Moderators PTR200S Posted October 13, 2018 Moderators Report Share Posted October 13, 2018 Noticed over the past week that occasionally the odometer, trip display sort of fades in a couple of places..always comes back on within a minute then might not do it again for ages. Yesterday it did it twice with a few miles but no probs the rest of the day. Today just once, in 60 miles of motoring.... The display is good and strong normally so no change there and the heating display does not change in conjunction with it...also heating display has been consistently displaying after its hiccup a few weeks ago.. Does this seem like an electrical connection problem ? Or is it the start of a major failure of the speedometer display? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted October 16, 2018 Moderators Report Share Posted October 16, 2018 Lack of use causing a bit of dampness in the cabin would be my guess Pete. Use it more often and set the A/C to max with whatever temperature you feel comfortable with and hit the "Recirc" button. When the glass starts misting up, switch Recirc off until it clears then back on a minute or so later. Windows closed during this so you don't pull moist air from the outside, the object of the exercise is to pull the moisture out of the carpets, seats, dashboard and ECUs to prevent this damp happening. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted October 18, 2018 Author Moderators Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 Car has been sat in sunshine a few days now and I have been driving it about 20 miles each day. Late afternoon yesterday i got it in started up and immediately got the partially faded display. It persisted for a couple minutes and then disappeared.. didnt *clock * it again on way home. Doesn't seem consistent at all almost like a loose connection yet it doesn't show when on rough roads, and we have a lot of them !!! As it hasn't failed completely i guess i just ignore it for the time being..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted October 18, 2018 Moderators Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 My money is still on dampness inside the car Pete. Dampness can cause inconsistency as it's clearing, you're down to a couple of minutes from the fault being there all the time, i'd suggest persistence will win for you. 1 hour ago, PTR200S said: didnt *clock * it again on way home. Boom - boom! Watch out Basil Brush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators hughezee Posted October 21, 2018 Administrators Report Share Posted October 21, 2018 On 10/13/2018 at 12:25 PM, PTR200S said: Or is it the start of a major failure of the speedometer display? Very likely just an age-related niggle Pete, I have replaced a couple and I remember retro rich having an issue with the display in his old coupe... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Founding Member Mazda Man Posted October 21, 2018 Founding Member Report Share Posted October 21, 2018 What Stu says...bear in mind the age of the connectors etc. You could put a coupe of those damp traps from Poundland etc in the cabin and boot are too, I’d put one in the glove box, you’ll be surprised how much water vapour they suck up. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted October 21, 2018 Moderators Report Share Posted October 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Lennie Legend said: You could put a coupe of those damp traps from Poundland Other shops are also available! Joking aside, didn't Poundland go bust recently? Apparently not : https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/6465613/poundworld-administration-tpg-capital-deloitte/ Poundworld went bust back in June, very similar name! Good idea though Geoff, keep threatening to get me some of they but never seem to find a shop selling them - for a quid or otherwise! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted July 22, 2020 Author Moderators Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 Just a quick follow up here re the intermittent loss of the display in the odometer and the heating display panel. I have had the "problem" since late 2018, not really a problem as they always come back on in a few seconds...mostly happened at the start of a journey out. Since I replaced the battery a few weeks ago the problem has NOT reoccurred !!.....I have been using the coupe the last couple of days, more consistently really, but the display has never dropped off.....touch wood 🌳 Will monitor it but the battery seems to have "fixed" the problem so maybe the voltage consistency was part of the problem to start with. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 9, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Got that display problem on the heater panel again, just goes out randomly but mostly not there on start up. Holding the auto button on for a few seconds restores function again usually but not always. Once the car has been running a while or is used consistently it seems to be better but this morning, and yesterday as it happens, its gone out after a few miles driving. The heating system / aircon shuts down at the same time just as if the off knob has been pushed !! Can't get any manual operation either. When its on everything works perfectly, it just seems to lose its settings.?. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted May 9, 2021 Moderators Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Sounds as if it may be temperature and/or humidity related Pete. Perhaps a slightly dodgy earth that passes current when it's damp but is dropping out when it dries up. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators hughezee Posted May 9, 2021 Administrators Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Sounds like a unplug and contact clean could solve this, basically what Dave is suggesting. 👍 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 12, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 12, 2021 Today the heat/ aircon system finally stopped working totally. The display is out, the vents don't open,the fan doesn't work, can't get it to manual mode.... If I hold the auto button down the display comes on, aircon, blowers everything all work, holding the auto I can get to manual mode and select vents, fan etc. As soon as I let go the auto button it all goes off. This suggests the system is ok but the button is at fault, either the auto or maybe its the "off " button "stuck" Will the buttons come out of the display or do I need to take the complete unit out? