Lately I've noticed that the dash lights are flickering from time to time, and not just the gauge cluster; the radio and climate control too.

When I turn the brightness rheostat, rather than smoothly dim and brighten, they flicker just like I'm seeing when I'm not messing with the rheostat.

Can the rheostat be replaced? If so, is there a site online to get parts of this nature? When I had a SAAB, I could order nearly anything from eeuroparts.com, but they only deal with BMW, SAAB and Volvo. I would love to find a parts vendor for Audi like I had with my SAAB.

 

that happened to me, i just took out the cluster, de solderd it from the cluster, cleaned it up a little and tightened it, re soldered it on, and never had a problem, and still dims and brightens perfectly. and to remove the cluster its 2 hex screws above the steering wheel

 

Sweet! Thanks JC...I'll work on that this weekend.

Got any info on why my sunroof doesn't fully close? It closes, but you can push up on it from the inside and raise it about a half inch. It's kind of irritating on the interstate with that thing flopping in the wind. (Maybe I should start a new thread.)

 

**EDIT** Found a write up for A6 models...but it should be similar.

For anyone else interested... https://www.audiforums.com/forum/sho...cluster&page=2

JC,

Where do I get to those screws? Is there a step-by-step thing on removing the cluster? What kind of bees nest am I going to see on the back and how easy is it to make all the connections when I'm ready to put the cluster back in?

Thanks man, I appreciate your help.

 

this should be close enough;

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/int43.shtml

bookmark www.audidiy.com its the best site ever

 

Hey JC....I took the cluster out of my car tonight and sprayed some electronics cleaner into the rheostat/potentiometer (which is it? a rheo or a pot?).

Put the cluster back in and it's no different.

I was wondering if you could tell me what is involved with desoldering it? How do you get to it? Is there anything I need to be careful of regarding the gauges? Do the needles fall off easily?

Thanks man...

 

everything is on there pretty good... ive taken my cluster out maybe 6 times already... and it should be the twisty **** on the left that controlls the brightness.. i just used de soldering wick, and just kinda winged it.. i added a little solder to the inside of the ****'s contacts so it had a better connection... i havnt had a problem since.. so working great... if i get time tomorrow ill pull my cluster out and get some pictures...

 

I took the cluster out...I just didn't know how to get the rheostat desoldered.

Pics would be great.

 

yea i had the cluster in pieces. down to just the main green board and flipped it over and de-soldered, popped right off cleaned it up gave it some tweaking and good as new

 

I'm new to audi, but the same problem happened in my BMW. It started with the dash and radio lights, and soon after I noticed the headlights would pulse too. Turned out i needed a new alternator.

So hopefully that first method works and you don't need an alternator.