# DIY replacement of the DIS LCD screen



## peter-ss

I have successfully managed to replace my own DIS LCD screen today after about four hours work. It wasn't at all fun with the thought in the back of my mind that should it all go wrong I'd need a new instrument cluster. Fortunately it went ok although I don't think I'd fancy doing it again.

I ordered the replacement LCD screen from http://joseisi.tripod.com it cost £68 and took four days to arrive from Portugal.

EDIT 06/11/11 - Since writing this post I have been informed by Nate that the LCD screen has become available from http://www.akspeedo.com/audi-vw-speedom ... r-shop.php for the much cheaper price of £30.

This is what my screen looked like on a good day, sometimes it was far worse










To get the instrument cluster out of the car I had to loosen the cover under the dashboard above the foot well. To do this there were several screws to remove on the right of the dash, behind the fuse box cover, and a few in the foot well area. Once removed the panel could be pulled towards myself and unclipped from below the instrument panel. Once unclipped the two screws holding in the instrument cluster could be removed. The manual says that you need a special tool to unclip the top of the instrument cluster but I just rotated mine out starting at the bottom.










With the instrument panel free I disconnected all three connectors at the back by operating the levers on each of them which pulls the connector out automatically.










With the cluster out the next job was to strip it down. I removed all of the case screws and then separated the casings, removing both the front and back covers just leaving the clocks. The next part was really nasty; I prised the needles off with a screwdriver (not a nice job at all).










With the needles off I unclipped both small LCD screen metal clips and removed the temperature and fuel gauge moving coil meters (one of which broke slightly). With these removed I was able to unclip the large white panel revealing the LCD connections. The LCD was then unclipped and de-soldered by pulling the ribbon gently while heating it with a soldering iron set at 300oC.










I cleaned up each of the connection pads on the PCB with a smearing of flux and a soldering iron.










The connections of the new LCD were then also smeared with a touch of flux before being taped down into position on the board. Each connection was then given a brief touch with the iron to solder them.










With the ribbon soldered in place the LCD was carefully clipped into position and the cluster reassembled in the reverse order to being stripped down.










Refitting the needles was a bit of a pain in the neck. The speedo and rev counter both automatically reset themselves back to zero when plugged back into the car. To refit these I plugged the cluster back in and pushed the needles back on pointing to zero. I then unplugged and plugged back in to make sure they were still at zero (this took a few attempts). The fuel and temperature gauges were even worse. They naturally sprung back past their end stops with the needles off. The only way I found to do these was to use Vag-Com to run an instrument test which drives the fuel and temperature gauges to max and then holds then at half way. When held in the half way position I pushed them on pointing to half (this again took a few attempts). I suppose another way to have done this would have been to get the temperature to 90oC and stick the pointer on at 90 and have a full tank of fuel and point the fuel one to full.










With the pointers all in the right position the casing was reassembled, after a good clean, and refitted into the car. Fortunately everything still worked and the end result was pretty good.










I don't think that the contrast of the replacement screen is quite as good as the original but at least I can read all of the information on the display now without having to guess what it might say!


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## TT Ade

Great job and write up, I doubt I would have done that myself, kudos to you sir!


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## Hoggy

Hi, Well done & excellent, although I am good with a soldering iron etc. Dont believe I would have attempted that.
H.


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## Charlie

Fair play to you mate, there is absolutely no way I would have attempted that.

Charlie


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## peter-ss

Cheers. There was a point when I was starting to wish I hadn't but it turned out ok in the end


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## waTTford

Well done, I wish I could do mine but I'm no brave enough to attempt that. If you fancy doing another one PM me


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## EnfieldTT

VERY well done mate, that's a good job there 8)


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## peter-ss

I wouldn't fancy doing someone else's just in case.

The guy who supplied the screen will supply and fit it for 130 Euros but it means risking your instrument cluster on a return trip to Portugal.

There are people in the UK that do it but its about £200.


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## alexisgt

nice job!


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## scott_159

fair play to you mate but isnt that temp gauge set wrong? looks like your engine is rather HOT


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## ecko2702

Well done mate. I am not brave enough to attempt that. Your temp gauge is reading high though. Do you have to inaccurate gauges too?


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## peter-ss

I've not had the dodgy gauge syndrome yet, which is worrying as the stickers on the back of the instrument cluster suggest that its the original unit from 1999!

The temperature was on the high side when I took the photo. It settles back down to 90oC when running normally.


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## peter-ss

This link maybe of interest to anyone wanting a new LCD screen fitting.

£130 + P+P via eBay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... %26otn%3D2


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## was8v

Great write up.

Good to see these dashpod issues being addressed DIY.

Has anyone had experience of replacing the voltage regulator that causes the dials to fail?


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## YELLOW_TT

Great write up but I dont think I would have the balls to do it


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## Teighto

Looks Good and something that i would definatley not try ! But hats off for haveing the balls to do it 

on another note - does the 180 have the same DIS i.e MPG / and what cd your on ? or was it just the 225


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## Dave-TT

Teighto said:


> Looks Good and something that i would definatley not try ! But hats off for haveing the balls to do it
> 
> on another note - does the 180 have the same DIS i.e MPG / and what cd your on ? or was it just the 225


I think it was an option on the 180, but standard on the 225! I don't have it on my 180 :? Prob better that way as i don't know how much fuel i'm burning through lol


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## Teighto

Yeah i just wondered as the top half of my dis doesnt work and was wondering if it is ment too !!


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## Dave-TT

Teighto said:


> Yeah i just wondered as the top half of my dis doesnt work and was wondering if it is ment too !!


Nah i don't think it is, well mine doesn't work lol pretty sure it's supposed to be that way


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## Teighto

good good !!


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## John-H

Excellent write up and very brave and enterprising of you to try this. Well done!

As you've found out you need to record the positions of the fuel and temp gauges. They work by a magnet or iron piece driven by two coils at 90 degrees (ish) and the balance of currents determines the position. When the dashpod is turned off the needles just fall under gravity making it difficult to position correctly afterwards.

It's sometimes possible to fix LCD displays where the ribon flexy bond to the glass has become open circuit giving missing pixel lines or missing segments, depending on display type, with a hot air gun and a bit of pressure. The idea is to re-stick the conductive glue between the ribon and the conductive traces on the glass. To see if it's working, however, you need to have it powered up and given the mechanical complexity and delicasy of the dashpod, this would not be easy and not good if it fails again and you need to repeat. Good that you sourced a new LCD then


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## Olle B

Thanks, ive been redirected to this post after adding a new one for the same subject myself today.

Im not brave enough to do the split of the instrument, but theres a couple of shops doing the works for approx 300£ in Sweden.
Pretty expensive, yes, but I will have full cover of insurance after leaving it to the shop and Im NOT going to try open the heringcase!!

The only bad point of my instrument is the tempgauge showing to much, in fact it starts close to 90 just by putting the key in the ignition.
Perhaps its solved just by removing the connectors and reconnect them again,, no I dont think so,,

BUT,,

What about the first part, getting the instrument out of the car was it tricky or "simple"?
Sounds pretty simple, but after reading what you did I guess your level of mending isnt on the average.

So, is it just to bend over and slide down between the pedals?

