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Black (infotainment) screen

IGL

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I’m not sure if this is a new topic, but I didn’t find “black (infotainment) screen” as a discussed problem yet.

First some history:

14.12.2023 Today was our pickup day. Our anticipation was huge.

When my wife and I arrived, there was no Gren in the showroom. No salesperson either.

20 minutes late salesperson arrived and apologised: when preparing the vehicle for the handover this morning the (infotainment) screen was and remained black. He said that he was aware of a lot of gremlins, but this one seemed to be new. We were told that everything was fine the days before and during PDI.

They started to check the vehicle.

My wife and I went to a café for a coffee and cake.

Two hours later, on our way back to the dealer the salesperson called:
'We didn't find anything'. We were told that they tried everything to find the reason for the black screen, including disconnecting the batteries, checking the fuses, cables, control units, resetting everything, but found nothing. Maybe the screen itself is busted. They will now contact IA for further investigation.

We went home without the Gren but with loads of frustration. We both took a half day off for nothing.
We're not sure what is worse: waiting for the Gren or the anticipation to pickup the Gren and then not being able to.


22.12.2023 After one week and a total lack of communication from the dealer (and IA) i was at the dealer yesterday.
They still did not find a root cause for the black screen.
Dealer is now waiting for on premise support from IA, cause IA was yet unable to analyze and fix it remotely.


12.01.2024 After 30 days now and again a total lack of communication from the dealer (and IA) i phoned him this morning. I was told the following:

The good news: IA could finally find the root cause for the black screen via remote diagnosis(!): The ECU for the screen is defective.

The bad news: IA is not able to provide a new ECU because they have no replacement ECU in stock. WHAT? Kidding?

It’s hard to believe, but dealer is not able to tell when we can pick up our Gren.

We get p*ssed, we’ve seen our Gren once but did not even sit in it, not to mention driving. And we have to pay tax and insurance and must carry the loss of value since registration. And warranty time is declining. We will not accept this for sure.

Our anticipation is sinking...


16.01.2024 No progress so far. IA can not supply the spare part! Dealer told us that IA will try to get an ECU from the production line. TRY? DO! They are giving higher priority to a "Gren to be" than a produced, delivered, payed and registered one waiting at the dealer for a repair? That is so poor!

IA does not seem to care about their customers and their dealers. As soon as a Gren is sold, they cut off communication. Except for advertising like "get a discount on select items" like t-shirts and stuff like that. Thank you IA.


23.01.2024 We received the following email from the dealer:

„I have finally received some feedback from an Ineos employee.

He wrote that these ECU’s would be available next week and that we are at the top of the priority list. I'm really hoping that things will finally move forward then.

I know this is all very unsatisfactory for you and also for me. We would all have preferred a clean process without this defect, and I am personally very sorry about that.

I have also forwarded your email to various Ineos employees, but have not yet received any feedback.

As soon as I know anything new, I will let you know.“


Are we happy now? Not yet, because “ECU’s would be available” does not necessarily mean that they will be at the dealer next week. And there is one major and growing concern. The root cause of the black screen was the defective ECU. But what was the cause of the defective ECU? No one will ever investigate this root cause, i'm afraid.


29.01.2024 The week where “ECU’s would be available” started. We’re not very confident that the ECU will be at the dealer this week. And even if so, it will take some time to repair the vehicle. The service manager told us that the ECU for the (infotainment) screen is hidden and hard to access in the depths of the dashboard.

We now fear that after the repair (whenever this will be) we’ll have some rattling, squeaking and creaking noises in the dashboard. We’ll see (and hear)…

Thank you for reading, and now the question:

Does or did anyone else have a "black infotainment screen" problem?


EDIT: appendix

1706538300973.png
 
Last edited:

Eric

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I’m not sure if this is a new topic, but I didn’t find “black (infotainment) screen” as a discussed problem yet.

First some history:

14.12.2023 Today was our pickup day. Our anticipation was huge.

When my wife and I arrived, there was no Gren in the showroom. No salesperson either.

20 minutes late salesperson arrived and apologised: when preparing the vehicle for the handover this morning the (infotainment) screen was and remained black. He said that he was aware of a lot of gremlins, but this one seemed to be new. We were told that everything was fine the days before and during PDI.

