Instrument cluster - Reset whilst driving

[sub-three]

I have an A6 Avant 3.0TDI registered in June 2015 which I have had from new. Last Friday night I was travelling back from North Wales (great roads!), pitch black and making good progress . Without any warning the instrument cluster (I have the one with the maps in between the dials as I ordered the Tech Pack) decided to go blank and both needles dropped to zero .I thought the engine was about to go as well. Then the instrument cluster just fires up straight away and on we go. The car is just coming up to 17,000 miles and I have never had any issue before.

Audi VW Roadside Assistance came round Saturday morning and told me a software update (for the instrument cluster) is needed. Now booked in to the dealers next week for investigation, update blah blah.

Anyone else experienced this heart stopping moment? Any thoughts as to the real root cause?

Thanks in advance guys.

[B5NUT]

My guess is a fault code was generated, which when the fault guided diagnostic was performed it picked up the software update as a fix to the error code. I can believe this is a software glitch, kind of like windows BSOD and then restarting.

If it happens again after the software update then push for a replacement cluster.

[Dutch Paddy]

This happened to my A6 within the first month I had it twice in a couple of hours. I'm only talking back in January, started a thread about it on here as well. I mentioned it to my local garage who informed the main Dealer as well. As the Audi Dealer is a 2 hour drive away they logged the event(s) and asked me to monitor it. It hasn't occurred since and I do agree it's quite heart stopping. Did you notice your MMI time was reset to 0:00 as well?

[sub-three]

Thanks Dutch Paddy and B5NUT for your comments. The car is due to go the dealers next Thursday so i will let you know their thoughts....If it does happen again then I will push for some further resolution, but no doubt it won't happen again until it is over 3 years old!

Dutch Paddy, the MMI did not seem to loose the time setting, although the time is set to "automatic" so perhaps it did reset without me noticing. However I was using the Sat Nav at the time and that just fired up from where it had left off. It all happened in literally a few seconds. Very unnerving.

[Dutch Paddy]

I only copped that the time went back to 0:00 after the second time it happened. My time was set to 'auto' of the navigation as well and corrected itself shortly after. I suppose I was more 'switched on' the second time as the first time I was more like 'huh' what just happened? If it's juts an MMI glitch why do the needles go back to 0 and why does the instrument cluster go completely dark...but like I said it happened twice with a couple of hours and never since.

[B5NUT]

The instrument cluster sets the date and time for the MMI, so if you lose the cluster then the time would go to 0:00.

[sub-three]

So my car went to the dealer and it was diagnosed as a know issue that is (apparently) subject to a Technical Service Bulletin. A software update was installed, via an SD card, for the instrument cluster. I did not get the TSB number. It has only occurred once in 17,000 miles, but it was not fun!

[sub-three]

Many months since I last posted, but just wanted to update everyone. So the instrument cluster (the one behind the steering wheel) reset itself a further 3 times whilst driving - needles drop to zero and the 6 inch screen between the dials reboots. My Audi dealer (not the nearest one, but the most helpful one) have been absolutely superb (not sure whether I should name them). Yesterday the entire instrument cluster was replaced under warranty. Hopefully it will never happen again....

[ukgroucho]

sub-three - glad you seem to have made some progress,

YES name the good dealers.. they deserve business the crap ones should also be named and shamed.

[sub-three]

Hitchin Audi in Hertfordshire. The car has had to go back 3 times to get the instrument cluster resolved, but their service people have been brilliant - the car wasn't even bought from them. Another example of Hitchin Audi - 2 years ago we bought a one-year old A3, again from another Audi dealer because someone wrote off our A4 and we needed a car quick, and sent it straight to Hitchin for a service. They phoned up and said "your clutch isn't right". The supplying Audi dealer (75 miles away), collected the car and replaced the clutch without issue. They even put half a tank of fuel in the car! Chelmsford Audi - great service again.

Now Hitchin is 20 miles from me, whereas my nearest dealer is 2 miles.....