Technical 2004 Stilo Multiwagon JTD: Instrument cluster frozen

[277soo]

Could anyone out there assist re the following please.

My 2004 Multiwagon JTD’s instrument cluster has developed a sudden fault with the dials of the rev counter, speedo and other gauges frozen. Apart from the seatbelt warning icon, there is nothing else functioning with the cluster. Everything appears to be working on the car, although there is no illumination of the cluster and the icons for the indicators, ‘lights on’ etc do not illuminate.

The only recent event that may be relevant is that the battery died suddenly on the 23rd of last month and was replaced the same day. There were no issues until the fault appeared yesterday.

I’ve tried disconnecting the battery to see if the fault would clear and have also checked likely fuses but with no success.

I understand that these instrument clusters have a control unit/ sensor which may be the issue. Any ideas at to where exactly on the car I would find this component, is it obtainable (or whether a complete replacement cluster is required) and how best to access it would be appreciated.

Any information gratefully received.

 

[olly0404]

Hi
Had the same sort of problem with my 04 jtd turned out to be brake light switch at brake peddle. after cleaning every thing like fuse box above near side wheel check out

D4 Connector Guides.I still get odd day when my stilo goes mad normaly when its wet ?

 

[Deckchair5]

Check your fuses, there are two to the instrument cluster- one is working as that's your airbag, seal belt etc safety items but the other may have blown

So cluster has 2x 12v supplies and it earths through the body computer to earth point C15

Gauge information/movement is fed via can lines from BC to the cluster

With all gauges frozen stopped then it may be a power supply or earth problem. This could be on the way to the cluster or within the cluster itself. So first job would be to see if the power supplies and earth are getting there

With a CAN fault then you may get Uxxxx codes or "loose connection" warnings

 

[277soo]

Thanks Olly & Deckchair.

Checked both fuses (F53 & 37) and earthing point & all appear OK. There was a 'loose connection' warning some time after battery change, but this cleared on switching ignition off/on.

Coming to the conclusion that its an instrument cluster replacement - exchange unit when available from Shop 4 Parts comes to nearly £260 inclusive (new are about £500!!). A firm called 'Cluster Repairs' quoted anything from £130 to £160 ( +VAT!) dependent on what they find. They said instrument cluster failure was common on Stilos.

I think I will just access the rear of the cluster to check the connections there - unlikely I know- before making a painful decision - will update in due course.

 

[Deckchair5]

It could easily be a bad connection at the cluster rear connectors

or a bad solder joint on the cluster circuit board

 

[Oakley28]

If you say your battery died, it may be worth changing it and upgrading it for a bigger better battery first. That cured my problem with the cluster, although mine was different to this and it does sound as though there's a bad connection somewhere.

What I'm saying though is, if you battery has died once, it probably will again, so I would change that.

 

[277soo]

Hi Oakley,

My first post a bit ambiguous about battery change on the 23rd. On that day, got started by the AA & drove straight to Halfords; where having been relieved of £120 a brand new Bosch battery was fitted.

Still got to get round to checking the cluster connection!

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

 

[Oakley28]

Keep us posted on what you find with the cluster. Seem to be a few people having issues with thiers lately.

 

[277soo]

Managed to get the instrument cluster out this afternoon, and as suspected there is nothing obvious causing the fault, so time to raid the piggy bank!

Whilst I had the cluster out, I noted down the Fiat part number- 3FCF 10849 KC and the Visteon circuit board for the cluster - PWB 12087. These might prove useful to others, but do note above are for a 2004 JTD Active Multiwagon 115bhp with air con - I've picked up on related threads that there are several variants.

Just a couple of comments on the actual job of removing the cluster, which might help others:

The three star fasteners securing the bottom part of the steering wheel shroud were fairly obvious to locate, as were the two star fasteners securing the black securing strip at the top of the instrument cowl. All the star fasteners are the same diameter and length.

I should point out that the edges of the steering shroud are quite sharp, further aggravated when its freezing cold at the time you're doing the job.

The bottom half of the steering shroud was a little more awkward as the steering adjustment lever gets in the way. Again struggled with this initially, but made slightly easier when I realized that I had not adjusted the steering wheel fully forward from its surround! Dropping the fuse box cover gives you slightly more space in which to
manoeuvre. I wondered afterwards whether it would have been possible to do the job without completely removing this part - you could give it a go?

The two star fasteners securing the top half of the shroud I initially found difficult to spot, a good torch with a concentrated beam will be found useful. Once removed, the top of the shroud lifted away easily.

You then need to peel back the black material surround at the bottom of the instrument panel and this will reveal two Phillips screws securing the bottom of the instrument cluster.

You can then ease forward the instrument cluster from its recess to access (on my model) a single block connector at the top right of the cluster. Slide the red retaining clip to disconnect.

Removing the instrument cluster was a little tricky. You need to watch out for the protruding lugs at the bottom for catching on the wiring (and everything else). An extra pair of hands would be useful and helps minimise scratches and gouges to the steering wheel and dash. I removed the cluster by working it towards the driver's door.

Once removed, we removed the front and back covers of the instrument cluster by carefully lifting the plastic securing lugs. In my view, don't bother with this as the back resembles a computer 'motherboard' and I would say that nothing is user serviceable here unless you're an advanced auto electrician. The plastic lugs are brittle and remember most repairs on these clusters are on an 'exchange basis' so with hindsight it wasn't worth the risk.

