[icculas]

Hey Guys,

Been a while since I was in here last.....the car has been running good,

Until we had our first sub-zero night in Ct in a long time. Went out to the car (-6 ) started right up, but ohhh.....something new, a light I never knew existed. The gas cap light ? and at the same time, the lcd screen is just glowing red. No info shows, just all red .

Gas cap is fine, in place and tight. So I don't get that one ? At the same time as the lcd failure as well ? The cluster was replaced due to the fading issue others have experienced about 10 months ago under warranty. I have driven it a while, no amount of warming up changes the condition of the screen.

Another weird thing is, even when the car is off, key removed , locked etc....the lcd screen glows red. All night ! I don't get this one, so if anyone has an idea about this I would greatly appreciate some input.

> a note: I did search for a while on this topic, but could only find info on the hot weather fading issue which is surely not the issue this time of year

 

[nkausch]

I haven't dealt with anything quite that cold but I know the cold does mess with LCD screens.

 

[computertreker]

This happened to me once this summer with the heat when I was living in Texas.

I had same exact symptoms: the gas cap light went on and the LCD turned red.

My solution was to unplug the negative terminal of the battery and let everything reset. Then when I reattached the cable and started the car everything was back to normal.

 

[jcdavies]

You got the fading issue covered by warranty??? I took mine to Jack Ingram VW and they told me it was a common problem and couldn't be fixed.

 

[icculas]

This happened to me once this summer with the heat when I was living in Texas.

I had same exact symptoms: the gas cap light went on and the LCD turned red.

My solution was to unplug the negative terminal of the battery and let everything reset. Then when I reattached the cable and started the car everything was back to normal.

I was thinking to do that first.....it's just so freakin cold out ! Fingers don't work so good frozen.

How long of a disconnect did you do ?

That is weird, the two things happening at the same time right ?



and yeah, I got the fading issue covered under warranty, paid $0 for a whole new cluster.

 

[wagonman555]

how did you manage that?

 

[computertreker]

How long of a disconnect did you do ?

That is weird, the two things happening at the same time right ?

I actually think I unplugged the battery, then went and ate dinner before plugging it back in. But I think I'd only have to do it for 10-30 sec. to get the same effect.

Yeah, after parking in 105+ F without the sunshade up, for ~30min. the gas cap light was on and the lcd was illuminated red when I started the car.

 

[zeroboy]

Did you check the fuse? I think there's a fuse for the cluster and when it's blown/ removed it has a very similar effect.

 

[bill1975]

I've had the cluster fade because of the heat and have gotten the gas cap light a couple times, but not simultaneously, and I don't know that they are necessarily connected.

When my gas cap light came on it through an Evap cannister fault. Dealer tested it but found nothing wrong. Funny thing is there is no mention of this light in the manual (or the Bentley repair manual either). At first I didn't know what it was. It looks like a picture of a car with a large screw going into it, as if to say "your car is screwed". :lol:

 

[bluesilk]

... as if to say "your car is screwed". :lol:

:rofl:

I also wonder what warranty OP has to get his 2004 cluster covered by dealer.

 

[icculas]

I thought the same thing w/ the car being screwed !


W/ the issue of warranty, it was a cert. preowned....noticed the fading, dealer tested it, installed a new one w/ out question.

warranty is over now though


Yeah , so I did the battery unplug.....worked like a charm, back to normal.

I was going to do that anyways, but I was looking to see if it has happened to anyone else. It just seemed so weird.

Thanks

 

[bluesilk]

glad that you have the warranty to get a new cluster while you had it.

the rest of us stuck with a permanently-fading LCD. Mine use to only fade in summer. now it fades all year round, include abnormally cold days as long as I drove in highway more than a hour due to the heat in the engine compartment.