[u8myshortz]

Ok, I really love my car and all but sometimes it just gets on my NERVESSS . Last night when I was driving home from college about 1hr away my airbag light came on. At first I didn't think anything of it so I kept driving. However, when I was coming to a stop I've noticed that my speedometer was not moving nor was my rpm gauge. Then I also noticed that the odometer is not registering any miles on it, its completely BLANK now. Soooo after coming back home at like 1:30 in the morning I decided to take a look at the car the next day. AND BEHOLD when I tried to start the car this morning it will just suddenly die. I do not get the check engine light or any other MIL lights on. The only thing that appears is the airbag light and the battery light. I've also check all the fuses on the side and ontop the battery. No go. Did anyone have this problem before? Thanks for any replys.

 

[noR]

New one for me. When the power's off do the gauges STAY wherever they were? Or do they stay at zero?

SOUNDS like an instrument cluster problem, but I can't be certain.

 

[u8myshortz]

yes, when the car is powered off the gauges stayed at the speed I was driving before it failed. I've unplugged and plugged the cluster back in, nothing happened. hmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Pulgamovil]

Hi Jeff !!, Do you know if your battery is OK? My bug makes a ton of weird things when the charge is low.

If its OK (the battery), If check the connector to the ECU (battery terminal disconected please), unplug the Ecu check the connector and then Reattach it and reconect the Battery .... maybe there is a short somewhere and the Ecu goes into "retard" mode (doesnt work! )

Also If after you reconnect it check any lights on on the cluster (airbag, ASR, CEl etc.)

let us know, (but I have never seen a problem like yours)

 

[hannaco]

A little more info would be helpful. What year, which motor, transmission, and miles on the car? Do you have Vag-Com?
Sounds like the immobilizer is keeping you from starting the motor.
A bad cluster can do all those bad those things.

 

[u8myshortz]

I have a 00 1.8T APH 5 speed with 50600 miles on it and I do not have a vag com. After searching through the new and old forums nobody really has had the same problem as me. If it is a bad cluster would it not let the car start? Is there some type of relays that I can check? Can I purchase an old cluster or do i have to use a new one? how much is this going to cost at a dealership? I guess I will be going back to college with a rental car now.

 

[Pulgamovil]

Try to find someone with Vag com, and scan your car...def. the cheap way to go..

post the codes

 

[noR]

Yeah, a bad cluster would stop you from starting. I believe the cluster is where the immobilizer is contained.

Should be able to get a used one out there if that turns out to be the problem.

 

[u8myshortz]

Yeah, a bad cluster would stop you from starting. I believe the cluster is where the immobilizer is contained.

Should be able to get a used one out there if that turns out to be the problem.

Yup, gotta find a vag com somewhere. If I put in a used or new cluster, does it have to be reflashed or reprogrammed? Can a vag com test for a bad cluster?

 

[Pulgamovil]

Yep the bag com would say that it cant comunicate with the cluster.

There is a part in the vag com where you enter the confort module, enter the instrument cluster and on th eright side there is a button calles output tests, press there and begin the tests (it test the neddles, the speedo, tach, gas, lights, idiot lights, internal chime, etc, if it can comunicate or it fails this test the cluster is DEAD.

it will also give you a lot if DTC codes (error codes), ther eis a list here on th eorg of people who have the vag com, do a search....good luck

 

[noR]

http://newbeetle.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3998
http://www.frappr.com/vagcomlocator
http://www.steve-hall.com/cgi-bin/VAG-Locator.pl
http://www20.brinkster.com/beowulf9/tdi/vagcom/

 

[u8myshortz]

ALL I can say is WOW!!! So much good information here. Thanks for the links Nor. I will try to locate the nearest vag. Thanks everyone, if there is more info out there please pass it on.

 

[marvins_dad]

I had a few of those symptoms when my cluster blew.

The MPH, RPM and Fuel all stuck in the place that the cluster was at when it blew.

Conclusion on mine: the Speedo actuators are fried and need to replace...$560

I ended up getting a replacement from www.1stvwparts.com - got a NEW one for around $250 and had the dealership install and flash it so it sync'd up with the ECU for about $90.

http://forums.newbeetle.org/showthread.php?threadid=41728

I never had any issues with immobilizer though, but did have an issue with the A/C that was also tied into the cluster. Guess it was where the cluster actually blew that took out that part as well.

 

[u8myshortz]

I had a few of those symptoms when my cluster blew.

The MPH, RPM and Fuel all stuck in the place that the cluster was at when it blew.

Conclusion on mine: the Speedo actuators are fried and need to replace...$560

I ended up getting a replacement from www.1stvwparts.com - got a NEW one for around $250 and had the dealership install and flash it so it sync'd up with the ECU for about $90.

http://forums.newbeetle.org/showthread.php?threadid=41728

I never had any issues with immobilizer though, but did have an issue with the A/C that was also tied into the cluster. Guess it was where the cluster actually blew that took out that part as well.

