Hi Everyone


My Multipla JTD ELX, which I have owned from new has developed a fault with the instrument cluster. After just spending a modest amount of money to get the car back on the road for the Winter, all seemed hunkydory. Despite 180000 hard miles, it was driving better than ever. But after some 30 miles of self -congratulatory bliss, the instrument cluster failed. Symptoms are: No gauges (speedo, revcounter, fuel gauge), no indicators (but hazards work), no clock/trip functions.


I can only assume the the 12 V supply is down - perhaps a bad earth? I obtained a new instrument panel off Ebay but behaviour is the same.



I also checked fuse 12 which protects the instrument cluster and some other stuff such as interior lights. The other stuff all works fine.

Despite everything, I still love the car. It is just so useful and looks great in Pareo Yellow! It must be almost unique now. Anyway, any tips would be appreciated - such as pinouts on the cluster.

Any ideas out there in Multipla land? - it seems we are a dwindling bunch!

Thanks in advance

First post after being signed up to the Forum for over 10 years? Don't be shy! Welcome!


It's odd that the indicators don't work but the hazards do, as they are on the same fuse. When the hazards are on, do they all blink together and with equal brightness? Does the instrument panel lighting work? Vanity and reading lights? It might be worth checking fuse 13 as well, though 12 covers most of this stuff and you've already checked that. Have you put a meter across the terminals for fuse 12, in the fuse board?


Would love to see a photo or two of your car in yellow by the way. You'll need to make 5 posts here before you can upload pictures though (I think that's right?). A one owner Multipla is something to be very proud of.

P.S. Note to forum moderators - it looks as though the double-line spacing gremlin is back, when using the "Go Advanced" function...

Wow! You must be one brave shopper buying a yellow Multipla 15 years ago.
You're not this one are you?



If not there's atleast 2 on the road which gives me a lovely warm feeling inside.

No help regarding gauges though. Sorry!

It start by removing and cleaning the main earth cables up
Then checking the fuse boxes perhaps remove the fues spray some contract cleaner into each one
Give ant relays in the boxes a tap with the engine running see if you get any life into cluster

Thanks Chris, I will check. Just getting the battery tray out to check the earth point - which does not look great but still good enough to carry starter current. Not the easiest of jobs, but almost there.

Hello again everyone
I think I have got to the bottom of the problem. first thing, chris is right in that fuse 13 is the right fuse for instrument power - not fuse 12 as it says in my owners manual (thanks Fiat)

When i checked, the fuse had blown. Replacing it restored the instuments!
Then I discovered by process of elimination that the brake lights (which are also on fuse 13) are causing the fuse to blow. so all I have to do now is get to the bottom of that.

That is a problem for another day but at least I know where I am going with this now.

Thanks to all who responded. My yellow ugly bug will live to see some more action!

That’s good to hear. I asked if all of the lights (indicators, when hazards are on) are lit to the same brightness because bad earth on the rear lamp clusters is a common problem. I’ve followed quite a few Multiplas in the past that do funky things with their lights when either the indicators or brake lights are used.

As a quick check, it may be worth using a bit of spare wire to create a temporary earth from a sound bit of body shell to an earth track in the lamp cluster. At the same time, have a look for oxidised copper crud that may be bridging across tracks.

Hi there

Yes - just realised that it was you that mentioned fuse 13, not Chris. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

I have experienced the bad earth problem in the rear lights before and I also had to replace a light cluster because of corroded tracks. At least I know where the problem is now so it should not take too long to fix. In spite of the problems, I particularly like the aesthetics of the rear lights!

Fingers crossed!

Another thing to check, by way of running a spare length of chunky wire from battery negative to a stud or bolt on the engine/gearbox, is the state of the main earth cables - especially the one on the gearbox. The OEM earth straps can look as though they are fine from a casual inspection, when in fact the copper strands inside have corroded through.

I know - I speak from bitter experience, in the middle of a very cold winter a few years ago....

I had water in fuse box in driver side storage. All sorts of weird effects.
Nothing obvious from terminals only when pulled to bits you could see the bridging and corrosion inside ... It has several layers.

Good luck and let us know.

Lee

I never fail to be amazed at some of the quirky problems that are experienced by some of our unlucky comrades.
It never seems to be a nice little straight forward problem does it?
It's always - or almost always a very convoluted twisted minefield of French engineering that no normal engineer would ever dream of even during his worst nightmare.
Having said that the Multi is basically a bloody good car - so they got that bit right.
George

Just had exactly the same problem and very glad to find this thread! I am assuming the brake light set it of having attached a trailer plug around the same time.

Just a quick update on this. The reason why the fuse blew in the first place was caused, I believe, by a poor earth in the rear light cluster. The problem seems to be in the connector to the rear light. The contacts in the connector are only just up to the job and the one that feeds back to the earth has to handle the load from all the lights in the cluster if they all happen to be on at once. EG at night, when indicating and braking at the same time. On my Multipla, the Earch contact pins on both rear light clusters were badly burned. The individual contacts for each light were however, absolutely fine.
The contacts seem to be unobtainable so in the end, I bought a Punto connector on ebay that had been cut from the end of the loom. IT is 4 way rather than 5 way, but is of the same type. I prised it open and 'harvested' the 3 good contacts. I then used those to repair my connectors. The earth contact on the Punto connector was burnt and useless.
another useful Multipla tip!