Dash issues 2000 F/L 2.8 Sport
 

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone might be able to help with these issues please?

1. Both my mileage and clock LCD's are fine on start up, but then pixelate after a time of driving. Seems to be worse in warm weather. Photos attached (it's actually worse with the naked eye where they are almost unreadable).
I've contacted a couple specialists who both said they could repair the main LCD but not these smaller ones.
Anyone know a company that could repair these?
Alternatively, I was wondering if I bought a complete dash unit, such as the one below, if the screens could be swapped out?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1119945436...%3AIT#viTabs_0

2. I had a constant 'brake pad warning' on the main dash LCD. I had it checked out by both an local Audi specialist and an auto electrician. Neither could find the fault (pads and sensor etc are definitely ok). The specialist said they could 'disable it', which I thought would mean just that warning, but what they've actually done is disable all the screen's functions. Is it worth me paying through the nose to go to an Audi main dealer to try and find the fault? Would they have better diagnostics than a local specialist?

Obviously neither of these faults is a big deal, but it would be nice to get them fixed if possible! Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks! :-)

1. This is a known problem with the D2 dash, and suffered the same fault myself. From what others have said, the issue is caused by heat, hence why it gets worse the longer you drive. One of the companies that fix them is http://www.bba-reman.com/gb/index.aspx, though I don't have any experience of them. Forum user Ameiseuk has photos of the dash dismantled in his album http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/album.php?albumid=118. You could always send him a PM to see how he got on with it. If you opt to have another unit fitted, it will have to be done by a dealer, so they can code in your keys to it.

2. By coincidence, I've had this these last couple of months, but I knew the pads were worn. I replaced them with new Bosch ones, but still have the pad warning. I know it's not a MOT failure but it is a pain. I had thought about trying to trace the wiring from the sensors, but haven't investigated it any further.

Thanks a lot Steamship I'll get in touch with BBA. Sounds like that might be an easier/cheaper solution than fitting a new unit. +++

They all seem to do it eventually, had this on my old D2 but only on the clock side.

I investigated replacement when I had the D2 and the car will need to go to the main dealer for the immo and keys to be recoded to a used cluster and the mileage cannot be corrected and is stored in the cluster and main ECU.

There is also no guarantee the replacement will not have the same issue, parts are not available new so I just left it as it was.

Personally i would find out more from these guys maybe pay them a visit?

https://www.bba-reman.com/gb/catalog...ledproduct=284

UK Office:
BBA-reman
Unit 1 Stirling Park
Laker Road
Rochester
Kent
ME1 3QR
United Kingdom
44 (0)1634 687222
Fax 44 (0)1634 864056
sales@bba-reman.com
Diagnostic equipment enquiries: diags@bba-reman.com

Thanks RS6. I've actually already been in touch with BBA and they reckon they can repair for £125 (plus VAT and carriage), so that's seems hopeful.

Still need to figure out what the constant brake pad warning issue is. Steamship, it seems we may possibly have the same issue? If you ever figure it out please let me know if you can, and I'll do likewise +++

I'm hoping it's not cluster related, as I had mine replaced last year with another unit. It cost me around £100 through a dealer and that didn't include the cost of the cluster itself. I just need a calm dry day to investigate the wiring further.

FL Clusters can be replaced and the right electronics wizard can copy the key/immobiliser info over.

My DIS was badly faded/pixellated when I got the car and the clock display was intermittent.

Sean (steamship) very kindly sold me a donor FL A8 clock set which worked fine. +++
I took both sets to Greenaway Electrics in Belfast who were able to lift the S8 bits out of my clock set (gauges) and drop them into Sean's A8 set.
They copied mileage, immobiliser data etc. over and the repaired set worked first time.

http://www.greenawayelectrics.co.uk/

The pics in my album are of my old pixellated clock set dismantled post repair (as I like taking things apart to see what makes them tick!)

Finally got around to checking at least some of the wiring for the brake pad warning light. I used a multimeter to first check that the brake pads themselves were OK.

With that done, I managed to trace the route of the wiring loom towards the front of the car. Just after it disappears behind the wheel arch insert (between two plastic securing nuts), there is another four pin connector. I separated this and then checked all four pins against the three pins in the plug to the brake pad. After a bit of trial and error, I was able to confirm that up to that point everything was fine.

What I did discover, which I suspect to be my problem (and probably yours) is that on the left side, I had to insert the multimeter lead all the way in to the three pin plug for it to register, which would imply corrosion near the front. I'll have a look in the daylight, but trying to figure out what I can use to clean them out, considering their size.

I'll also see if I can find a suitable picture of where the four pin plug is and which pins to check.

So managed to clean up the connector to the left brake pad, and then performed a continuity check with the pad and the cable to the four pin plug. On both sides, they are both working fine. However, I'm still getting the warning light, so a bit more investigation needs done from the four pin plugs.

Whilst searching through the forum, I came across the following posts on another thread:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showpost....17&postcount=2
http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showpost....17&postcount=6

I'll have a look on Elsawin later to figure out the keys, but if N12 and N13 are the brake pads, then I should be able to do a continuity check across them. If that is OK, then the fault lies elsewhere.