Instrument cluster removal and clean up..........DIY

520 · 07-29-2007, 07:49 PM

Ok, did this today as well. I had ton of dust/dirt in the IC and while it was bothering me a bit my GF was on my case about it ever since we bought the car so....
Pull your wheel all the way out and tilt down.

Remove this trim piece. Grab both sides and pull straight back:

You will expose 2 torx bolts in each channel. Remove them.

After that you are ready to remove the cluster. To do so, I used needle nose pliers and grabbed the tabs located at 6 o'clock beneath rpm and speedo unit:

Once the cluster slides out there are 2 plugs on the back that you will have to disconnect. Blue and green on opposite sides of the clister. To do so, press on the little tab where my flat head points to and the purple tab will flip up, releasing the plug lose:

Ready to pull it out. Do it on both sides and your cluster can come out.

Once the cluster is out, turn it around and you will see 4 torx bolts on the back. Only 2 are pictured here, but remove all 4:

Next, you will likely have to take off some of the identification stickers so the back of the cluster assembly can come off. What I did is follow the "line" where two pieces meet and unglued only part of thsoe stickers, not removing them completely. There also 6-8 tabs around like this - release them all and back plastic cover will come off:

When you remove the back plastic cover you will see this:

Notice the tabs with bunch of blue wires - you will have to release all 4 of those, 2 on each lower corner of the unit. I only had a pick like this handy so I used that. I can imagine other little sharp objects will work too. Be carefull here not to damage any of the wires.

Once you ae done with this, you are ready to pull the main piece of the cluster out of the clear cover that you see on the front. Just grab the whole unit and pull straight up.

Your fuel and water temp gauges will stay in the clear plastic cover. I can imagine thsoe can be removed too if need be but I didn't bother with them. I then blew the dust out and used some q-tips to clean out the larger pieces that wouldn't blow out.

Put everything back together in reverse oder. Don't forget to hide those wires behind the 2 clips on each side. I'm not sure the purpose but I imagine its so they don't get damaged during IC removal/install:

Nice and clean. Enjoy your IC again.

Merkin · 07-29-2007, 07:54 PM

520 · 07-29-2007, 08:05 PM

well, 2 weekends from now is not good but othe than that....you tell me.

Merkin · 07-29-2007, 08:05 PM

520 · 07-29-2007, 08:19 PM

MikTip · 07-29-2007, 08:28 PM

javanator · 07-29-2007, 08:55 PM

heebie jeebies when I realized the photo setup.

I vote to add to tech article section!

.

LEH82 · 07-29-2007, 09:38 PM

Chekm8 · 07-29-2007, 09:56 PM

cuz if it's on the cluster, then you can possibly grab a cluster from the junk yard with lower milage and put that back on

yah, yah, yah...it's a joke...but hmmmmmm

Merkin · 07-29-2007, 10:41 PM

07-29-2007, 07:54 PM	#2
Merkin AudiWorld Expert Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 34,528	when do you want the dash, need to get motivated to chop the car __________________ 2003 A4 1.8 quattro manual Milwaukee I WILL DESTROY YOU

07-29-2007, 08:05 PM	#3
520 Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 21,021	Whenever works for you....I can come and pull it out any day pretty much... well, 2 weekends from now is not good but othe than that....you tell me.

07-29-2007, 08:05 PM	#4
Merkin AudiWorld Expert Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 34,528	anytime before school starts __________________ 2003 A4 1.8 quattro manual Milwaukee I WILL DESTROY YOU

07-29-2007, 08:19 PM	#5
520 Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 21,021	when is that? September?

07-29-2007, 08:28 PM	#6
MikTip AudiWorld Expert Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 29,354	Excellent write-up! Any issues with the immobilizer? __________________ 2004 A4 1.8t USP Quattro 6MT K04-15/APR/TT 225 Injectors/Custom Stainless Exhaust/710N/RaceTec FMIC 034 HFC/Jet-Hot Cermi-coated & ported exhaust manifold Spec Stage 3+ with OE DMFW! Neuspeed TIP/Neuspeed Snub/Optima 75-35/AFE Pro-Dry/FSI Coils AMS Short-shift @ %40 redux(Sweet!) ST Coils/ H-Sport Anti-Sway bars/E-codes 19x8.5 OEM Audi Skinny Fives with 235-35 Bridgestone 760 Sport Skins B7 A4 brakes with StopTech Ceramic pads and Stop Tech rotors Sirius Satellite Radio Ross-Tech HEX-USB+CAN Equipped Escort 9500ix

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07-29-2007, 08:55 PM	#7
javanator Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,547	Awesome write-up! Could have done it without the crotch shot though, kinda gave me the heebie jeebies when I realized the photo setup. I vote to add to tech article section! .

07-29-2007, 09:38 PM	#8
LEH82 Junior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,572	nice write up __________________ <img src="">

07-29-2007, 09:56 PM	#9
Chekm8 AudiWorld Super User 2003 Audi A4 Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 4,324	is the milage stored on the cpu of the car or on the instmt cluster? evil/illegal thought inside cuz if it's on the cluster, then you can possibly grab a cluster from the junk yard with lower milage and put that back on yah, yah, yah...it's a joke...but hmmmmmm

07-29-2007, 10:41 PM	#10
Merkin AudiWorld Expert Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 34,528	i think __________________ 2003 A4 1.8 quattro manual Milwaukee I WILL DESTROY YOU

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