Audi TT Mk1 Instrument Cluster Detailed Teardown and FIS LCD Repair (how-to guide)

[@davidsnaith9041]

Hi Ian. Your video gave me the confidence to have a go at repairing my own LCD. I followed your instructions carefully, but I used a replacement display from MiniTools. It was much easier than I expected and the result is awesome! Thanks so much for creating this video and inspiring confidence.

[@ianpgonzaga]

Hi David. That's amazing and good work with giving it a go!! Is the minitools one the original VDO display with a blue ribbon? They're hard to find these days ...

[@markmuller8829]

Great tutorial, Ian. It is definitely a finicky & fiddly job on the TT 8N cluster. All those little plastic tabs and posts always make me nervous because they're so easy to break. Well done.

[@robgray3725]

Great video and presentation Ian. Your voice-over is nice and clear, unlike many on KZbin. Good steady hands and you make it look relatively simple. I did the LCD on my B5 S4 many years ago after letting a "professional" repairer stuff it up. Ended up losing only one connector. Thanks for putting this up. May be a job for my newly-acquired 8N TT, once I attend to a few other issues...

[@ianpgonzaga]

Thanks for the feedback Rob! Good luck restoring the TT. You will find your TT one a little more fussy as I mention (even the removal from the car is a tad more involved). I also have a TT 8N project to tend to but we’ve gone into lockdown so have to bunker down for now. Stay safe and thanks for watching :)

[@themoneyshower24]

Great video, please can you share pinpout for giving the cluster power and possibly obd/ vcds connection?

[@ianpgonzaga]

Sure thing. Here's how kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIKcfnWloteIaNE

[@dabay200]

Excellent tutorial - you take a lot of care in your work

[@ianpgonzaga]

Thanks dabay! Hope it's helped you out.

[@PowerGearPerformance]

Hi Ian, great video. One thing I didn't capture is the new lcd pin alignment with the cluster pcb pinout. There are more pcb pins than lcd pins

[@ianpgonzaga]

Hi. Great question and you are correct. Just looks really closely at the alignment in this video. You line up the "bottom" pins. There are 3 at the top that don't make contact with anything from the LCD ribbon.

[@PowerGearPerformance]

@@ianpgonzaga Just found out that the 1st four pins, started from the top (1l) going down are unused and required no soldering. I purchased the identical replacement LCD you demonstrated and it works great now! Special thanks again for your video tutorial.

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@PowerGearPerformance ahhh nice job!! Glad you are back up and running again.

[@HEMOxJEDDAH]

Thanks Ian, you make it looks super easy.

[@ianpgonzaga]

With practice it’s not too bad :) Just go slow if it’s your first one.

[@supertruckertroy]

Hello, again do you know if the Colour MFA upgrade is still available and if so where might I get it from? Thank You and Thank You for your video top shelf I tell ya

[@ianpgonzaga]

not yet available! :( Hopefully soon.

[@dundycbr23]

It would be great if you made a video on how to make the power cable like that because the b5 and b6 clusters power diferent

[@ianpgonzaga]

Yes they are slightly different but much the same. I have an extension on mine to allow for B5/b6 power up

[@stuartwinstanley4949]

Hi my speedometer and rev counter have stopped working, iv changed the stepper motors in both and still not working, any help would be appreciated 😬

[@ianpgonzaga]

Hi Stuart. Sounds like a replacement cluster is required now.

[@stuartwinstanley4949]

@@ianpgonzaga 😭😭

[@CarChris82]

great video and very clear guide 👍👍

[@stuartwinstanley4949]

Did you do a video on the bench test plugs on the rear,IE which wire does what,I'd love to know ☺️

[@ianpgonzaga]

Not yet. I have my look out to make it :)

[@ThePhan7em]

How did you power it on? Which pins do I need to plug into? Thanks

[@ianpgonzaga]

I will make a video soon. All you need it parts from a wreck :) Look out for it

[@rogerthat1963]

Great Video! "2 Q's: 1. what is your power supply and 2 my tank if full. do I need to set fuel gauge to full? I would imagine so. Thanks a lot.

[@ianpgonzaga]

Hey and thanks. I just use a little plug in adaptor thingy. $10 for l Jaycar and has adjustable voltage. If powering up on bench you set it to zero - there's no level signal so that gets it calibrated correct.

[@rogerthat1963]

Ok great. Any link to that plug in adaptor thingy? Much appreciated.

[@rogerthat1963]

Ps my leds are great (still) just have issues with both temp and fuel being way off.

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@rogerthat1963 ahhh. Check the needle mounts aren't cracked. They should be tight to remove - I bet yours has slipped off their spindles due to damage. Might need to get new needles.

[@supertruckertroy]

Hello again Mr. Ian, so i was able to get my display off. I wasnt paying that much attention as far as the contacts it says 1 to 51. It looks to be like 54 traces is the 51 align with the last trace? Hope i explained that correctly...

