dashboard issues

[mariajosefa22]

My husband's 1.9T A3 sports Audi used to have the clock resetting automatically since 2010 but technicians didn't know what was wrong but now dashboard  shows warning lights, beeps and turns off while we are driving. Engine doesn't shut off though. And the clock and distance counter keeps resetting at least twice a week while driving or while the car is parked. The diagnostics tools at the technicians don't show any failures Does anyone knows what the issue could be?

[Steve Q]

Is it at an Audi main dealer? 

Might be worth getting an auto electrican to take a look. 

I'm wondering if it's an imobilser fault 

[mariajosefa22]

On 10/30/2022 at 9:27 PM, Steve Q said:

Is it at an Audi main dealer? 

Might be worth getting an auto electrican to take a look. 

I'm wondering if it's an imobilser fault 

Thank you @Steve Q. I think We might need a very experienced one. since the time we started pressing in all the fuses in place the resetting issue doesn't seem to occur so frequently so it might indeed be due to ageing circuit connections

[Magnet]

Hello Maria,

It won’t do any harm to get get an aerosol of contact cleaner and spray the fuse boxes and wiggle all the fuses. Of course, it could be anyone of the harness connectors that has dirty contacts.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[mariajosefa22]

6 hours ago, Magnet said:

Hello Maria,

It won’t do any harm to get get an aerosol of contact cleaner and spray the fuse boxes and wiggle all the fuses. Of course, it could be anyone of the harness connectors that has dirty contacts.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Thank you @Magnet. Maybe you are right and the aerosol will do what's needed.

 

 

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[cliffcoggin]

Maria.

It may be a defective instrument panel. See this topic for more information:

 

https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/21817-electrical-fault/

 

[mariajosefa22]

1 hour ago, cliffcoggin said:

Maria.

It may be a defective instrument panel. See this topic for more information:

 

https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/21817-electrical-fault/

 

Thank you @cliffcoggin. I'm inclined to think that it may be bad connections due to wear and tear since we have had the car for a long time and it never showed any such snags until about a few years ago. Since wiggling  around the fuse box seems to stop the frequency of the dashboard failure event maybe i'll try @magnet's  suggestions of using a few puffs of aerosol around fuse box to eliminate dust and grime. If that doesn't work then maybe i'll find those online companies in the thread you provided.

I had some terrible issues with car ignition and only after 3 new batteries, 2 key shafts and a whole lot of other interventions did we discover that it was a simple case of wear and tear of the cable connecting the battery to the ignition and the professional auto electricians and technicians just couldn't discover it for nearly 2 years or more.

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by mariajosefa22

[cliffcoggin]

44 minutes ago, mariajosefa22 said:

I had some terrible issues with car ignition and only after 3 new batteries, 2 key shafts and a whole lot of other interventions did we discover that it was a simple case of wear and tear of the cable connecting the battery to the ignition and the professional auto electricians and technicians just couldn't discover it for nearly 2 years or more.

It's disturbing that a professional could not discover such a simple fault for so long, but having happened once it is possible it has happened again. I suggest you take that cable off and clean the terminals with sandpaper or a wire brush. Ensure the screws or clamps are tight when you refit it.

[mariajosefa22]

2 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

It's disturbing that a professional could not discover such a simple fault for so long, but having happened once it is possible it has happened again. I suggest you take that cable off and clean the terminals with sandpaper or a wire brush. Ensure the screws or clamps are tight when you refit it.

That's because they all depended blindly on the diagnostics tools available, none of them used their training and their commonsense until the last one suddenly put his brains to good use and trained me to watch for signs and that's how he was certain about the last successful action that solved the issue forever and without much expense. I love our car because it's such a hardy one, I'm a cautious but terrible driver and always rushing around but thankfully I have always been extra safe thanks to the car's sturdy features.

 

 

[cliffcoggin]

I have long been critical of the total reliance on computer diagnostics, untempered by any human thinking or experience.

[Steve Q]

On 12/12/2022 at 3:11 PM, mariajosefa22 said:

Thank you @Steve Q. I think We might need a very experienced one. since the time we started pressing in all the fuses in place the resetting issue doesn't seem to occur so frequently so it might indeed be due to ageing circuit connections

You're welcome 🙂