Hello, I’m a new fiat owner and recently passed my driving test, I’m also young so I don’t have a lot of knowledge on cars. I have a few problems to which I wonder if anyone has a solution or know what’s wrong. My instrument cluster has failed on me, the speedometer works fine but the digital side is no longer coming on when turning the car on. I have sent it to get repaired and they had told me it was an internal problem which was unfixable, so I went and brought a new one to which it also doesn’t show the digital stuff either. So I have no knowledge on if my mileage has transferred over or how much petrol I have. It’s a 2008 fiat lounge, 1.4. Any help is appreciated.
Technical Instrument Cluster Problem
- Thread starter kay13013
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Technical Instrument Cluster Problem
I had the same problem on my Grande Punto and brought a used cluster with a lower mileage from Germany (think the price was around € 40,-) - so I could get the car through inspection - but now that one too does not work proberly - only when I have been driving some time with the heat turned all up it shows the digital figures correctly - mostly it is all russian to me - and today it was all blank.
I think it is a problem that has to do with moisture in the cabin - and frosty weather - so I have decided to live with it untill summer - or I might try to put in an electic heater and dry out the cabin. Or I might try to take both the old and new cluster into my house for a few days to heat them up slowly and dry them out - and then try put them in again.
Just tried to search 'dash issues' - but nothing relevant comes up!
Search results for query: Digital
www.fiatforum.com
I’m currently trying to warm up the first one which came with the car and I’ll see how that one goes. Thank you
I’ve tried looking into that one but got nothing in my search
Just seen something that could be the cause.could be to do with a flat or dying battery. Might be a good idea to get it checked if you haven’t already.
Try the link I posted
See this thread: https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/ducato-digital-part-of-dashboard-intermittent.491683/post-4623660
Seems like I am not totally wrong that it is a moisture problem ;-)
Noideawhatimdoing
New member
I just had my cluster declared unrepairable, looking through the threads here it seems it can be replaced but the replacement will need reprogramming, is this straightforward , any links to how it can be done or is it best to take it to the garage? thanks all.
You need to take it to a garage if you want to have the kilometer setting adjusted (else it will keep on blinking) - but this can only be adjusted forward - so if it says 140000 km you can not have it adjusted to 100000 - only 140000 +
But I would say it is an old car - and sometimes it will work - and sometimes it wont. I had mine replaced - and now the new used one has the same problem - so save the money and why bother to have it changed - it is Fiat and they wont take it back - just avoid buying Fiat again!
Noideawhatimdoing
New member
Oh thats not good, ive only done about 30,000 miles in it so i need to get one with less then that? I thought the car stored the mileage so you couldnt tamper with it..have to get it sorted before my MOT i presume.
The MOT does not care - they just write down the mileage they can see - and if they cant read it - they just write 000000 - as mentioned in another thread.
With only 30000 I think it will be hard to find a used with less or it will be too expensive compared to a new one. But maybe You can find one with 1 or 230000 ish km - then it is only the first digit that is wrong ;-)
Noideawhatimdoing
New member
I found one on Ebay with 34k miles on it, not too far away. Glad to hear the MOT people dont care though, i will just fit the new one and be done with it, thanks for the info!!
The kilometer will continue blinking (forgot to write it before) - untill You have had it to a garage with a computer, that at least can tell it to stop - also the service intervals have to be adjusted.
@kay13013
It's really not as complicated as is being made out.
The problem is that the circular LCD that fits in the centre of the clocks degrades over time (I think it's the cable/ribbon that breaks down). Anyway, you have two options;
1) Buy a new LCD and fit it (yourself or your favourite mechanic/auto electrician or by using a speedo repair place).
2) Buy a new speedometer and fit it (yourself or your favourite mechanic/auto electrician).
Don't buy a second-hand speedometer and expect it to work great and work forever.
I doubt if anyone would use the same philosophy when buying tyres, oil, spark-plugs etc.... so I'm not sure why LCDs are treated differently but you keep reading on here.. "buy a second-hand speedo". Let me know if you ever buy an airline, folks..
