Instrument cluster dead in the cold
#21
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
It's much more likely to be a bad solder joint or a fractured pcb track,
it's vibration that kills them. If you can use the car with the pcb
accessible, then gently flex the board in various directions to see if you
can make the fault come and go. By flexing smaller portions of the board
you may be able to identify an approximate area to investigate with a
magnifying glass. Another method is to get some electronic freezer spray
(that water pipe freezer stuff is OK though) and a hair drier to temperature
cycle areas of the pcb. You still need to resolder though.
A bodge may be to permanently flex the board with something jammed against
it in the appropriate direction. Then it's fingers crossed.
"Tony" <tonyjnospam@nospamvisi.com> wrote in message
news:117o74jrtf57f39@corp.supernews.com...
>
>
> Don Turner wrote:
>>>Just get a new one from a scrapper.
>>
>>
>> I've looked into this and assuming I could find the exact same model I
>> would need to get the mileage corrected to the current mileage (around
>> £120) and then I would need to take the car down to Audi for them to
>> reprogram the replacement since the engine immobiliser is integrated into
>> the instrument cluster.
>>
>> So I would much rather try and salvage what I've got first.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Don
>
> Could the problem be in the grounding of the cluster to the body and / or
> grounding of the body to the engine? Check gounds in the engine
> compartment where there are wide temperature swings.
it's vibration that kills them. If you can use the car with the pcb
accessible, then gently flex the board in various directions to see if you
can make the fault come and go. By flexing smaller portions of the board
you may be able to identify an approximate area to investigate with a
magnifying glass. Another method is to get some electronic freezer spray
(that water pipe freezer stuff is OK though) and a hair drier to temperature
cycle areas of the pcb. You still need to resolder though.
A bodge may be to permanently flex the board with something jammed against
it in the appropriate direction. Then it's fingers crossed.
"Tony" <tonyjnospam@nospamvisi.com> wrote in message
news:117o74jrtf57f39@corp.supernews.com...
>
>
> Don Turner wrote:
>>>Just get a new one from a scrapper.
>>
>>
>> I've looked into this and assuming I could find the exact same model I
>> would need to get the mileage corrected to the current mileage (around
>> £120) and then I would need to take the car down to Audi for them to
>> reprogram the replacement since the engine immobiliser is integrated into
>> the instrument cluster.
>>
>> So I would much rather try and salvage what I've got first.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Don
>
> Could the problem be in the grounding of the cluster to the body and / or
> grounding of the body to the engine? Check gounds in the engine
> compartment where there are wide temperature swings.
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
It's much more likely to be a bad solder joint or a fractured pcb track,
it's vibration that kills them. If you can use the car with the pcb
accessible, then gently flex the board in various directions to see if you
can make the fault come and go. By flexing smaller portions of the board
you may be able to identify an approximate area to investigate with a
magnifying glass. Another method is to get some electronic freezer spray
(that water pipe freezer stuff is OK though) and a hair drier to temperature
cycle areas of the pcb. You still need to resolder though.
A bodge may be to permanently flex the board with something jammed against
it in the appropriate direction. Then it's fingers crossed.
"Tony" <tonyjnospam@nospamvisi.com> wrote in message
news:117o74jrtf57f39@corp.supernews.com...
>
>
> Don Turner wrote:
>>>Just get a new one from a scrapper.
>>
>>
>> I've looked into this and assuming I could find the exact same model I
>> would need to get the mileage corrected to the current mileage (around
>> £120) and then I would need to take the car down to Audi for them to
>> reprogram the replacement since the engine immobiliser is integrated into
>> the instrument cluster.
>>
>> So I would much rather try and salvage what I've got first.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Don
>
> Could the problem be in the grounding of the cluster to the body and / or
> grounding of the body to the engine? Check gounds in the engine
> compartment where there are wide temperature swings.
it's vibration that kills them. If you can use the car with the pcb
accessible, then gently flex the board in various directions to see if you
can make the fault come and go. By flexing smaller portions of the board
you may be able to identify an approximate area to investigate with a
magnifying glass. Another method is to get some electronic freezer spray
(that water pipe freezer stuff is OK though) and a hair drier to temperature
cycle areas of the pcb. You still need to resolder though.
A bodge may be to permanently flex the board with something jammed against
it in the appropriate direction. Then it's fingers crossed.