Thanks for excellent desciption.

Hope you can answer my Q´s

Best R Olle B


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## woody5479

I found this company mentioned o here before but haven't got round to using them yet

http://clusterrepairsuk.co.uk/repair-list/audi/tt/


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## sixdoublesix

temp gauge is nearly 100 !! thats running a bit warm??? mine never goes over 90 ?


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## peter-ss

Olle B said:


> Thanks, ive been redirected to this post after adding a new one for the same subject myself today.
> 
> Im not brave enough to do the split of the instrument, but theres a couple of shops doing the works for approx 300£ in Sweden.
> Pretty expensive, yes, but I will have full cover of insurance after leaving it to the shop and Im NOT going to try open the heringcase!!
> 
> The only bad point of my instrument is the tempgauge showing to much, in fact it starts close to 90 just by putting the key in the ignition.
> Perhaps its solved just by removing the connectors and reconnect them again,, no I dont think so,,
> 
> BUT,,
> 
> What about the first part, getting the instrument out of the car was it tricky or "simple"?
> Sounds pretty simple, but after reading what you did I guess your level of mending isnt on the average.
> 
> So, is it just to bend over and slide down between the pedals?
> 
> Thanks for excellent desciption.
> 
> Hope you can answer my Q´s
> 
> Best R Olle B


Removing the instrument cluster is fairly easy. You have to first lower the plastic panel under the dashboard (the part above your legs when sitting in the car). There are several torx screws to remove, some behind the fuse box lid on the side of the dahsboard. With all the screws removed you can pull the panel towards you (its held with clips just below the instrument cluster). Once you've done this it reveals the two screws at the bottom of the cluster that hold it in. With these screws removed you can pull the bottom of the cluster out and unhook the two springy clips that hold in the top.


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## peter-ss

sixdoublesix said:


> temp gauge is nearly 100 !! thats running a bit warm??? mine never goes over 90 ?


I'd just been on a run and stopped on the drive before taking the photo. It does tend to go over a bit and then quickly comes back to normal; maybe I could do with a new thermostat?


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## John-H

peter-ss said:


> sixdoublesix said:
> 
> 
> 
> temp gauge is nearly 100 !! thats running a bit warm??? mine never goes over 90 ?
> 
> 
> 
> I'd just been on a run and stopped on the drive before taking the photo. It does tend to go over a bit and then quickly comes back to normal; maybe I could do with a new thermostat?
Click to expand...

Often that's just a tolerance difference between the switching point of the thermostatic fan switch on the radiator and the weighted software in the dashpod that displays 90 on the needle gauge for temperatures between 80 and 100 but shows the actual temperature beyond these limits. If you are in a traffic queue with no radiator air flow the temperature will rise even if the thermostat opens fully but will get pulled down by the fan turning on at around 100 deg C. If it switches at 99 deg C. you'll never notice the needle move but if it trips at 101 deg C. you will. If your aircon is pulling air through the radiator you'll likely not get temperatures rising to 100 deg C. anyway depending on conditions.


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## peter-ss

That's interesting John, I knew about the temperature gauge being weighted but hadn't realised why the temperature rises when stationary with the air con off but not with it on.


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## John-H

Yes, it's just that bit of airflow that keeps the engine temperature limited or at least slows down the temperature rise.


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## TerryCTR

Hi Peter

I just read this as it seems after a week of ownership I have a faulty fuel guage and apparently its due to a worn motor driving it.

Can you tell me if you spotted a motor when doing this and if so would I need to take my needles off to get at it?

Out of curiosity couldn't you just have left yours on as it seems its going to be a PITA to get them sitting correctly again if I do remove them

Cheers

Terry


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## peter-ss

Hi there,

It's been a long time since I did this job but, as I remember, there are stepper motors for the rev counter and speedo and moving coil actuators for the fuel and temperature gauges.

The motors all just push into position, although I found that the plastic retaining clips were a bit brittle!

If it is just a motor change then I think that you will only have to remove the pointer on that motor after taking the back off the instrument cluster.

I hope this makes sense.


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## Tritium

Motor : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-TT-A3-A4-A6-Jaeger-Speedo-Fuel-Temp-Pointer-Motors-/261105238111
£18.99+£2.49 p&p.

Use VCDS instrument output test to help reposition the pointers accurately.

Brian


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## TerryCTR

Thanks John yes that makes sense.

Thanks for the link Brian, VCDS I take it this is to do with Vag.com? I don't have access to this so that will be my only issue to sorting the needle properly


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## peter-ss

You can always do it the old fashioned way.

Fill your tank to the top and then adjust the needle to suit.

I would recommend only pushing the needle slightly on until it's in the correct position.

Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2


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## LordG71

Good work Peter. The end result looks great


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## TerryCTR

peter-ss said:


> You can always do it the old fashioned way.
> 
> Fill your tank to the top and then adjust the needle to suit.
> 
> I would recommend only pushing the needle slightly on until it's in the correct position.
> 
> Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2


The only issue with that is say I fill to the first click on the pump im not sure where the needle should really sit on the 1, or past it and by how much. If I could find that out then yes I think it would suffice.

Good tip on the needle though.


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## peter-ss

I know that on my Mk2 the needle never goes over the maximum, however much fuel that you squeeze in.

I think that it was the same on the Mk1 - Hopefully a current Mk1 owner will be able to confirm this?


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## TerryCTR

Well if that's the case I could fill it fully and align to the 1.

I've went ahead and bought the motor now and the seller says it comes with instructions to align and I don't need VCDS so I will see how he suggests I go about it.

I can't even mind on my Mk2 where the needle sat


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## TerryCTR

Swapped the motor today and took a few more photos to add to the thread that may assist others slightly more.

Test fitted it without the casing and the needle sat at the 1 position. I filled the tank just to the second click today so I knew I would be pretty accurate at that.

3-4 times on and off with the ignition and each time the needle went to position 1.

So I pinned the needle down fully and then refitted the casing.

Another test and again it all went well going to position 1.

So bolted the [email protected] back down which is a bit of a pain:

Tip lower the steering rack and pull it out as far as it will go as it gives you more room to get the dashpod in and out.

Turned the key and the needle went just past one, off as on and once again it went off to the right as far as it can sit past 1.

Not very pleased right now!

Either the motor has went again or you just can't set it manually.

Does anyone know if VCDS can calibrate it without the need to have the dash all out and opened to position the needle?


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## TerryCTR

Photos I took:

This one shows the screws once the cover is removed: you need to remove the centre one that sits in on he circular plastic lip and all the rest below









There is 3 underneath you need to get: 1 here to the left and the insert just below this also has one









And one in the dash compartment:









The 2 screws holding the dash hide behind the leather trim, Peter already shows one but I just took some better photos:


















Pod on the way out pull towards you as suggested:









Motor to replace:









You need to take this metal bit off the old motor which pretty much meant hacking the other to bits with a screwdriver:









Dials back in the back casing, I left the needle off at the point:









I then plugged it back into the car and test fitted:









As you can see the needle did sit in the 1 position.

