Terrible unusable Fiat Ducato speedo design (1 Viewer)

[Eenansue]

Try using the GPS Test plus app. Available from the Google play store and has an HUD facility so you can reflect it off the windscreen. Works really well once you've set the settings to make the readout visible in all lights. You can set the units to proper or metric to cater for Johnny Foreigners penchant for Napoleonic units

 

[Geo]

Never thought about the unreadable KPH until we got to Norway where the limits are lower and more critical. I did the maths and jotted them on a scrap of paper so when we hit a 70/60/50/40/30 kph sign my wife tells me what I should be doing. I shall come up with a better solution when we get home.

Your lucky my wife is always telling me what i should be doing

 

[xgx]

Save some money on fancy gadgets there's a quick and easy solution
... if you can multiply by 6

e.g. 50kph = 30mph; 100kph = 60mph.

the new speed limit:
80kph = 48mph (exact figure is 50mph, see below)

These are not accurate but err on the safe side
Conversion factor is 0.625 which makes 50kph = 31.25mph etc. etc.

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[Odd job]

A question of having to in my Ford Transit based MH as the instruments are totally unreadable in most conditions being buried at the bottom of a dark tunnel where my eyes cannot adjust quickly enough from bright outside to tunnel gloom - and putting the lights on doesn't help either!

I have a transit and totally agree

 

[Chockswahay]

I just had a quick look on Apple and the Speedodometer 55 Start GPS app looks quite good. I have downloaded so wil try tomorrow.

I like the user definable speed limits and the fact that the nice big numbers go from green to red if you over speed. Also has Head Up Display (but prob best at night time)

 

[Badknee]

Use a sat-nav as a speedo. Mount it on the dash, closer to the eye line, and set it to MPH or KPH.
More accurate than the built in speedo too.

Richard.

Yup, I'm with Clarky on this one as my speedo is 4/5 mph out.

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[Deleted member]

Took delivery of a Weinsberg Carabus conversion on a 2018 Ducato base vehicle earlier this year. I couldn’t believe how bad the speedo visibility is, located in the gloomy recesses of the dashboard. It’s amazing that such a safety critical item is so badly designed and is effectively useless. I’ve invested in a £70 GPS speedo which readily converts to KPH, but it shouldn’t be necessary on a modern vehicle. My previous 2006 Ducato conversion speedo visibility was much better!

 

[hilldweller]

speedo marks are ... dark red on black ..

Isa Italiano, hea asa style, rosso nero magnifico, Ia think youa ava no aeart.


Sad but true.

 

[Nasher]

Save some money on fancy gadgets there's a quick and easy solution
... if you can multiply by 6

e.g. 50kph = 30mph; 100kph = 60mph.

the new speed limit:
80kph = 48mph (exact figure is 50mph, see below)

These are not accurate but err on the safe side
Conversion factor is 0.625 which makes 50kph = 31.25mph etc. etc.

I've always divided by 8 and multiplied by 5, also do the same to convert distance from Km to Miles

But your method is much simpler - I'll use that in future!

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[Teuchter]

I've always divided by 8 and multiplied by 5, also do the same to convert distance from Km to Miles

But your method is much simpler - I'll use that in future!

Snap!!

 

[two]

Given the accuracy of Fiat speedos as long as you can see the needle is in correct quadrant it'll be near enough .

It's not just the numbers, you cannot see the dial either!

 

[gus-lopez]

Use a sat-nav as a speedo. Mount it on the dash, closer to the eye line, and set it to MPH or KPH.
More accurate than the built in speedo too.

Richard.

I have a sat.nav with gps & speed .
I have a camera with gps & speed .
I have an early perfectly legible speedo.
neither of the first two ,being about 3mm (1/8") high writing are quickly readable without a few seconds to spot where they are.
All are perfectly readable when stationary but as soon as the sunglasses go on ............... Nothing .
Another one is anyone wearing distance glasses for driving has to either flip them up/down or peer over the top?

virtually given up with the 2017 Fiat speedo which reads about 5mph high at a true 70mph!!!

It is meant too. All speedos do. They have to 'over read' .

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[hilldweller]

Save some money on fancy gadgets there's a quick and easy solution
... if you can multiply by 6
e.g. 50kph = 30mph; 100kph = 60mph.

But the real world problem is glance at speedo, can read 45 mph and we need 72 in a hurry. That's how we drive.

 

[hilldweller]

It is meant too. All speedos do. They have to 'over read' .

I nearly got caught out once, I had a Kawasaki Er6n the speedo was spot on. I've noted on Yank bike forums that they seem got get accurate ones. I may have got one of those even though the bike was RHD.

 

[xgx]

But the real world problem is glance at speedo, can read 45 mph and we need 72 in a hurry. That's how we drive.

