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Car Forum / Audi Cars / May 2005Instrument cluster repairs (UK)
Does anyone know of a company based in the UK who can repair a fault on an Audi instrument cluster. I've isolated the fault down to either a dry solder joint somewhere on the PCB or a failing component because the cluster only works on warm days or when the heater in the cabin is switched on. There are dozens of vehicle cluster repair companies in the US, but I can't find a single one in the UK. Thanks in advance DT Don, Try the following, they are based in Liverpool but I think they form part of a national franchise in the UK. www.dashboardsnorthwest.co.uk Dave. > Does anyone know of a company based in the UK who can repair a fault on an > Audi instrument cluster. I've isolated the fault down to either a dry solder [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks in advance > DT > Don, > > Try the following, they are based in Liverpool but I think they form part > of a national franchise in the UK. > > www.dashboardsnorthwest.co.uk Thanks Dave, However they are a mileage correction company. I've called about 6 of these types of companies in London and the South East (e.g. dashtoctor, dashtech, speedofixer etc..) and none of them are prepared to carry out any sort of repair on a cluster, they just fix the mileage. One of them even suggested that I try a TV repair man as they have good circuit board experience. Before I do that I would rather start with specialists, the immobiliser to the car is integrated into the cluster so the worst case scenario is that the car also gets immobilised if something goes wrong. Cheers DT >> Don, >> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Cheers > DT You're probably still better off with a TV repair shop though. > You're probably still better off with a TV repair shop though. - - - - - - Absolutely correct. My shop here in the US does a fair amount of these types of repairs... however, my customers are usually the automotive repair shops.... you might try your local Audi dealer or a local independent foreign car repair shop, they probably will already have a sub-contractor that they have this type of work done for them.  SignatureBest Regards, Daniel Sofie Electronics Supply & Repair - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > them even suggested that I try a TV repair man as they have good circuit > board experience. Before I do that I would rather start with specialists, > the immobiliser to the car is integrated into the cluster so the worst case > scenario is that the car also gets immobilised if something goes wrong. If they damage your instrument cluster, then yes. But in this case you will need a new instrument cluster anyway, so immobilizer by itself is not a problem anymore :) It is not so easy just to "reset" it without a damage to cluster, as it is stored in a EEPROM. In any case, before you give your cluster for repairs, ask them, if they have a pinout (aka wiring diagrams) for your cluster connectors. If they don't have it, don't leave your cluster there, as they don't have a clue. In general, there are not much things to go wrong there. The complete instrument cluster is controlled by a single chip from Micronas. This includes all the "indicator lamps", both LCD's (and the TFT in the middle), and 4 stepper motors, which are turning the speedometer/tachometer/temp/fuel indicator needles. There is also a custom hybrid module of some kind, but I am not sure what exactly it is for. I would guess, it is the immobilizer. So, if at least something is "working" (for example, you see the indicator lamps when you turn the ignition on), it means, that the problem is probably the power supply for the stepper motors, and it would be relatively easy to find. We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Don Turner" <leavemealone@nospam.com> saying something like: >Thanks Dave, However they are a mileage correction company. I've called >about 6 of these types of companies in London and the South East (e.g. >dashtoctor, dashtech, speedofixer etc..) and none of them are prepared to >carry out any sort of repair on a cluster, they just fix the mileage. http://www.speedometer.com/services.html -> speedometer repairs .uk <- in google. SignatureDave SE6a > We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the > drugs began to take hold. I remember "Don Turner" [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > -> speedometer repairs .uk <- in google. Cool Austin Texas > Dave > SE6a ... as in Reliant Scimitar? Don't see many around these days. I sold my SE5a in 1990, after ten years ownership, and sometimes wish I hadn't. SignaturePeter Bell (Note Spamtrap - To reply, replace 'invalid' with 'bellfamily') We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Peter Bell <peter@invalid.org.uk> saying something like: >> Dave >> SE6a > >... as in Reliant Scimitar? Yep. > Don't see many around these days. I sold >my SE5a in 1990, after ten years ownership, and sometimes wish I hadn't. There's a thriving OC www.scimitarweb.com and the cars are still cheap. Go on... you know you want to... SignatureDave SE6a > We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the > drugs began to take hold. I remember "Don Turner" > <leavemealone@nospam.com> saying something like: Barstow is _not_ the edge of the desert!! BTW, Antarctica is a desert, believe it or not. http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/oct2001/1003424658.Es.r.html [snip] > -- > > Dave > SE6a We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> saying something like: >> We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the >> drugs began to take hold. I remember "Don Turner" >> <leavemealone@nospam.com> saying something like: > >Barstow is _not_ the edge of the desert!! Tell Hunter. He's dead though. SignatureDave SE6a > Don, > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >> Thanks in advance >> DT that's a clocking guy not repairer...............somehow now a legal business............or is it. Ted Eboy wrote in message ... >> Don, >> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >that's a clocking guy not repairer...............somehow now a legal >business............or is it. 