Where it ended up before being fully off the dial again:









I would recommend masking tape to protect the surrounding dash and steering barrel as its easily marked and the kitchen roll was just there to protect a little


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## toy4two

another tip i got form a dashpod rebuilder in the US. You can use those Chinese LCDs all over Ebay for our TT's just put a scrap of 35% window tint on the back of the LCD before fitting and it fixes the problem with the contrast. Mine looks great.


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## billystt225

hi
Just wondering if you could me a bit more with the cluster panel.

I have TT 180bhp on a 2000! i removed the cluster panel to check if the engine management led had been removed at the light would never show up! and what do i find, it has!

anyway what i need help with is that reading what you have posted you say that you disconnected 3 plugs from the panel. i only had 2 plugs on there. does this mean that i have a plug missing or they actually only have 2 plugs?

i would appreciate any info you can shed on this


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## ades tt 180

The 180 screens only show outside temperature so thats why they only have 2 plugs...mine does anyway...


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## datamonkey

Looks like I might need a new LCD for my dash. Turned the car on this morning to find that the whole display has gone red. Damn thing was fine when I turned it off yesterday!

It's quite bright but not very noticeable in this pic...

Anyone know where I can get a replacement from for a Mk2? All I seem to be able to find are for Mk1's...

Cheers

EDIT - Sorry just realised this is in the Mk1 forum!


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## John-H

That's unlikely to be a fault with the LCD itself - more likely the contrast bias voltage which is at fault. That could be a dry joint somewhere in that part of the circuit.


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## datamonkey

John-H said:


> That's unlikely to be a fault with the LCD itself - more likely the contrast bias voltage which is at fault. That could be a dry joint somewhere in that part of the circuit.


Would that also give the black horizontal line (dead pixels?) that you can see visible on the display too?

Any idea what part might need fixing?

Thanks in advance...


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## John-H

I'm not that familiar with the Mk 2. I thought that was a divider. I can see writing att low contrast, so the processor/ driver is working.

If that line is a genuine dead pixel line or two then that could be the adhesive on the edge connector coming adrift. I've fixed this sort of thing before with heat applied to the strip to rebond the glue. That doesn't I think explain why the contrast is out all over though


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## datamonkey

John-H said:


> I'm not that familiar with the Mk 2. I thought that was a divider. I can see writing att low contrast, so the processor/ driver is working.
> 
> If that line is a genuine dead pixel line or two then that could be the adhesive on the edge connector coming adrift. I've fixed this sort of thing before with heat applied to the strip to rebond the glue. That doesn't I think explain why the contrast is out all over though


John, thanks very much for your help, I appreciate it...

Tbh the black line could be a divider, I honestly can't remember if it was there before or not, or just not as visible!

I have sent these guys an email to see if they have a solution - http://www.cartronix.co.uk/Pages/LCD_Pixel_Repairs.aspx

Will update when I hear back from them.


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## peter-ss

I've just nipped out to have a look at mine and it appears that the black line is normal, although it's more noticeable with your over bright screen.

As John said, it could be something related to temperature compensation that's failed, as LCD screens are sensitive to temperature change.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) I've had no experience yet of the inside of a Mk2 dashpod.

It may be worth looking into whether there's any hidden adjustment for contrast before you commit to a repair - I'll have a look myself and get back to you if I find anything.


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## datamonkey

peter-ss said:


> It may be worth looking into whether there's any hidden adjustment for contrast before you commit to a repair - I'll have a look myself and get back to you if I find anything.


Yeah that did cross my mind and I have twiddled with some things though haven't managed to "tone down" the contrast.

Will let you know if/how I get it sorted!


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## datamonkey

peter-ss said:


> LCD screens are sensitive to temperature change.


This could have been the problem with mine as luckily it has sorted itself out and is back to normal now.

Wonder if it was affected by the cold snowy weather recently?


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## peter-ss

Hopefully it will stay that way.


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## kevin_tt

I would just like to say Thank You to Peter & Terry for putting the great helpful pictures on here.
I got a new pointer Motor arrive via. Ebay today from AKspeedo. The change over took about an hour thanks to the "how to" posts.
Because it was the Temperatue gauge, I did not need the VCDS. It all looks ok at the moment anyway.
Thanks Again.


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## iktank

Just tagging this for myself 
Fuel gauge off the scale and does not drop below 1/2 full except when ignition turned off.
Also lcd display occasionally going fuzzy on start up but does clear after few seconds :?: 
So going to remove and send off to be repaired
- Who is most highly recommend for this?


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## croydon

bba reman is recommendeed.. do a search also on Ebay.

Ian


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## iktank

Ta


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## uv101

Used this guide today to strip my dash for the DIS colour change.

Big thanks to Peter-ss for the OP.

[smiley=dude.gif] [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## peter-ss

I'm glad it was helpful but we need to see photos of your colour change.


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## uv101

Not complete yet 

The led's behind the DIS are 2 colour in a single unit. I've yet to see a blue/yellow led so I've ordered smaller ones to replace them discretely which is a bit more fiddly but will work!

Posted this on my colour change thread viewtopic.php?f=2&t=432761&p=3166857#p3166857


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## peter-ss

Good work so far.

The blue looks so much better, in my opinion, than the 'old fashioned' red.

You've got me thinking about doing something with the red backlighting in my Mk2 now.


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## Sukhi

Good stuff buddy - thanks for the write up!


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## Trig

Think I might end up doing this soon, started getting one or two lines in the screen..
I've also got a dodgy fuel guage on the dash so this and the stepper motor might be on the cards before the end of the year.

Failing that can you just fit a different set of clocks, presumably they'd need to be coded in?


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## John-H

You needneed to match the unit (country, model plus options) and then get it coded which is expensive at the dealer. That's why it's more desirable to fix your own.


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## Trig

Ahh, can they not be coded with the technical plug in pokery stuff at a normal garage?


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## John-H

Not that simple. It used to be that only the Audi dealers had access for security reasons. There are some specialist locksmiths that may have the right equipment. The normal garage diagnostic equipment won't do it.


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## nightyard

Brilliant guide.

I shall be using it to put the needles on In their correct place as someone who previously took it apart put the temp and fuel on in wrong location


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## Cipo

Great post, I might have to do it soon myself. My LCD was broken since I bought the car (yr2000, 225 quattro). So I've never seen it working  The fuel gauge has been always periodically "jumpy" but setting on after some minutes. My RPM indicator is now off scale, almost by 360deg. I assume I can set it back to zero once I will open it.
Is this the right LCD ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Display-S ... 4882361a63
I am not sure it is the right size.
Thx
CIPO


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## 3TT3

Cipo said:


> Great post, I might have to do it soon myself. My LCD was broken since I bought the car (yr2000, 225 quattro). So I've never seen it working  The fuel gauge has been always periodically "jumpy" but setting on after some minutes. My RPM indicator is now off scale, almost by 360deg. I assume I can set it back to zero once I will open it.
> Is this the right LCD ?
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Display-S ... 4882361a63
> I am not sure it is the right size.
> Thx
> CIPO


Delhanway have allways been ok for me for parts n bulbs etc but Id be wary of trying a self soldering fix on my dashpod with all those small little joints.
Also replacing the DIS probably wont do anything for dodgy gauges.
For the cost, around 100 quid in the UK, you can get the centre display replaced and they will fix/service and guarantee the whole dashpod.


