Why Does the Digital Dashboard Fail in Audis?

Vehicles are increasingly becoming smart and highly automated, especially in luxury models. Today’s engineering and technological advancements have made it possible to even have self-driving vehicles on roads, as well as vehicles that have sophisticated safety mechanisms. All these automated functions are controlled by the car’s computer. The dashboard of the car is the interface on which data from the car’s computer is consolidated and displayed.

While the computer captures and analyzes all the functions of the car, the dashboard indicates the performance of the car. There are certain icons that are constantly on in the dashboard of the car. These icons mostly show the performance of the car in terms of speed, fuel consumption, and RPMs. There are also icons that only come on to signal a change in the normal performance of the car. One such icon is the check engine light that points to possible trouble in the engine of your car.

In luxury brands, the digital dashboard tends to have even more icons due to more computerized functions in the car. The digital dashboard in the Audi has been noted by many mechanic shops to
be quite problematic. This is because it develops faults over time in the course of driving for different reasons.

Causes of Digital Dashboard Failure

The main cause of the digital dashboard failure in the Audi is often a result of electrical faults. There are different types of electrical faults that can occur in a car. Some of these faults can be in the circuit board or in other components such as the electrical fuses. While these faults can be spontaneous due to surges in power, for instance, they can also be caused by external factors such as water damage. For example, when water finds itself in the wiring harness, any exposed wires from earlier wear may become damaged and create a fault in the electrical system.

Moreover, a unit using the wrong starter leads can also damage the electrical components in your car and this will affect the digital dashboard as well.

Indicators of Digital Dashboard Failure

Some of the characteristics that point to digital dashboard failure include irregular illuminating of lights, the lights refusing to all come on when the ignition is turned, as well as the check engine light remaining on even when there is nothing wrong with the engine. These irregular readings may also be noted through other lights coming on.

The needles and gauges may also refuse to work or give wrong readings. In addition, some of the lights in the dashboard will go on and off at random even when they don’t communicate the correct information. In some vehicles, there may also be a complete loss of display in the digital dashboard, pointing to a total electrical failure.

What to Do in Case of Digital Dashboard Failure

The digital dashboard not only shows you the performance of your car, but also warns you in case of an issue affecting this performance. This is why driving a car whose dashboard has failed can be very dangerous — you won’t know when your car has a problem until it’s too late. For this reason, as soon as the digital dashboard exhibits any of the symptoms listed above, you should immediately seek professional help.

Because correcting faults in the digital dashboard often does not come cheap, getting help from a reliable auto repair shop is highly recommended. In the same vein, having a technician with vast experience in dealing with Audis will go a long way towards ensuring that you get quality replacement parts fitted in your vehicle. In addition to this, looking for an auto-repair shop that has been licensed by the manufacturer to carry out these repairs may also help reduce the cost of repairs. This is because Audi knows that the digital dashboards in their vehicles are prone to malfunctions and because of that, they have provided a warranty cover.

As is usually recommended by the manufacturer, it is very important to take your car in for regular servicing and checkup in order to prevent electrical faults from causing these kinds of problems. To help ensure you get the best service, you should only patronize an auto repair shop that is reliable and experienced with German models. At Germany’s Best, Inc. we have the tools, skills, and experience required to ensure that your Audi is safe to drive again as soon as you give us a call.

* Audi TTRS image credit goes to: teddyleung.