Service Offered: Colour DIS

I would definitely be interested in one of these for my A2 will definitely give it a space age feel! Very excited :D
 
I hope that this post whets the appetite. I promise to expand upon this post in the near future when time permits.

Hello A2OCers,

First of all, let me apologise for announcing this service before it was truly ready for roll-out. I needed to get a feeling for the level of interest and enthusiasm before I invested a lot of time and effort in completing this upgrade to a standard that satisfies me. However, with all the work involved in completing the TDI120 project, its write-up and the intercooler group buy, this DIS upgrade ended up taking a back seat for a while.

Over the past few weeks, though, I've made lots of progress and we should start seeing this upgrade appearing in club members' cars soon.
Myself, Bala de Plata and the manufacturers are gradually improving the product and its installation in the A2. Paul (A2OC member Depronman) has also been assisting with his 3D printing skills by making some fine components that increase the elegance of the conversion. I could have started installing these new colour screens some months ago, but I want to ensure that everything is completed to as high a standard as possible.

Many thanks for your patience... we're getting closer. :)

Cheers,

Tom
 
That's great news Tom, I still keep my fingers crossed that this upgrade will be ready to go into my car when you come to do the other upgrades. :)

Thanks for keep developing great options and upgrades to our cars..

Alex.
 
Hi Tom
I am interested in this too, but more cost conscious on this one (than the cooler)
I have factory dis and I am particularly interested to have fuel pressure on it as well as the usual and oil temp & pressure.
I have been meaning to get a gauge since my fuel starvation hiccups.
Thanks
Martin
 
It's Finally Here: Please Read Carefully

My Service...

OK folks, as you may have seen, I've done my first Colour DIS upgrade to a 1.2 TDI in Denmark. See here: http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?33591

Prior to going to Denmark and performing this upgrade on a 1.2 TDI with an automatic gearbox, I thoroughly tested the unit on a 1.4 TDI with a manual gearbox. As such, I'm now sufficiently familiar with the product and the conversion process to be able to offer this upgrade to all.

The product will be manufactured to meet demand, meaning there aren't currently a limitless number of Colour DIS kits available for the A2. I plan on purchasing a batch of 11 units and having them all sent to my address in the UK. This should keep the cost of the unit itself to a minimum. I will then start the process of upgrading clusters for members of A2OC. However, in order to place the order, I need to know categorically who wants to have this upgrade. I appreciate that cost is the biggest factor in making a decision, so here goes...

Ordered as a batch of 11, the Colour DIS parts needed to perform the conversion will cost £180 per kit. There is no profit margin on this; it's simply the price of 11 units divided by 11.

To convert a standard monochrone DIS cluster to Colour DIS, I charge £250. It's a long, complex process and, from that sum, I need to pay tax, National Insurance and sundry costs.

So, to convert a standard DIS cluster to Colour DIS, you're looking at a total price of £430.

For those who already have DIS fitted in their A2, the costs end there*. This price includes free fitting of the converted cluster into your A2, assuming that you are willing to visit me at Timmus HQ or that the fitting is done at my convenience on my travels about the UK. For TDI owners, this price also includes the additional wiring needed for the turbo boost gauge to function. This boost gauge feature is not applicable to owners of petrol-powered A2s.

I am happy to convert your existing cluster should you desire or I can offer a pre-converted cluster on an exchange basis.

For those who do not have DIS fitted to their A2, a standard monochrome DIS cluster must be purchased (available from me) and a DIS retrofit must be performed (including all necessary wiring looms, alternate wiper stalk with DIS controls, etc). If you wish to have Colour DIS installed in an A2 that currently does not have DIS at all, please send me a PM for a total price.

In order to reserve one of the 11 available units, you will need to pay for it in advance. So, to firmly put your name on the list, I will require £180 up front. Please send me a private message to confirm. I will then send you a private message with my bank account details.

