Hi,

Just bought 2000 with 70K, 18T 180HP 5spd

Am from Austin TX winter temp this year is above 75 every day, nights around 45-55...

But sometimes when is below 35 my dashboards lights are flashing like crazy, speedometer , gas, engine temp., radio AND COMPUTER IS RESETING ALL INFO all lights are flashing for about 10min till engine warmup. But good think is thats even that everything is working, radio, pwr windows etc.

I check car with audi dealer they got no idea whats the reason...

Any ideas? I will appreciate any help

Car has a clean title, one owner.

 

my TT does that too, i have a 2000 180hp 5 speed car too.
In ohio right now its getting down to about 20 - 30 degrees at night and ill start my car in the morning and have the same thing happen it will blink or there will be kinda like black lines threw the numbers but if i drive it for a bit like 10 mins and shut the car off, then turn it back on then everything is fine. Weird.

 

never heard of that. Been down to -15 already in NY, lights are slow to change, like a number fades into the next, but thats it.

 

Yeah, like you said, about 10 min and it's ok.

Worst thing - nobody knows the reason.

Am gonna sell it this summer...lol

 

My A4 did the same
except that now the dashboard is completely dead, and I need to replace it
No one knows the real reason so maybe after replacing it it will start again

any updates on the reason from your side?

 

the reason is very cold temps nothing else as long as it restores when warm

 

It could be something as simple as a connector on the back of it. Let me think back to Thermodynamics.. Metal expands when it heats and contracts in the cold. It could be that a connector is bearly making contact possibly due to not being plugged in tight enough or some oxidation on it. If you are adept at removing the cluster, I would check the connectors and file the dirt off and try to bend the pins out a hair to make better contact. Of course it could be a similar issue but with a connector or a cold solder joint in the cluster itself.

 

You can't really get to the contacts in the connectors, they're small, and on the harness side, impossible to do anything with, and there is no way they're working their way loose unless someone has been doing some really stupid stuff behind the dash...

I think its just one of those things that you either live with, or replace, and hope it doesn't happen again. Not much you can do with what you have to make it better.