Ducato - digital part of dashboard intermittent

iansl

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Hi all,

I have a 2014 230 Multijet and sometimes (usually after a period of no use) the LCD display on the dash that shows the mileage doesn't show anything even though the backlight to it is on. Usually, after regular use it comes back to life but only after turning the ignition off and back on. At the moment, it has not been used for a couple of months and the MOT is due in a couple of weeks and there is no mileage for the tester to see even though I have been using it to get to work and back the last couple of days.

Any ideas where to begin looking to fix this?

(ignore the airbag light - that is another problem I am trying to resolve before the MOT!)

Thanks everyone.dash.jpg
 
I think that this problem is common to many lcd displays as they apparently don’t like being damp. Possibly drying out the area with a hairdryer may sort the problem.
 
As said try getting it warm, as for the Airbag light, common fault if a dual seat has been swapped for a single, a resister sorts it out, or it could be a dodgy plug, or body module fault, a OBD2 reader might help find the fault.
 
I had the dreaded ECU/Airbag fault light in mid November. If the Fault Code is 'U172687 Body Controller & Instrument Panel', then the ECU is gubbed and a new module fitted. It is beyond redemption [telephone advice from Crashdata on that fault Code]. When the fault occurred, both the Airbag and the Seatbelt Pre Tensioner Lightlit up, accompanied by an audible alarm, about every 1/2 minute or so. The Yellow Warning Light on the main dashboard [opposite the passenger's knee!] that has a seatbelt image and 'X 2' also lit up. However, driving around whilst waiting for the new ECU resulted in the audible alarm sounding only on start up of the engine, the seatbelt warning on the Instrument Panel returned to normal, as did the warning lamp opposite the Passenger's knee ...

In addition to the Repair work, I had an AMT 12 Battery Relay/Conditioner fitted last week, and tonight will be the first night when I have used the Switch 2 connection option to force the Leisure Battery to supply an almost permanent pulse current to the Starter Battery to protect the ECU and Battery. I shall be monitoring the Leisure Battery at 2 hourly intervals to see what drain this has on the Leisure Battery SOC

Brunhilde is a June 2016 Fiat130 Multijet 2.3 diesel

Steve
 
Makes me think that all the extra moisture produced in a motorhome from cooking , heating ,showering , 24 hours living may aggravate electronic problems not found on base vehicles,?.
 
Molly 3 said:
Makes me think that all the extra moisture produced in a motorhome from cooking , heating , 24 hours living may aggravate electronic problems not found on base vehicles,?.
Click to expand...
Our ECU failure and related aggro wasn't caused by damp or prolonged usage, quite the opposite. I'd left the M/Home for some 3 weeks after our last trip, and 6 days after having the starter battery changed to prevent an ECU failure ... Turned out that there was a very high parasitic drain backfeeding through the EBL 99 Elektroblok that the auto electrician traced to a crosswired [original Selling Dealer fitted] multimedia unit and reversing camera in 2016. I assume that the original purchaser kept the M/Home on permanent EHU during Winter since a] itwas the original starter battery that I had changed; and b] the M/Home had only covered 8767 miles in nearly 5 years when we bought Brunhilde in late April 2021

Steve
 
iansl said:
Hi all,

I have a 2014 230 Multijet and sometimes (usually after a period of no use) the LCD display on the dash that shows the mileage doesn't show anything even though the backlight to it is on.
Click to expand...
These people offer a repair service by post the head is easily removed few screws an 1 wire to unplug
cartronix.co.uk

Speedo Repair | Instrument Cluster Repair | Dashpod Repair | Cartronix

Faulty instrument cluster? Speedo repair needed? We will help, we are dashboard repair specialists and repair all instrument panels. Call for a quote!
cartronix.co.uk cartronix.co.uk
 
Thanks 2cv I will try a hairdryer directed behind the dash next.

I think I was a little unclear in my first post though. Throughout the summer, on the whole it worked but on a couple of journeys it would be off. Then on the next leg of the journey it would be on. On no occasion if it was off would it turn on mid way through the same journey.

I have searched several forums and it doesn't seem to be a common fault.


Witzend, when you say the "head" is easy to remove, what is the "head"? Is that the whole dash or the LCD bit? It may be worth me checking this wire you mention if its not too hard to get to? When the display comes on it works perfectly - all the digits are ok and the mileage, words etc. Its just that sometimes it goes off completely.

Thanks for your thoughts guys.
 
iansl said:
Witzend, when you say the "head" is easy to remove, what is the "head"? Is that the whole dash or the LCD bit? It may be worth me checking this wire you mention if its not too hard to get to? When the display comes on it works perfectly - all the digits are ok and the mileage, words etc. Its just that sometimes it goes off completely.
Click to expand...
Just what you see when you open the link. Take off the cowl over the top 2 torx screws wire is a multi wire plug thats into the rear of the unit
 
Hi all, just to let you know I got it working last night. How long it remains working is yet to be seen.

It may not be the final thing on this list that fixed the problem as the earlier things may have contributed to it working...

  • Fan heater blowing in the general direction of the dash
  • Drove it to work for three days, with heater on full
  • Used a hairdryer under dash and through a gap above the steering wheel for several minutes
  • Took plastic lid off the top off the instrument cover as per
    . It takes a lot of upwards force with the heels of the hands under the front lip after removing the two screws that you can only see by looking underneath. Then disconnected battery earth, disconnected connector at back of instrument panel, reconnected connector, reconnected battery, ran engine, stopped engine and then it worked when I opened the door.
 
Tha's a bit of a bugger.
 
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