Instrument cluster display
 

Hello all
The center lcd display on my instrument cluster has started playing up in this cold weather. It is not working at all first thing in the cold morning. Or is at least so dim I can't see anything. Then as the car worms up, it starts to get better.

I suspect the lcd screen needs to be replaced. Is this a common fault and where can I get hold of a screen?

Is there anything else you think I should be looking at if not the screen?

Thanks all

Regarding getting a replacement screen, there is a company called BBA Reman (http://www.bba-reman.com/gb/index.aspx) who offer this service. There may be others which other forum members might know about.

About the only other issue I'm aware of is the milometer display fading or failing elements in the display, which strangely enough seems to be affected by heat. I replaced mine a few years back because the pixels were failing in the on position, so producing a 'blob' of light, which over time covered more and more of the display. The replacement one is fine in that respect, but one side starts to fade if I've been in the car for several hours.

Mines been exactly the same for ages, I decided to just live with it. :cool:

Ditto :)

Probably tempting fate by saying this, but I haven't had any issues with my LCD, yet, despite how common the fault seems to be.

I wonder what the cause is or if there's a common factor. My car isn't low mileage (~130K) so can't be that, or age. I wonder if moisture might be a factor. My instrument cluster has never been taken apart (that I know of), so I wonder if a little environmental moisture has become 'trapped' in the cluster on those with this issue, condensing on the LCD's glass terminals when the temperature drops. LCDs take such little current to operate that even the tiniest amount of moisture can disrupt/short the panel's electrical signals. Perhaps a pack or two of desiccant silica gel left inside the cluster might help?

I am sure moisture is a factor. My grey S8's displays were perfect until it's been forced to spend a couple of months sitting on the driveway getting rained on. Now the clock is beginning to fade :(

Moisture/dampness is definitely an issue as when the S8 was left outside i encountered the 'milometer display fading or failing elements in the display' but after been kept in a garage/unit for 12 months the problem has disappeared.

I've been living with mine for a while, but it's a bit annoying when driving in tip'.

I'm wondering if it might be as simple as dry solder joints on the display. It's unusual that an LCD display would fade when cold, but brighten when warm, yet that's exactly how a dry solder joint would behave.

I could be wrong, but until I do something about the silver car, I can't take the black one off the road for repair.

My centre display and heater temperature displays both had the expanding blobs Sean referred to.

Heater controls swapped out with a good unit off a breaker which solved that one.

Bought another instrument cluster off Sean and got a local electronics repair company to make one good cluster from 2 donors.

All info (mileage etc) was lifted over to the good display. Think it cost £60 for the repair.

So far both are holding up....although the car does have a cosseted life in a warm shed now.

Just the radio lcd which is going in mine when it’s cold so I can’t see “Radio 2” or “tape” clearly. But then again so is the volume control, full or nothing if I try to change it when it’s cold. Both are fine over 15c. I just regard it as a little quirk it’s developed in its advancing years.