Nope, the conversion factor doesn't work that way ...it's to convert kph to mph not **Vicky Verka (it doesn't work backwards even in reverse)

** in Army terms: A/F

Ifn you really want to get from 45mph to 72 in a hurry use your quacker ...

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[Baileysbus]

Or just stick to 30 mph

Provided you can read it on the speedo

 

[ambulancekidd]

Just buy a Mercedes, job done.

 

[Deleted member]

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency should demand a recall and require Fiat to fit a speedometer that the driver can actually read. I can’t believe that the latest Ducato is compliant with the European Type Approval for Automotive Systems and Components.

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[56193]

I've recently bought a new Peugeot Boxer to convert and (from all the negative comments being made above) I can only assume that the instrument panel has been updated within the last year or so. My speedo has nice clear white numbers and markings on a black background ... and the kph markings are similarly clear, albeit they are a little smaller. As this is (effectively) a Ducato with a different engine and badges, the Fiat speedos (presumably) have exactly the same markings.

P.S. I don't find that the speedo over-reads any more than any car that I've driven - the only vehicle I've ever had with an accurate speedo was ex police ...

 

[two]

I think Fiat prefer to keep their customers "in the dark".

 

[Bustup15]

I've seen this issue raised many times by various members and it was an issue that concerned me as I am waiting delivery of a LHD Ducato base vehicle that will require an MPH overlay.

I saw on another forum/magazine that Lockwoods can supply the dial overlays with white numbers on a black background rather than the opposite which seems to be or have been the standard issue. These seem to be much clearer than the old version.

Hope this helps and isn't a repeat of a previous posting.

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[Lenny HB]

I've seen this issue raised many times by various members and it was an issue that concerned me as I am waiting delivery of a LHD Ducato base vehicle that will require an MPH overlay.

I saw on another forum/magazine that Lockwoods can supply the dial overlays with white numbers on a black background rather than the opposite which seems to be or have been the standard issue. These seem to be much clearer than the old version.

Hope this helps and isn't a repeat of a previous posting.

Yes you will need an replacement dial. The Kmh on the Lockwood dials are a bit clearer as they are white (red on Fiat dial), still not good. After the inspection I put my Kmh dial back in.

 

[138go]

I fitted a HUD Display to our Pilote. It had a GPS built in and lived down by the windscreen. Displayed speed on the windscreen using a tinted patch. Numbers were about 30mm high and very readable. Cost about £45 and well worth it. Wired in permanently. There are loads to chose from now. When I bought mine 5 years ago there were hardly any.

Now have a Laika and a Blaupunkt 945 which is Android based. It will run a second screen and also various Apps. I have a Speed Display App that will sit on top of all other Apps and display the speed in nice large numbers on both displays. The Laika came with a rear view camera display on the right of the steering wheel so I use this as the second display and have all the info from the Blaupunkt repeated on it. It all works very well. Don't even bother with the speedo as can program App for KPH or MPH.

 

[Bustup15]

Yes you will need an replacement dial. The Kmh on the Lockwood dials are a bit clearer as they are white (red on Fiat dial), still not good. After the inspection I put my Kmh dial back in.

Hi Lenny

See PM

Neil

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[Stewart J]

While Moho in for service I had the Fiat garage carry out the free fix so that dials etc are now permanently illuminated noticed the difference on the 50 mile run home, time will tell.

 

[gus-lopez]

While Moho in for service I had the Fiat garage carry out the free fix so that dials etc are now permanently illuminated noticed the difference on the 50 mile run home, time will tell.

Remember that when you forget to switch your lights on at night .

 

[Stewart J]

Remember that when you forget to switch your lights on at night .

My mantra is not to drive after dark dark means beer time.

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[Clarky]

While Moho in for service I had the Fiat garage carry out the free fix so that dials etc are now permanently illuminated noticed the difference on the 50 mile run home, time will tell.

The mod means that the dash lights are on all the time but they are still as dim as a Toc H lamp (you need to be a certain age to know what I mean ).
They do show up better in gloomy weather or when driving under dense tree cover but in sunlight are useless.
Added to the reflections on the perspex dial cover it is still a struggle to see the speed.
Definitely not fit for purpose, even without the KPH red on black farce, and how Fiat get away with such poor design is beyond me. As someone else said, it appears that it was designed by an eight year old.

Richard.

 

[Deneb]

I've never found it a problem, but I do wear my specs when driving these days

Seriously though, I suspect part of the problem is the change in angle that most MH drivers are viewing the dash from, due to the seat swivels.

 

[Allanm]

I notice a lot of Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen coachbuilt drivers seem to sit very high up, very noticeable when they are driving towards you and you can’t see the tops of their heads. This could be one reason why the Speedo’s are harder to read, I have the seat at its lowest and can see the speedo easily, though I agree, the red kmh scale on our previous Pug was very hard to see. That’s why I usually rely on the speed shown on my sat nav.
In our new van (2018 Fiat) the kmh scale is easy to read.............

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