# Audi TT MK1 2000 Instrument Cluster Swap (Dashpod)HELP!



## DylanHM (Aug 7, 2017)

Hi fellow Audi TT enthusiasts!

I am fairly new to the forums so please keep that in mind haha.

So here comes the problem, I own an Audi TT Roadster from the year 2000, the roadster hath an issue in the instrument cluster, the LCD display was burned and the error codes etc.. were no longer readable(Costs around 200/300 to fix), so today, I drove off to the nearest "Junkyard" and found myself an Audi TT Quattro laying around (Same build year as the roadster I already owned). I found that it still hath the original instrument cluster*(Cluster build in 1999) *in it looking just fine, So I purchased it for only 20 Euro's (Around 17 pounds) which was a decent price for something that goes for 100/200 easily! So I was going to install it, thinking it would only be disassembling the dash and putting the new one in. Oh boy, How wrong I was.. I read online that it took recoding the old instrument cluster into the new one. Well shit, I have little to zero experience doing that.

Good thing is that I adapt very easily into projects that I want finished and I know my ways around computers *(Used to be a tech nerd)* so that's not really the issue here.

I was looking online to see what it took to swap them, and I can say that all the instructions that I read were very outdated or messy. Most of the links in threads did no longer work or threads got abandoned.

Would anyone with any experience with this please be willing to explain to me how this could be done? And what I exactly need to buy in order to do this. I am not 100% sure but my bet is that my clusters have IMMO2 since they come from 1999/2000 and not 2001 which IMMO3 got introduced.

I read that I needed the SKC in order to do this, Which I don't have.(Yet) I installed the program VAG-Tacho which should be able to read the key but I still don't know what cable I need to get in order for VAG-Tacho to read my dash. I know they sell a crazy expensive cable on their site that goes into your laptop but I've seen the same cable go for around 10/20 bucks so my question is, Will that cable also function with that same program?


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, This may help.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=279649&p=2311850&hilit=recode+dashpod#p2311850

Hoggy.


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## Gtturbo (Jan 7, 2017)

Right.

Do you have vagcom?

If so please go into the channel 17 and take a screen shot of the information. 
Do this for both clusters and post them up.

I can tell you what immo clusters each are.

Before you go anywhere else you need to make sure your not fitting an immo2 into a immo3 system, it simply will not work.


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## ady117 (Aug 28, 2013)

I did solder in a new screen on my dash... cost £27 I think .


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## ady117 (Aug 28, 2013)

here you go..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Display-S ... SwhvFZEZwS


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## DylanHM (Aug 7, 2017)

Hoggy said:


> Hi, This may help.
> 
> viewtopic.php?f=2&t=279649&p=2311850&hilit=recode+dashpod#p2311850
> 
> Hoggy.


Thanks! I checked it out and it was pretty useful, I'll keep that aside for when I'm going to swap clusters.



Gtturbo said:


> Right.
> 
> Do you have vagcom?
> 
> ...


Thanks for the quick reply! I do have Vagcom and Vagtacho but no OBD2 to USB interface cable. I ordered one which should arrive at my home in about 1-2 days. When I receive the cable I will take a screenshot of the cluster which is already in the roadster. I can't plug in the other cluster though, If I do that the car will no longer start and I need it from a day to day base for work. Today I disassembled the dash and checked the build year and serial of the original cluster and I was shocked to learn that the build date of the original cluster is from 2000 and the new cluster I purchased comes from 1999 so the new cluster has to be IMMO2. Serial of original cluster / New cluster: 8N1920880C - 8N1919880E
How would I go on from here? I did go to a garage this evening and they told me if the serial would match no coding would be needed. But I'm not sure if they are right about that, anyway the serials ain't matching so coding is a must. Do you have any idea how I would need to continue from here on? Thanks very much and do know I appreciate all the help you give me!



ady117 said:


> I did solder in a new screen on my dash... cost £27 I think .