They started to check the vehicle.

My wife and I went to a café for a coffee and cake.

Two hours later, on our way back to the dealer the salesperson called:
'We didn't find anything'. We were told that they tried everything to find the reason for the black screen, including disconnecting the batteries, checking the fuses, cables, control units, resetting everything, but found nothing. Maybe the screen itself is busted. They will now contact IA for further investigation.

We went home without the Gren but with loads of frustration. We both took a half day off for nothing.
We're not sure what is worse: waiting for the Gren or the anticipation to pickup the Gren and then not being able to.


22.12.2023 After one week and a total lack of communication from the dealer (and IA) i was at the dealer yesterday.
They still did not find a root cause for the black screen.
Dealer is now waiting for on premise support from IA, cause IA was yet unable to analyze and fix it remotely.


12.01.2024 After 30 days now and again a total lack of communication from the dealer (and IA) i phoned him this morning. I was told the following:

The good news: IA could finally find the root cause for the black screen via remote diagnosis(!): The ECU for the screen is defective.

The bad news: IA is not able to provide a new ECU because they have no replacement ECU in stock. WHAT? Kidding?

It’s hard to believe, but dealer is not able to tell when we can pick up our Gren.

We get p*ssed, we’ve seen our Gren once but did not even sit in it, not to mention driving. And we have to pay tax and insurance and must carry the loss of value since registration. And warranty time is declining. We will not accept this for sure.

Our anticipation is sinking...


16.01.2024 No progress so far. IA can not supply the spare part! Dealer told us that IA will try to get an ECU from the production line. TRY? DO! They are giving higher priority to a "Gren to be" than a produced, delivered, payed and registered one waiting at the dealer for a repair? That is so poor!

IA does not seem to care about their customers and their dealers. As soon as a Gren is sold, they cut off communication. Except for advertising like "get a discount on select items" like t-shirts and stuff like that. Thank you IA.


23.01.2024 We received the following email from the dealer:

„I have finally received some feedback from an Ineos employee.

He wrote that these ECU’s would be available next week and that we are at the top of the priority list. I'm really hoping that things will finally move forward then.

I know this is all very unsatisfactory for you and also for me. We would all have preferred a clean process without this defect, and I am personally very sorry about that.

I have also forwarded your email to various Ineos employees, but have not yet received any feedback.

As soon as I know anything new, I will let you know.“


Are we happy now? Not yet, because “ECU’s would be available” does not necessarily mean that they will be at the dealer next week. And there is one major and growing concern. The root cause of the black screen was the defective ECU. But what was the cause of the defective ECU? No one will ever investigate this root cause, i'm afraid.


29.01.2024
The week where “ECU’s would be available” started. We’re not very confident that the ECU will be at the dealer this week. And even if so, it will take some time to repair the vehicle. The service manager told us that the ECU for the (infotainment) screen is hidden and hard to access in the depths of the dashboard.

We now fear that after the repair (whenever this will be) we’ll have some rattling, squeaking and creaking noises in the dashboard. We’ll see (and hear)…

Thank you for reading, and now the question:

Does or did anyone else have a "black infotainment screen" problem?
Ineos should make a very substantial goodwill gesture. Free servicing for 3 years would be a nice gesture. That's what Fiat gave me when it took 12 weeks to sort out a parts issue when in warranty
 

acwiltshire

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Devizes uk
I’m not sure if this is a new topic, but I didn’t find “black (infotainment) screen” as a discussed problem yet.

First some history:

14.12.2023 Today was our pickup day. Our anticipation was huge.

When my wife and I arrived, there was no Gren in the showroom. No salesperson either.

20 minutes late salesperson arrived and apologised: when preparing the vehicle for the handover this morning the (infotainment) screen was and remained black. He said that he was aware of a lot of gremlins, but this one seemed to be new. We were told that everything was fine the days before and during PDI.

They started to check the vehicle.

My wife and I went to a café for a coffee and cake.

Two hours later, on our way back to the dealer the salesperson called:
'We didn't find anything'. We were told that they tried everything to find the reason for the black screen, including disconnecting the batteries, checking the fuses, cables, control units, resetting everything, but found nothing. Maybe the screen itself is busted. They will now contact IA for further investigation.

