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La Prima Electric Vehicle Controls not visible

9K views 60 replies 10 participants last post by  AndyBowden 
#1 ·
On the display selecting Vehicle, normally brings up Electric Vehicle left, Controls centre and Settings right.

Since yesterday, Controls has appeared on the left and Settings right with Electric Vehicle missing.

First significant problem I've had in a year of ownership.

I tried a settings reset without benefit.

I've yet to try Factory Reset or disconnection of the 12V battery, which some recommend. Nor have I found time to ring the dealer.

Anyone else had this?
 
#34 ·
Not good news.
I can't be certain that FCA-MY21.R17.101-PROD is part of Recall 6475 and whether it is the cause of the EV page invisibility. However, my dealer did give me FCA-MY21.R17.101-PROD at the same time as the recall.
The only problem I have had since then is one instance of mph changing to kmph.

You've not got a good dealer, @Ninja. A call or email to FCA Customer Care UK is needed, I suggest.
 
#39 ·
The 6475 update appears to have fixed all of the random software niggles that detracted from an otherwise great car. Here's hoping they stay fixed and we can stop being beta testers and enjoy driving!

However, as stated in an earlier thread my Uconnect software was not updated from R17.2-PROD to R17.101-PROD as part of the 6475 recall. I thought it was just me, so I'm interested to learn that @Ninja has the same issue!

When I queried this with the local dealer it said that all the necessary updates were carried out. I raised this with Fiat CS UK and got a response from Fiat CS Milan. I asked Fiat CS if it could check with the Fiat technical team to see what the correct Uconnect version should be for my La Prima. For some reason Fiat CS Milan went back to the local dealer to ask about the Uconnect update. Fiat CS then came back to me and stated that the dealer said my car had a radio type that did not need the R17.101-PROD update. I expressed complete amazement to Fiat CS Milan about that and again asked if they could check with FIAT's Technical Team.

Since then the car has had its annual service (at another dealer as I'm fed up with the local dealer). At the service no further updates were needed and Uconnect is still at R17.2-PROD. However, the new dealer did say that it had detected that, if I understood them correctly, "a setting was disabled, which prevents Fiat pushing updates to the car". This was apparently a Uconnect setting at the Fiat end of things, not a user setting in the car. Like many of you, Uconnect was not set up by the supplying dealer. Rather it was done by Uconnect Services at Fiat after I queried it.

Coincidentally (???), Fiat CS Milan got back to me a few days ago apologising for the delay in resolving the Uconnect version issue. Apparently, the simple question "What should the Uconnect version be?" is proving to have raised more questions within Fiat! Fiat CS Milan has assured me it is still investigating this.

Watch this space....
 
#35 ·
As you say Dealer is c..p. Phoned them this morning, on hold for 10 mins (terrible music) hung up and phoned in again- get a service agent who puts me on hold for another 10 mins to talk to technician . Answer, just book the car in and we will run a full diagnostic check -- explained car was in for 12 month service, 6475 and any other updates and provided a list of faults. Asked for best technician at any site and given a name at Exeter - awaiting call back but Technicians don't normally speak to customers.

Have name and contact details of brand manager for whole group ( from early days of faults) - will call her but I am told she is on Holiday mmmm.... Not had much luck with Fiat CS but may try again.

Going to try the factory reset - does this take long ( guessing not) - will have to park 0.5 miles away from house for a good signal. - Risky maybe?
 
#36 ·
Having gone round in circles at Vospers Plymouth and Exeter I am told categorically that technicians will not speak to customers. Having worked my way up the chain with the contacts I have I find they are all on 2 weeks holiday ! Escalated this to Director level and awaiting a call back .....

Phoned Fiat CS (Albania - is it always Albania now?) they have raised a case number, a case manager, and will contact Vospers. They did say this is a known problem normally fixed by 6475, not introduced by it. They offered another dealer but they are much too far away. I have to book the car in and let CS know the date. They strongly advised not to do a Factory reset but gave no reason.
 
#37 ·
FIAT, had been told it stands for "Fix It Again Tomorrow" , Or in my case having, contacted the Dealer to book it in to try and fix problems , 4+ weeks time. One Fiat Technician only and admitted they are understaffed. When I took the car in yesterday they were cancelling all Renault bookings as their one Renault technician had gone off sick.

Suggest everyone avoids Vospers in the South West.
 
#40 ·
After I had Recall 6475 done at the end of July, either including R17.101-PROD or coincidentally my dealer choosing to give me R17.101-PROD at the same time, I've just had mph change to kmph once and no other issues since then.
My La Prima is from April '21 and R17.101-PROD runs on it. 'need', of course, could mean anything to Fiat or a dealer. Whether it is it or Recall 6475 which fixed the invisible EV pages for me, I'll never know.
When I told Fiat CS that I had had the mph to kmph issue after Recall 6475, they advised me to book it in with my dealer.
It seems rather random whether Customer Services recommend doing a Factory Reset or avoiding an FR.
My dealings with Fiat CS have been generally good. My practice is to email them and I get a call back always from a 0039 area code which corresponds to Magenta near Milano. Good English speakers, sometime a native English speaker. Never seeming to be from Albania.
The La Prima goes into Pewsham Garage in Wiltshire on Friday. Pewsham Garage have always given me satisfactory service. Rather a long way for @Fiat Cymreig or @Ninja to travel.
I'll report progress at the weekend.
 
