Hax

Hello, I sent mine off to ECUTesting but it was beyond repair. But fortunately, they were able to clone the data into another unit I sourced from eBay and had sent to them.

After that, there were a few anomalies that needed tweaking as I detailed in my last (rather long) post here.

Good luck

Firstly, please note that all screenshots are from the OBDeleven app.  I bought the "old" generation device for about £50 from Amazon and then paid another £21 to purchase a year's subscription of the OBDeleven "Pro" version of the tools.  It is worth noting, that the only advantages the newer generation of OBDelven gives are:

• Able to use it with an iPhone
• Potential future support for other cars such as BMW

So, if you are using an Android phone and are only intending to work on VAG cars, there is no apparent benefit to paying the extra for the "next gen" version.  YMMV. 

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Also note that this relates to a 2012 Audi A3 8P 1.6D hatchback. It is probably that it will apply to other, similar models in the range and of a similar age. Regardless, maybe it will help to provide people with some direction if hunting for a similar problem on their car.

___

Now, to the issue I was having - my instrument cluster failed and was irrepairable.  However, the company ECUTesting were able to transfer the code from my "dead" cluster into another, second hand cluster.  This process seems to have been successful and, at a total cost of about £380 (including the purchase of my OBDeleven device and Pro subscription) has saved me over £1200 when compared to the £1600 Audi were wanting to charge for a new instrument cluster (plus the probably £100 fee for having my car towed to their garage!)

When I got the "cloned" instrument cluster back, there were some superficial warnings showing up in OBDeleven all of which were cleared with the press of a button.  However, two warnings remained: one relating to the steering sensor and another relating the TPMS.  The steering sensor warning/error cleared within about 30 yards of just driving the car.

The TPMS warning however was more stubborn and beligerent.  It manifestied with a warning message when the ignition was truned on, relating to TPMS (too quick for me to catch sorry) displayed on the information panel, followed by a persistent, "amber" TPMS" warning banner on the instrument panel.  This was coupled with the lower tyre pressure "icon" being iluminated on the left-hand side of the instrument cluster.

There was a menu option available in the instrument panel to save the current tyre pressure values, but when selecting this, I simply got a message back informing me that this operation had failed.

Obviously, the first tool in my arsenal is Google. A quick search revealed to me that there are two types of TPMS - one that makes use of pressure sensors that are fitted to the wheel itself and these then transmit the information to another module.  The second type uses some magic mathematics to do with the ABS sensors and calculates whether a tyre is flat based on the rotational profiles of the wheels as you drive - pretty cool stuff.I also came across a post on another forum where someone had an issue and it turned out that their car had both types of TPMS enabled instead of just one.

So, this left me with a couple of questions.  Firstly, does my car even have any form of TPMS?  I don't remember seeing anything relating to this since owning the car.  Next, assuming it does, what type does it have?

As the replaced part was the instrument panel, my initial instinct was that it was simply misconfigured and I so I investigated the options available through the OBDeleven app for the instrumentation panel and came across the following option under adapation:

Here, I could see that the bit was set to enable TPMS and so I decided to simply change this bit to disable.  Unfortunately, this had no effect what so ever and the warning message and light just continued to stare back at me... 

Next step was some more Google searching where I came across a thread someone else had posted on another forum where they appeared to have both versions of TPMS enabled. A bit more digging on Google and hunting through OBDeleven and I discovered that the magic settings may exist within the ABS module which, for the "rotational" version of TPMS makes sense - but I didn't expect the sensor variant to also be controlled through here.  But it turns out they are.  Entering the long coding menu for the ABS module and navigating to bytes 16 and 17 reveals the following settings:

I will be honest here, I have no idea what the "TPMS Reset" bit on byte 16 does - it seemed to make no difference to me so I returned it to being unset and left well alone.

The "Tire pressure monitoring" bit on byte 16 seems (well I am guessing here) to indicate whether the TPMS uses sensors - the value underneath toggles between "Installed" and "Not installed" depending on the setting.

On byte 17, "Tire pressure monitoring via instrument cluster (2011+)" seems to indicate that the TPM operates using the rotation calculation and again, the value toggles between "Installed" and "Not installed".

There is some interaction between these settings. Setting the bit on byte 17 (to indicate TPMS via the cluster is installed) resulted in the amber warning message in the instrumentation panel going away. However, the flat tyre warning icon remained illuminated. Clearing the "Tire pressure monitoring" bit (so that it shows to be "Not installed") resulted in this icon being extinguished.

Well, the settings above are the ones that seem appropriate for my car and I now have no TPMS warnings.  It remains to be seen if the rotational calculation works and I get a warning - for that to happen, I will need to pick up a puncture whilst driving - something I hope will not be happening in the near future!