I badly want to do this but I have zero experience soldering anything so that is of the table for me, I did try and find a shop that would do this for me but they all ask insane dealer prices raging from 150 to 300 euro's.



ady117 said:


> here you go..
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Display-S ... SwhvFZEZwS


No way I can solder this. No experience my man.


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## Gtturbo (Jan 7, 2017)

You can plug the new one in to get a vagcom screenshot.

Plug the old one back in and car will start fine


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## DylanHM (Aug 7, 2017)

Gtturbo said:


> You can plug the new one in to get a vagcom screenshot.
> 
> Plug the old one back in and car will start fine


I am doing this as soon as the VAG cable arrives at my door. I expect this to be tomorrow but mail says it comes around Friday.
Fingers crossed you are right and I can start the car when I put back the old instrument and clear vault codes.

Thanks!


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## spaceplace (Mar 10, 2013)

Go back to the scrap yard and buy the ecu for another 10/20 quid. Swap that with yours and it should all work fine, the ecu is coded to the dash and neither will work without the other unless you recode them. Unless you have a remap it might be the easiest way


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## Gtturbo (Jan 7, 2017)

I'm going to make a guide on how to correctly swap a TT dash cluster when I get chance too spend a day taking photos and writeups


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## DylanHM (Aug 7, 2017)

Gtturbo said:


> I'm going to make a guide on how to correctly swap a TT dash cluster when I get chance too spend a day taking photos and writeups


This would be greatly welcomed! Let me know when you finish it, It could really help me out.



spaceplace said:


> Go back to the scrap yard and buy the ecu for another 10/20 quid. Swap that with yours and it should all work fine, the ecu is coded to the dash and neither will work without the other unless you recode them. Unless you have a remap it might be the easiest way


I got the ECU from the scrap, same one as the dashpod. Is it just swapping the ECU's or do I need to recode anything? Not checked yet but I doubt the ECU's match build numers since my TT is a year younger than the ECU in the scrapyard's TT.


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## spaceplace (Mar 10, 2013)

If it's the same engine code bam or apx then it should work, I've never swapped a ecu but if it's just a matter of unscrewing and plugging in then nothing to lose by trying


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## auspicious_character (Sep 4, 2016)

Dashpod codes to the car as well as the engine.
If you de immob your ecu and run a random pod (hello) the immob light, airbag and traction don't work and light up.


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## Gtturbo (Jan 7, 2017)

If you have both engine ecus you can read the skc from them much easier than trying to read the dash clusters

You can then run the login procedure with vagcom and be fault light free


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## DylanHM (Aug 7, 2017)

Gtturbo said:


> If you have both engine ecus you can read the skc from them much easier than trying to read the dash clusters
> 
> You can then run the login procedure with vagcom and be fault light free


I have both, But how do I read them easier then the dashpod? If it is using a VAG or Tacho cable I'm gonna have to wait 2 weeks. Ordered them online but shipping took longer then expected.



spaceplace said:


> If it's the same engine code bam or apx then it should work, I've never swapped a ecu but if it's just a matter of unscrewing and plugging in then nothing to lose by trying


Would disconnecting the old ECU and connecting a new used one hurt the system? Like mess it up when I try to put back the original ECU. I keep having that in mind, same goes for the dashpod. I want to test it so bad but I won't till I receive my VAG en Tacho cables to make back-ups of the memory/codes.


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## DylanHM (Aug 7, 2017)

Gtturbo said:


> Right.
> 
> Do you have vagcom?
> 
> ...


Hey man! Wanted to bring an update for the cluster swap. I received the VAG Tacho cable + software today and I got them to work using a virtual PC Windows XP version. I read out the Pin code with succes and other information. Would the VAG Tacho information also count as an indication of what type of IMMO my audi has? I can upload the Tacho info right now or I can upload the Vagcom data in a week or so when that cable arrives.

Kind regards!


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## Gtturbo (Jan 7, 2017)

Upload a picture of the identification data in vagtacho

Vagcom works best for this identification tho, go into channel 17 then screenshot the screen once it's loaded


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