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@supertruckertroy hello. Good question. Align it to the contact at the bottom of the board There are excess contacts on the TT board for some.reason.

[@supertruckertroy]

@@ianpgonzaga thank you again wish me luck

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@supertruckertroy sounds like you'll be ok if you got this far 😉

[@supertruckertroy]

@@ianpgonzaga do you know If there's some kind of diode or fuse that's in the board itself I powered it on amd nothing i checked continuity from each solder joint and all good so would have to be on a power or ground line to it I think if you don't know it's all good I thank you very much for the help you have given now a days knowledge like that costs alot

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@supertruckertroy I don't know the details of the board sorry. All I know is that if all contacts are cleanly soldered on screen should work. If no power/ screen lighting up. Keep trying to make near connections.

[@stevenharpervw]

Make the video bench rig too 😍

[@ianpgonzaga]

Now i need parts... however Sydney is on a 2 week lockdown. LOL

[@stevenharpervw]

@@ianpgonzaga keep safe

[@RichardBrown121]

Would love to see how you make the bench rig too

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@RichardBrown121 noted!!

[@stephenkolacz1207]

Any update on when the bench rig video is coming? I’m interested in using VCDS to exercise the cluster on the bench as well, looking for pin out for ODBII

[@reinej8683]

Great video! One question, why doesn’t the “check engine light” light up when you power up the cluster?

[@ianpgonzaga]

Thanks Reine. I guess it just doesn't do it on bench.

[@tthiagobritto]

The rpm and temp gauge of my cluster isn't working anymore. I changed both motors but it still not working. Do you have any clue of the problem?

[@ianpgonzaga]

Hey Thiago - if no errors for the sensors then the board will need a good inspection and maybe repairs on the chips.

[@arthurkharzamanov4660]

Great video, Ian! I'm planning to repair my TT mk1 cluster with new needle motors, lcd and I was hoping to also update the LEDs behind the speedometer and tachometer number indicators. Since the car is over 20 years old the cluster LEDs look faded compared to my newly installed boost gauge so I was hoping to upgrade. Have you ever done that before? I can't seem to find what type of LEDs I should buy and I couldn't tell from your video when you were up close to them. Any thoughts would be appreciated! If you are able to help me to this job I'd happily send in my unit. Thanks!

[@ianpgonzaga]

Thanks Arthur. The led are a type of SMD. I don't know the spec nor have I tested their voltage before but once you're inside that is what I would test first. The lights voltage. The. You order the same type but with a higher light output. You can easily find them at electronics stores or eBay / alie press etc.

[@gjnelsondotcom]

Hello! I have a cluster with a bad center digital display. I bought a new one. I am hoping I can swap them out temporarily - send the original out for repair, use the "new" one to drive temporarily. Is this possible?

[@ianpgonzaga]

Hi GJ you will need to match the replacement ones data with your old one. If this step is not done you will be blocked by immobiliser mismatch.

[@gjnelsondotcom]

@@ianpgonzaga Thank you! Is this something I can do? or would it take a trip to an Audi dealership? It's fun to hear from you directly, I enjoy your videos.

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@gjnelsondotcom hehe no probs GJ. You will need to take it to an Auto locksmith for coding. Or they can turn off immobiliser for you on your ecu so you can swap any cluster in.

[@tonymartinez2031]

Hello. Where can I order the replacement part??

[@ianpgonzaga]

eBay minitools or AliExpress are some options.

[@stuartwinstanley4949]

So the grey plug on the rear is for a v6

[@ianpgonzaga]

Good question but the 3 plugs are on all models. Not just the V6 :)

[@stuartwinstanley4949]

@@ianpgonzaga I only have 2 on my cluster the green & blue the middle one is factory capped off

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@stuartwinstanley4949 that's strange... Yours is quite unique then! Does it have a full screen or half ?

[@stuartwinstanley4949]

@@ianpgonzaga it's a half screen,but as it's got so many faults iv had the immobilizer removed from the ECU and replaced with another cluster with a full screen,that's why I was wondering what the grey plug was for as it's got nothing plugged into it

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@stuartwinstanley4949 it's got the up down and enter controls. On it and a few other bits too. But Mainly the wiper stalk controls.

[@brandonthemanchild9511]

Do you sell kits for the ColourMFA videos you have and/or sell clusters that you’ve already completed that modification on?

[@ianpgonzaga]

Hi Brandon. I do sell them but am currently sold out. My latest shipment is majorly COVID delayed. What cluster are you interested in?

[@julesmatthews2178]

Two things you didn’t do and that’s clean the glass on the clocks and use VCDS to recalibrate the gauges … 👍

[@ianpgonzaga]

Thanks Jules! Will make sure to do these next repairs 😉

[@julesmatthews2178]

@@ianpgonzaga reason why I mentioned it is my friend who does the clusters replaced my lcd an the glass on the clocks were crystal clear cheers pal 👍

[@ianpgonzaga]

@@julesmatthews2178 love it when you can see everything perfect!