Hi all. we've just bought a 64 reg 500 1200 pop last week (our first ever Fiat!).
Just noticed it's got what seems to be a common problem - indicate right and two other warning lights flash dimly in time with the indicators!
I understand from reading other posts that it's a problem with the instrument cluster.
Can anyone advise me as to whether we need to get this fixed (main dealer saying yes at £700!) or, can we treat it as 'a characteristic of the car' and leave it as it is? (Basically, is it going to get worse and pack up altogether in time if we do!).
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Kind regards Steve

Take the car back and say fix it or refund the car?

SJC1966 said:

Hi all. we've just bought a 64 reg 500 1200 pop last week (our first ever Fiat!).
Just noticed it's got what seems to be a common problem - indicate right and two other warning lights flash dimly in time with the indicators!
I understand from reading other posts that it's a problem with the instrument cluster.
Can anyone advise me as to whether we need to get this fixed (main dealer saying yes at £700!) or, can we treat it as 'a characteristic of the car' and leave it as it is? (Basically, is it going to get worse and pack up altogether in time if we do!).
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Kind regards Steve

Click to expand...

Yup, take it back to whomever sold it to you and ask them politely, to fix it. The car is supposed to be fit for purpose. Did you pay for the vehicle in part using a credit card?

You can get the instrument cluster repaired for around £150, but again, you've just bought the car, so why should you pay for a problem that has arisen just in the first week of ownership?

As for the £700 you've been quoted for a replacement by a Fiat dealership, yes, that's about right. It costs £400 for a brand new cluster, which means they want another £300 just to fit it and marry it to the car as obviously it will need programming to your vehicle's ECU.

You will need to get this sorted anyway, because I'm sure if the problem is present during MoT time, it will fail anyway.

I had the same issue with a 500 I previously owned, but the cluster was replaced under warranty.

Thanks frupi
Already spoke to garage we purchased from earlier today (Fiat specialists). Were very apologetic that they missed it (in fairness to them, you can't see problem during daylight hours!) They have offered to get the cluster repaired at their expense (they quoted around £150), but it's around a 130 mile round trip to them from home and we'd have to leave car with them for a week or two whilst they sent the cluster away for repair. They're the ones who've suggested that if we were happy to live with it, that it wouldn't present a problem long term and that they would be happy to reimburse us £150 as compensation for the inconvenience. (The car has come with a 3 year RAC warranty which covers electrical components, so we can get it fixed at a later date if nec!)
Tempted to take money and put up with it, but if you think it's going to cause problems long term - we'll get them to do repair.
Many thanks for your advice
Steve

You could ask them for the money, £150 + vat and associated carriage costs and get the cluster sent off in your own time?.....it would mean you either removing the cluster yourself, or getting someone else to do it and then refitting.

http://www.ecutesting.com/catalogue/product/fiat_500_dashboard_instrument_cluster_dac516052.html

As I say, if you don't get it fixed, you might have an issue at MoT next time it goes in.

Personally, I'd get back to them, explain you cannot do without the car for two weeks, get them to front the cost of a brand new cluster at their expense, and get them to turn around the job in a day. It's completely unfair for them to propose a situation whereby you are left without a vehicle for up to two weeks. You bought the car in good faith on the understanding that it was fully operational, in working order. They will be able to get a brand new cluster cheaper anyway buying as a trader, plus they can claim any vat back.

Speak nicely to them again

I'm with Frupi, you should get them to fix it. If they really need it for a week or two, you should be able to negotiate a loan car from them. If it was a pre-existing fault when they sold it, they are legally required to fix it. It sounds like they are trying to be helpful, so best to keep the discussion cordial if you can, before going all legal on them!

You can buy one on eBay for £30. Just swop them over. Make sure you get one with a lower mileage than your car has done as you can up the mileage but not decrease it for obvious reasons.

typecastboy said:

You can buy one on eBay for £30. Just swop them over. Make sure you get one with a lower mileage than your car has done as you can up the mileage but not decrease it for obvious reasons.

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How involved is the actual swap over..?

Just thinking that leaves @£120. In the pot to have the rrplacement cluster fitted.

I know pairing is also involved..

varesecrazy said:

How involved is the actual swap over..?

Just thinking that leaves @£120. In the pot to have the rrplacement cluster fitted.

I know pairing is also involved..

Click to expand...

It's basically plug and play you don't need a proxi alignment. The only thing you may want to do is use MES to up the mileage so you need to make sure you get one that's lower than your actual car. You can't go backwards. Easy job although you have to take off the coloured dash trim, top and bottom steering cowlings and the binnacle round the speedo. You have to take the A/C controls and the stereo out to get the coloured dash trim out. Only takes about an hour at most. Just a multi plug at the back.

Thanks guys for all your advice. Seems to be common consensus that it's something that can't be left. It's my daughter's car and it really doesn't bother her, but if it's something that's going to get worse or cause a problem over time, then we'll take the garage we got it from's offer to fix it free of charge for us.
Thanks again

We've had this twice and as far as I know the issue does not get worse as such just brighter(with ours it was worse when cold) but as others have said buy another as it could result in an MOT fail as technically a warning light is illuminated.
The replacement from Fiat is a slightly different layout so you may be best looking for that type although the first replacement we had also failed !!