Are we able to resync up the odometer and ecu ourselves with a vag?

 

[marvins_dad]

I have a friend that works as a VW tech with their VAGCOM system and he wasn't sure how to do it - he was the one that suggested to pay the money to have it done...and this guy will do anything to help me out. I am not sure, but would guess that you couldn't. But then again, I haven't ever worked with a Vag-Com so I wouldn't know. I know more of how the VW computer version works than the Vag-Com.

Maybe one of the VagCom resources that noR posted might be able to answer that question. For me, $90 was a good investment since I was able to get the cluster for cheap brand new and didn't want to waste that money by screwing it up flashing the unit myself - since no one I knew had done that before.

 

[noR]

The Cheat knows some good vag-com info. I'm not sure, but I think you CAN sync it if the milage is below a certain point on the donor cluster.

 

[u8myshortz]

Ok, so I bought myself a vag and it was shipped to my house pretty quick. So now I have just ran the auto scan and got like several items but they all said there wasn't any errors except for this one. I've also tried to do a cluster test as Pulgamovil suggested, but it tells me that there is no response from the controller. Am I doing something wrong?

Chassis Type: 1C - VW Beetle
Scan: 01 02 03 08 16 15 17 19 22 35 46 54 56

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 03: ABS Brakes
Controller: 1J0 907 379 R
Component: ASR 20 IE CAN 0001
Coding: 13204
Shop #: WSC 00066
No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 15: Airbags
Controller: 6Q0 909 605 A
Component: 06 AIRBAG VW5 0003
Coding: 12342
Shop #: WSC 00066
2 Faults Found:
00532 - Supply Voltage B+
07-10 - Signal too Low - Intermittent
01317 - Control Module in Instrument Cluster (J285)
49-00 - No Communications
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 46: Central Conv.
Controller: 1J0 959 799 AJ
Component: 5X Zentral-SG Komf. 0001
Coding: 00256
Shop #: WSC 00066
2 Faults Found:
00943 - Heated Exterior Mirror; Driver Side (Z4)
35-00 - -
00944 - Heated Exterior Mirror; Passenger Side (Z5)
35-00 - -

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 54: Rear Spoiler
Controller: 1C0 959 733 B
Component: Heckspoiler 0002
No fault code found.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 56: Radio
Controller: 1C0 035 180 E
Component: RADIO 3CP 0001
Coding: 00403
Shop #: WSC 22592
No fault code found.

End

 

[Pulgamovil]

The first code low batery condition means either your batery was dead one day or very low, so it went below 10.3 V so it triggered the fault code. No big deal.

the other 01317 is probably bad news since no comunication s with module at all means fried module just to be sure check fuses 11or 15 in your left side dash fuse box.

Also check that the words DEf do NOT appear on your odometer or your odometer is blank (that is a BAD sign) MEaqns you need to replace the cluster.

There are 4 types of clusters be sure to order the one you need, you need to enter the number of miles in the new cluster and configure with vag com, its nothing easy better find someone who have experienc ein cluster replacement.

Best regards

 

[u8myshortz]

The first code low batery condition means either your batery was dead one day or very low, so it went below 10.3 V so it triggered the fault code. No big deal.

the other 01317 is probably bad news since no comunication s with module at all means fried module just to be sure check fuses 11or 15 in your left side dash fuse box.

Also check that the words DEf do NOT appear on your odometer or your odometer is blank (that is a BAD sign) MEaqns you need to replace the cluster.

There are 4 types of clusters be sure to order the one you need, you need to enter the number of miles in the new cluster and configure with vag com, its nothing easy better find someone who have experienc ein cluster replacement.

Best regards

Ever since the day the problem occured when I was driving home, the odometer became blank with nothing on it. So I guess it is a fried module? Do you know if I can just buy a new one and install it myself, then take it to the dealership to it synced? Because my car will not start up anymore after this problem. Also, looks like 1stvwparts.com is the only one that has clusters for sale and @ $133.92.

 

[u8myshortz]

I had a few of those symptoms when my cluster blew.

The MPH, RPM and Fuel all stuck in the place that the cluster was at when it blew.

Conclusion on mine: the Speedo actuators are fried and need to replace...$560

I ended up getting a replacement from www.1stvwparts.com - got a NEW one for around $250 and had the dealership install and flash it so it sync'd up with the ECU for about $90.

http://forums.newbeetle.org/showthread.php?threadid=41728

I never had any issues with immobilizer though, but did have an issue with the A/C that was also tied into the cluster. Guess it was where the cluster actually blew that took out that part as well.

When you had this problem, did your car start up or did you get it towed to your dealership for them to install it?