We went home without the Gren but with loads of frustration. We both took a half day off for nothing.
We're not sure what is worse: waiting for the Gren or the anticipation to pickup the Gren and then not being able to.


22.12.2023 After one week and a total lack of communication from the dealer (and IA) i was at the dealer yesterday.
They still did not find a root cause for the black screen.
Dealer is now waiting for on premise support from IA, cause IA was yet unable to analyze and fix it remotely.


12.01.2024 After 30 days now and again a total lack of communication from the dealer (and IA) i phoned him this morning. I was told the following:

The good news: IA could finally find the root cause for the black screen via remote diagnosis(!): The ECU for the screen is defective.

The bad news: IA is not able to provide a new ECU because they have no replacement ECU in stock. WHAT? Kidding?

It’s hard to believe, but dealer is not able to tell when we can pick up our Gren.

We get p*ssed, we’ve seen our Gren once but did not even sit in it, not to mention driving. And we have to pay tax and insurance and must carry the loss of value since registration. And warranty time is declining. We will not accept this for sure.

Our anticipation is sinking...


16.01.2024 No progress so far. IA can not supply the spare part! Dealer told us that IA will try to get an ECU from the production line. TRY? DO! They are giving higher priority to a "Gren to be" than a produced, delivered, payed and registered one waiting at the dealer for a repair? That is so poor!

IA does not seem to care about their customers and their dealers. As soon as a Gren is sold, they cut off communication. Except for advertising like "get a discount on select items" like t-shirts and stuff like that. Thank you IA.


23.01.2024 We received the following email from the dealer:

„I have finally received some feedback from an Ineos employee.

He wrote that these ECU’s would be available next week and that we are at the top of the priority list. I'm really hoping that things will finally move forward then.

I know this is all very unsatisfactory for you and also for me. We would all have preferred a clean process without this defect, and I am personally very sorry about that.

I have also forwarded your email to various Ineos employees, but have not yet received any feedback.

As soon as I know anything new, I will let you know.“


Are we happy now? Not yet, because “ECU’s would be available” does not necessarily mean that they will be at the dealer next week. And there is one major and growing concern. The root cause of the black screen was the defective ECU. But what was the cause of the defective ECU? No one will ever investigate this root cause, i'm afraid.


29.01.2024 The week where “ECU’s would be available” started. We’re not very confident that the ECU will be at the dealer this week. And even if so, it will take some time to repair the vehicle. The service manager told us that the ECU for the (infotainment) screen is hidden and hard to access in the depths of the dashboard.

We now fear that after the repair (whenever this will be) we’ll have some rattling, squeaking and creaking noises in the dashboard. We’ll see (and hear)…

Thank you for reading, and now the question:

Does or did anyone else have a "black infotainment screen" problem?
No issues with my screen, but same old sentiment regarding the complete lack of urgency from IA cental command.
 

reauxheaux

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So you are keeping insurance and paid taxes yet never took delivery?

Yikes that is bad form on the dealership to not have an approved car or have a way to get you a loaner when you have paid them for it.
 

IGL

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Update 04.02.2024

Hi guys,

it's going to be a long and by now very boring and annoying story. Despite being "very high priority" on Ineos' priority list (according to the dealer), IA was not able to send the new ECU to the dealer. The car is still at the dealer with a black screen.

Frustration and resignation is what we feel. Can we still trust IA? We are not sure. It's so disappointing. 😞
 
Last edited:

Pat

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Update 04.02.2024

Hi guys,

it's going to be a long and by now very boring and annoying story. Despite being "very high priority" on Ineos' priority list (according to the dealer), IA was not able to send the new ECU to the dealer. The car is still at the dealer with a black screen.

Frustration and resignation is what we feel. Can we still trust IA? We are not sure. It's so disappointing. 😞
Then I was lucky. I have delivered my car on 9 January for some recalls (transfer case etc) and the famous SW upgrade. Indeed during the upgrade procedure the process did stop and could not be re-started. Root cause has been identified from remote through a very capable Italian After Sales Manager based out for Duesseldorf. During the upgrade the ECU has been damaged and new ECU has been ordered, delivered and installed within one week. They did not told me that that the installation of the new board was complicated. Not sure which countries this guy is supporting but ask you workshop from who they are receiving remote support. Of course I was not amused to leave the car in the workshop for more than a week but at the end I was satisfied with the engagement from my worksop and remote support from IA After Sales - they have installed the ECU on a Saturday morning. And now no bing bang bong ;-) anymore.
 