Meanwhile... back in Reality:
The issue is finding the LCD, because Fiat is not an electrical components re-seller so does not sell all the various speedo' electronics separately (yeah I know... how dare they only sell car parts?).
If your speedo repair place can locate the correct part, they can fix it because all you have to do is fit the new LCD.
If they cannot find an LCD, they will tell you "it can't be fixed". What they mean is they can't get the parts for it.
If you/your favourite mechanic or auto-electrician removes the speedo' you will be able to unclip the LCD and read the reference numbers on the ribbon cable. It'll say something like one of :
COG VLIT 1592-02
COG VLIT 1592-03
COG VLIT 1317-03
COG VLIT 1317-07
You write down the number and type it into Ebay's Search bar... and if you're in luck you'll find someone selling a part that will fit.
The LCDs differ in the layout of the dates and mileometer readings, which changed over a couple of iterations... but obviously you won't know what yours is supposed to look like. A 2008 is *probably* a COG-VLIT 1229B-01 but you must read what's on your LCD to be sure.. someone who might own an airline ^^ could have replaced the speedo' with a later one . You need the a ribbon that's compatible for your actual speedo'.
A new LCD is about £110 and if you/your dad/brother/favourite mechanic can fit it then Robert is your mother's brother.
If you replace the speedo altogether, then as above, to stop the mileage flashing you will need to have the speedo "proxy aligned" to stop the mileage flashing. It's not a big job but most places who can do it will charge you £80, which makes this and the new/about to fail in a few months time speedo' the worst option.
A speedo repair place that has the part will charge between £150 - £200, obviously for a spot of their labour on top of the part.
Ralf S.
It's really not as complicated as is being made out.
The problem is that the circular LCD that fits in the centre of the clocks degrades over time (I think it's the cable/ribbon that breaks down). Anyway, you have two options;
1) Buy a new LCD and fit it (yourself or your favourite mechanic/auto electrician or by using a speedo repair place).
2) Buy a new speedometer and fit it (yourself or your favourite mechanic/auto electrician).
Don't buy a second-hand speedometer and expect it to work great and work forever.
I doubt if anyone would use the same philosophy when buying tyres, oil, spark-plugs etc.... so I'm not sure why LCDs are treated differently but you keep reading on here.. "buy a second-hand speedo". Let me know if you ever buy an airline, folks..
Meanwhile... back in Reality:
The issue is finding the LCD, because Fiat is not an electrical components re-seller so does not sell all the various speedo' electronics separately (yeah I know... how dare they only sell car parts?).
If your speedo repair place can locate the correct part, they can fix it because all you have to do is fit the new LCD.
If they cannot find an LCD, they will tell you "it can't be fixed". What they mean is they can't get the parts for it.
If you/your favourite mechanic or auto-electrician removes the speedo' you will be able to unclip the LCD and read the reference numbers on the ribbon cable. It'll say something like one of :
COG VLIT 1592-02
COG VLIT 1592-03
COG VLIT 1317-03
COG VLIT 1317-07
You write down the number and type it into Ebay's Search bar... and if you're in luck you'll find someone selling a part that will fit.
The LCDs differ in the layout of the dates and mileometer readings, which changed over a couple of iterations... but obviously you won't know what yours is supposed to look like. A 2008 is *probably* a COG-VLIT 1229B-01 but you must read what's on your LCD to be sure.. someone who might own an airline ^^ could have replaced the speedo' with a later one . You need the a ribbon that's compatible for your actual speedo'.
A new LCD is about £110 and if you/your dad/brother/favourite mechanic can fit it then Robert is your mother's brother.
If you replace the speedo altogether, then as above, to stop the mileage flashing you will need to have the speedo "proxy aligned" to stop the mileage flashing. It's not a big job but most places who can do it will charge you £80, which makes this and the new/about to fail in a few months time speedo' the worst option.
A speedo repair place that has the part will charge between £150 - £200, obviously for a spot of their labour on top of the part.
Ralf S.
