Auto tiptronic / computer prob

[dengsx]

Hi there folks, I am a new member to the forum and am very impressed with it.
Hopefully, somebody out there may be able to help out with the following

I just bought an A6 Avant 2.5 Tdi 1998. Love the car but have a couple of things to sort out. The onboard computer display seems a bit funny – you can see some of the figures and characters on it , but others are blurred and not legible. Sometimes the whole display is fine, but more often it is blurred in one part or another.
This was annoying but wasn’t affecting the driving of the car --- until yesterday – when about half an hour into my journey, the display at the bottom of the small screen seemed to be “smudged” – this usually shows if you’re in auto mode or tiptronic. The car would take ages to get off the line or accelerate. I put the lever into tiptronic mode and it made no difference. The “12345” reading on the screen was barely legible.
Anyway, I pulled over and stopped the car, waited a minute & started it. Hey presto, display was back on with all figures clearly seen, and the car drove perfectly in both auto and tiptronic.
Any ideas anyone ? I really hope its not going to be an expensive electronic piece needing replacement
Thanks
Den

 

[meatychi]

Hi Dengsx,

Welcome to the forum!

I have the very same problem but havent experienced it for a while. There is another chap on here that has the problem too.

So far neither of us have found out where the underlying problem occurs from.

One thing I have found is that if I take a few extra seconds before starting the car then the problem doesnt occur.

You probably found that it didnt change gear and had no pull. When you see the 12345 all smudge out it signifies that there is something wrong and switches to a back up program. The manual states that you should take it to your nearest dealer but I havent bothered so far.

SiliconS has the problem and he has had his motor in at his local Audi so he may be able to provide some answers soon.

Sorry this isnt much help but you arent the only one experiencing this problem so between us we may be able to rectify it.

 

[SiliconS]

Yeah, I had no luck diagnosing the problem either, although it's such a rare occurence for me that it's not a major inconvenience. The car is due for a service now and I'll get the garage to change the gearbox oil at the same time in the hope that this might help. I've seen this mentioned in US Audi forums as something worth trying.

Keep us posted if you get anywhere with your problem, dengsx. Togther we might get somewhere.

Whereabouts are you based?

 

[SiliconS]

PS. the fading display is a known weakness of Audis of this generation, not just A6s but A4s too. It's worse in warm temperatures and if the sun's been shining on my DIS for any length of time then it fades to blank completely. New gauge pods are about £700 from Audi, but there's a company advertising on eBay who claim they can fix this kind of thing for more like £200. Seemed a bit hit-and-miss when I called them though. I wasn't convinced.

 

[dengsx]

Thanks guys for the replies. Will defo keep you posted on anything i find out.
I love this car -- my first Audi after years of Jap cars -- and if I have to spend a few quid then so be it -- as long as its only a FEW quid ha ha. Will prob leave it into my nearest dealer but they are known for being ****** dear -- but c'est la vie. I had seen that pod rebuild thing on eBay alright so i might do a bit more digging there. Dont suppose there's any pt in getting one from a crashed A6 -- say a 2005 one? may not be compatible?
Cheers
Den
BTW I am in Southern Ireland -- and another thing - what do you think of the suspension kits available on eBay for approx. 180stg per corner - all the links & bushes?? hear any good or bad stories about them?