"Tony" <tonyjnospam@nospamvisi.com> wrote in message
news:117o74jrtf57f39@corp.supernews.com...
>
>
> Don Turner wrote:
>>>Just get a new one from a scrapper.
>>
>>
>> I've looked into this and assuming I could find the exact same model I
>> would need to get the mileage corrected to the current mileage (around
>> £120) and then I would need to take the car down to Audi for them to
>> reprogram the replacement since the engine immobiliser is integrated into
>> the instrument cluster.
>>
>> So I would much rather try and salvage what I've got first.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Don
>
> Could the problem be in the grounding of the cluster to the body and / or
> grounding of the body to the engine? Check gounds in the engine
> compartment where there are wide temperature swings.
#23
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
On Fri, 6 May 2005 19:25:37 +0100, "Don Turner" <leavemealone@nospam.com>
wrote:
>I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
>completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
>about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
>up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
>speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
>I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
>aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the instrument
>panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said it sounds
>like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious £££.
>
>Any other hints?
Given how crucial the instruments are to safe and legal driving, having them
fail after 4 years or so is hardly "fit for purpose". How hard have you
tried beating on the dealer to get Audi to contribute some or all of the
cost of replacement ?
--
If you think women aren't explosive, drop one sometime.
Mail john rather than nospam...
wrote:
>I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
>completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
>about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
>up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
>speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
>I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
>aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the instrument
>panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said it sounds
>like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious £££.
>
>Any other hints?
Given how crucial the instruments are to safe and legal driving, having them
fail after 4 years or so is hardly "fit for purpose". How hard have you
tried beating on the dealer to get Audi to contribute some or all of the
cost of replacement ?
--
If you think women aren't explosive, drop one sometime.
Mail john rather than nospam...
#24
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
On Fri, 6 May 2005 19:25:37 +0100, "Don Turner" <leavemealone@nospam.com>
wrote:
>I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
>completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
>about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
>up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
>speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
>I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
>aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the instrument
>panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said it sounds
>like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious £££.
>
>Any other hints?
Given how crucial the instruments are to safe and legal driving, having them
fail after 4 years or so is hardly "fit for purpose". How hard have you
tried beating on the dealer to get Audi to contribute some or all of the
cost of replacement ?
--
If you think women aren't explosive, drop one sometime.
Mail john rather than nospam...
wrote:
>I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
>completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
>about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
>up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
>speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
>I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
>aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the instrument
>panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said it sounds
>like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious £££.
>
>Any other hints?
Given how crucial the instruments are to safe and legal driving, having them
fail after 4 years or so is hardly "fit for purpose". How hard have you
tried beating on the dealer to get Audi to contribute some or all of the
cost of replacement ?
--
If you think women aren't explosive, drop one sometime.
Mail john rather than nospam...
#25
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
On Fri, 6 May 2005 19:25:37 +0100, "Don Turner" <leavemealone@nospam.com>
wrote:
>I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
>completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
>about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
>up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
>speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
>I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
>aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the instrument
>panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said it sounds
>like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious £££.
>
>Any other hints?
Given how crucial the instruments are to safe and legal driving, having them
fail after 4 years or so is hardly "fit for purpose". How hard have you
tried beating on the dealer to get Audi to contribute some or all of the
cost of replacement ?
--
If you think women aren't explosive, drop one sometime.
Mail john rather than nospam...
wrote:
>I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
>completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
>about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
>up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
>speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
>I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
>aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the instrument
>panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said it sounds
>like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious £££.
>
>Any other hints?
Given how crucial the instruments are to safe and legal driving, having them
fail after 4 years or so is hardly "fit for purpose". How hard have you
tried beating on the dealer to get Audi to contribute some or all of the
cost of replacement ?
--
If you think women aren't explosive, drop one sometime.
Mail john rather than nospam...
#26
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
"Don Turner" <leavemealone@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:427bb667$0$2600$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk...
> I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
> completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
> about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
> up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
> speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
> I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
> aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the
> instrument panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said
> it sounds like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious
> £££.
>
> Any other hints?
>
Take the cluster out while it's cold, leaving it connected, and try
connecting across soldered joints with a piece of wire to see if suddenly
springs to life. At least you'd then know which bit is faulty and then
decided how best to repair it.
