA came out and diagnosed a faulty coil pack, which was replaced. Next morning, the car started OK, then after 5 miles started messing about, with a rough idle. Took it to the garage I use and it cut out 3 times on a 6 mile trip, the third time terminally, 400 yards from the garage!

They fitted a crankshaft sensor, after which the car started, but later played up again. Extensive testing then identified a fault in the fusebox. Turns out its a known problem on C4's . There is no fault code thrown up for the fusebox, but it causes other systems, seemingly randomly, to record a fault.

The OP's problems all point to a similar problem, and I strongly suggest someone looks closely at the fusebox associated with the functions that are playing up.

 

[neilshep]

Alternator?

No, no alternator = no power steering

 

[mpw1966uk]

Thanks for all your replies.

I've just found this thread on here which sounds like the exact same problem!

I think it's worth disconnecting/reconnecting the battery to see if the failed functions jump back to life?

I guess the alternator must be OK and charging the battery otherwise I wouldn't have been able to start it every morning and drive the car for well over a week?

So if, as that post implies, the dash functions fail and warning lights appear due to voltage dropping it could well be that a new battery is needed?

 

[Crispy boss]

its a bad earth.

i had the same problem.

the alfa guys called it ,"the christmas tree"

 

[mpw1966uk]

Disconnecting the battery for a short while and then reconnecting it solved this.

There was quite a bit of corrosion (white powder) around the negative terminal when I removed the quick-release catch on the cable and it did some to be a bit of a loose fit so I guess that could have caused enough of a voltage drop for the dashboard electronics to decide that some things are not going to work and show warning lights and perhaps the battery disconnect/reconnect reset was all that was needed to stop the warning lights and get things working normally again.

I cleaned up the negative battery terminal and connector and used some copper grease to get a better connection.


All is good now - dials, audio system, indicator clicking noise, rear parking sensors working, odometer counting miles again and warning lights are gone.