Schocki

Flip the cluster open after you turned the 4 black fasteners in the back. Than you will see this view:


The printed circuit with the bulbs is held in place by 8 standard sheet mtetal screw. Remove them and be carefull when you remove the printed board in the back. Now you have full access to the back side of your instruments:


The white plastic is held in place by black plastic clips. They are located around the ouside of the cluster. Gently push them in and separate the white plastic cover. Here is what you see afterwards, tha areas where the bulbs sit and the actual instrument contacts:


My oil pressure ground solder point was cracked and gave me a very erratic gauge. Re-solder all instruments and you should have no problems for many years...


FYI: The other side of the printed circuit board with the lamps in place. I would also recommend to carefully check the solder point of the connectors on the circuit board. They could be also the cause for erratic gauges. Just re-solder everything as a precaution


If you want to know how to replace an instrument or how to pull the needle of an instrument let me know...

Alan

Keith - I have updated my main dash bulbs to 3W - plug in as above and the dimmer is useful now - I can have quite bright or more comfortable... I agree that stock after 13+ years is too dim on much below max.

I considered but rejected LED's because they don't dim appreciably with the control and I actually like that feature.

Around town I like bright dash - out on country roads I prefer dimmer lighting in the cabin.

Many people don't realize the dash lights are always on with the ignition - they are brightest when the marker/headlights are off - and the brightness is then controlled by the photocell at the centre top. When you turn the markers on the dash lights dim to the level set by the dash brightness control - and even the max level here is lower than the lights off level. Since the bulbs run at low voltage they tend to darken with age - they are well worth changing out anytime you are in the pod for any reason (ditto LCD x 8 and the high use warnings/indicators: turn signal, drive, high beam, RDK...)

BTW I too can remove my console sides (both sides) with seats in place.. need to move back/forth & down. It's tight but do-able with slight bolster compression

I would have thought you could do the same with Sports seats by moving them to the right front/back spot where the side bolster is lower...

Alan

Bill Ball

Schocki:

Boy, is post #31 apropos. I'm trying to resolve erratic oil pressure readings in a 90 S4. Wiggling the pod affects them. Cleaning the 4 main plug contacts didn't help (initially I thought it did, but that is what "erratic" is all about), so it looks like I need to go deeper. THANKS AGAIN for this guide!

928ntslow

I will try again, as I do not want to go through the fire drill every time to get to the cluster.

As for the LED's, I really do think there is a mis conception over them. When the headlights are turned on, they DO dim! When you use the dimmer switch, they dim, but only slightly. However, I don't see the necessity in having a dimmer with the LED's, they are just vivid and non distracting. To each his own.

I will be doing a write up this week on LED's and have photo's.

Schocki

Let us know what you find out, Roger's GTS had the same symptoms. Seems to be common....

31-TL-ZS

Shocki,

Thanks a lot for post #31! Currently doing MM and steering rack revision but I will let you know about my erratic oil pressure gauche. Seems I'm not the only GTS with this problem!

Robert 1994 GTS midnightblue, the Netherlands.

SharkSkin

Nice write-up -- *subscribes*

Bill Ball

Getting the solder gun hot as we speak. Just cleaning the contacts from the oil meter posts to the circuit board and making sure they were tight did not help. Could not see any bad joints, but I'm going to reflow them per Schocki's advice.

Schocki

Bill Ball

Success! In post 31 you can see Schocki removed the oil pressure guage competely. On Shocki's advice, I left it in and reflowed the two puddles of solder on the back of the guage. On the green PCB, I reflowed the solder holding the odd-looking connectors through which the posts on the back of the oil pressure guage insert. The board trace from one of the connectors may have had a bit of a break right next to the connector. I bridged that with some solder. Thanks for this thread!

Schocki

You joined the rock steady oil pressure gauge club?

I love it when a plan comes together!

Bill Ball

Yeah, driving along and suddenly seeing zero oil pressure wasn't the most comfortable feeling in the world.

Schocki

Can you still influence the behaviour of the gauge by pushing against the pod or cluster?

Bill Ball

No, not any more.

Schocki

I'm sorry to hear that!
Check the wiring to the connectors and look at the wiring diagram what cabel is responsible for gauge. Is the oil pressure idiot light on when you turn the ignition on?

Have you tried to connect a small battery (like 4.5 Volts) to the gauge when the cluster is out? Try to isolate the problem....