Hay.

So my 2012 Fiat 500 has that awfully common instrument cluster fault with 2 dim lit lights always on (ABS and one other) and then the 2 that flash with right indicator. Not an issue for me but way way too expensive for me to fix right now. MOT is due and wondering if will fail on this? Or could I use a Diagnostic tool and clear the error? Will that work? Basically anyway other than paying out to have it fixed with money i literally dont have, to have it pass MOT?

T4mB4m90 said:

MOT is due and wondering if will fail on this?

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Unless the ABS lights sequence correctly when the ignition is turned on, and then extinguish, it should be a fail as, in MOT parlance, this is a 'major' fault.

T4mB4m90 said:

Or could I use a Diagnostic tool and clear the error? Will that work?

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Everything we know suggests this is a hardware fault in the cluster which can't be reset using any kind of diagnostic tool.

T4mB4m90 said:

Basically anyway other than paying out to have it fixed with money i literally dont have, to have it pass MOT?

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Not on a 2012 car; the ABS must be present and must work correctly. On a car first used before 1 January 2010, you could (in theory) completely remove all ABS components.

A secondhand replacement cluster may not be that expensive (have a look on the usual auction websites); just make sure you get one with lower recorded mileage than your own car. The mileage will flash until you do a proxy alignment, but flashing mileage shouldn't be an MOT fail.

A second hand cluster is your best bet as JR said and is relatively easy to swap over! As for a proxy alignment to sort out the flashing mileage you just need MES from the official website €50 and a set of good cables to go with .... or possibly someone from could help you out and do it for you!? There are a lot of us on here that use it! Where are you based?

Get it fixed.. less hassle than a replacement one; no proxy alignment required and you'll know it's fixed/isn't similarly knackered as yours... and it's probably cheaper.

Tap up yellowstilo on this forum.


Ralf S.

Ralf S. said:

Get it fixed.. less hassle than a replacement one; no proxy alignment required and you'll know it's fixed/isn't similarly knackered as yours... and it's probably cheaper.

Tap up yellowstilo on this forum.


Ralf S.

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How’s getting it fixed less hassle, when you’ve the same removal and refit process plus the Afro if sending it off and an unusable vehicle while awaiting the repair

Most Easterly Pandas said:

How’s getting it fixed less hassle, when you’ve the same removal and refit process plus the Afro if sending it off and an unusable vehicle while awaiting the repair

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I suppose so, depending on what you think is "hassle".

To me, trying to find a speedo' of the right age range, that has less or equal mileage to mine, so that it can be set "correct"... that works okay ... but having to pay someone to re-proxy align it to the car (in the hope that it isn't going to pack up in three months time) is more hassle and expense than shipping my original to someone who is going to fix it properly and then I can just re-fit it, everything is correct, and it'll last another 10 years.

It's an option anyway.


Ralf S.

My car is suddenly doing the exact same thing, it just passed the MOT last week and had 2 new bearings, and I'm certain it was fine on Friday. Today indicating right also flashes engine and ABS lights.

Is there a repair guide?

system11 said:

My car is suddenly doing the exact same thing, it just passed the MOT last week and had 2 new bearings, and I'm certain it was fine on Friday. Today indicating right also flashes engine and ABS lights.

Is there a repair guide?

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You can’t repair it yourself. It’s about £150 to repair by sending it off. Just get a replacement used one on eBay. One with lower mileage than your car.

Since posting that I found out with more searches that it's a common fault, isn't a used one going to be on borrowed time anyway? Cheapest I could see with any mileage under mine was £100.

I repair arcade circuit boards as a hobby, when these places they get sent to repair them, what do they actually do? I found a photo, surface mount chip, bunch of small components and some capacitors. If it's just broken solder joins on the chip or bad caps I can do that in half an hour once it's out.

These faults are probably easy to fix for electronics geeks like yourself that can handle a soldering iron or hot air SMD soldering gun. The problem is there's no description out there that I (we) know of. And it happens quite regularly. Fiat Ducatos have similar faults with glowing lights in the dash that are normally fixed by a swap of the unit, but there are shops that repair them at a decent price. Same with iphones btw.
Often it's bad soldering joints, so reflowing all the SMD joints may fix it. The specialists probably know which ones to look for without doing them all. Sometimes it's bad capacitors, but that' more common on older control boxes. I agree with Ralf it's better to have your own unit properly fixed than getting a used one with potentially the same weakness, on the other hand a swap is a (relatively) easy way out without going too deep inside the unit, provided you have the MES to do the proxy alignment etc.
My suggestion would be to try to get a suitable replacement as a backup unit. Then, once it is out of the car and you have the time, try to fix the old one first. If that works, you can always re-sell the other unit.

And you may become the goto person for these faults in the forum

system11 said:

isn't a used one going to be on borrowed time anyway

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From the number of reports I've seen from folks with this issue, I'd say a new one is on borrowed time

Well, it looks easy enough to take the unit apart to at least check the solder. For any of the small components to physically detach at one end is honestly unlikely in my experience unless subjected to physical force, but I can't tell you how often I've seen surface mount quad chips do it, that's a non invasive thing to check. It's got to come out either way. Charging the battery first just to rule that out but I don't expect it to make much difference.

I got it out & apart, so far nothing looks obviously failed which is a shame. I notice there are several part codes for clusters, do they need to be an exact match?

Different clusters' part numbers might be because of the colour of the surround (black/beige) or they could be dependent on the engine model (diesel vs petrol and having the correct red-line for the 1.2, 1.4 etc.).

If there are multiple options for the same coloured, same engine etc. cluster.. then I dunno. Occasionally a new warning light is added, or something may be moved... and there's no hard "yes" or "no" answer. Generally, if the plug on the back is identical, there's more chance that it'll work.

Ralf S.

Back in (loosely), well at least I didn't make it worse. Used ones seem to be all 95+ so it's tempting to just send it to someone to be rebuilt. I see Essex Recons and ECUtesting do them for 135 and 155 respectively and those come warrantied.
Edit: booked in at Essex Recons who say it will be back by Friday. At least it was easy to remove.

Is it safe to hook the battery up with the cluster removed so I can lock the car (will that even work)?

Can you not lock it with the key, after locking the passenger door from the inside?

I took two apart a few days ago attempting to swap over the LCD screen so are in bits at the moment. If you want me to upload a couple of photos of the board let me know.

My attempt wasn’t wholly successful with some odd results.

jrkitching said:

Can you not lock it with the key, after locking the passenger door from the inside?

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I ... was turning it the wrong way. Oh dear. Thanks!

My car has just developed the same issue. Very helpful having this thread on the first page of the 500 section

Let us know how you get on with the rebuild @system11, I guess mine will need repairing too.