Hello ladies and gents.

I have just got my 2.0HLX Marea Weekend back from the garage, where they tried to find out why it was draining my batteries (three to be exact).

Popped it off to an auto electrician, who after searching say that the problem seemed to lie with the instrument panel (which had been playing up, as all the dials would die from time to time).

He says he has tried to solve the problem, but with no joy and says that I would need a new panel at the cost of £500 not including fitting. yikes

Is this a common problem on Marea's? or could there be another reason?

Please help :worship:

I guess that was cost of a new pannel from FIAT, you could get one out a scrap car. Dunno about it being a common problem, have seen a few posts about problem clocks etc but none about it draining batteries like that!

Never heard of that one before. I would take the console out and check all the connectors first. You can get water leaking onto them.

Auto electrician has already had the panel out and says it is broken.

Well you should be able to sorce on from a scrap yard, is it a 147 or a 155? And anyone know what clusters would be compatable, am going to a big place full of Mareas tomorrow, so will have a look.

Apparently it is not the cluster that is at fault, it is the whole dash
What the Auto Electrician told the garage is, the dash contains all the cars engine management etc and that this is what is causing the problem and this comes as one unit contained within a new dash

I have no idea if this is correct or not, does anyone know what he is talking about.

Thanks

Sounds like he's talking balls.

The engine management is controlled by the ECU which I believe is behind the plastic cover in the passenger footwell..

The dash (binacle with the dials on it) doesn't control the engine management. I've driven mine with the binacle fuse blown - no speed, rpm, fuel, temp and more worryingly no brake lights!

well i have recently had mine back from the garage as it to was drainning the bat quite efficently but it was found to be the alternator, have they checked to see if this could be the cause on yours?

Alternator is A ok, have been driving it for a few days with the fuse for the dash out and no flat battery?????

Burnell said:

Alternator is A ok, have been driving it for a few days with the fuse for the dash out and no flat battery?????

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New Dash definetly sounds like utter crap now!

The Beast said:

New Dash definetly sounds like utter crap now!

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Well if the fuse was out the dash would be taken out the equation, so it means that the dash IS the problem as if you recconected it and drove it i'd expect it to drain the battery if its at fault.

I'd wait for someone more experienced to tell you one way or the other.

Scrapyard for dash anyhow.

Sorry reading things wrong!

I am unsure what the actual problem is, as is the garage. I really need to speak to the Auto electrician myslef and get a good explanation from him.

I have phoned a random FIAT specialist and they say they have heard of this fault and it would cost around £500-£600 to put right

Depends if I can be bothered to keep pulling the fuse out when I am not using the car to stop the drain.....


let me think about that one


of course I can, well unitl I get really anoyed with it that is

I'd try and get hold of a new cluster to try after all whats £40max including postage, is it a 155 or 147 and i'll keep an eye out for one, also anyone know if any of the others are compatable?

Burnell said:

Depends if I can be bothered to keep pulling the fuse out when I am not using the car to stop the drain.....

let me think about that one

of course I can, well unitl I get really anoyed with it that is

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You could always wire in a wee switch. Save you pulling fuses.