Fading LCD screen

[Ferrari355]

This has happened to A LOT of Audi owners with the red LCD cluster.. all I know is the Screen is made by Espson and the dealers say to replace it, it would be around $700 (the dash has some type of key code and they just can't replace the screen)

So what happens is the screens they fade with temp changes when its colder it works better and when hotter it fades... How it fades is the display has lines in the screen as you see here.

This is how mine looks in my Audi A4 now..

A person decided to batch order a bunch of B&W LCD screens that are the same size as the one in the car.. He says they are backlit by the dash but looking at the pictures I don't think so?

Nevertheless anyone knows what causes this?

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[Ferrari355]

Here is what the screen looks like

 

[Heffo]

This type of LCD damage is common in car instrument clusters around the world. I believe it has to do with the fact that the interior of a car can get very very hot when left in the sun and the LCD panel itself is damaged by the heat. Here in Australia it is very common for these European models to suffer this kind of damage. My suggestion would be to remove the module from the PCB and replace it with a new one but sourcing the LCD module itself (not the whole cluster) would be next to impossible, unless you manage to find a damaged cluster (with good LCD) from an auto wrecking yard. Even then, the problem could quite possibly return in the future.

As a suggestion, pick yourself up a Pontiac GTO (Aussie Holden Monaro), or a new G8 (Aussie Holden VE Commodore). The LCD in the cluster was made for Australian conditions, so hopefully won't fail due to heat

 

[Ferrari355]

well a person is ordering a bunch of replacement screens from a factory in China.. I was hoping Crystalfontz would have something here but it does not seem like it.

So it fails with the blue and brown ribbon?

 

[Heffo]

I am not sure what part exactly is failing. My guess would be the chip's bonding to the plastic ribbon. Since the chip is a solid mass of silicon it will have a much greater expansion and contraction rate than the plastic, and under the large thermal cycling, it may crack and the electrical contacts will go open circuit (like the xbox's red ring of death). If it's possible try applying some pressure to both sides of the chip while it's powered up (taking precautions to insulate yourself) and seeing if the display corrects itself.

 

[CF Tech]

There are lots of places where this could fail.

Generally each of the connections should be quite reliable and they should all have been qualified over temperature and vibration by the manufacturer or by accumulated industry experience with the process.

I think if there are many failures, there must be a design shortcoming (connection flexing with vibration, for instance), or maybe a manufacturing flaw (contamination, inferior ACF, or some other process problem.

You might be able to "squeeze" the glass to film or COF to film connections and get some segments to come back . . . this would be only to satisfy curiosity of where the failure might be.

I know from first hand experience it is quite possible to break the connection between the chip and the film generally the other connections should be able to handle some slight abuse, but it is certainly possible to damage any of the connections.

The photos you posted indicate a failure past the chip (individual columns and rows dropping out).

 

[Ferrari355]

the issue here is that they just go away (the lines on the screen) the hotter the weather gets, and the fact that 20+ people of the same model years have the same issue is not really good news.

The dealers wont just replace the screen since they said the whole cluster would need to come out and thats $700+ for that. Now looking at the picture I posted is it possible for a grey LCD screen to light up red like that? to me it seems like the screen has lights in it?

 

[CF Tech]

My guess is that the color is created by the backlight, and that the LCD is just a regular monochrome style.

a person is ordering a bunch of replacement screens from a factory in China

If someone can find a compatible module, I would get in on one or two if I were you.

It pretty much would have to be an identical module though. Maybe this guy who says he can get the modules found the original place that made them for Audi.

 

[Ferrari355]

My guess is that the color is created by the backlight, and that the LCD is just a regular monochrome style.



If someone can find a compatible module, I would get in on one or two if I were you.

It pretty much would have to be an identical module though. Maybe this guy who says he can get the modules found the original place that made them for Audi.

Nope this is not the same place that makes them for Audi it's a factory in China he said he ordered ten of them. But they would have to be the same identical module?

too bad they don't sell them here.

 

[Topway_stanly]

I can't see the photos

I can't see the photos.'
But according to my own experienct,
the display contract get better when the temperature rise,
and worse when it's getting cold,'
it is detemined by the nature of crystal.
normally, we have to add a temperature compensation circuit to get a balance.