I refitted the instrument cluster 1) for the practice and 2) because it looked so weird without it in the dash - I thought there's no point in encouraging an adverse encounter with the local law.

Still undecided as to whether to go with the Fiat exchange or the Cluster Repairs option - may also have a look on e-bay. Another expense I didn't appreciate is the calibration required to get the right mileage, a main dealer job at about £75 & will be necessary whatever option I go with.

Hope the above is of some use to someone out there. Will provide a hopefully happy ending to this post in due course.

 

[Muppet1]

Having been through this with my heap last year i would look on ebay and maybe even use find a part etc for a dash.

My dash was also ok until i blew the engine in my jtd which then resulted in a flat battery and it being on charge and jump started several times and its this i think blew my dash.

I was very very lucky indeed when i picked up a brand new dash for £45 on ebay and i would keep my eyes on ebay and also use find a part as well. Try to find a dash with mileage under yours as it cant be turned back i believe.

 

[yellowstilo]

the steering wheel shroud doesn't have to be removed to remove the instrument cluster - the cluster can be tilted outward with a bit of patience.
Just put a cloth on the upper shroud to prevent scratches....

 

[277soo]

Got up nice and early this morning and trundled round the M25 to Cluster Repairs UK in Edmonton (by appointment). Handed over my defunct panel and was told to give them a couple of hours to interrogate the old cluster and transfer the mileage across onto the old.

Met a guy there who turned up in his Audi A6 TDI having driven down from Birmingham who had been quoted £700 +VAT + labour to replace his cluster, and it was only the indicator bulbs on the dash that had gone!

Whilst waiting and as the nearside dipped beam had gone again, and spotting a Halfords in the distance, went & bought a couple of bulbs and somewhat bravely thought I’d use the hour or so to change the bulb in the car park. This could have been a bad decision, but after removing the battery & disconnecting the battery tray eventually managed to successfully fit the bulb – never had these issues with the Uno or Brava – life was simpler then!. Incidentally, saw that Halfords were selling a ‘heavy duty’ bulb but for £25 each – has anyone tried these and are they worth (double) the cost?

Better get back to the main thread – picked up my exchange cluster for £160 with 2 year guarantee. Fitted it there & then. Ignition on, with some trepidation & hey presto: Blackpool illuminations. Initial warning re air bag; but that has now cleared and everything appears functional. Nice to have the car back to 100% - for now.

Quick correction to my previous post, the technician was able to insert my mileage on the speedo which saved me about £75 with a main dealer. The only thing I’m not sure of is whether the mileage which is independently recorded on the ECU will show up on diagnostics as being 150 miles or so more than the speedo, this being the mileage I covered whilst cluster was u/s. I can live with that for now and can always part with the £75 further down the line if it became an issue.

That’s it for now.

 

[277soo]

Two weeks on and everything on the instrument cluster is all still working perfectly - fingers crossed!

 

[277soo]

No issues to date, everything on the cluster still functioning correctly.

 

[277soo]

Everything still working OK.

 

[277soo]

Practically six months on & still all working fine.

 

[Morty Mort]

Here we go. What are the odds of:

- Doing 80 km/h in your own neighbourhood.
- Doing 80 km/h right in front of your own parked caravan.
- Having "low fuel" light illuminated while the tank is nearly half full.
- Stopping time completely.

When doing 80 (km/h) on the highway I heard a little tick, like a relay tick, then the dash froze.

When I shut off the ignition, the orange low fuel signal also disappears. But still it is frozen. When starting the car a couple of orange amber signs flash, for the airbags. And if I push the passenger seat cushion the OCS activates a flash on the dash, so something is getting power. Everything on the car works.

Anyone know what fuses to start with?

 

[Morty Mort]

Both fuses checked. OK. One of the fuses only shut down the low fuel light.

Pulled the cluster. The left plug (gray) only contained one wire. The right plug (black) had many wires. After spraying contact cleaner and putting together I got the cluster to whirr (noise) and work for 10 seconds - then dead. This worked 5 times (plug in/out), before nothing more at all...

Shold I say a prayer and bury the cluster?

Anyone with a spare cluster for the 1.6 with km spec? and under 97.000km (as FES can's calibrate down the odometer).

 

[Muppet1]

I would certainly check ebay first for one, But yes sounds very much like what mine used to do when it went just freeze when and the only lights that used to work were the airbag lights.
Could be worth getting hold of the company that repaired the one in this thread to see if they could look at it for you ??

 

[Morty Mort]

Thanks for your reply. I will definately look into it. The cheapest used clusters I can get here goes for 120 GBP, but they have done 200.000 km which is double of mine. And FES will not take it backwards. I don't dare ask FIAT for a new one, as I guess it will double the value of my car.

I had a little chat with Blu Jet (named after the color, Jet Blue) and said I would not give up so easily. And hey, it worked. We are now back on track after choking the connectors (males and females) with contact cleaner and splashing it back together so it dripped around the steering wheel. But I understand this will not last long.

Wonder if I could fit an Abarth cluster in there. :devil:

Taking a week off from work, flying Norwegian to the UK, getting the cluster fixed, sightseeing the Island and then returning back home is probably cheaper than buying a new one from FIAT in Norway.