My very own update thread
#182
The A4 at the pick n pull today was a near copy of mine except for being an automatic. The interior was in fantastic condition and almost entirely in place. It was a 1997 1.8T Quattro, in europa blue mica with an ecru interior, winter package, non sport, no center armrest...with the addition of a trip computer.
Very rare to find LCDs in pre 99 A4s. For $38 I couldn't pass up the cluster. (I had to leave the wiper stalk control as I didn't have my torx to remove the steering wheel. I may go back for it depending on the route I take with the cluster...)
So as I somewhat expected, it won't work with my car. While at the junkyard I did some digging and found the cluster comparison, so I knew it wouldn't be plug and play, far from it. I'm missing the wiring harness for the 3rd plug on the new cluster (top left, white.)
At this point I have to decide whether I want to go back and get the arm and try to wire it up or just write it off. This project may be a bit out of my league.
Also, I haven't hooked it up to check the mileage, but it will always be wrong. AFAIK, theres no way to change the mileage. I also don't want to be staring at dead pixels, or pay $200 not to.
Very rare to find LCDs in pre 99 A4s. For $38 I couldn't pass up the cluster. (I had to leave the wiper stalk control as I didn't have my torx to remove the steering wheel. I may go back for it depending on the route I take with the cluster...)
So as I somewhat expected, it won't work with my car. While at the junkyard I did some digging and found the cluster comparison, so I knew it wouldn't be plug and play, far from it. I'm missing the wiring harness for the 3rd plug on the new cluster (top left, white.)
At this point I have to decide whether I want to go back and get the arm and try to wire it up or just write it off. This project may be a bit out of my league.
Also, I haven't hooked it up to check the mileage, but it will always be wrong. AFAIK, theres no way to change the mileage. I also don't want to be staring at dead pixels, or pay $200 not to.
Check this out to find out what it would take to get that cluster functioning in your car:
Understanding differences between Audi A4 clusters and the compatibility issues - AudiWorld Forums
As for the mileage, it can be reset. There's a member on VWVortex/Fourtitude and Audizine (same guy) who can read the EEPROM on the cluster and write some mileage value less than 100 miles, essentially resetting it. When the cluster mileage is less than 100 you can use VAG-COM to input your car's actual mileage so it doesn't skip a beat. When I did this I unsoldered the EEPROM from the cluster's circuit board and sent it to him using a letter envelope, and paid something like $25. Then I soldered it back on. Alternatively you can send him the cluster and pay a little more if you don't have the ability to unsolder/solder on small SMD chips.
To make use of the LCD cluster you really do need the new wiper arm. Without it that cluster is useless IMO. You have the advantage of having a vehicle to steal all of the wiring and parts from, which is awesome as long as you're willing to do a little wire routing/installation.
Lastly: if there are dead pixels, the same member I mentioned above sells new LCD screens, and for a price may also install them. I installed the LCD screen myself, but I've got extensive soldering experience.
#183
Fantastic info! The mileage problem was my main concern. If that can be sorted out I will pursue this mod.
So, looks like I have to go back to get that wiper arm!
I don't mind soldering, got plenty of experience.
Today I'll pull my cluster and hook this one up to see where it stands.
Ahem....now I'm kicking myself that I cut the red connector off the wiring harness since I was in a rush...
Is there anything else I should grab for this swap while I'm there? Relays?
Edit: MetalMan, any idea why I can't recode that ECU for a manual? I've searched and searched and found the info about login codes, tried that to no avail. I can change the car to FWD/Quattro, but not to manual from auto. Could it be because the ECU is from a canadian car?
So, looks like I have to go back to get that wiper arm!
I don't mind soldering, got plenty of experience.
Today I'll pull my cluster and hook this one up to see where it stands.
Ahem....now I'm kicking myself that I cut the red connector off the wiring harness since I was in a rush...
Is there anything else I should grab for this swap while I'm there? Relays?
Edit: MetalMan, any idea why I can't recode that ECU for a manual? I've searched and searched and found the info about login codes, tried that to no avail. I can change the car to FWD/Quattro, but not to manual from auto. Could it be because the ECU is from a canadian car?
Last edited by BaseDrifter; 01-11-2013 at 01:47 PM.
#184
Updates on my other projects:
Polished intake manifold: Still need to finish cleaning up some casting marks and get it media blasted.
New valve cover/upper coolant pipe: Thinking about getting it powder coated a matte/wrinkle blue (or paint matched??). I might end up with red, but I think blue would fit with the car better, if it looks right.
Flip key remote: Seems to be somewhat intermittent, confirmed last night with vag com. I may try to reroute the antenna. I've already spent $100 on this project so I might as well get the key cut and try it out in daily use. Might get that done today.
Fog lights: Haven't touched them yet. Searching for fog light grilles on ebay and the classifieds with no luck so far. Considering getting just the fog light surround and making my own RS4 style lowers grilles.