#47 ·
The La Prima goes into Pewsham Garage in Wiltshire on Friday. Pewsham Garage have always given me satisfactory service.
I'll report progress at the weekend.
I got my La Prima back this afternoon. Pewsham Garage concluded that the 'dash group' needed a software update.
Perhaps that update got overlooked when the car was with them in July for Recall 6475. Perhaps, it's more recent.
Here's hoping that I'll not have any reversion to default settings, eg kmph. Though, as in my case reversion to default settings, has been so infrequent, I'll have to wait a couple of months to know.
 
#45 ·
I agree Fiat CS (Albania) are always polite and try to help but always fallback to offering to find another dealer. The next nearest one they gave me doesn't even have the facilities or training for the electric 500, only petrol models. They suggested getting the car transported 120 miles and then asking that dealer for a courtesy car which is not very practical - nor I suspect will they be particularly interested.

When I spoke to my dealers service manager she let slip that only the IPC had been updated from 6475 on my car. When I queried what this was she didn't know and I think suddenly realised she should not have told me. Why are they being so secretive about what updates are included in 6475?

Fiat CS wanted to know when my car is booked in for "diagnostics" so I will email rather than call as many have suggested.

My dealers service manager did contact me again to ask for more specific details about the problem.... somewhat concerning - its pretty basic! I have sent pictures from the manual and photos of my screen to explain.

Forgot to say that when speaking with the Director yesterday I mentioned that I am seriously thinking of selling the car if the problems continued - he said he was sorry to hear that but when I reach that point contact him and he would do me a good deal on a Peugeot e208 ! The strange thing is my other car is a Peugeot 3008 which has been serviced at this dealer for 4 years (now 5 years old) and I have had excellent service and only one very minor issue.
 
#46 ·
So my wife just returned having been out in the car for 3 hours, I check the settings and the EV pages have returned. They took several seconds to appear as though they were loading/reloading, but now all fine. Checked charging ok and to see if it has any effect and all working ok. Car was parked up in another poor 4G signal area about 6 miles away for most of the time. It can only be an OTA update when a good 4G signal is available.

Whilst it hardly inspires confidence, at least after 48hrs its back to "normal". Will hold off telling the Dealer or Fiat CS to see what happens over the next few days. Glad I took photos, not sure my dealer would believe me otherwise.
 
#49 ·
Car is still showing EV pages 3 days after it auto corrected. I asked my dealer about the "dash update" twice, once when booking and then again when I took the car in. They were adamant no such update existed. How is that the dealers have different databases/information regarding updates?

Not seen any new faults or resetting. Auto main beam on headlights is misbehaving. Sometimes works but keeps saying clean windscreen and then corrects itself and starts working. Cleaning windscreen, especially sensor area has no effect. Small amber headlamp symbol with exclamation mark now appearing in bottom RH corner of driver display. If thats all thats wrong now I can easily live with it.

Car is booked in next Wednesday for diagnostics. Will cancel unless they now say they have the dash update - prefer to leave things alone when they are working.
 
#50 ·
All they really need to do is plug the car into the FCA system and that should tell them what, if any, updates the car needs. So the first they might learn about the 'dash group' update is when they plug your car in. So perhaps unwise to cancel?
 
#51 ·
I would have expected the technician to do this when they did the 6475 update. According to them it only found one module update from 6475 when plugged in last Monday which I find hard to believe. I think if I had your dealer I might consider taking it in plus they have the car booked for in 2 days which does not inspire confidence.

Will get back in touch with Fiat CS Monday and see what they have to say and make a decision afterwards.

Advised from service that tyre wear has reduced tread to < 5mm , amber alert, - after 3200 miles? Will raise under a separate thread.
 
#52 ·
Fiat CS - Albania called this morning in response to my email. They have looked up my car on their database and it shows the 6475 recall as being installed when serviced and as of this morning is showing correct - no errors or faults reported. They are calling it a recall and not an update. They believe that its possible a file was corrupted when 6475 installed and that an OTA has corrected this. Why, if this is the case, did it not get picked up by the dealer when installed? Personally I'm not convinced they can interrogate the car software OTA and see in any detail its status.

I tried to find out exactly what 6475 contains but other than saying it is a major system update with many modules ( hence the recall !) no further information was forthcoming. When asked if 6475 addresses the resetting issues he would not give an answer. OTA updates he explained are only for minor corrections and improvements. Regarding the Version number not changing he was unsure if it should change with 6475 and has promised to respond by close of play today.

He has suggested cancelling my Dealer booking Wednesday as the car is now behaving but I will wait for his response on the version.
 
#53 ·
Fiat CS called again. Not 100% sure but he believes the build version for my vehicle is correct, namely R17P.2 and the R17.101 is for a different region - Benelux countries. So all of you with 101 version are driving on the wrong side of the road. Explained that many in the UK have 101 - no answer for that other than "rest assured you have the right version".

Longer journey in the car tomorrow ( dentist - probably less painful than the car!) - will see if it behaves and if so cancel dealer as it takes too much time.
 
#61 ·
My dealer didn't notify me of recall 6475. I learnt of it and asked the dealer if it applied to my early La Prima. They confirmed it did and I booked it in. They would have done it at no cost to me.
However, before the date booked I had the flat 12V battery issue and car had to be recovered. Recall 6475 was done to get the car back on the road. No parts needed replacement.
I guess the dealer got paid as a warranty claim rather than as a recall.

As the software updates of recall 6475 may reduce the risk of the 12V battery going flat, I suggest that avoiding or delaying the recall might be unwise.

My La Prima had been trouble free for about a year from new. I used it one afternoon and the following morning I couldn't start it as the 12V battery was down to 6V. Charging the battery didn't get the car startable.
 
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