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## Cipo

3TT3 said:


> Delhanway have allways been ok for me for parts n bulbs etc but Id be wary of trying a self soldering fix on my dashpod with all those small little joints.
> Also replacing the DIS probably wont do anything for dodgy gauges.
> For the cost, around 100 quid in the UK, you can get the centre display replaced and they will fix/service and guarantee the whole dashpod.


thx 3TT3 but I am quite ok with soldering: as we speak I am about to fix a tiny 30 pins connector for a flat cable used to attach the 27" screen of an iMAC back to its motherboard 
The main problem is also that I don't live in UK and in Finland such work is rare to find and awful expensive.
I know the LCD has nothing to do with the gauge but my thinking is that since I have to remove the gauges then I will make sure to put it back with a proper zeroing. Where do I find this "Delhanway" ? Is it online ? cannot find via simple google.
THX 4 help
CIPO

EDIT: found Delhanway, it was my link 
So, do you confirm the item in the link I sent will do ok for my TT ?


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## Cipo

Hi again
an other option would be to replace the whole panel with this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-AUDI-TT- ... 3641.l6368

I would get a working LCD and gauge. But you never know how long this is gonna last .... tempting anyway.
THX
CIPO


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## 3TT3

I live in Ireland 
bba reman based in the UK did mine
see this thread
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=137291

For people in the Uk, its free collection and delivery (around 100 pounds)

It cost me 145 with post and packing (about 200 euro) at todays rates, it took 10 days in total.

I did it around the same time I eas fitting cc and getting remapped by WaK..see your other post.

That part looks like the right one, but I dont know for sure and its said some of the china/hong kong displays are a very bright red.

Also buying a whole used dashpod, even if its working, it wont work on your car,it has to be coded in , Ive no idea how difficult that is.


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## John-H

I'd try re-bonding the strip to the existing LCD by heating the flexi where it meets the glass. A soldering iron run over the back of the flexi or heat gun and some pressure should be all that's needed. It helps if it can be powed when you do it so you can see the effect. What happens is the semi conductive glue breaks away over time. You are just repeating the manufacturing process.


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## Cipo

Thx 3TT3 and John, I will have a go as John suggested. My LCD has been off all the time since I bought it. But it is just a wrong contact that could be "revamped".
THX


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## PhutneyBuilder

Thanks for posting this on the TT Forum, I thought about having a go at this after getting a quote from my local Audi dealer/service agent in Bedford of 1158.00 GBP, agghhh! but I think I'll remove the Instrument Cluster Pod myself and send it to a specialist, as I see there are quite a few offering this service for a more realistic price of between 120.00 and 200.00, I really don't think I could tackle the job as well as you did. Thanks again Derek.


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## AudiEd007

Well done Peter. I'm a chicken when it comes to this stuff. Where in Portugal can you get this done as I live in Portugal and need to replace mine? Ed


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## stuptt225

Can anyone recommend a LCD replacement supplier please. I cant be without the car or get to one of these places but happy to do the repair myself. Unsurprisingly the UK based repairers don't want to sell me just the part.


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## John-H

If you take the dashpod out and use one of the guides to disassemble you can usually fix the missing lines of display pixels issue by running a soldering iron or hot air and applying some pressure, to reconnect the flexy ribon back onto the glass edge. It comes away over time and just needs sticking back on.. You will be working blind however and won't know it's fixed until it's back in.


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## stuptt225

Many thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try later


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## Lawrence_H

Used this guide to successfully repair the dash on my wife's roadster today, huge thank you for writing it up [smiley=dude.gif]


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## peter-ss

You're welcome.


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## Chins48

Lawrence_H said:


> Used this guide to successfully repair the dash on my wife's roadster today, huge thank you for writing it up [smiley=dude.gif]


Did you buy a new one if so where from, they look different on ebay than the one in my dashboard :?


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## TTNI

My car has one line missing on the display, find it strange bit it doesn't seem to cut the horizontal lines that separate the little Windows , if that makes sense.
But when I drive the car it seems to fix itself after about 20 minutes.
Car is new to me so I'm wondering if it is getting better as car wasn't used much recently or is it liable to get worse.


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## John-H

TTNI said:


> My car has one line missing on the display, find it strange bit it doesn't seem to cut the horizontal lines that separate the little Windows , if that makes sense.
> But when I drive the car it seems to fix itself after about 20 minutes.
> Car is new to me so I'm wondering if it is getting better as car wasn't used much recently or is it liable to get worse.


It will only get worse over time. It's just the flexi strip coming loose on the display and changing with temperature. If you can take it apart you can either iron it back on with a soldering iron or heat gun and some pressure or change the display.


----------



## Chins48

Advice needed has Anyone bought a LCD screen off eBay lately they look totally different to the one that`s fitted on mine. Mine has a large wide ribbon the new ones have narrow ribbon? will they still fit....the sellers say they do!!!?
Anybody?


----------



## Topsie

Has anyone actually tried just reflowing the DIS instead of complete replacement? I can see it getting mentioned, but wondering if anyone has had the minerals to try?


----------



## John-H

You don't need to reflow the DIS regarding the display - it's not the solder connections it's the flexi circuit conductive bond to the glass - where you used to have a zebra strip. You just need to heat it and apply pressure to re-bond it. Or replace the LCD.

As for the rest of the DIS the most common faults are the coils in the meter movements.

Early processor failure was due to FLASH memory fade causing all sorts of issues but most of those have been replaced by a mask device now in the Audi free replacement scheme.

Actual dry joints are less common.


----------



## IPG3.6

Chins48 said:


> Advice needed has Anyone bought a LCD screen off eBay lately they look totally different to the one that`s fitted on mine. Mine has a large wide ribbon the new ones have narrow ribbon? will they still fit....the sellers say they do!!!?
> Anybody?


if you search you will see there are two versions. one that is more expensive that is the exact OEM replacement with the blue ribbing and the cheaper ones with the yellow "thin" ribbon. Both fit with the cheaper one having more of a "red" contrast to the display. the more expensive one with more a "black" background


----------



## Topsie

John-H said:


> You don't need to reflow the DIS regarding the display - it's not the solder connections it's the flexi circuit conductive bond to the glass - where you used to have a zebra strip. You just need to heat it and apply pressure to re-bond it. Or replace the LCD.


Appreciate the clarification, again, has anyone done this with success? (I'm assuming yourself John-H?) or is the risk of this not working or going wrong too much for most?

The TT's going on it's first long(er) journey (in my ownership!) and I'd quite like to be able to read range & MPG etc. but probably left it a bit late to buy a new LCD (Leaving on Sunday)

Nick


----------



## John-H

Topsie said:


> John-H said:
> 
> 
> 
> You don't need to reflow the DIS regarding the display - it's not the solder connections it's the flexi circuit conductive bond to the glass - where you used to have a zebra strip. You just need to heat it and apply pressure to re-bond it. Or replace the LCD.
> 
> 
> 
> Appreciate the clarification, again, has anyone done this with success? (I'm assuming yourself John-H?) or is the risk of this not working or going wrong too much for most?
> 
> The TT's going on it's first long(er) journey (in my ownership!) and I'd quite like to be able to read range & MPG etc. but probably left it a bit late to buy a new LCD (Leaving on Sunday)
> 
> Nick
Click to expand...