I hope this helps someone else who may also be suffering from such a problem - I know this started out as an instrumentation cluster failure and has nor morphed into a TPMS setting "tutorial" (for want of a better word?) - if anyone thinks the particular post would better serve by living somewhere else on the forums, feel free to move it or let me know where to put it and I will happily duplicate the info there.

OK - I have managed to get the TPMS problem to "go away".

I found that bytes 16 and 17 of the ABS long coding both had fields relating to the TPMS system. Twiddling the bit in byte 16 made no difference to me. So I tried byte 17 and it has now disappeared.

Unfortunately, it was starting to get dark and I had to take the dog for a walk before it was too late so I don't have specific details, but tomorrow I will go back out in the daylight and make a note of the settings to share on here for anyone else who may find it useful.

In a nutshell, the ODBeleven has paid for itself just for fixing this one problem. £50 for the device and then another £20 for one year of "Pro" subscription.  Money well spent IMHO - thanks for the recommendation for that @Stevey Y

And also, despite the extended lag over the quoted 2-3 days service, I have nothing but praise for ECUTesting - I am so happy that they were so helpful with this problem and that they were also willing to receive a used part direct from an eBay seller and to then successfully carry out a code swap from the dead unit to the replacement. Thanks again for recommending them also @Stevey Y

12 minutes ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi check your screen menu it should have TPMS reset facility on it, from memory the good old E.U made the system compulsory in about 2010.

Steve.

I have this but it won't accept the setting... 🙄

I found one of the adaptation settings for the the instrumentation allows TPMS to be turned off, only it doesn't actually turn off when I change that BIT. 

I went for a half hour drive this afternoon as I read there are two types of TPMS one of which works it out from the wheel rotation. But that also did not fix the warning

I have today received back both instrument clusters from ECUTesting - the original, faulty one and the second hand one I bought that they did a code transfer to.

Fitted the replacement unit and all seems to be looking good so far.  I had numerous warnings which I have cleared with the OBDeleven device and the car starts and runs just fine.

I had a stability system warning which went after about 30 yeards of driving.

Now, I am left with a TPMS warning.  I've read that this is also something that can "go away" with some driving.  BUT.... I don't think I actually have TPMS on my car. I have never before noticed anything to do with it. I think it is just the replacement cluster must be expecting to find one. So, next job is to look into how I can disable that module completely. Or maybe it has always been there and I have just never had any warning and therefore simply not noticed.

Any thoughts on how I can determine if this is even fitted to my car? 

The "Pro" part of OBDeleven is simply a subscription that can be bought to give the functionality. 

For now, I will just wait to see what the next week brings... 

25 minutes ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi unfortunately the code is contained within the barcode they went through a phase of that the same as Ford and every other manufacturer, all the Siemens injectors they used had the coding in the barcode so you just read it with a scanner, they stopped that when they realised platforms such as VCDS gave the long coding for the part even if you couldn't communicate with it, does it not show the long coding on OBD as some of the youtube tutorials on OBD show the part number with the coding.

Steve.

I called Audi this morning.  They quoted me £1600 for a new part.  I then tried a couple of local garages, only one could help, but again it would have to be a new part as the VAG system flags up if you try to recode an old part - so they quoted me £1400.

As a shot in the dark, I have just bought a new cluster from eBay to be sent to ECUTesting to see if they can copy the code over from my dead one - they told me that they could at least talk to it, so there is a little bit of hope there.

With the OBD, I couldn't get anything out of the instrument cluster at all - when I clicked it in the app on my phone, it just popped up a message saying it couldn't communicate.

@Stevey YBefore I sent the unit off thte first time, I took a photo of the only label I could see on it.  I'm not sure what the required code would look like, are you able to advise if it is contained on this label please?

35 minutes ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi, this is turning into a real drama, at least you can get your money back minus postage, see how much Audi want for the cluster but beware of the coding charge, do any of the units on eBay look like good propositions as you should be able to code a replacement in with the OBD I think if you save the part coding from your original unit the code for the unit is on a label on the donor unit.

Steve.

One has the same part number as mine, but the advert states it was taken from a semi-auto - my car is a manual.  I do not think this should be an issue, but it does raise a question.  The guy I spoke to at ECUTesting has emailed a technician for advice so hopefully I will hear back tomorrow.

If the coding is as simple as reading a number from a label then hopefully it is something I can do.  But if I need the OBD to communicate with the existing cluster then that's a no-go as when I tried to read the fault codes from it, the OBD couldn't even communicate with the cluster.