'Clocking'! such a brutal term! Surely not. These companies will have you believe that they make a living setting replacement odometers to read the same as the originally fitted units. Bob Where are you located Don? > Does anyone know of a company based in the UK who can repair a fault on an > Audi instrument cluster. I've isolated the fault down to either a dry [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Thanks in advance > DT > Does anyone know of a company based in the UK who can repair a fault on an > Audi instrument cluster. I've isolated the fault down to either a dry solder > joint somewhere on the PCB or a failing component because the cluster only > works on warm days or when the heater in the cabin is switched on. You don't mention your proficiency with electronics etc, but why not get a hair dryer and heat up the areas you think are problematic and see when it starts working. Then use freezer spray to confirm your diagnosis. Then you can at least track down exactly the area and potentially do the repair yourself. >> Does anyone know of a company based in the UK who can repair a fault on >> an Audi instrument cluster. I've isolated the fault down to either a dry [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Then you can at least track down exactly the area and potentially do the > repair yourself. Hi, The wiring loom which goes into the cluster is very short, you literally have to put the cluster into the dashboard before the connectors will reach it, so basically I have no room. Someone will need to be able to power it up on their work bench. I definitely do not have the knowledge or skills to do that. Cheers DT > Does anyone know of a company based in the UK who can repair a fault on an > Audi instrument cluster. I've isolated the fault down to either a dry solder > joint somewhere on the PCB or a failing component because the cluster only > works on warm days or when the heater in the cabin is switched on. On every car (err ... both:-)) that I've done any cluster repair work on, the hardest part has been to remove the cluster in a manner that allows replacement after effecting the repair! Assuming that you can get past this stage, fixing a bad solder joint should be child's play! I would think that getting the cluster out, playing with it on the bench and putting it back would be a good couple of hours work. So you will not see much change out of £100. Even on my Vectra the dealer wanted something near that (including VAT) when the odometer stopped being visible. 83p for a bulb and a few hours cursing turned out to be a much better idea! Since I knew that getting the cluster out was going to be "fun", I picked up a new clock/radio/temp display panel from a scrappie for about £12 so that got done at the same time. (The faulty unit I sold to someone who offers to repair such units ... so in fact the replacement was about free ... which is £80 less than the dealer quoted for the part!). I don't know how many scrapped Audis of the right type there might be, or how many revs of the cluster there might be, but you might find that to be a reasonable route to go down. Practising cluster-removal on a scrapped car certainly helped me optimise the technique when tackling my own vehicle! Antonio >> Does anyone know of a company based in the UK who can repair a fault on >> an Audi instrument cluster. I've isolated the fault down to either a [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > Antonio THe immobilisers in the cluster , which makes it a bit trickier. > On every car (err ... both:-)) that I've done any cluster > repair work on, the hardest part has been to remove the > cluster in a manner that allows replacement after effecting > the repair! Shouldn't be a problem with an Audi - I can take the cluster out of my RS6 and put it back again in less than ten minutes. Unclip one cover plate, remove two screws, withdraw cluster, unplug three connectors. As a Haynes manual would say, 'Refitting is a reversal of the removal procedure'. SignaturePeter Bell (Note Spamtrap - To reply, replace 'invalid' with 'bellfamily') > I would think that getting the cluster out, playing > with it on the bench and putting it back would be a > good couple of hours work. So you will not see much > change out of £100. Even on my Vectra the dealer > wanted something near that (including VAT) when > the odometer stopped being visible. I can get the cluster quite easily.. and I have. However when I open it up I am faced with literally hundreds of solder joints and that is just on one layer. There are 2 circuit boards stacked one a-top the other ;-(. As for Audi dealers, they are renowned for their unhelpfulness and snottiness. I called up to enquire about a repair.. the response is that they only replace (£800 + VAT and fitting/coding). Furthermore if I did find one in a scrappie they would not code it to my car because that is against AUDI UK policy. The cluster is made by Jaeger (Magnetti Marelli) an Italian company so I contacted their technical dept and so far zilch.. DT That's typical of modern dealers. They should be called module replacers or something. They can't repair anything and have no understanding of there own product. SFC >> I would think that getting the cluster out, playing >> with it on the bench and putting it back would be a [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > DT > That's typical of modern dealers. They should be called module replacers or > something. They can't repair anything and have no understanding of there own > product. Indeed. The problem is, that it is not own product anymore, as it was designed and built by some third party supplier (VDO, Motometer etc) which just complies to the given specifications, but does not disclose the "inner life" of the given component. So, Audi (or bmw or renault or opel for that matter) are unable to repair the thing, even if they would like to. |
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