Help! Instrument dials not working on Fiat Ducato Base following battery change (1 Viewer)

[HymerGirl1990]

Hi, I have done some research on this fault which has occurred on my Fiat Ducato base Hymer (2003) model.
Since the battery going flat and me having to replace it the instrument cluster is not working as it should.
The speedometer, rev counter, and petrol gauge aren't working. The rev counter moves, goes to full and stops there.
I think this is an instrument cluster issue and I will have to get it sent off but before I go through the pain of that I wanted to check to see if anyone else had experienced the same (and maybe resolved it!?)

I have disconnected it from the battery via the plugs on the back overnight and plugged them back in but the same error still occurs.

Is anyone aware of any fuses that might be at fault?

 

[****]

Not saying this is your problem but it was common for the clocks to go on the Fiat Stilo. A company called Dash-Tec fix them for £120 with a lifetime guarantee but i would be going onto the fiat forum and asking around before parting with money.

http://www.fiatforum.com/

I am presuming here you are sharing the same dash/electrics as the standard Ducato

 

[Mr Colpot]

Hope its not the same as I had on a Peugeot Boxer - Cost me £800 for a new Cluster - allegedly due to the previous owner jump starting it. On mine it was just the Speedo which was misbehaving though. It was sent away to a company who declared it beyond repair.

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[Ingwe]

Had the same with the speedo and warning lights on dashboard following our Peugeot boxer base Bailey being started with a jump starter (by someone from Caravan Guard!).

Turned out the ECU needed replacing under warranty (over £800!).

Don't know why both Peugeot and Bailey have jump start points, don't warn against jump starting, have alarms etc that drain the battery over a couple of days so flat batteries are frequent and then when jumpstarted find that you've stuffed up the ECU!

 

[tonyidle]

Some rapid charge / jump start devices connect a voltage far in excess of nominal battery voltage. Connecting another vehicle to yours so you can start it will not damage the ECU.

 

[Ingwe]

@tonyidle-point taken but it was jump started by the guy from Caravan Guard, who you would think would know about such things! After all, it costs enough.

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[Kool Kroozer]

Yes i had the same on our 63 plate boxer after taking the battery off.. I pleaded ignorant to Peugeot and told them the clocks started playing up when i tried to start the van and the battery was very low.. They replaced the clock cluster under warranty but would have cost around £800..it seems to be a common problem with these Fiat Peugeot an citreon models along with many other problems which they know about but do nowt about it

 

[Ingwe]

Yes, it does seem to be a common problem and yes, Peugeot, Bailey and ilk don't seem to care about remedying it. Don't mean to be cynical but there it is. The dealer tried to make light of the battery going flat after only a few days, which prevented the habitation door from locking in any manner at all and then having had to have the van started, it stuffs up the ECU. Must say, destroys any confidence we had in going away in the van. /wondering whether the van will start and if not do we jump start and risk blowing the ECU or not.

 

[Flamenca]

Yes, it does seem to be a common problem and yes, Peugeot, Bailey and ilk don't seem to care about remedying it. Don't mean to be cynical but there it is. The dealer tried to make light of the battery going flat after only a few days, which prevented the habitation door from locking in any manner at all and then having had to have the van started, it stuffs up the ECU. Must say, destroys any confidence we had in going away in the van. /wondering whether the van will start and if not do we jump start and risk blowing the ECU or not.

I use a solar panel to maintain the battery charge. Originally I had a 20 Watt panel with regulator serving just the engine start battery. I have more recently increased the solar panels to maintain both leisure and start battery. Serves me well and as I rarely visit camp sites having electric hook-up is a rarity

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[Ingwe]

@Flamenca-the van's previous owner installed a 120w solar panel and this is currently keeping both the cab and leisure battery fully charged so we don't anticipate problems here in France. The problem arose when back in Blighty. Our secure storage is indoors so the solar panel doesn't help. We are looking at keeping it on hook up permanently. There seems to be a divergence of opinion of (a) whether one should do this at all and (b) whether the charger fitted to our 2012 Bailey is "smart" and hence will not allow the batteries to be over done if on continual charge. Never had a straight answer (that we can understand) from our dealer on that score.

On a very limited sample size (three nights) we have managed well on just solar charging, although the Truma (all the wags who call it 'Trauma' have a point) combi heater doesn't work on hook up only (flashing red light) but that's another story!!

 

[Gorsecover59]

Hi,
I had an issue last year. Mine was caused by a battery isolator which was making and breaking at the speed of light.The instruments were going ballistic and ended up with fuel reading full and temp reading full. With rev doing it`s own thing. Sent cluster away,unable to fix. New unit £800,or second hand unit from ebay (complete with 179000 miles on clock)for £25.

 

[tonyidle]

@tonyidle-point taken but it was jump started by the guy from Caravan Guard, who you would think would know about such things! After all, it costs enough.

You would think so. My post was to say that as long as a power source identical (in terms of voltage) to the original is connected the ECU doesn't see anything different to the normal starter battery. I don't know what was used to start yours but I do know that 'rapid chargers' and some 'emergency start' devices apply a voltage to the failing battery far in excess of the maximum of (around) 14.2v or so. That said a discharged battery that's in decent condition (other than being flat) should hold down whatever is applied to it to a sensible level - you may have been very unlucky .

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