So, after further conversation, ECUTesting have said that if I want, I can source and supply a used replacement and they can try to transfer the code from the old one to the replacement.  No guarantees here though...  I have seen what I think are suitable replacements on eBay selling for around £100

Other than that, my only other option is to contact Audi and see what price they quote and use the £300 I would save from buying a used one (including the £200 refund from ECUTesting) to offset that cost...

On the plus side, I got paid today and that included almost 40 hours of overtime!

So, I just chased ECUTesting for an update and have been told that they have tested my instrument cluster and it has tested faulty as I described and that it is not repairable and they do not have a compatible unit in stock so they are going to return it to me and refund the original cost minus the postage.

Argghh..  Where do I go now?! 😕 

I sent the logs I retrieved to ECUTesting and they called me back and have arranged for a courier to collect it from me tomorrow and are going to have another look at it. 

Hoping they find something on the cluster that is the cause of the problem

Thanks @Stevey Y- I'll give this a go in the morning when I have better light - I'll have time whilst waiting for ECUTesting to open up.

YEah, to my mind, it looks more like the instrument cluster is again at fault as nothing else seems to be able to communicate with it.  I just wonder if there is a problem elsewhere that is causing it to fall over.  Or maybe at ECUTesting they replaced something simple like a zener diode that had blown due to something starting to fail and replacing that just allowed whatever was behind to continue the failure process.

I'll hopefully find out more tomorrow.

The saga continues...

So, my OBCeleven arrived this afternoon and I've been out to run a scan for fault codes.   The "interesting" areas are at the bottom. 

Note that nearly every modules complained about the loss of communication with the instrument cluster.  And whilst the "Dashboard" says "No trouble codes found", in reality when I tried to access that section OBDeleven was coming back with the following message:

Also, just as I was about to get out of the car, some life came back to the instrument panel in the form of these randomly flashing lights:

01 Engine
    Trouble codes:
        P157000 - Engine Control Module (ECM) disabled
            static
        U015500 - Lost Communication With Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Control Module
            static
        U015500 - Lost Communication With Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Control Module
            static
        U015500 - Lost Communication With Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Control Module
            static

17 Dashboard
    Trouble codes:
        No trouble codes found
 

19 Gateway
    Trouble codes:
        00381 - Instrument cluster data bus Faulty
            static
        00381 - Instrument cluster data bus No signal/communication
            static
        00469 - Infotainment data bus in single wire Open circuit
            Intermittent
        01304 - Radio No signal/communication
            static
 

1 hour ago, MaxA3TDI said:

Hi , Got it sorted in the end as a faulty connection in the fuse box under the bonnet. Once that was found and then sorted so was the car... Tried so many things before it was a head ache. I hope you can source the issue soon.

Good Luck!

Thanks for getting back to us!  Fingers crossed the problem I have is something similar...

Reading the description of the "pro" version, it comes with 12 months pro subscription and 200 credits.  So I think the devices are the same. These addons cost €24.99 (Pro subscription) and €25.98 (around £42 extra) - so adding this all up works out a cheaper option so think I'll go for that and get the extras when I need them 🙂

Sorry, I should clarify that this saving is when buying the "old" version (i.e. not the nextgen). According to the obdeleven website, the only differences are that the nextgen supports iOS (I have Android) and it supports some extra cars (Lamborghini and Bentley - neither of which are in my budget! ).  The functionality is the same on both devices.  So, for me, this makes the most (economical) sense for me to buy.

Wondering if I buy the basic version at £49.99 can I then effectively turn it into a "Pro" version for 12 months with the €24.99 subscription? Works out quite a bit cheaper for something which, in reality, I would not use very often (I hope!) 

3 minutes ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi OBD Eleven is a good shout especially if you get the Pro version as this has most of the functions that VCDS has, part of the problem lies with not retrieving codes which will tell you whats going on inside the cars Can Bus system, loss of communication etc, I do not believe for one second that the ECU has gone west but if you get the correct manufacturer specific software platform you can code new parts to the car I.E.new battery, make adjustments, read live data whilst running, perform readapting of new parts, without the DTC reading facilities its like going to your doctor and telling him your nose hurts he will certainly want to look up it and pull it about a bit and have a blood test done.

If as you say you have worked with Can Gateway systems before this should be a piece of Pixx for a man of your calibre and enable you to erase all the one time two years ago codes that are probably taking up valuable storage space in the various control modules on the car, I get it on my cab and once a month I have a clear out of all the random codes like the boot motor implausible signals where some Wassoc has tried to shut it by hand rather than use the button to close it, there are NO fuses in the instrument cluster and if you get a diagnostic unit you won't be flying blind anymore or relying on garages to tell you whats wrong and OBD Eleven is about a third of the price of VCDS.

