Fiat offers dashboard lighting solution (1 Viewer)

[gus-lopez]

On my version I get a green lit indicator to show lights are on.

Very few vehicles have a 'lights on' indicator.

Fiat did mention that, as by law all new vehicles have to have daylight running lights, one quick fix would be to connect the dash to that circuit. If any one wants to have a go at FIAT contact Carole at: customercare.uk@fiat.com.

Which means people will forget & think lights are on when it gets dark.

In this months MMM Fiat have acknowledged there is a problem and are working on a fix which involves illuminating the dash when the ignition is turned on. They say it will not be ready until the end of March. If you want to take advantage of the free upgrade then you need to contact Fiats free number which is 0080034281111 or visit the web site fiatcamper.com. Chasper.

see above

This afternoon, Friday 15th Jan 2016, The fix is a wiring change that will turn the instrument lighting on with the ignition. I pointed out that I have been able to achieve the same by switching the lights on during the day and that it does not fully solve the issue; the illumination is just not adequate. It is still not possible to see the instruments clearly in some lights. The lovely Carole promised to pass my comments on to the FIAT designers but was adamant their fix would work. I think we are being fobbed off by a cheap less than satisfactory response to their design failure.

+Which means people will forget & think lights are on when it gets dark.

 

[Speve]

@gus-lopez we have a 2014 Hymer/Fiat and it does have a green lights on indicator as does our 2012 Panda that would suggest that the newer Fiats have them.

 

[Dorset Diver]

@Speve. Mine are in red/orange and frankly I think that makes it much worse in daylight. However, good colours for night as they don't spoil your night vision. I guess until I get a satisfactory fix all my driving will have to be at night.

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[Dorset Diver]

I just wonder why FIAT can't fit lights and dash lights similar to my Volvo. The dash is always on, self adjusts to different daylight conditions and dims for night driving when the headlights come on automatically on dip and operate the dip and main automatically when it is fully dark.

 

[Speve]

You would think that if a thing like a sat nav can go from daylight to night time illumination a Fiat dashboard should be able to wouldn't you?

 

[peterc10]

Very few vehicles have a 'lights on' indicator.
.

Really? Mine do.

Which means people will forget & think lights are on when it gets dark.

I tend to notice that the fact that it is getting dark outside means I need to switch my lights on.

From memory just about every car I have owned or driven in the last 25 years had the dash board illuminated when the lights were not on. And when I switched the lights on that dashboard illumination would automatically dim. In most of those cars I could separately alter the dash board lighting levels when the lights were on and when they were off.

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[Larrynwin]

Got the new Hymer on Fiat a couple of weeks ago and contacted the dedicated Fiat telephone re the dash lights.
Have just received e mail confirming a free modification in the Spring.
They tried to contact by phone but we reject incoming international calls.
If you need this modification contact 00800 3428 1111

 

[MichaelT]

I take it they are fitting this new modification to all new vehicles? Reason I ask is we have a MH on order so hopefully it will not need modifying.

@Larrynwin do you know exactly what the modification is so I can check for it when we take delivery?

 

[peterc10]

I must say that I am very impressed with Fiat's customer services. I too have this problem and they have been very helpful, and have phoned me back on several occasions to make sure i was fully appraised of what was happening. I have been told, as others, that I would be contacted in the spring. By the sound of the accent they are based in South Africa.

This has been complicated by two things. First they had not been notified of the motorhome's date of registration. That was easily solved by me emailing a copy of the V5 to them, and they phoned me back to confirm it had been received. The second was that I also have another well known fault with the dash in that a warning light is constantly glowing. They told me to contact my local Fiat Pro dealer, who looked at it the same day and put the parts on order. Provisionally booked in for next Thursday for a new instrument cluster.

Had a discussion with Fiat about whether this new cluster will solve the lighting problem. They have been on back order and they are not sure if the unit I will be supplied with will be the modified ones or not. We left it that I would phone them if it did and they would take my name off the list if it did.

All in all a very impressive service.

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[MichaelT]

I must say that I am very impressed with Fiat's customer services. I too have this problem and they have been very helpful, and have phoned me back on several occasions to make sure i was fully appraised of what was happening. I have been told, as others, that I would be contacted in the spring. By the sound of the accent they are based in South Africa.

This has been complicated by two things. First they had not been notified of the motorhome's date of registration. That was easily solved by me emailing a copy of the V5 to them, and they phoned me back to confirm it had been received. The second was that I also have another well known fault with the dash in that a warning light is constantly glowing. They told me to contact my local Fiat Pro dealer, who looked at it the same day and put the parts on order. Provisionally booked in for next Thursday for a new instrument cluster.

Had a discussion with Fiat about whether this new cluster will solve the lighting problem. They have been on back order and they are not sure if the unit I will be supplied with will be the modified ones or not. We left it that I would phone them if it did and they would take my name off the list if it did.

All in all a very impressive service.

There is another recal for the ignition switch that causes some warning lights not to work so this may be related to your instrument lights

 

[Larrynwin]

I take it they are fitting this new modification to all new vehicles? Reason I ask is we have a MH on order so hopefully it will not need modifying.

@Larrynwin do you know exactly what the modification is so I can check for it when we take delivery?