IGL

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Hi Pat, lucky you. I'll be at my dealer on Wednesday and will ask him if the same ECU is affected in my car. Maybe it accelerates the procedure.
 
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Pat

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Hi Pat, lucky you. I'll be at my dealer on Wednesday and will ask him if the same ECU is affected in my car. Maybe it accelerates the procedure.
and BTW I did not had neither an issue with SW nor a black screen.
 
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AWo

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Welcome in the new world of modern extrem rough cars, where everything is deeply designed to be on purpose, withstanding the harshest and most extrem conditions, only no-nonsens parts are used....


....until the display fails and you car is stuck.

I can't imagine that all these modern cars will ever get 30 years old to become a veteran and still running strong...sometimes I'm really happy to have my analog dials and bulbs and when the speedo fails I have the tacho and vice versa...

AWo
 
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Tazzieman

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Welcome in the new world of modern extrem rough cars, where everything is deeply designed to be on purpose, withstanding the harshest and most extrem conditions, only no-nonsens parts are used....


....until the display fails and you car is stuck.

I can't imagine that all these modern cars will ever get 30 years old to become a veteran and still running strong...sometimes I'm really happy to have my analog dials and bulbs and when the speedo fails I have the tacho and vice versa...

AWo
In the next few years I will be scouring ebay for used ecus and other parts to ensure my vehicle is repairable in the future.
I've got spare computers for my 40 year old Porsches if I am ever unable to resolder the circuit boards (the usual fix)
 

Eric

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Welcome in the new world of modern extrem rough cars, where everything is deeply designed to be on purpose, withstanding the harshest and most extrem conditions, only no-nonsens parts are used....


....until the display fails and you car is stuck.

I can't imagine that all these modern cars will ever get 30 years old to become a veteran and still running strong...sometimes I'm really happy to have my analog dials and bulbs and when the speedo fails I have the tacho and vice versa...

AWo
My first car, a Mini, had 4 glass fuses that was it.
 

Tazzieman

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My first car, a Mini, had 4 glass fuses that was it.
That is the same for a series Land Rover.
Fuse spare kit consists of wire easily broken by hand.
 

AWo

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I repaird the fuse box on my Series 2a once, but didn't finish it. I didn't put theglas fuses in. A few days later I drove and everything was working...then I remembered that there are no fuses mounted. i checked the wiring diagram and saw, that only the military connections were protected.....car technology 1971. I changed that...

AWo
 

AWo

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In the next few years I will be scouring ebay for used ecus and other parts to ensure my vehicle is repairable in the future.
I've got spare computers for my 40 year old Porsches if I am ever unable to resolder the circuit boards (the usual fix)
The bad thing is, in these times capacitors were used which dry out. So even if you have these ECU's they age in the cupboard and might fail. Better if there is someone who can still fix these old things.

AWo
 

Tazzieman

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The bad thing is, in these times capacitors were used which dry out. So even if you have these ECU's they age in the cupboard and might fail. Better if there is someone who can still fix these old things.

AWo
To me they don't seem old 😉 I was mucking about with circuits from the 50s in the 70s!
 
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[ Adam ]

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In the next few years I will be scouring ebay for used ecus and other parts to ensure my vehicle is repairable in the future.
I've got spare computers for my 40 year old Porsches if I am ever unable to resolder the circuit boards (the usual fix)
It will likely require a dealer to pair the ECU to the car, they don't swap around as easily these days.
 

IGL

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Update 06.02.2024

I couldn't wait until tomorrow so i went to the dealer this morning. Sales person sick, service manager on vacation.

I then had a 35 minute conversation with the managing director. He apologized several times for IA's behaviour and it was obvious that he has no understanding for this either. He contacted IA's german HQ again, so fingers crossed this was pushy enough this time.

But fact is: IA still hasn't delivered a new ECU to the dealer.

In the end, i at least saw the Gren, the damaged ECU lying on the seat and waiting to be replaced.

On Thursday week 9 will start...
 

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