Ive done a lot of reading on these issues and ran through the check lists to solve this problem and am still having issues. The speedometer goes past zero when stopped or when the car turns off. It moves up until 40mph but is still not accurate then stops. I have replaced the VSS sensor in the front diff. The rpm gauge works and is accurate I have checked this with vag-com. Also the odometer trip counter seems to calculate more miles than I have actually gone i.e we drove 65 miles according to google maps but the trip counter said we did over 130miles. The actual car mileage display only shows the last 2 numbers and on longish trips the other numbers will sometimes start to pop up and the speedometer will do the jumpy click type movement and will sometime pass the 40 mph but is still not accurate. I checked the magnetic ring in the front diff and it is in tacked. Is there a way to reset the speedometer like on other makes of cars or do I need to adapt the speedometer or do I just replace the gauge cluster and have a shop sync it all up? If I hold down the clock adjustment **** on the right hand side while the car is off I get a yellow error symbol but i cant make it out my lcd display is old and the lines are going. I am at a lose on this issue any help is greatly appreciated!!! unfortunately the Bentley service manual doesn't have much on this issue. Thank you in advance.

 

Check the wiring under the windshield washer reservoir, I've heard the cluster down there can get wet and cause issues with the cluster. Also speed sensors as well. But yours honestly sounds like a short, can you see anything of the error light that displays? I'm assuming no VAG codes? Can you read the module when you have your VAG connected?

 

I had a coolant temp sensor code from the cluster and a fuel level sensor code. I replaced the coolant temp sensor but haven't had time to look at the fuel sensor. I can access the controllers but I have to unplug the abs module to do it. The error that displays in yellow is kind of like a circle with a line through it and I think it has 4 letters in it but I cant make out what they say. I have a brake light switch code, fuel level code, and misfire code and the rough road code obviously because its not plugged in but that's all I get when I look at controllers. I have a random wire by the windshield washer res that I cant find where it goes. it has a rubber piece on the end doesn't have a plug or anything and the wire is about 2 3ish feet long. Thanks again!!

 

The symbo you are seeng is the speed symbol, you can set it to beep at you at a certain speed to remind you not to go over it....I found this for you, hopefully it helps your quest further.....

DIY Fix for broken Speedometer & VSS Implausible Signal

I found it through various links where people were talking abou their speedometers not staying at 0 or jumping up past 40 mph and the tach not reading either...

Your trip meter, well, if that magnetic ring inside your transmission is broken, it could double the miles on it could it not?

 

Yes I have read this DIY among with various other ones. According to my zf parts catalog there is only one magnetic ring and it is not where this DIY says it is. It is on the drivers side where the vss sensor plugs into the tranny. I have taken that all apart and looked at the ring it is not broken or crack and is still magnetized and it is red and solid with no metal pieces on it. The tach works along with the clock. The speedo side is where all the problems are. Driving in town the trip counter works fine. This past trip is the only time I seen that it counted over double. I can contact my zf parts guy and see what he says about that ring the DIY guy says is where it is. He could possible have a manual to as I have an 5HP19FLA 5 speed auto. I have done my research on this for a long time now and have came up with nothing that describes the issues that I am having that is why I made this thread in hope someone with a similar issues would have some answers or point me in the right direction as I have done pretty much everything at this point other than a new cluster. The old owner had an aftermarket stereo system in it and clearly did not know audi's at all. It has the original radio in it but does not work very well the tape deck doesn't work nor the cd changer and the antenna gets crap for range. Seeing as the k-lines run through the radio could a bad radio cause any of these issues? Is there a way to reset the speedometer?

 

I think in that same thread, some guy looked at his ring too and said all of the things you said, it looked ok, but then he replaced it anyway, and it worked again-otherwise, I don't know and I don't have that much experience with bad speedometers.....sorry...

I read somewhere you can reset the speedo..but don't remember where...if you can get a CHEAP cluster, you may want to try it and see....I have the luck of having 2 B5s, so I can swap some parts over to test if something goes wrong...

Just like, to be honest, I'm trying to help people with their heat...people tried to help me years ago, and nothing worked, even replaced the heater core, still no heat, did not lose any coolant, system was bled and bled and bled, compression check etc...and then one day, I did the head gaskets not even thinking about the heat, and my heat worked ever since after reasembly and I didn't even bleed it that well...so I'm assuming I had a pinhole leak somewhere in my head gasket where I didn't lose any coolant, but it was the cause of my heat problems. Saying that, it can be the weardest thing thats wrong with these cars that is unrelated to anything...but when I hint to people (after they have tried everything) that there may be a leak in the head gaskets, they don't want to believe it...and they are right since all the tests show that everything is fine..

I'll keep picking my brain for you, but keep at it....I'm just assuming since it doubled your distance, exactly??, the ring could be broken and spinning faster than it should....was just a deduction....

and you know from reading, after market radios really screw with Audi's...especially the OBD port on them...so it may be the radio, and the previous owner's wiring of the radio that screwed up the speedo....

 

I really appreciate your help with everything and I do know how frustrating these cars can be. I had to take out the motor and tranny to replace the tranny fluid pump and did replace a lot of components while I was in there. The speedo hasn't worked since I got the car. I had a heat issue as well. I put a new radiator in and the right coolant and I didn't have heat either I found a DIY for a heater core flush and I did that and now the heater is almost to hot HA but ya sometime it is something totally unrelated. I will try to do an output test on the cluster. I am going to do an auto scan of the whole car but some of the modules I cant access for some reason or another. I can get into the main ones TCM ECU instrument cluster sometimes the radio but I really have to find some time to really look things over and pull the radio out and see if its hooked up right if there are any cut wires etc... I was thinking of a diff used cluster but I don't have the money to have a shop or stealership adapt it to the car or whatever it is they do. The car still has some issues but im working them out 1 thing at a time. Thanks again

 

The radio is what interferes with your OBD 2 port, that's probably why you can't get into some of the modules....when the aftermarket stereo was installed, it must not have been installed correctly...but that's why you can't read all your modules and probably why you don't really see the codes you need to see...

 

Ya I had to order some radio keys but that is my next step. If need be what would I have to do if I got another stock radio? are these plug n play or do I have to go through a whole process in order for it to work right?

 

Normal Audi B5 Radio keys can be had at Walmart....it's not the STOCK radio you need to worry about, it's what was done to the wires when they were plugged into a NON stock radio when it was installed. Basically, I think if you google around, you will find people telling you to unplug the non-stock radio as it ruins your obd port...as long as you have the security code for the stock radio you got, you'll be fine, depending on if your wires were cut and 'fitted' to the non-stock radio, or a aftermarket 'plug' was used...