VIDEO: me replacing the center LCD screen in the cluster

k0mpresd · 04-26-2012, 05:58 PM

shot this last october. posted on vortex and audizine. figured id post it here as well. any questions? ask away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7-LXtVv_nA

mtroxel · 04-27-2012, 01:29 PM

If you can do that, good for you. I screwed up an LCD trying to do it myself. Bought another one and found a kid on Craig's List who does nothing but repair circuit boards. Paid him $40 to do it. Took him about 5 minutes. It is very small soldering on those pads, and dwell time and temperature matter. Especially on those cheap Chinese LCD's on eBay where the pads are so fragile.

k0mpresd · 04-27-2012, 07:56 PM

havent broken one yet. its easy easy if you are comfortable with that smd type of soldering.

Bee5.5 · 05-03-2012, 04:20 PM

Hi k0mpresd,
I'm having difficulty trying to pry off the gauge needles to access the LCD screen. How tight are the needles suppose to be? Is it a straight forward pry upwards? I'm not sure why but the needles are so darn tight that I'm afraid I will damage the gauge itself.

Car is a B5 1.8T year 2000.

mtroxel · 05-03-2012, 05:35 PM

They are very tight Bee5.5. I've had them off on three B5's. You won't pull them up with your fingers. You need a small flat screw driver prying between the bottom of the needle and the center ring right under the needle. It takes quite a bit of pressure to get them off.

Before you take them off, take a picture of where they are so you can recalibrate them to the same spot. I calibrated my tach needle with my VAG-COM and calibrated the speedo to a GPS.

Bee5.5 · 05-04-2012, 01:25 AM

thnx mtroxel.
Are the individual gauges replaceable if I damage them while trying to pry the needles off?
My cluster meter comes with immobiliser. It will be difficult to source another meter and there will be additional cost to have the immobiler reprogrammed on another meter panel. The darn car will be permanently grounded if I can't find another meter with immobiliser if I screw up on the lcd change.

mtroxel · 05-04-2012, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bee5.5

thnx mtroxel.
Are the individual gauges replaceable if I damage them while trying to pry the needles off?

No, but probably. Meaning, they don't have an Audi part number, but if you're good enough to de-solder one LCD and solder a new one on, you're good enough to de-solder a tachometer off of an eBay cluster and solder that back on to yours.

I've pryed those off of three B5 clusters. Didn't ruin any of them.

David.Norton · 05-04-2012, 09:18 AM

Make sure that you pry under the center, that way the gauge shaft is being pulled straight, and you won't bend it. I also like to use a piece of paper or tape on the gauge face so I don't mar it when I pry. The shaft will also turn as you pry, so turn the gauges to the stop before you remove them, I like to use a piece of masking tape under the needle, and just mark the needle position on that, that way I get it right back to where it came from.

Cybersombosis · 05-04-2012, 06:03 PM

When I pried on one of the needles with a screwdriver, the black cap broke off so I stopped doing that immediately. The technique I used when removing the needles was to twist while pulling up. The needle will bottom out with resistance when you hit zero mph or rpm when turning counter clockwise and you just keep twisting past that point and lift up at the same time and the needles will lift off softly and gently without damage. I didn't need any tools and I didn't damage any gauge faces. It is a lot easier and less nerve racking than using a screwdriver. Good luck.

Doug

mtroxel · 05-04-2012, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cybersombosis

When I pried on one of the needles with a screwdriver, the black cap broke off ...

Had that happen too. I just super glued the black caps back on. No biggie.

04-27-2012, 01:29 PM	#2
mtroxel AudiWorld Senior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 922	If you can do that, good for you. I screwed up an LCD trying to do it myself. Bought another one and found a kid on Craig's List who does nothing but repair circuit boards. Paid him $40 to do it. Took him about 5 minutes. It is very small soldering on those pads, and dwell time and temperature matter. Especially on those cheap Chinese LCD's on eBay where the pads are so fragile. __________________ 99.5 A4 Q 2.8 - 179,000 miles Hibiscus Red Mica

04-27-2012, 07:56 PM	#3
k0mpresd Audiworld Junior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: greensboro, nc Posts: 53	havent broken one yet. its easy easy if you are comfortable with that smd type of soldering. __________________ 1.8 t http://gsoconsolesource.com

05-03-2012, 05:35 PM	#5
mtroxel AudiWorld Senior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 922	They are very tight Bee5.5. I've had them off on three B5's. You won't pull them up with your fingers. You need a small flat screw driver prying between the bottom of the needle and the center ring right under the needle. It takes quite a bit of pressure to get them off. Before you take them off, take a picture of where they are so you can recalibrate them to the same spot. I calibrated my tach needle with my VAG-COM and calibrated the speedo to a GPS. __________________ 99.5 A4 Q 2.8 - 179,000 miles Hibiscus Red Mica

05-04-2012, 06:03 PM	#9
Cybersombosis Audiworld Junior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Victoria, B.C., Canada Posts: 29	When I pried on one of the needles with a screwdriver, the black cap broke off so I stopped doing that immediately. The technique I used when removing the needles was to twist while pulling up. The needle will bottom out with resistance when you hit zero mph or rpm when turning counter clockwise and you just keep twisting past that point and lift up at the same time and the needles will lift off softly and gently without damage. I didn't need any tools and I didn't damage any gauge faces. It is a lot easier and less nerve racking than using a screwdriver. Good luck. Doug __________________ 2001.5 Audi A4 1.8TQMS - Brilliant Black on Black Onyx Cloth Podi Boost Gauge in center vent pod, Fully loaded APR Stage 1 chip, APR R1 Diverter Valve, ATP Test Pipe, K&N air filter, HID fog upgrade, eBay short shifter, Center LCD retrofit, Aero wiper kit.

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05-03-2012, 04:20 PM	#4
Bee5.5 AudiWorld Newcomer Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 8	Hi k0mpresd, I'm having difficulty trying to pry off the gauge needles to access the LCD screen. How tight are the needles suppose to be? Is it a straight forward pry upwards? I'm not sure why but the needles are so darn tight that I'm afraid I will damage the gauge itself. Car is a B5 1.8T year 2000.

05-04-2012, 01:25 AM	#6
Bee5.5 AudiWorld Newcomer Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 8	thnx mtroxel. Are the individual gauges replaceable if I damage them while trying to pry the needles off? My cluster meter comes with immobiliser. It will be difficult to source another meter and there will be additional cost to have the immobiler reprogrammed on another meter panel. The darn car will be permanently grounded if I can't find another meter with immobiliser if I screw up on the lcd change.

05-04-2012, 09:18 AM	#8
David.Norton AudiWorld Senior Member Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 619	Make sure that you pry under the center, that way the gauge shaft is being pulled straight, and you won't bend it. I also like to use a piece of paper or tape on the gauge face so I don't mar it when I pry. The shaft will also turn as you pry, so turn the gauges to the stop before you remove them, I like to use a piece of masking tape under the needle, and just mark the needle position on that, that way I get it right back to where it came from.