Wanted-help on instrument cluster and radio head unit

[Readie]

Hi all, having spent a considerable amount of money on a full service and cambelt change, my fuel pump now packed up..

It has gone to 4rings in dartford and they have sorted the fuel pump but 2 new issues have now appeared…

The radio header unit is draining the battery and so will need to be replaced. Can I ask, what have people upgraded to getting rid of the Audi display?

More importantly, the engine immobiliser is now kicking in… does anyone have a ‘Virginised’ instrument cluster or can offer any help on a soulution ? Thanks

Si

[MikkiJayne]

Very unusual for the factory radio to cause a battery drain. How have you identified this is the problem? Is it turning off when the key is removed?

What are the symptoms of the immobiliser fault? The connection to the reader coil can be problematic.

Has all this started since 4rings had it or coincidental?

[Readie]

Thanks for the response .

The battery drain was one of the things the car went in for, it has been doing it for ages and I thought it was something to do with water ingress in the front scuttle, which 4rings sorted for me. So now with a new battery connected they sourced the drain to the radio. Although I have asked them to double check as the prev owner retro fitted a Nokia hands free kit so thought it my be something to do with that.

If they are right on the radio head unit, then I was going to upgrade to a more moder touch screen so was looking to know if others had fitted any ?

On the dash, this has 'appeared' since being at 4rings...apparently the car now starts as the fuel pump has been sorted but then quickly cuts out. Let me ask them tomorrow about the 'reader coil'

If the instrument panel is duff, can it be replaced? As it happens some of the pixels had gone anyway and so it would fix that also...
Thanks

[MikkiJayne]

Look up Ronin's thread on retrofitting an Icebox Android unit. Markiii also has one on a Joying unit. The D2 is difficult to work with because of the Bose system. Cracks and pops are common with aftermarket kit.

There's not enough information to gauge what is happening with the immobiliser. I've never seen or heard of a cluster un-code itself so changing it is unlikely to help. Immobiliser problems are almost always something to do with the transponder - either the key is damaged, or it can't read the transponder because of an issue with the coil on the ignition barrel. The cluster can be changed, but it is a difficult job requiring specialist kit to re-code everything. The only way I've found to do that is with the genuine dealer ODIS diagnostic system which is very expensive and so rare to find outside of a dealer, although some independents do have it.

I think both these problems are caused by external factors to the primary component.

[Snaggle57]

My B5 had a bad lcd and it drains the battery surprisingly fast. I wired it to a second fog light switch in the dash via a inline fuse to the existing fuse way for the dash lights.

My old b5 would throw an immobiliser fault if anything was attached to the key as it dropped down in the barrel slightly and wouldn’t read the chip.
Try starting it keeping the key pushed tight up the barrel if there’s any slack in it.

[Readie]

ok thanks for the responses.

Clearly the radio is secondary for me at the moment so will drop that for now.. the immobiliser issue is the main thing i need to sort and so if i understand correctly:
- the transponder (I understand that to be the key ?) is faulty, i am almost certain that is fine as i cannot think of a point where that would have suffered any damage in the past couple of weeks
- the coil on the ignition barrel and the connection for that can be duff - this sounds like mire likely

i will speak with 4rings

so just one last question, (assuming it is not the coil on the ignition barrel) can the instrument cluster be replaced simply, and reprogrammed to marry up with the car ? Assuming so does anyone have one for sale ?

i have left this thread in the wanted section (due to the instrument cluster possible need) although appreciate some of this is technical help also.

again, thanks for any advice

[steamship]

Originally Posted by Readie

so just one last question, (assuming it is not the coil on the ignition barrel) can the instrument cluster be replaced simply, and reprogrammed to marry up with the car ?

Pretty simple but it does involve either going to an Audi dealer OR someone who has ODIS and a valid Geko account. Cost from an Audi dealer to code it to the car and change the odometer was £117 when I got it done 6 years ago (mine suffered from worsening pixelation).

The harder part is finding an instrument cluster that matches the same part number as yours... and one that doesn't suffer from pixelation or dulling issues.

[Readie]

Thanks steamship, you say the hard part is finding an instrument cluster with the same part number… does that mean that I cannot use any d2s8 cluster ?

[steamship]

Originally Posted by Readie

Thanks steamship, you say the hard part is finding an instrument cluster with the same part number… does that mean that I cannot use any d2s8 cluster ?

That is what I was told at the time by Audi when getting mine done i.e. replacing like for like. However, having just gone through my old VCDS logs, the replacement one I got apparently had a different part number, so I stand corrected.

[IT]

Pretty sure you could use, and code up any cluster, but differences will be cosmetic.

The S8 had two different logos for example.

Then there are different redlines on the rev counter.

etc etc.

I've never heard of a cluster immobiliser failing, and its a faff on to change, and the mileage will be wrong.

Definitely worth investigating the coil reader and even a replacement key first imo.

Incidentally on PF cars the immo was seperate to the cluster, so you could swap the clusters happily, and even drive without one in....