Hi Nick,

If we are talking about the LCD ribbon bond then I've not repaired a TT dashpod LCD like this but I have repaired a good few LCDs on other equipment that have the same issue - it's quite common. Zebra strips respond to cleaning with IPA too. The one disadvantage with the dashpod that I can see is that unless you can have it powered up whilst you do it (most LCDs I've fixed "live") then you won't know it's worked until you power it back up. There is also a chance you may fix one bit and de-bond part of it, so may end up a series of trial and error until all works. You wouldn't need complete re-assembly each time. It maybe possible to have it powered and accessible but I've not tried.

There are some guides on disassembly in the Knowledge Base which should help and Peter's of course.

I once tried to fix a dashpod for a guy in Spain that had his TT flood damaged, where nearly every through hole on the PCB was eaten away and needed soldering. It was fixed enough to get the car going which was a miracle but the DIS didn't work apparently. I couldn't test it at the time unfortunately and he wasn't exactly local.

Hopefully yours only needs some pressure plus some heat perhaps? I'd try this first if there was doubt over a replacement.


----------



## Topsie

Again, much appreciated.

I think that maybe the tack to take, i'll see if there is a way I can leave the unit powered up (perhaps in-situ while carrying out the repair?) but failing that, have a go and see what happens, worst case scenario being the need for a new LCD.

One more question though; when you mention heat, are we talking small amount from a heat gun or direct from a solder iron?

Nick


----------



## John-H

I've wafted a small hot air gun over them before whilst pressing down by rubbing with a blunt plastic rod and I've used a bevel tip soldering iron quickly run over the back of the plastic insulation of the ribbon where itt adheres to the glass edge. There's an invisible conductive circuit track film on the glass it's connecting to and that's where the issue is with the conductive adhesive rather than the other end with the PCB solder connections.

The ribbons are usually made of something like Kapton (dark brown but transparent) which will take a high temperature but test it first to make sure it doesn't melt.

You may only need some pressure. My original TT dashpod was losing lines but you could make them re-appear by pressing the display through the glass. It's only adhesive and comes away over time. Providing it's not oxidised it will probably stick again for another few years but if it's degraded heating it will soften it and form a better bond.

Audi replaced mine before I had a go at fixing it. Let us know how you get on and good luck


----------



## Topsie

Will do, fingers crossed I won't set the whole unit on fire!!


----------



## IPG3.6

you don't want to have the unit powered up while you make the repair. you will risk shorting it if you do

plus you need to source a spare cluster and OBD harness to be able to do this and then you gotta wire it up so that just adds an extra step

i've done mine with a soldering iron.to remove the old LCD i would remove everything until you have the ribbon and track staring at you. then using the soldering iron (this is no special SMD work station just a regular 40w soldering iron) i would heat up the track while gently pulling on the ribbing until it comes away. i try not to stay in one spot too long so i don't created a hotspot. if the plastic melts from the track it's fine as you can clean it up after with soldering wick


----------



## watersbluebird

I've gone from this:


to this tonight:


Well pleased with myself. Thanks for the advice on here. I blasted hot air on the glass contact area of the screen and pressed it down for a while.

A scary job to do, what with all those components to take off the board. Setting the temperature needle was challenging too. After a while, I realised pushing it on gently and not all the way on made it settle nicely at 90 when warm.


----------



## John-H

Well done that man!


----------



## watersbluebird

John-H said:


> Well done that man!


Thanks, John. Your post really made the difference. As usual.


----------



## Chins48

ianpgonzaga said:


> Chins48 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Advice needed has Anyone bought a LCD screen off eBay lately they look totally different to the one that`s fitted on mine. Mine has a large wide ribbon the new ones have narrow ribbon? will they still fit....the sellers say they do!!!?
> Anybody?
> 
> 
> 
> if you search you will see there are two versions. one that is more expensive that is the exact OEM replacement with the blue ribbing and the cheaper ones with the yellow "thin" ribbon. Both fit with the cheaper one having more of a "red" contrast to the display. the more expensive one with more a "black" background
Click to expand...

Thanks you. I purchased an cheap eBay one and just finished installing it with great result, Im liking what i see I've no problem with the contrast. Saved myself £160 result


----------



## snelly123

peter-ss said:


> Hi there,
> 
> It's been a long time since I did this job but, as I remember, there are stepper motors for the rev counter and speedo and moving coil actuators for the fuel and temperature gauges.
> 
> The motors all just push into position, although I found that the plastic retaining clips were a bit brittle!
> 
> If it is just a motor change then I think that you will only have to remove the pointer on that motor after taking the back off the instrument cluster.
> 
> I hope this makes sense.


not all is lost if the retaining clips break, briefly dip the stem in brake/carb cleaner (trichloroethylene, same as tipex thinner) or acetone and put it back in position, it will be as good as new in about 10-15 mins.

I replaced my LCD today, and managed to break all 4 retainers for the speedo and rev counter, and repaired them as i stated above and all went ok, LCD is working fine and needles appear to be set correctly.

The only issue is the backlights for the upper (yellow) DIS and needles for the temp/fuel gauges dont always work, but they do light up when the plastic surround by the main beam light is pushed in.

Any ideas?

Regards
Nige


----------



## peter-ss

It sound like there's a crack in a soldered joint on one of the LEDs or associated components.

A touch of heat in the right place with a soldering iron should sort that.

If you can power the unit whilst apart then applying gentle pressure to parts of the board / components should find the issue.

Just be careful not to short anything!


----------



## DC

Peter
I need to tackle the DIS LCD screen repair but the photos in your original post do not appear - the link to photobucket is no longer supported (or is there something I need to do to see them?). I would be very grateful if you could re-post/host the photographs? Or I could pm my email address if you would forward them?
Thanks
Dave


----------



## peter-ss

Hi Dave,

I've managed to get the photos back on for you.

Good luck with the repair.

Cheers.

Peter.


----------



## John-H

Thanks for sorting your pictures Peter!


----------



## DC

Yes, thank you Peter and I can now see why the previous respondents have been in such admiration of your balls - great work. Will report back as and when I man-up to the job.
Dave


----------



## buckley2060

Excellent post, Thanks Peter


----------



## macadamy

I would also like to thank Peter

Without his post I probably wouldn't have done mine. [smiley=cheers.gif]


----------



## NtG

peter-ss, is it you in this video?? 

DIS pixel repair


----------



## peter-ss

No.


----------



## bootstrap

I too have performed this rather stressful task. Fortunately, the price for the LCD screen was only AU$14, so wasn't too exorbitant. Also replaced the faulty tacho stepper motor (inevitable, apparently) while I was in there. That was easy. By far the most difficult aspect is refitting the lower dash - my contortionism skills have been much improved!


----------



## droopsnoot

I watched the video that was posted above, he does make it look easy. I love the idea of saving the cost of the repair, but I'm not sure my soldering is up to it. He keeps saying "take your time, don't rush" when he's soldering that ribbon cable in, while just running iron along it for a second or two. I think if I did that, all the contacts would be joined up and nothing would work again.