I still have an electrical gremlin somewhere that I'm trying to track down. That has motivated me to redo all the wiring I have done and to redo the shitty stereo wiring that the PO installed.
I should also diagnose why my cruise control doesn't work..at least I'm keeping busy!
Polished intake manifold: Still need to finish cleaning up some casting marks and get it media blasted.
New valve cover/upper coolant pipe: Thinking about getting it powder coated a matte/wrinkle blue (or paint matched??). I might end up with red, but I think blue would fit with the car better, if it looks right.
Flip key remote: Seems to be somewhat intermittent, confirmed last night with vag com. I may try to reroute the antenna. I've already spent $100 on this project so I might as well get the key cut and try it out in daily use. Might get that done today.
Fog lights: Haven't touched them yet. Searching for fog light grilles on ebay and the classifieds with no luck so far. Considering getting just the fog light surround and making my own RS4 style lowers grilles.
I still have an electrical gremlin somewhere that I'm trying to track down. That has motivated me to redo all the wiring I have done and to redo the shitty stereo wiring that the PO installed.
I should also diagnose why my cruise control doesn't work..at least I'm keeping busy!
#185
Fantastic info! The mileage problem was my main concern. If that can be sorted out I will pursue this mod.
So, looks like I have to go back to get that wiper arm!
I don't mind soldering, got plenty of experience.
Today I'll pull my cluster and hook this one up to see where it stands.
Ahem....now I'm kicking myself that I cut the red connector off the wiring harness since I was in a rush...
Is there anything else I should grab for this swap while I'm there? Relays?
Edit: MetalMan, any idea why I can't recode that ECU for a manual? I've searched and searched and found the info about login codes, tried that to no avail. I can change the car to FWD/Quattro, but not to manual from auto. Could it be because the ECU is from a canadian car?
So, looks like I have to go back to get that wiper arm!
I don't mind soldering, got plenty of experience.
Today I'll pull my cluster and hook this one up to see where it stands.
Ahem....now I'm kicking myself that I cut the red connector off the wiring harness since I was in a rush...
Is there anything else I should grab for this swap while I'm there? Relays?
Edit: MetalMan, any idea why I can't recode that ECU for a manual? I've searched and searched and found the info about login codes, tried that to no avail. I can change the car to FWD/Quattro, but not to manual from auto. Could it be because the ECU is from a canadian car?
Since I didn't have the wiper arm harness I got fancy with wiring... spliced in a ground from the ignition switch wiring, and may have also picked up a +12V switched line from there. Then there are (I believe) 3 signal wires which all go to that 3rd cluster connector.
On your current cluster there will be only a few wires going to the 3rd connector. Based on what I did with my wiring, I only used one of those wires for the new cluster: it's the wire which comes from the climate control unit, to display the ambient temperature on the screen. You'll have to bust out the voltmeter and try to guess which wire it is, but have faith! I was able to figure out which wire was the temperature signal on the first try
Do you mind me asking what sort of soldering experience you have, and/or how you got that experience?
#186
Lukas, I recoded ECUs for Meloman and tware4021, going auto to manual, and in both cases even though the donor cars were American, they were country-coded for Canada. I had to change them to America, and in meloman's case, it took a couple code change-and-save cycles for the ECU to take the recode. Try it a few times - recode for the proper transmission, save it, back out, go back in, and see if the save took. If not, change to USA and do it again - not sure why I had to do it more than once but eventually the recode for manual-US saved and everything worked.
#187
There aren't any relays associated with the cluster that I know of (aside from the ones already in your car). For wiring, there will be at least one wire going to the ECU (fuel consumption signal, for MPG readout), 3-ish wires going to the radio (to read which station your on, CD #, etc) and 5-ish wires going to the wiper arm.
Since I didn't have the wiper arm harness I got fancy with wiring... spliced in a ground from the ignition switch wiring, and may have also picked up a +12V switched line from there. Then there are (I believe) 3 signal wires which all go to that 3rd cluster connector.
On your current cluster there will be only a few wires going to the 3rd connector. Based on what I did with my wiring, I only used one of those wires for the new cluster: it's the wire which comes from the climate control unit, to display the ambient temperature on the screen. You'll have to bust out the voltmeter and try to guess which wire it is, but have faith! I was able to figure out which wire was the temperature signal on the first try
Do you mind me asking what sort of soldering experience you have, and/or how you got that experience?
Lukas, I recoded ECUs for Meloman and tware4021, going auto to manual, and in both cases even though the donor cars were American, they were country-coded for Canada. I had to change them to America, and in meloman's case, it took a couple code change-and-save cycles for the ECU to take the recode. Try it a few times - recode for the proper transmission, save it, back out, go back in, and see if the save took. If not, change to USA and do it again - not sure why I had to do it more than once but eventually the recode for manual-US saved and everything worked.
On a different note I got the new door pulls and latch installed. What an improvement!
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
Last edited by BaseDrifter; 01-12-2013 at 04:29 AM.