Im being a PW, but anybody have a fix...
 

For the "blue" transparent film on the back of the cluster? I went out to switch bulbs tonight in the 4kq, and the film around one of the holes is totally shot, tried to put the original bulb back in, and it doesnt work. Im prepared to swap clusters in the morning, but wonder if there is a simple fix for this.
Any electrical gurus have any ideas??

Mike

a thin, careful layer of solder should do it
 

i did it to connect something back there, but nothing that was vital to other parts that need to be removed/installed like the lights though

So just solder where the bulb holder would make contact?
 

Sounds simple, but Im gonna have to RR the cluster to do that, so I mine as well throw in another cluster I have sitting around.
The cluster in the car now, the odometer will stop and resume when it wants to, more when the cluster is hot. Hopefully the one Im putting in wont do that.
Thanks for the help though, I may try and salvage it. This is one thing I hate about the clusters, you gotta be super careful with those plastic/film parts.

Mike

I think the hot factor....
 

Is coincedence....the gears are loose in the odo. I thought the same thing with mine...just put the handee washer in there, and no prob's since. Also, to solder the PCB seems risky to me. Is it the dash lighting that doesn't work or the idiot lights. I had a similar problem with the dash lighting...it turned out that they were not getting any power, like a part of the PCB was shot somewhere else. I ended up jumping from the proper wire in the plug to the actual bulb. But in all honesty, I wouldn't have fixed it at all if it weren't for the frigging cop. On top of that when they checked to see if it was operating it was light out, so you can't see the dash lighting anyways. He's like "well you wouldn't have come here if you didn't fix it, so I'll take your word that they work" I'm like "had I known that, I would never have fixed it, and just told you I did" add it to the Audi stories.....

Do you keep a spare cluster?
 

I have some probs w/ mine, but never considered a spare cluster. BTW, having read you past posts on repairing Odo's was very helpful to me.

Its the actual light that lights the cluster

I keep many around
 

Ive only got 2 4kq clusters though. One is the one Im tossing in today, and the other is a canadian spec (KM's, numbered fuel/temp gauge).
Im probably gonna snag a few more 4cyl ones this week from the junkyard, they are handy to have around.

Mike

Good idea... I think I'll have to try that.