Rob Graham
#27
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
"Don Turner" <leavemealone@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:427bb667$0$2600$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk...
> I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
> completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
> about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
> up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
> speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
> I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
> aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the
> instrument panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said
> it sounds like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious
> £££.
>
> Any other hints?
>
Take the cluster out while it's cold, leaving it connected, and try
connecting across soldered joints with a piece of wire to see if suddenly
springs to life. At least you'd then know which bit is faulty and then
decided how best to repair it.
Rob Graham
#28
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
"Don Turner" <leavemealone@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:427bb667$0$2600$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk...
> I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
> completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
> about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
> up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
> speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
> I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
> aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the
> instrument panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said
> it sounds like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious
> £££.
>
> Any other hints?
>
Take the cluster out while it's cold, leaving it connected, and try
connecting across soldered joints with a piece of wire to see if suddenly
springs to life. At least you'd then know which bit is faulty and then
decided how best to repair it.
Rob Graham
#29
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
Hi Don
Pop into Maplins with a tenner in your hand, buy a can of freezer spray, go
into McDonald's drive through and get a big Mac with the change, Go home.
Open up your dash whilst its warm and working, pick a corner of the display
system and give it a short squirt with the freezer, if the display vanishes
you're in the right area, continue this until you can localise to one
component or PCB area and diagnose accordingly.
> I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
> completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
> about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
> up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
> speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
> I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
> aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the
> instrument panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said
> it sounds like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious
> £££.
--
(º·.¸(¨*·.¸ ¸.·*¨)¸.·º)
«.·°·. Steve .·°·.»
(¸.·º(¸.·¨* *¨·.¸)º·.¸)
Pop into Maplins with a tenner in your hand, buy a can of freezer spray, go
into McDonald's drive through and get a big Mac with the change, Go home.
Open up your dash whilst its warm and working, pick a corner of the display
system and give it a short squirt with the freezer, if the display vanishes
you're in the right area, continue this until you can localise to one
component or PCB area and diagnose accordingly.
> I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
> completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
> about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
> up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
> speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
> I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
> aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the
> instrument panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said
> it sounds like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious
> £££.
--
(º·.¸(¨*·.¸ ¸.·*¨)¸.·º)
«.·°·. Steve .·°·.»
(¸.·º(¸.·¨* *¨·.¸)º·.¸)
#30
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Instrument cluster dead in the cold
Hi Don
Pop into Maplins with a tenner in your hand, buy a can of freezer spray, go
into McDonald's drive through and get a big Mac with the change, Go home.
Open up your dash whilst its warm and working, pick a corner of the display
system and give it a short squirt with the freezer, if the display vanishes
you're in the right area, continue this until you can localise to one
component or PCB area and diagnose accordingly.
> I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
> completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
> about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
> up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
> speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
> I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
> aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the
> instrument panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said
> it sounds like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious
> £££.
--
(º·.¸(¨*·.¸ ¸.·*¨)¸.·º)
«.·°·. Steve .·°·.»
(¸.·º(¸.·¨* *¨·.¸)º·.¸)
Pop into Maplins with a tenner in your hand, buy a can of freezer spray, go
into McDonald's drive through and get a big Mac with the change, Go home.
Open up your dash whilst its warm and working, pick a corner of the display
system and give it a short squirt with the freezer, if the display vanishes
you're in the right area, continue this until you can localise to one
component or PCB area and diagnose accordingly.
> I've got a problem with the gf's 2001 Audi A3. The instrument cluster is
> completely dead first thing in the morning when the car is cold, but after
> about 20 minutes of driving the whole thing pops into life. The car starts
> up fine, its just that you're driving with a completely inert display.. no
> speedo, fuel gauges, temp, clock etc..
>
> I've taken out the cluster and checked that the connectors going into it
> aren't loose and I've also replaced all the fuses relating to the
> instrument panel but its still there. Today I called up Audi and they said
> it sounds like it needs a new instrument cluster which will cost serious
> £££.
--
(º·.¸(¨*·.¸ ¸.·*¨)¸.·º)
«.·°·. Steve .·°·.»
(¸.·º(¸.·¨* *¨·.¸)º·.¸)