Steve.

Hi @Stevey Y, thanks for your reply.  Would this be a good shout then? 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OTG9KGG?pd_rd_i=B00OTG9KGG&pd_rd_w=6t7Pf&pf_rd_p=c7644d05-b36c-42b2-af11-2ef3c7c4f9a0&pd_rd_wg=LUtQc&pf_rd_r=2W7ZDY6F7BJ6A07WPVE2&pd_rd_r=aaa8efcd-1c77-4aec-9ff6-9d3912f92e88

I am not sure what the differences are between the original and nextgen versions and the pro/non-pro, whatever.  I know you can buy credits for extra functionality. I guess my concern is that I could just be wasting money... 🤔

I found this other thread earlier which sounds familiar to me.  Sadly there is no outcome posted there. But I'm thinking about ordering the OBDeleven that is mentioned my @Stevey Y - although I have no idea if that would give me any answers, I'm not familiar with what is possible through such OBD devices. 

Hi @cliffcogginthe company offers a lifetime warranty.  But my concern is that something else is the root cause of the problem.

Monday I will call them and see what they advise. Then afterwards, if necessary, I will book in to a local garage to see if they can diagnose the fault.

It is just the inconvenience of it all. I am lucky that I am currenty working from home so have lesss reliance on the car. Thursday evening, it was working perfectly. I drove the shop and back.  And then again today, it has inexplicably died after just being left sitting quietly.

Anyway, I will keep this thread updated for the benefit of anyone else who may encounter a similar problem.

Annoyingly, I long pressed the "unlock" button on the keyfob and the windows all went down and now I am unable to operate them to raise them again.  So I've had to tape a load of bin bags over the windows for the weekend 😅

Hi @MaxA3TDI, did you get your problem sorted?  I now have the same as you - juts got my instrument cluster back which was "repaired" and the car worked for one night, but now today everything is dead and the car starts and stops after a second or two...

So, things aren't fixed with my car...  Just went out to use it and it turned over and started and then the engine cut out.  The dials are, again, all dead.

I am assuming it is the immobiliser that is killing the engine.  But, I have no idea what is going on with this now.

Sorry for my delay in updating.

On Tuesday, around midday, I got a text message saying that they were on the final day of their quoted turnaround (I would consider Monday to have been the final day considering the unit arrived with them at 08:38 on Thursday morning - before they even opened, so they had it for the whole of that day).

The message apologised for the delay and then said they expected it to take one more day.

On Wednesday I got another message in the morning telling me it was with an engineer.  Before lunch I got another update saying that a fault had been found and could be fixed. I paid the bill and it was instantly booked for return shipping - presumably they just went ahead and fixed it before the bill was paid.

The repaired cluster arrived with me yesterday morning and I fitted it and now all is good.

Very happy with having the job done - no complaints about that and wouldn't hesitate using them again.  A little disappointed with the status display on the "user portal" as "We're working on it" doesn't actually mean that - it would be preferable if they just said it was waiting to be assigned to an engineer.

Maybe I just expect too much. 

Nonetheless, at the end of the day, I am happy with the service provided - thanks for the recommendation @Stevey Y

On 2/23/2022 at 6:17 PM, Stevey Y said:

Hi they are to say the least rapid with their responses I have always had an update within a couple of hours of the unit hitting the deck and if the part is repairable they assign an engineer to your unit who must work at the speed of an unmarked missile you are never left wondering.

Steve.

Well, sadly, it looks like they have run out of unmarked missiles or the fuel for them anyway.  It entered their system first thing on Thursday morning and was marked as being worked on almost right away so I had high hopes.  But since then I have not heard anything from them.  I called late on Friday and was told I might get an update on Tuesday or possibly Monday.  So, I have just now contacted them via web chat and was told that there is no information on it.

I am very disappointed that they can't give any sort of a status update whatsoever.  This is literally all I have been told:

Sounds like it is just sat on a desk somewhere and the "working On It" status doesn't actually mean anything as the status has said this since Thursday morning:

So now, the 2-3 day turnaround looks more likely to be 4-6 days. I just hope I hear something soon - if they can't fix it or find a fault with it then I need to know so I can book a slot with a garage.

15 hours ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi they are to say the least rapid with their responses I have always had an update within a couple of hours of the unit hitting the deck and if the part is repairable they assign an engineer to your unit who must work at the speed of an unmarked missile you are never left wondering.

Steve.

Just received a text message that the unit has been received and waiting to be assigned to an engineer. So yes, they do seem to be very good with the communication!!

Now waiting for the "unmarked missle" to get to work on it 😅