Wide Display Cluster Retrofit

[M-A8]

PICTURE GUIDE of cluster removal added below

Cost:
- as low as £195 if buying a used cluster from ebay for £100 and knowing right people to do CP removal and mileage correction
- to min £260 if buying used cluster from ebay and letting Audi to do the CP and mileage, BUT you will have to present some sort of ''legit'' in their eyes a proof of purchase which Audi seems to require in order to do it, and if you remove the trim for them. If you dont remove the trim they want £320 for it inc. CP and mileage, but prices do vary and my local Bexley Audi is know for being absolutely dog s**t, so in this case total would be around £420
- or as high as around £800 if you want to buy new cluster from Audi and have it all set by Audi

My cost was £205:
- £110 for ACC petrol cluster
- £60 CP removal
- £35 mileage correction

Tomorrow I will post a full guide of how to swap clusters for those guys who don't know how to do it or are afraid of it, don't, it is a simple swap and it takes around 10-15min. I managed to do two cars in under 25min.

So, after talking to my ex-Audi MTs they strongly recommend to get the correct cluster and don't bother with swapping the RPM's or SPEEDO discs from Diesel to Petrol or vice versa or KPH to MPH and vice versa.

From their experience on other Audi's the needles after removing and resitting will shake and give not accurate readings.
Plus, it's not tested if petrol cluster will work on diesel car after CP removal and coding.

What I have tested is if you for example have a patrol car with small display and spare cluster with wide display from another petrol car, that you CAN'T avoid CP removal and mileage correction by swapping the LCDs.
I've tried, swapping LCDs with it's individual power supply PCB, but no luck.
Display will be showing funny lines aven after playing with all the coding and adaptation options.


Below you see a petrol wide dis and petrol small dis clusters during the swap process.
Plus few extra photos if you are interested to know what's inside.






Differences.
So far I haven't found a single function being better on small dis than on a wide dis cluster , obviously

Benefits.
Main one is the look, absolutely amazing transformation and as I like to say more modern look.
Full track names (if you record CD text of course )
Full street and road names
When pressing MODE button on the steering wheel to get to the Telephone functions, MPGs and outside temp still displayed at the bottom of the screen, plus you will see signal bars at the top of the screen, not only on the main MMI screen

When fuel light or and screenwash lights comes on they wont take over the top part of your screen anymore, they will display on the sides.top corners so you can still benefit from full track names, temp etc.

Better Nav mode, in my opinion.
When displaying any of the Trip Computer functions it will actually says at the top Trip Computer 1 or 2


Quick Note
If you can buy or have no option then buying a Cluster with ACC and you have only CC installed, not ACC, then you can still go ahead with swapping a CC cluster to one with ACC LEDs around the speedo and additional ACC light on the speedo disc (both functions are greyed out and not visible when ACC is not active/installed)
Your CC will still work, but the Green CC Light (speedo symbol) will no longer come on even if it is still present on ACC cluster.

Also immediately after installing new ACC cluster and removing CP and coding it there will be a message on the bottom the display saying ''ACC not available''
This isn't a problem at all. You will need VCDS cable to deactivate this function/code out ACC function from the cluster.
To do that:
- switch ignition ON
- plug VCDS cable in
- go to [17] Instruments
- then Security Access
- click on the box where you need to type in Security Cody in order to get your code in a pop up window and type that in. Security Code is needed in order to enable Adaptation functions
- click Do It
- then go Adaptation and select ''ACC'' from the drop down menu
- change Test Value from 1 (ACC active) to 0 (ACC inactive) and press TEST and then SAVE and OK to save.
- Exit control module and VCDS and you are done. No more message ACC not available

BEFORE Coding-out ACC from the cluster


AFTER Coding-out ACC and test drive in CC mode where CC Green Symbol isn't present anymore


It's good to have ACC-ready cluster in case you have no ACC and thinking about retrofitting it at some point in the future.
I'm not the biggest fan of CC or ACC only because I like having full control of the throttle even on motorways, but it was a good deal to buy ACC wide dis cluster for £110 hence I've got one.

Tomorrow I will write a guide inc. photos of how to swap clusters.

I hope someone will find this guide useful

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REMOVAL GUIDE







Disconnect air vent illumination


Remove decorative trim

[d.f.]

Stunning work Marcin.

You rule.

[mannyo]

Got there in the end, looks like mine now.

[Delboy]

Good work Marcin

Did you get the MPH display in the middle of the DIS?

[M-A8]

Cheers David, Mannyo and Del

Del, no or not yet. Will look tomorrow at all Adaptation channels and see if I can activated somehow or possibly this function appeared in MMI under Instrument Cluster in Trip Computer 1 and 2 selections of options to display after installing wide dis cluster.

Is it know for this option to be available on models with MMI 2G??

[Delboy]

It works on mine but that was always widescreen from new, but if you need to compare settings you only need to ask

[mcs]

Hello from Australia,

I have a 4.2V8 with the small DIS and am keen to retrofit the wide screen.

Can you guys explain, since parts are very expensive here and rare (A cluster is around $2,000 pounds)

If I can buy a cluster, and swap the circuit panel for the needles and dials as per this picture?



If I install the dial panel (mounted on the white plastic in the pic) on a wide cluster, will it work, and will I get to keep my mileage?

I understand there will be some CP involved and I am happy with that, as long as it works. We use kph here.

Thanks for any info.

Mike

[Delboy]

The chap who posted that picture tried and failed to make one from two and he's quite clued up on electronics so I would say no was the answer.

You can fit other units, have CP removed and mileage corrected by someone with the required equipment.

Clusters can be had for reasonable money over here and UK ones are both KM/MPH with emphasis on MPH

If you only wanted KMH germany ebay would be a better choice for you.

[snapdragon]

If you want kph, they are much cheaper from ebay Germany or allegro.pl - search for "a8 tacho" or just the part number (with and without spaces after every three characters)

[RenoRanes]

Does anyone know the Audi part number for the None ACC Wide DIS for a W12?

My normal DIS one has decided to light up like a Xmas Tree constantly, turns out the start up light check is faulty so want to take this chance to swap to Wise DIS.

Also whats the maximum mileage possible that they can remove CP and put my mileage in? I know after a certain mileage it's not possible but I don't know what that is.

Cheers.