----------



## bootstrap

Fortunately I have an SMD (hot air type) desoldering station and a reasonable microscope and as a result I thought my chances were as good as anyone's at getting the job done. I allocated the whole day and tried to take my time and to do it properly. Regrettably, both the temp and fuel gauges are not accurate and I've decided I can live with it as the calibration process with VCDS would require me to remove the lower dash and I AIN'T DOING THAT AGAIN! Good luck to all contenders!


----------



## droopsnoot

That's weird - I've had the lower dash section out a few times (clutch pedal, master cylinder) and never had any trouble with that bit. Compared to the micro-soldering and so on, it seems the easy bit.


----------



## benckj

Although I have a decent soldering station I haven't found the courage to tackle this job yet. Watched the clip and that enough to leave my screen another day. The LCD is slowly cracking up and has its good/bad days. Might actually order one from Aliexpress so its on-hand just in case I have nothing to do and feeling exceptionally brave.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/LCD-Dis ... autifyAB=0


----------



## bootstrap

Following replacement of LCD screen and tachometer stepper motor just wondering if it's just an age related issue rather than distance travelled?


----------



## droopsnoot

Sorry, what are we looking at?


----------



## pcbbc

droopsnoot said:


> Sorry, what are we looking at?


I think the photo title "Low kilometres for 1999 model?".
58,000 km = 36,000 miles

So they are asking, is the DIS failure "an age related issue" or down to "distance travelled".

Cluster failure is down to the solder joints on the display flatflex cracking, most likely due to use of RoHS compliant unleaded solder in the production process.

I dare say that mileage probably plays a part, as more miles equals more jolts, equals more chance of a solder joint flexing and breaking. But equally things like thermal expansion and contraction will play a part also, so there is an age related factor in there also.

TBH with cars of the age of the MK1, whether it's a 1999 model or end of production 2006 is largely irrelevant. I'm afraid everything will break eventually.


----------



## benckj

My TT has only 54km and has had a quiet life. Screen is failing and getting worse by the day.


----------



## silkman

Given the crap quality of replacement screens nowadays I am very much tempted for a colourmfa. But I will probably get hold of a used dashpod as a backup.


----------



## John-H

droopsnoot said:


> That's weird - I've had the lower dash section out a few times (clutch pedal, master cylinder) and never had any trouble with that bit. Compared to the micro-soldering and so on, it seems the easy bit.


Same here. I've had it out on my car and others for various reasons and it can be a bit deceiving on reassembly but you just recognise it isn't quite right and try again. Certainly less of an exacting job than replacing a DIS LCD display.

Incidentally, the DIS losing lines has nothing to do with ROHS solder. The problem is the conductive glue bond of the ribbon to the glass. It debonds over time. You can repair it by running a soldering iron or hot air pencil over the bond and applying pressure. Unfortunately without a powered wiring harness extension to see instantly what effect it's having you are working a bit blind and might need a few attempts.


----------



## gerontius

droopsnoot said:


> I watched the video that was posted above, he does make it look easy. I love the idea of saving the cost of the repair, but I'm not sure my soldering is up to it. He keeps saying "take your time, don't rush" when he's soldering that ribbon cable in, while just running iron along it for a second or two. I think if I did that, all the contacts would be joined up and nothing would work again.


Replaced my LCD today, not difficult if you're used to soldering.
No issues with linking up the contacts, just use some decent leaded solder and flux.
Probably the most tricky part was unsoldering the old ribbon cable, but easy enough to clean up the tracks afterwards.
I bought the replacement LCD about 18 months ago, wish I'd done it sooner.
John


----------



## Amulet banana

I have to say that I replaced a few screens so far, my s4 got one of the last genuine screens before they became NLA, my s6 got a cheap eBay screen but the contrast is too bright, my TT got a cheap eBay screen but it looks Bob on to be fair, even though it's a track car I couldn't stand looking at the knackered DIS [smiley=bigcry.gif]

Also I'd advise finishing the dash repair in the car, before putting needles on, plug dash into car and get VCDS to set the needle position then double check before making sure the needles are on properly and you have clipped the front into position, stop you from jumping in the car and finding the clocks to be out of sync, I know from experience how frustrating it is [smiley=bigcry.gif]


----------



## Skeee

Amulet banana said:


> ...............................Also I'd advise finishing the dash repair in the car, before putting needles on, plug dash into car and get VCDS to set the needle position then double check before making sure the needles are on properly and you have clipped the front into position, stop you from jumping in the car and finding the clocks to be out of sync, I know from experience how frustrating it is [smiley=bigcry.gif]


Wish I read this a year ago. :roll:


----------



## Sierragls

Amulet banana said:


> I have to say that I replaced a few screens so far, my s4 got one of the last genuine screens before they became NLA, my s6 got a cheap eBay screen but the contrast is too bright, my TT got a cheap eBay screen but it looks Bob on to be fair, even though it's a track car I couldn't stand looking at the knackered DIS [smiley=bigcry.gif]
> 
> Also I'd advise finishing the dash repair in the car, before putting needles on, plug dash into car and get VCDS to set the needle position then double check before making sure the needles are on properly and you have clipped the front into position, stop you from jumping in the car and finding the clocks to be out of sync, I know from experience how frustrating it is [smiley=bigcry.gif]


Thanks for the advice. Do you have a link to the screen you got from eBay for your TT? I can't stand the bright contrast.

Also where is the needle calibration located in VCDS?


----------



## gerontius

If you're doing your own car, you don't need VCDS to refit the needles.
Fill the tank with fuel beforehand.
After changing the LCD, fit the cluster to the car, turn on ignition, then carefully refit fuel gauge needed pointing to full. Don't push it on fully until you've turned ignition off then on a few times to be sure it always shows full.
Temp gauge - display temperature on the climate control panel - code 49.
Drive car up to temp at 90 degrees C.
With ignition on, fit temp needle in 90 degrees position (12 o'clock).
Again don't push needle fully home until sure it's correct.
Refit front cover with ignition switched on, hold it in place while you switch ignition off, unplug cables, then refit front cover screws.
Don't try to refit front cover when cluster powered down - you will damage temp & fuel needles.


----------



## Amulet banana

Sierragls said:


> Amulet banana said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have to say that I replaced a few screens so far, my s4 got one of the last genuine screens before they became NLA, my s6 got a cheap eBay screen but the contrast is too bright, my TT got a cheap eBay screen but it looks Bob on to be fair, even though it's a track car I couldn't stand looking at the knackered DIS [smiley=bigcry.gif]
> 
> Also I'd advise finishing the dash repair in the car, before putting needles on, plug dash into car and get VCDS to set the needle position then double check before making sure the needles are on properly and you have clipped the front into position, stop you from jumping in the car and finding the clocks to be out of sync, I know from experience how frustrating it is  [smiley=bigcry.gif]
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the advice. Do you have a link to the screen you got from eBay for your TT? I can't stand the bright contrast.
> 
> Also where is the needle calibration located in VCDS?
Click to expand...

The link no longer works for the one I picked up, but this is the same seller.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3131131159

Don't tell me off if it's bright, as being Chinese I can't guarantee it being good but I bought one and it's good, esp considering I can compare it to the s6 one.

