Alfa Romeo Forum banner

Instrument cluster/dash intermittent reset

4K views 18 replies 4 participants last post by  jwq 
#1 ·
I am a proud owner of a second hand 55 plate 147 jtd lusso 16v..90,000 on clock...hurray!
I have just driven it home from buying it...hurray!

To my horror driving down the motorway I started to get a instrument cluster/dash intermittent reset type thing.

Aaaargh!

I am scared...this is my first Alfa and was warned against buying it by everyone...in particular my wife (she does not know about this fault yet, so please no one tell her, she'll only say 'told you so'.

To be more detailed this is what happened.

Steady motorway driving at night.

All instrument dials fall to zero simultaneously.
All warning lights come on for a half second

Then warning lights go off and all dials go back to original levels. This happens every 5 mins or so, even happening twice in 30 seconds. It seemed to be more stable when using cruise, but this maybe coincidence.

I know the car was standing for a few weeks with little use.

I have not had a chance to drive in the daytime without lights etc.

Please please help...I am absolutely gutted. The guy I bought off seemed a really nice genuine guy. I feel so disappointed, foolish even.

I am scared to get back in the car for fear of finding out the whole electrics are crocked.

Many many thanks for any advice, warm words of encouragement etc.

I am quite technically minded and I am happy to dabble with my multimeter etc under the bonnet or behind the dash.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Thanks for the quick reply.

I had a look at that thread, but my problem seems less terminal. It is an intermittent failure and only for half a second or so. its like the instrument panel is resetting. The lighting to panel stays on. All dials simultaneously fall to zero then immediately go back to normal, and all warning lights come on then immediately go off...then everything is fine until it happens again minutes later!

Vauxhall canbus connector? Is there an Alfa equivalent?
 
#4 ·
I would think there is, all modern cars use the canbus protocols enabling the electronics to talk to each other.

You may have a faulty connecter. The only way to find out is to get your hands on the wiring loom in and around the instrument cluster and wiggle some wires, carefully.
 
#6 · (Edited)
It does sound like a faulty connector..... The dashboard is, as said, CAN-bus controlled. If the bus connection is interupted, all dashboard indications will fail. Don't think MES will help here.
Also make sure the battery (and connections) are ok..... Low voltage can give funny problems.....
 
#9 ·
Many thanks guys,

Ok great, battery, earths, canbus connectors for the dash. I will get on it.

Just as a heads up where are the dash canbus connectors, I guess ive got to start dissassembly of that part of dash and steering column.

I am going to get a copy of that Elearn. I used it with great effect on a relay/dipped beam problem I had on my Fiat ducato motorhome. It helped me improve greatly my knowledge of spanish language wire colours.
 
#10 ·
fairly easy to remove the dash, just a couple of screws to remove entire panel.... The CAN-bus connector is the connection between the bodycomputer and dash in the description (connector A?).
Could be dashboard side or bodycomputer side (bodycomputer is mounted at the rear of the fuse panel, below/beside steeringwheel.
 
#14 ·
Just had a quick spin and the stereo and a/c do NOT cut out. They remain unaffected.

I have taken a video of the event happening.....Its really boring.

Is there anyway to load that onto a post?

Will have a fiddle around with connectors etc. later and update.

What i did notice was a little black box connected to my ODB connector. I think this is a directline insurance DrivePlus telematics gizmo. The previous owner told me of this. Does anyone know if I can use/hack this gizmo independently of directline insurance i.e. my own diagnostics?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top