No detail I'm afraid but I would guess it has to be daytime running illumination.

 

[peterc10]

There is another recal for the ignition switch that causes some warning lights not to work so this may be related to your instrument lights

Yep, I am aware of that one thanks. However Fiat have specifically said that my vehicle is not included in that recall.

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[Larrynwin]

Have just had EMail from Fiat advising to book in for dash lighting correction.
Have booked in with main dealer next week who advise it will take an hour to complete.
Then there was light

 

[Broadsman]

Have just had EMail from Fiat advising to book in for dash lighting correction.
Have booked in with main dealer next week who advise it will take an hour to complete.
Then there was light

We kept checking with the main dealer so after seeing this post we called Fiat Camper Assistance. They gave us a case number to quote to the main dealer, now booked in for three weeks time

 

[gus-lopez]

Really? Mine do.


I tend to notice that the fact that it is getting dark outside means I need to switch my lights on.

From memory just about every car I have owned or driven in the last 25 years had the dash board illuminated when the lights were not on. And when I switched the lights on that dashboard illumination would automatically dim. In most of those cars I could separately alter the dash board lighting levels when the lights were on and when they were off.

You'd be amazed at the amount who assume that the lights are on as the dash is lit when the drl's are on. They then bowl along oblivious to the fact that the lights aren't on. Easy fine for the UK police.
I can't recall any of the 56 vehicles I have owned that had the dash illuminated including the one I have now. In some older vehicles I remember having the ability to dim the dash lighting but only when you turned on the lights at night.
Personally I find these days that most vehicles dash lighting that is far too bright & additionally a screen for God knows what that lights up in the day & blinds you. I turned down a 308 hire car because no one could tell me , or had any idea whether the screen could be turned off, & I certainly wasn't driving with that lit up .

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[peterc10]

I am surprised that none of your cars had illuminated instruments during the day. We now both drive Honda Jazzes (2006 and 2013 models) and they have it, as did my previous 2 Honda Civic Hybrids. Before that I had a Skoda Superb, a Mercedes E class, a Citroen XM, and 2 Saab 9000s (last 3 were company cars). All of them had illuminated instrument clusters with or without the external lights on. Most of them, from memory had the ability to dim the cluster lights both during the day and night (different settings). That goes back over 25 years. After that the memory starts to fade.

 

[Larrynwin]

We have a Kia Rio toad and the panel lights are on in daylight, quite an improvement on the new Hymer/Fiat when you can't see what speed your are at I have to use a navigator

 

[Larrynwin]

Just taken Moho to Fiat main dealer for the second time to correct unreadable speedo cluster in daylight.
In contact with Fiat Europe they have now been able to get panel lights illuminated without lights switched on which gives a slight improvement but IMV still not satisfactory .
I will give my opinion in feedback to Fiat, hopefully others will too.

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[Howard H]

I have my van van booked in next Monday for the same but from what I can gather don't hold out much hope for a dramatic improvement and will probably still have to use the speedo app on my phone to see what speed I am doing in the daylight hours !

 

[Larrynwin]

I have my van van booked in next Monday for the same but from what I can gather don't hold out much hope for a dramatic improvement and will probably still have to use the speedo app on my phone to see what speed I am doing in the daylight hours !

On the first visit the engineer carried out the Fiat recommended software update and when I went to leave there was no difference.
As a result today's visit was arranged for the engineer to communicate online with Fiat to resolve.
As above they have managed to get the panel lights illuminated with ignition on which gives a marginal improvement but it really needs brighter panel lights now.
Good luck

 

[ABZSteve]

Got a call today to have mine done. Hopefully they can fix my radio also.

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[Larrynwin]

Got a call today to have mine done. Hopefully they can fix my radio also.

What's wrong with your radio .

 

[TheBig1]

I really cannot understand why Fiat have such a problem fixing this issue. a few bright white LEDs to illuminate the binnacle wired via a relay that turns them off when the lights get switched on. parts cost under £10 and about 1 1/2 hours labour

 

[peterc10]

Am going in tomorrow for my fix. All they do is update the software to switch the dash illumination on whenever the ignition is on.

My Fiat handbook suggests that you can change the level of illumination using the onboard computer, but I never found that as one of the options. Will look to see if it has appeared with the new software update

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[Broadsman]

Ours is going in for the update next Tuesday. Not expecting too much having read the above

 

[gus-lopez]

but it really needs brighter panel lights now.
Good luck

When they do that is when the dash will melt as it hasn't been designed to have the lights on permanently.

 

[ABZSteve]

What's wrong with your radio .

Fan noise when switched off. I have tried all of the suggestions from the folks on here but nothing stops that bloody noise

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[Larrynwin]

Fan noise when switched off. I have tried all of the suggestions from the folks on here but nothing stops that bloody noise

Sorry can't help you there.

 

[Larrynwin]

When they do that is when the dash will melt as it hasn't been designed to have the lights on permanently.

Would be LEDs I guess and probably not possible.

 

[peterc10]

When they do that is when the dash will melt as it hasn't been designed to have the lights on permanently.

Hardly likely given that the dash lights will be on whenever the headlights are on anyway. So that would mean the dash would be liable to melt on overnight trips or when used anywhere near the arctic circle, and I have never seen either of those warnings in the manual.

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