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators hughezee Posted May 12, 2021 Administrators Report Share Posted May 12, 2021 11 hours ago, PTR200S said: Will the buttons come out of the display or do I need to take the complete unit out? Sorry to hear of your troubles Pete, my suggestion is to take the unit out and inspect as necessary, I hope no rodents have damaged any wires?🤔🤐 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 13, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 13, 2021 8 hours ago, hughezee said: Sorry to hear of your troubles Pete, my suggestion is to take the unit out and inspect as necessary, I hope no rodents have damaged any wires?🤔🤐 Is there a quick and dirty way to get it out ? Or is it a full dash strip ? ☹ Arggh, not rats 🤬🤬🤬, please, not again !!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators hughezee Posted May 13, 2021 Administrators Report Share Posted May 13, 2021 4 hours ago, PTR200S said: Is there a quick and dirty way to get it out ? The two lower screws and the one behind the clock and a little leverage to remove the centre section.🖐️ 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 13, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 13, 2021 OK, in bits now,🤣 Got the front plate of the unit and I can see the micro switches under the lower part of each switch...can I spray contact cleaner down the micro switch? Small amount obviously....although I guess they may be sealed units. Looks like nothing else amiss, main plugs to the unit are perfect..got to be the micro switch.???? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators hughezee Posted May 13, 2021 Administrators Report Share Posted May 13, 2021 8 minutes ago, PTR200S said: Looks like nothing else amiss, main plugs to the unit are perfect..got to be the micro switch.???? While the unit is out could you make a note of its part number? 🖐️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 13, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 13, 2021 17 minutes ago, hughezee said: While the unit is out could you make a note of its part number? 🖐️ Yep, its S84-C400m Found a couple on the net too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 14, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 14, 2021 Few pics, followed the Head Gurus instructions, 👍.... clock out, undo screw located behind, undid the two screws under the facia panel ahead of the gearstick and used a trim tool to pry it off, the toughest bite ate the top ...there are two clips in here behind where the clock sits. "Wood" panel looks great thanks to KingKOng 😁 The two "tough" clips can be seen in the pic below, those two square slots above the two clock plugs in the centre of the panel. Unplug everything and undo the unit off the back of the facia panel. The front button face will come off the unit, two clips on the top and three on the bottom, bit fiddly but it will come off, gently does it ! The buttons will now "flip up" .....hinged at the top, to reveal the microswitch heads... Squirted some contact cleaner around these little buttons and hoped for the best as the rest of the unit looks to be sealed up and with the risk of damage if I stripped the climate unit any further it was left.... reassembled and fitted back to the car it fired up first time coming onto full auto with display... whether it stays that way remains to be seen as it could go off and on at random but it was totally dead the last run out so you never know !.....could be worse at it warms up if there is a soldered joint gone inside the unit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted May 14, 2021 Moderators Report Share Posted May 14, 2021 Fingers crossed it's fixed Pete! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 14, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 14, 2021 2 hours ago, Laird_Scooby said: Fingers crossed it's fixed Pete! Well just been out for a test drive.... 40 minutes and it's still on ! However, when I got in to start it up it didn't come on immediately and took a few pushes on the auto button to get it to stay on, which it hadn't done the last time I was out a couple of days ago.....not convinced so have ordered a secondhand unit from a company in Edinburgh...no saying that it will be any better though !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 15, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 15, 2021 Been out all morning in the Coupe, display always off on start up but turns almost immediately on pushing the auto button. Almost as if there is not enough charge in the battery at start up..... Once on stays on for the journey. Much better than before but still not right... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Laird_Scooby Posted May 15, 2021 Moderators Report Share Posted May 15, 2021 19 minutes ago, PTR200S said: Almost as if there is not enough charge in the battery at start up..... Interesting thought Pete! Maybe leave it a few minutes to see if it either comes to life by itself or reacts instantly after the battery is up a bit? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PTR200S Posted May 15, 2021 Author Moderators Report Share Posted May 15, 2021 3 hours ago, Laird_Scooby said: Interesting thought Pete! Maybe leave it a few minutes to see if it either comes to life by itself or reacts instantly after the battery is up a bit? Good idea, rather than manually intervening leave it to start up on its own ,,,,,or not 😂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Founding Member PaulS Posted May 16, 2021 Founding Member Report Share Posted May 16, 2021 Had a similar problem on my Merc E350- turned out to be the battery on its way out. But in the Merc's case there was a warning saying "Convenience functions are temporarily unavailable". Engine running & battery charging, the warning went away and aircon started working, Very annoying when one is trying to demist the windscreen each morning in winter...That happened quite a few times before I bought a new battery after which I have only rarely seen the same thing after prolonged lack of use when battery volts had probably dropped somewhat - but the new batery recovered quickly. This might or might not be a red herring - but also perhaps good to consider... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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