audifirst

it is possibly your instrument cluster is faulty..
however since you have immobilizer if you end up purchasing another cluster it must be 2001 to 2005 with immobilizer , it will have to be programmed either by dealer or audi shop that has access to vagcom to programing VAG tool or you can do it yourself with VAGCOM..

can your existing cluster be repaired ?
it is possibility, depends on the nature of failed components

Prospeeder

You need to just buy a used cluster yourself. Take it to a dealer, and have them do the immobilizer stuff. Its done rather often. be a few hundred dollars. 2k is not worth scrapping the car over, sell it or somthing.

isleblue65

The mechanic was incorrect about my cluster having the immobilizer. It does not. It is a 2000 cluster without the chrome rings around the gauges = no immobilizer.

Southern Electronics says they can repair it with no charge if they cannot and a 1 year warranty on the cluster, so it seems I have little to lose there. Plus, as someone mentioned earlier, I remove it and I re-install it. No labor charges for reprogramming, etc.

I'll be the first to report whether or not the repair works, and I will hold them to their money back promise if it does not. If it does not work, then I'll take the far more risky plan B which is to buy a used cluster with no returns allowed and pay someone with the programming equipment several hundred dollars to extract the data off of my old cluster and put it on the new one, and cross my fingers that the new cluster does not have a dead display or some other issues.

4Driver4

Never heard of Southern. Why not go with someone who has a known track record with Audi like BBA or MM?

isleblue65

A friend had a bad experience with BBA sending a cluster back without properly repairing it not once but 3 times before he put a stop payment on his credit card. Yes, it's one experience, but a personal connection. I also talked to them on the phone and they were unsure how they would verify whether or not my problem was fixed. They just talked about checking solder joints and bench testing it.

I had not considered Module Master, so I called them and they gave me more assurance that they could fix the issue. Since they also quoted $150 instead of $330-something that Southern Electronics quoted, I decided to go with them. The cluster is out and I'm looking for a box right now to send it off to them today. I only have to pay shipping if they can't fix it. Of course if they say they fixed it and I pay and find out it isn't fixed, this could be another issue. Crossing my fingers.

isleblue65

I got the cluster back from Module Master and installed it today.

Backing up a bit, when they had the module they called me and said that there are controllers for the CEL and EPC light, and that these controllers had failed. The tech said he had never seen this problem before.

He also said that my information center screen was putting out 50% of what it should. It showed no signs to me of having issues, had no pixel fading or failure, or dimming that I could see, but he went ahead a replaced that as well as the two bad controllers.

I cleared the old codes, started the car and the CEL and EPC lights function as normal now, turning off once the car is started.

The information center screen does appear to be brighter and more crisp as well.

Not bad for $150. For 6-months I've been posting for help on 4 or 5 Audi forums and diagnosing and testing components and checking systems from ABS to the ECM to the throttle body and throttle position sensor, and finally gave up and took it to a mechanic who guessed that it might be the cluster.

Thanks for recommending Module Master.

Simonitz

Did you ever find out where the controllers for the CEL and EPC light were located on the board? Were controllers integrated circuits with hardcoded software or writeable? Was it simple SMC components that had blown up and needed to be replaced?

Harleyguy

Can't say enough about Module Masters. They are usually quick as well as proficient. Can't beat the costs.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

You can drive the car without an ABS module...just watch out for wheel lockup on the rear because of rear brake bias.

BernieBenz

First, reset the Auto Check!

quattroworld.com Forums: How to reset the yellow light (priority 2) symbols in the instrument cluster Auto-Check Display.