General Instrument cluster repaired but no speedo readings?

[mickywillis]

2 weeks ago my wifes 2004 Stilo diesel Active Multiwagon showed the classic symptoms of the cluster failure issue. Removing fuse 53 and replacing livened up the panel for a few minutes and then went back to failure mode again. No lights, speedo, rev counter, LCD display showing, only the airbag warning lights.
Sent unit to a cluster repair agent and collected yesterday. Plugged in and all good (so I thought) Refitted dash and went away happy. Didn't drive car at that point.
Used the car about an hour later and whilst all still good, when I drove off the speedo needle moved from rest (zero) to 140 MPH (in other words full scale deflection FSD) The needle moves as soon as the car reaches 2 or 3 mph, both in forward and reverse. When coming to a stop, the needle returns from its FSD position, back to zero.
Tried removing fuses to reset cluster and everything works except the speedo? The odometer is clocking up distance, so can I assume the road speed sensor is OK?
Unit sent back to repair agent and they inform me it is OK?
So where do I look now if the cluster checks out OK? If the odometer is clocking up mileage OK, does the speedo pull its signal from the same sensor?


Car is ABS equipped and prior to cluster failure, the speedo worked fine, so I'm not convinced that the cluster still isn't faulty.
Could it be an issue with the ABS sensors on the front wheels or is there another sensor for the road speed? If so, where would it be located?


Thanks in advance.

 

[richydraper]

do have MultiECUScan? you may have to do a Proxi alignment on the instrument cluster, the repair process may involve reseting of the chips on the instrument cluster board. a Proxi Alignment will reteach the cluster to whichever varient you have.

 

[mickywillis]

No, no diagnostics available.
But the fact that the cluster read the correct mileage and all worked OK except the speedo suggests that a reset is not necessary. The odometer was clocking up mileage OK, so suggests that the sensor which controls that must be OK.
Company who repaired is returning cluster tomorrow. As a goodwill gesture, they have renewed the speedo mechanism motor The engineer suggested that there may be an issue with the speed sensor, but indicated that he wasn't sure if the speedo read via the ABS sensor and ring or via the gearbox sensor. He suggested that there may be an issue with the sensor, so that will be my next point of examination when the cluster comes back and if it doesn't work.

 

[mickywillis]

Have downloaded the MultiECUscan software and tried it on the car.
No DTC's coming off the engine and when I run the diagnostics to check engine RPM, vehicle speed, etc, I get the laptop showing speed being registered.
So really stuck now.
The cluster has been back to the repair agent and they say there is nothing wrong with the speedo setup? They changed the motor/drive mechanism on the cluster and returned it, but the fault persists?


Anyone have any ideas?


Is there anyone in the Surrey area who may have a spare instrument cluster I can plug in just to see of the speedo registers OK? I'm not 100% convinced it isn't the cluster still faulty and I need the proof to take to the repairers.


Have also stared a new post about not being able to get into the dashboard section of the MultiECUscan software so I can check all the functions of the cluster separately.

 

[mickywillis]

MultiECUscan- can't access the cluster test section?

Following the issues I'm having with instrument cluster, I downloaded the MultiECUscan software on my spare laptop and accessed the OBD socket with my ELM 1.5 cable.
I can see the engine ECU system OK and can call up the monitoring system, accessing the engine tacho and vehicle speed systems.
But what I'd like to do is access the dashboard system and test the cluster components individually. For some reason I can't access the MultiECUscan section of the software, getting a message saying the communication can't be made?
Am I doing something wrong or do I need one of the special "coloured" leads to access the cluster instrumentation?
Any ideas on what I might be doing wrong or if you can offer any suggestions I'd be grateful.
Thanks

 

[g8rpi]

Re: MultiECUscan- can't access the cluster test section?

