dildildil

Hi guys i just purchased a 2011 audi a8l and i can already tell the previous owner has messed around with vcds to enable/disable a few things , the q thing i dont like is how my cluster says w12 on start up instead of a8 im hoping thats also a vcds mod then someone help me revert it

Thank you

MP4.2+6.0

I think that was probably done through the Hidden Menu. That feature is often called the splash screen, like with a PC. Google "Audi Hidden Menu Splash Screen" and you find general how to's.

Hidden Menu access has to be enabled first with VCDS, but if you are seeing a different/wrong splash screen, a prior owner probably already got it enabled and then you should be able to get to it too. BTW, getting Hidden Menu to actually open can be more finicky than a lot of instructions or videos suggest. You press two buttons simultaneously, but timing has to be exact. If either one lights up, it was not simultaneous and you need to keep trying. As always with Hidden Menu, do not just fool around with things, and never select Bootloader or you blow MMI up. It is the OS control for MMI essentially and not elegantly presented. Any time I change any setting there, I take a camera phone picture both "before" and "after" of the given screen if I need to remember what to back out.

Jack88

+1

If it's been changed, you will likely have access to the hidden menu and have no need for VCDS. I don't know why he would make it say W12, though...Be cautious, as with any developer tool. As long as you follow the instructions, you'll be fine, but playing around can get you into trouble.

dildildil

thanks guys the hidden menu is enabled and i was able to get into the settings but that didnt change anything...

just to clarify im talking abt the A8 message that suppose to come on instrument cluster not the MMI screen.... MMI SCREEN SAYS A8 but the instrument cluster says W12

thanks again any help would be appreciated

triniexr

Take a pic and post it. Maybe the cluster itself was changed out which would also mean the odometer probably isn't right.

MP4.2+6.0

For OP, please add your location and motor to your avatar and/or signature. Relevant for posts like this as I realize now.

Painful, but you may need do following: Do or have a full scan just to start. Then I would look at least at the instrument display module and probably the MMI related one for any coding oddities. You in turn would want a known good scan from another vehicle with same motor and country as yours, and also same for any options that can come into play like night vision, adaptive cruise and the like. You can sometimes find those just randomly posted for some other question, or ask the board with your known configuration/request identified. You want factory clean ones, not modded, which may be a bit of a contradiction in terms as it were for VCDS owners.

You then look at the software coding--the long strings of letters and numbers --for any differences in the suspect modules. You also look at the hardware numbers or references, like if it has a W12 cluster in it. On the D3, there were apparently like a dozen different cluster variants so likely here with D4's too if ever swapped out. If someone hack coded it, it should show in the software coding. Alternately, you can look at coding with VCDS, but in my experience the check the box stuff they use for coding help does not always seem to agree with what they say. Like I can find boxes checked or not checked for options I don't (or do) have, parts of world set where I am not in nominally selected and that don't even agree from one module to the next, and so on. And that is on a new vehicle with no known coding tweaks post manufacture. BTW, I would not play with the codings in general to try to "clean up" if you don't know the coding change result from prior posts about mods, except specifically related to motor choice in the obvious modules like the cluster. If you go here, take a full scan and archive it before changing anything. I also take the same phone pics now for any screen where I change something to be able to find it easily later if needed.

BFN949

I have a similar issue. Played around with the settings with VCDS, which caused my splash screen to change to that of the "normal" A8. I suspect the change relates to the Vehicle Model Setting / Vehicle Code or something similar in the Instrument Cluster Module (in VCDS)
I was to lazy to look for the problem and have actually forgotten about it. the OP inspired me to google the issue.
I came across these possible answers (and will probably attempt during the weekend to sort out my DIS as well):
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-...creen-2895633/
It seems as if the Hidden Menu way of changing the splash screen, relates to the MMI startup screen.
We're looking at changing the DIS startup screen.
So far I have not found the answer. Will post if I come across the solution.

EDIT: Getting closer: https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-...creen-2895633/

FURTHER EDIT: The Solution:
The DIS splash screen is changed with the following setting:
STG 17 (Schalttafel) auswählen
STG Lange Codierung -> Funktion 07
Byte 9 Wert entsprechend setzen

The Drop Down List for Byte 9, provides a list of Countries. For the S8 splash screen, I had to select RoW - Left Hand Drive (Bit 1 if the coding is done manually). It seems that changing this setting, only changes the splash screen and has no other influence as far as I could tell. (By the way, while trying the different options of the Byte 9 drop down list, I noticed that "GB - Right Hand Drive" = A8L splash screen).

Hope this helps.

dildildil

THANK YOU SOO MUCH THIS WORKED, i was really worried if the instrument cluster was swapped and my car mileage may have been tampered but i guess the previous owner wanted to see W12 everytime instead of A8 lol

thanks again