The one in the TT, doesn't help the photo was taken at night.









The one in the S6, the photo is in the daytime and you can see how bright it is.


----------



## Sierragls

Amulet banana said:


> Sierragls said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Amulet banana said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have to say that I replaced a few screens so far, my s4 got one of the last genuine screens before they became NLA, my s6 got a cheap eBay screen but the contrast is too bright, my TT got a cheap eBay screen but it looks Bob on to be fair, even though it's a track car I couldn't stand looking at the knackered DIS [smiley=bigcry.gif]
> 
> Also I'd advise finishing the dash repair in the car, before putting needles on, plug dash into car and get VCDS to set the needle position then double check before making sure the needles are on properly and you have clipped the front into position, stop you from jumping in the car and finding the clocks to be out of sync, I know from experience how frustrating it is [smiley=bigcry.gif]
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the advice. Do you have a link to the screen you got from eBay for your TT? I can't stand the bright contrast.
> 
> Also where is the needle calibration located in VCDS?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The link no longer works for the one I picked up, but this is the same seller.
> 
> https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3131131159
> 
> Don't tell me off if it's bright, as being Chinese I can't guarantee it being good but I bought one and it's good, esp considering I can compare it to the s6 one.
> 
> The one in the TT, doesn't help the photo was taken at night.
> View attachment 1
> 
> 
> The one in the S6, the photo is in the daytime and you can see how bright it is.
Click to expand...

Great. Thanks for the link, will get one ordered.

Do you know where to go in VCDS to calibrate the needles?


----------



## Amulet banana

Go into instruments and then output tests, I can't remember off by heart what it says when it does the needles, run through it first before taking it apart, so your familiar with what you do, the tachometer sticks at 3k rpm, temp and fuel gauge needles stick at centre point, and speedo sticks at 100kmh, not 60mph as I did in the S6 :roll: [smiley=bigcry.gif]


----------



## Skeee

Wasn't aware the Jaeger LCD was NLA, not sure how this 'new version' compares to the OEM Jaeger?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Instrum ... st=ae803_4
and
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Instrum ... st=ae803_4
and
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dashboa ... st=ae803_4

Also be warned that buying direct from China although financially safe, (they're very prompt refunding if it doesn't arrive/arrives damaged) can take weeks and weeks and sometimes just doesn't arrive :roll: so prepare to be patient if buying direct!

Or there's the 'Jeager"  
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Arr ... 33b770f-25


----------



## cryptopsy

Thanks for doing the trenchwork for us. I have had a spare LCD for years but was never bold enough to do it as I have been told it would only be possible with hot air. Having said that, this will be tomorrow's project as it is now nearly midnight.


----------



## gerontius

Ideally you'd use a hot air station to de-solder the old LCD.
However, for an experienced solderer, a good hot iron with sufficient flux is sufficient.

There are plenty of old soldering irons out there that don't get properly up to temp - there's even a guy on a you-tube video using a crap soldering iron - forget it, a decent iron with a small bit is not expensive and you need to get it right first time and not damage the circuit board.

I'd not recommend this as a job for someone new to soldering, but that apart, it's straight-forward DIY for someone used to working circuit boards & electronic components. If you're a bit ham-fisted without much manual dexterity, find someone else to do it !


----------



## cryptopsy

I'm halfway through the repair. 
-Using the handles off two nail clippers (the parts that attach to the pin), you can leverage the needles off very easily and savely. Looks like you don't want to snap them in half as they are delicate long thin barrels.
-Can't get the white back cover off? Push the plastic longitudinally, as if you were making it wider.
EDIT: I was going to make a guide, but i found this one better. 



One of the pins holding the spedometer pop broke as I bent it sideways. Don't do that, use a screwdriver to bend the two clear tabs out by twisting. F***.

EDIT: By the end of it, I learnt two important things
1) You don't need a hot air gun at all. It is easily do-able with a cheap soldering iron.
2) Don't peel the plastic cover off the new LCD until its all assembled. Don't use contact cleaner to clean fingerprints as it will permanently stain the LCD glass ( I was not expecting this at all!).


----------



## Baalthazaar

Rather than getting a new speedo motor when you break a tab, you can get the covers for the motors at www.akspeedo.com.
£6 for the cover rather than £23 for the whole motor.


----------



## cryptopsy

which way does the leather strap on the underside of the cluster go? I can't figure out which way to place it, and the spring that goes through it.


----------



## Baalthazaar

Bit of clarity I hope....








Don't forget to slide the beaded part of the leather into the bottom of the cluster first, slide it all the way to one side first then bring it back across to center it..


----------



## rodhotter

as once said "a man gotta know his limitations" + thats surely one of mine!! my display is out since purchasing my 2001 about 10 years ago, heat gauge got worse always showing hot but really not + gas tank is always full, a good thing if true, so keep thinking of removing the complete unit but hate the thought of shipping it!!


----------



## Skeee

cryptopsy said:


> which way does the leather strap on the underside of the cluster go? I can't figure out which way to place it, and the spring that goes through it.


 :lol: :lol: :lol: So glad I wasn't the only one! [smiley=bigcry.gif] Think it took me nearly half an hour to work out which way the spring fits!


----------



## cryptopsy

To be fair, I was not able to figure it out --- I looked at google images for 30 minutes and copied someone else's configuration. I noticed the tension on the wire/spring can be improved by turning the terminals up. Bad design, in theory, as it turns from vibrations, the screw will loosen more and more. Some things seem to always come loose (like the rear hatch ...) ..


----------



## Skeee

Was a while ago but that does sound familiar. I prob just tightened it a little more but that's usually when I'll add a thin washer with a tiny dab of grease to stop the 'load' from loosening the screw.


----------



## Merlin1

Been reading up on the missing pixel issues...my 3.2 (2004) has the same problem. I don't fancy scrabbling around on the driveway in this cold weather so would rather my indie Audi guys do the repair for me. The guys (who I trust implicitly) told me they have to remove the old dash readout and send it for repair, leaving the car in the yard for a week or two. 
Question is....is there a supplier of a new pixellated info panel, rather than an exchange / repair? A straight swap of the part would be much preferred, and quicker. Cheers.


----------



## droopsnoot

The LCD panels are available, but you need someone with the appropriate skills to unsolder the old one and solder the new one in. That's why people tend to send the whole instrument panel off to someone who can do it. If you buy the whole instrument panel, it needs to be coded to the car.

At least one poster further up this thread does these things on demand, takes about three hours if you can get the car there. Search up a few pages.


----------



## gerontius

It's not that difficult to fit a new LCD screen, although you'd not want to do it as your first venture into soldering.
There are lots of useful how-to videos on Youtube.
Whilst not difficult, it does need a high level of care to get it right first time.
There are folks advertising on eBay, send it off special delivery, they receive next day, repair & post back same day, you get it back on the third working day.


----------



## fertooos

To get the instrument cluster out of the car I had to loosen the cover under the dashboard above the foot well. To do this there were several screws to remove on the right of the dash, behind the fuse box cover, and a few in the foot well area. Once removed the panel could be pulled towards myself and unclipped from below the instrument panel. Once unclipped the two screws holding in the instrument cluster could be removed. The manual says that you need a special tool to unclip the top of the instrument cluster but I just rotated mine out starting at the bottom.