Following the issues I'm having with instrument cluster, I downloaded the MultiECUscan software on my spare laptop and accessed the OBD socket with my ELM 1.5 cable.
I can see the engine ECU system OK and can call up the monitoring system, accessing the engine tacho and vehicle speed systems.
But what I'd like to do is access the dashboard system and test the cluster components individually. For some reason I can't access the MultiECUscan section of the software, getting a message saying the communication can't be made?
Am I doing something wrong or do I need one of the special "coloured" leads to access the cluster instrumentation?
Any ideas on what I might be doing wrong or if you can offer any suggestions I'd be grateful.
Thanks

Hi according to the compatibilty list http://www.multiecuscan.net/SupportedVehiclesList.aspx
You dont need an adaptor cable, but you do need the registered (paid for €50) version of MES. Well worth the investment.
Also check that you dont have a dodgy ELM with a termination resistor. If you have a digital meter set it to ohms and with the interface unplugged from car and computer, measure berween pins 6 and 14 of the EOBD connector (CAN bus pins) if it reads around 120 Ohms (anything less than 200) you need to remove the 120 ohm resistor connected to those pins inside the interface.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[mickywillis]

Still having speedometer issues-any ideas??

Further to my previous posts, my wifes 2005 Multiwagon diesel is still having an issue with the speedo.
I purchased the MultiECUscan registered software and was able to access the dashboard system.
Testing the speedo with the software enables the speedo to read full scale deflection and then the needle goes to the 80MPH position for a few seconds, then onto the 30MPH position for a few seconds, before returning to zero.
A complete dashboard test enables all the dials and lamps correctly, the rev counter, speedo, temperature and fuel dials all functioning correctly.
Further testing reveals that I can use the MES software to indicate the correct road speed when driving with the laptop plugged into the EOBD socket, but even when this data is being displayed, the pointer on the speedo dial itself moves from it's rest position and goes to full scale deflection (reading the maximum speed visible on the scale, I think about 160 MPH?) The speedo starts reading at appx 3MPH from rest. When coming to a stop, the speedo pointer then returns back to zero, having been at the full scale reading all the time whilst maintaining any road speed.
So conclusion is the data is being read correctly by I presume the body ECU (as it can be seen on the laptop) But the dash cluster is also OK as there are no issues with it when tested by MES?
Where do I turn to now? Could it be a faulty ABS sensor not comparing the road speed correctly to the other sensors, the deflection to maximum being a warning this is happening?
I can't find a gearbox speed sensor anywhere, so I'm assuming the data to detect road speed is taken from the ABS sensors? If so, which sensors are responsible for that (fronts, rears or all 4?) I haven't tested the ABS system as I don't have the correct leads yet, but I can feel the purchase of the other leads coming on....
Is there anyone local to me in Epsom who I could ask to borrow an instrument cluster from to see if I get the same results with that? Or anyone willing to loan me a cluster to connect to the car to ensure that the fault isn't still with the dash cluster (happy to pay postage either way)
Or even anyone who has the correct extra leads I can borrow to test the ABS (or pay someone to come here with their laptop and confirm my results)
Or anything else I can do to resolve this as I'm now totally stumped!!
Thanks.

 

[northantsabarth]

Re: Still having speedometer issues-any ideas??

Hi mickywillis,

Not sure if this is relevant or not, but I've recently had an issue with my Abarth fuse box, and since replacing the fusebox (and having to replace one burnt-out female pin in the brown 32 pin multiplug) my speedo intermittently isn't showing anything on the cluster.

So, it might be nothing to do with the fusebox (in the engine bay near the battery), but perhaps worth checking there's nothing obviously amiss there.

Good luck in resolving this problem, and please update the thread with any info you find out.

Cheers
Jeff

 

[mickywillis]

Re: Instrument cluster repaired but no speedo readings? RESOLVED!!

Finally nailed the problem as mentioned in thread.
Had to reset the Odometer mileage (added an extra 2 miles to the count, but for some reason it jumped up by about 400 miles?) using ECUMultiscan (the full registered version)
Then carried out a Proxy Alignment on the Body Control Module, following instructions to the letter.
Drove car up and down road and all back to normal!!
Hooray, that's my bacon saved from SWMBO!!
Now I just need to resolve the front suspension clonking and Stilo is back to normal again.
Thanks to those who offered help and suggestions, that's why Forums are so good.
Happy New Year all.
Micky