Hi all, new around here

 

We have recently purchased a 2017 1.2 TSI Fabia SE and are very happy with it so far apart from one little problem. The temperature dial in the instrument cluster (inside the rev dial) will not move above it's minimum position.

 

I have connected to the OBDII port with a bluetooth scanner and live monitored the coolant temperature, which after warming up hovers around 93°C, so the sensor and Thermostat must be working OK. I'm going to take it to a friend with VCDS to see if that throws up anything, but other than that I'm at a loss. The rest of the instrument cluster is functioning perfectly.

 

Any ideas much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Fred

Hi, welcome,

 

There are some very clever electrical and computer people on here and I'm neither (or with anything else) but I'd have thought a fully loaded VCDS might narrow the search down as the possibilities are electrical or computer commination with wire(s) and connection(s)/connector(s) or simply perhaps even mechanical with the dial as it's a physical item.

 

Ask your friend to do a full report at plug in to see what history you might find.  Do you have any history on the car or access to the virtual service record to look at.

 

That's it, until someone better turns up.

 

Good luck.

 

Some useful links in case you don't have them - 

• PDF of Owner's Manual (a valuable source of information) - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models
• 'Recall actions' - https://www.skoda-auto.com/services/recall-actions
• Users Software updates - https://updateportal.skoda-auto.com/

 

Edited 3 September, 20223 yr by nta16
missing word

Quick test would be to use VCDS to engage all the needle sweep output tests, that will rule out something broken in cluster.

Odds are that you have a broken wire, and hopefully VCDS can locate a fault stored, then onto finding the critter.

Since the very first Fabia, coolant temperature has been conveyed to the instrument cluster from the engine ECU via CAN data. It seems to me very likely therefore that the fault is local to the cluster, as any CAN problem would surely affect many other functions.

 

If your cluster can display oil temperature, it's probably best to just use that going forward, rather than try to fix the water temp gauge.

1 hour ago, nta16 said:

Hi, welcome,

 

There are some very clever electrical and computer people on here and I'm neither (or with anything else) but I'd have thought a fully loaded VCDS might narrow the search down as the possibilities are electrical or computer commination with wire(s) and connection(s)/connector(s) or simply perhaps even mechanical with the dial as it's a physical item.

 

Ask your friend to do a full report at plug in to see what history you might find.  Do you have any history on the car or access to the virtual service record to look at.

 

That's it, until someone better turns up.

 

Good luck.

 

Some useful links in case you don't have them - 

• PDF of Owner's Manual (a valuable source of information) - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models
• 'Recall actions' - https://www.skoda-auto.com/services/recall-actions
• Users Software updates - https://updateportal.skoda-auto.com/

Thanks for your advice, and the links! I'm sure they will come in very useful!

 

52 minutes ago, varooom said:

Quick test would be to use VCDS to engage all the needle sweep output tests, that will rule out something broken in cluster.

Odds are that you have a broken wire, and hopefully VCDS can locate a fault stored, then onto finding the critter.

That's a good shout!

44 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Since the very first Fabia, coolant temperature has been conveyed to the instrument cluster from the engine ECU via CAN data. It seems to me very likely therefore that the fault is local to the cluster, as any CAN problem would surely affect many other functions.

 

If your cluster can display oil temperature, it's probably best to just use that going forward, rather than try to fix the water temp gauge.

That was my train of thought also. I know the CAN data is fine as I can live monitor the coolant temp, and it is fine. I can also display oil temp on the multi dot display. It's more of an annoyance than anything else, especially as it's a new (to me) car.

So if anyone else encounters this problem, I've managed to fix it (for now, hopefully it'll last!).

 

All I did was remove the Instrument cluster, unplug the connector at the back and re-plug!

 

I had to set the correct time again and the long term fuel consumption and trip values are now lost, but other than that it's all good.

 

Thanks for your help everyone.

Unpluging and replugging a good few times is often a basic form of cleaning on some connectors, I often say that servicing, maintenance and repairs on cars often boils down to cleaning and lubricating, even electronically with clearing codes.

 

Hope it lasts and well done on sorting it. 👍

 

Edited 4 September, 20223 yr by nta16
spelling

38 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Unpluging and replugging a good few times is often a basic form of cleaning on some connectors, I often say than servicing, maintenance and repairs on cars often boils down to cleaning and lubricating, even electronically with clearing codes.

 

Hope it lasts and well done on sorting it. 👍

 

I fully agree with this, however in this instance, all signals come over the same digital canbus connection, so it makes no sense that some things would work, and some things not. I almost feel like it's a software / memory "bug" as the instruments cluster is a control module in it's own right. Perhaps a "reboot" was all that was needed. Time will tell...

If the fault returns then it will be a dry or cracked soldered joint between the connector and the PCB, that would have been my suggestion as the likely cause, wiggling or bashing it often brings a temporary reprise.

 

That has been my experience with the instrument binnacles on other Skoda and VAG vehicles, if someone with Fabia knowledge knows that they are immune then please say so.

2 minutes ago, J.R. said:

If the fault returns then it will be a dry or cracked soldered joint between the connector and the PCB, that would have been my suggestion as the likely cause, wiggling or bashing it often brings a temporary reprise.

 

That has been my experience with the instrument binnacles on other Skoda and VAG vehicles, if someone with Fabia knowledge knows that they are immune then please say so.

Wiggling and walloping didn't help in this case (believe me I tried)! In the end it was simply the canbus connection. But I agree, it may have just temporarily reset the problem. Perhaps the onboard diagnostics detected an intermittent connection and shut down that particular dial? There were no stored fault codes though... I guess we'll see how long it lasts!

Just now, Freddie_ said:

In the end it was simply the canbus connection

 

You do not know that and its also implausible as you yourself have said.

 

Whatever it was I hope it doesn't return.

As an aside, am I correct in thinking that the vehicle milage is stored in the cluster rather than the ECU?

 

Is it simply a matter of copying the coding from the old cluster to a new one (with VCDS for example) to replace it, or is it more complicated than this?

2 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

You do not know that and its also implausible as you yourself have said.

 

Whatever it was I hope it doesn't return.

I do know that disturbing this connection is what's temporarily made it work again. I don't yet know if it's a permanent fix. As I said, there were no stored fault codes in the module. If it breaks again, then obviously further investigation (or replacement) is needed.

9 hours ago, Freddie_ said:

I fully agree with this, however in this instance, all signals come over the same digital canbus connection, so it makes no sense that some things would work, and some things not. I almost feel like it's a software / memory "bug" as the instruments cluster is a control module in it's own right. Perhaps a "reboot" was all that was needed. Time will tell...

A software error, I've never heard of such, "switching it off 'n' on agen" sorting anything is surely myth, VW's computer programs getting their underwear knotted, surely not.  I'm all for  disconnecting the battery, draining the force from VW's finest evils and wiping codes if any existing.  Anything that's cheap, quick and easy is always first on my list, though taking the dash out is a bit of effort.  Sexy complicated stuff is beyond me and I leave to those better than myself.

 

Personally I always feel like "rebooting" the car and its computer programs.