----------



## John949

Sorry if this has already been posted as this is along thread to read through but I've heard that using some windscreen tinting film on the back of a 'Chinese' LCD is a good way to tone down the brightness or else you can block off the light sensor with a piece of tape as the display darkens in low light.


----------



## pcbbc

John949 said:


> Sorry if this has already been posted as this is along thread to read through but I've heard that using some windscreen tinting film on the back of a 'Chinese' LCD is a good way to tone down the brightness or else you can block off the light sensor with a piece of tape as the display darkens in low light.


Over here as well John? 

Yep - See here where I had some good results with mobile phone polarising filters.

But I'd imagine the tinting film would work a treat also. I suppose an added advantage is it's available in a range of tint percentages, so you can find one you like.


----------



## NVSTMT

damn... this looks like a major... i have contacted one guy to swap whole cluster but he says the car's immobiliser is built in and therefore will render the car useless... thoughts?


----------



## Amulet banana

pcbbc said:


> John949 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry if this has already been posted as this is along thread to read through but I've heard that using some windscreen tinting film on the back of a 'Chinese' LCD is a good way to tone down the brightness or else you can block off the light sensor with a piece of tape as the display darkens in low light.
> 
> 
> 
> Over here as well John?
> 
> Yep - See here where I had some good results with mobile phone polarising filters.
> 
> But I'd imagine the tinting film would work a treat also. I suppose an added advantage is it's available in a range of tint percentages, so you can find one you like.
Click to expand...

I bought tinting film but never bothered with it in the end, I think the Chinese screens are a little better now although not perfect, yours does seem to make it a lot more OEM though, kinda wish I'd bothered with the tint now [smiley=bigcry.gif]


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## droopsnoot

NVSTMT said:


> damn... this looks like a major... i have contacted one guy to swap whole cluster but he says the car's immobiliser is built in and therefore will render the car useless... thoughts?


As I understand it (there are details on other threads) there is a code embedded in each dashpod, and if you change your dashpod for another one, you need to have the code transferred. Not sure if VAGCom can do this, perhaps only the full version, or I've heard of something called VAGTacho that might be needed. But have a look through some of the other threads, I'm sure I've read a response from Hoggy in the last couple of days that uses the proper terminology for the code that needs transferring.


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## Hoggy

NVSTMT said:


> damn... this looks like a major... i have contacted one guy to swap whole cluster but he says the car's immobiliser is built in and therefore will render the car useless... thoughts?


Hi, The correct equipment is required which is more than just VCDS/VagCom as the SKC (Secret Key Code)has to be obtained from original pod & transferred into the replacement.
Hoggy.


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## pcbbc

NVSTMT said:


> damn... this looks like a major... i have contacted one guy to swap whole cluster but he says the car's immobiliser is built in and therefore will render the car useless... thoughts?


It's possible to swap and recode a cluster so it works. However you'd be crazy to consider this route unless your old cluster is beyond repair, which is very unlikely...

What are you going to "replace" it with?
* Factory new part? Very expensive, if they are even available any more.
* Breakers part? Very likely to already, or very shortly, be suffering the exact same problem.

Have the cluster professional serviced, and the screen replaced if necessary. Ask the repairers first what screens they use and how the contrast compares with OEM. Alternatives may be available.

If you still aren't happy with the contrast compared with OEM then adjust by applying some after-market film.


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## Amulet banana

There's a fella that does a lot of the B5 screens and he has found a near perfect aftermarket screen to match the OEM, so they are out there, a friend had his done recently, and it is very near OEM colour and brightness.

Jason on the SRS forum does the repairs if anyone is interested.


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## namke

I fixed mine yesterday; hardest part was getting the needles to line up again on reassembly&#8230;!

I was greeted by the display telling me 'SERVICE!', so a bit of a mixed result 

New display does seem quite bright, so may tint it later - I need to reset the speedo dial (again) as its 2-3 mph high.


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## pcbbc

namke said:


> I fixed mine yesterday; hardest part was getting the needles to line up again on reassembly&#8230;!


Yes, we can see that. Alignment of the dials seem the least of your problems TBH. :wink:


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## namke

pcbbc said:


> namke said:
> 
> 
> 
> I fixed mine yesterday; hardest part was getting the needles to line up again on reassembly&#8230;!
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, we can see that. Alignment of the dials seem the least of your problems TBH. :wink:
Click to expand...

 :lol: Yep. For some reason the inline version of the pic is upside down, but clicking it makes it the right way up!! Ah well, if that's the only problem I have today I'm doing alight :wink:


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## pcbbc

namke said:


> Yep. For some reason the inline version of the pic is upside down, but clicking it makes it the right way up!! Ah well, if that's the only problem I have today I'm doing alight :wink:


Glad you saw the funny side.

Dial re-alignment is not the easiest. I had several attempts trying to align manually at zero, none with very much success.

In then end, not having a test harness, I took it to the car (with the front still off) and used VCDS to run the cluster tests. That should give you:
Tacho: 3000 RPM
Temperature and Fuel: 50%
Speedo: 100km/h ≃ 62 mph


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## namke

pcbbc said:


> namke said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yep. For some reason the inline version of the pic is upside down, but clicking it makes it the right way up!! Ah well, if that's the only problem I have today I'm doing alight :wink:
> 
> 
> 
> Glad you saw the funny side.
> 
> Dial re-alignment is not the easiest. I had several attempts trying to align manually at zero, none with very much success.
> 
> In then end, not having a test harness, I took it to the car (with the front still off) and used VCDS to run the cluster tests. That should give you:
> Tacho: 3000 RPM
> Temperature and Fuel: 50%
> Speedo: 100km/h ≃ 62 mph
Click to expand...

Ah, I shall perhaps try that at the weekend&#8230; the shot above was taken after a run, I'd just switched the engine off, and then switched the ignition switch round to light the lights&#8230; EML etc. is not usually on


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## pcbbc

namke said:


> EML etc. is not usually on


Naturally!

If you didn't do it during the initial display fix, the current limiting resistors for the back-lighting are also worth a re-flow. Especially this one which is for the needles for the temp and fuel gauges is very prone to developing a dry joint...








Tint is probably easiest installed while you have the cluster apart as well, as you can take the glass out.


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## namke

Yes, a good tip! I had noticed that the needle illumination was intermittent, so I did have the forethought to reflow the resistors! The tinting will wait until I recalibrate the needles!


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## goslings

woody5479 said:


> I found this company mentioned o here before but haven't got round to using them yet
> 
> http://clusterrepairsuk.co.uk/repair-list/audi/tt/


Evening All,

I have the "Matrix" affected display and it is becoming worse. vertical lines of missing info through numbers and text.
I don't feel confident enough to tackle playing with a soldering iron, but taking out the display appears straightforward as there appears to be no 17 year old failing plastic brittle clips along the way.
I saw this link from 2010
http://www.clusterrepairsuk.co.uk/repai ... 06-type-8n
and it still appears to be active
Does anyone have any experience of them ?
thanks
Ian


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