At present, I do not know how long it will take for me to receive the required units nor how quickly I will be able to convert clusters. I have a job outside of my work on A2s (and, at present, my house is being totally renovated), so my time and attention is sometimes divided. I will, of course, endeavour to fulfil everyone's desires as soon as possible. However, being the first to send me a private message or to transfer funds does not guarantee that you'll be the first to have your A2 upgraded. The logistics of this are just too complicated for that to be the case, so I shall work my way through the jobs as best suits me and the various members who elect to invest in this upgrade.

If more than 11 members wish to have their A2 converted to Colour DIS by me, a second batch order will be placed. The 11 units that are currently available will be assigned to those who transfer funds first.

Kind regards,

Tom

Units reserved so far: 11/11


What You Get...

Within the next few weeks, I hope to be able to publish a full visual guide to the features available in Colour DIS, but for now I will write a brief description.
In standard monochrome DIS, you are able to monitor just 5 readings, as shown in the list below. You can only view 1 reading at a time.
  1. Instantaneous Fuel Efficiency
  2. Average Fuel Efficiency
  3. Average Speed
  4. Driving Time
  5. Fuel Range
With Colour DIS, you can monitor 5 or 7 readings at a time, depending on how you choose to arrange your display. Readings include...
  1. Instantaneous Fuel Efficiency
  2. Average Fuel Efficiency
  3. Current Speed
  4. Average Speed
  5. Driving Time
  6. Distance Travelled
  7. Remaining Fuel
  8. Fuel Range
  9. Turbo Boost Pressure
  10. Inlet Air Temperature
  11. Coolant Temperature
  12. Oil Temperature
  13. Oil Level
  14. Battery Voltage
  15. Engine Torque
Readings are stored twice within the system's memory, meaning one set of readings resets automatically with every journey and another set is continuous. Drivers of more modern Audis and VWs will be familiar with this setup.

Colour DIS also has a series of applications that are accessed through its background menu. These allow you to measure engine torque and acceleration, enable a soft speed limiter, enable near-side mirror dipping when in reverse to aid parallel parking, enable a visual indicator when exceeding a driver-determined fuel efficiency, etc.

Colour DIS is also a diagnostic tool. It is capable of reading and clearing fault codes throughout the car. This effectively means that you have an easy-to-use diagnostic scanner permanently built into your instrument cluster, which is accessed and operated using just the standard controls on the end of the wiper stalk. It is also capable of drawing real-time graphs from a variety of different sensors and control modules, meaning easier diagnostics and more advanced measurement.

Just like standard monochrome DIS, Colour DIS is able to show audio information from the stereo head unit, SatNav instructions from RNS-D/E, phonebook contacts, washer fluid low warning, bulb-out warnings, etc. (assuming the correct OEM equipment is fitted).
*For those with very early A2s with Generation 1 instrument clusters, some issues arise. Please see here: http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?32161-Service-Offered-Colour-DIS&p=289397#post289397
More information about this will come to light with further research/development.


Cruise control is also enhanced by having Colour DIS, as the display is able to indicate that cruise control is set and to what speed it is set.

I could go on... but I think you get the idea. :)

You can see a few photos of Colour DIS here: http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?33591&p=289150#post289150
 
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P.M. and cash sent. Now if anyone has a faulty, older DIS cluster (I mean errors with the display) then I'd like to purchase that item from you and keep my recent, "mint" DIS cluster as it is .... It's SUCH a pity to butcher it!

David
 
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Hi Tom,

I think I read this before but have looked back through the thread and can't find a reference so will ask the question.

My daily driver A2 is a 2001MY car which is pre CANBUS. I have also inherited a 2000MY A6 TDI V6 Quattro which is also pre CANBUS. Both have failing DIS displays and so could do with a new screen.

Is the ColourMFA only compatible with later models with "full" CANBUS or can it work with the earlier models too?

regards

Andrew
 
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Tom, Just a quick question ... The standard DIS display is split and the top part can show temperature, Sat-nav directional data or audio information such as CD no./track playing. How does the colour DIS upgrade cater for this, please? Do you loose anything at all?

David
 
Tom, Just a quick question ... The standard DIS display is split and the top part can show temperature, Sat-nav directional data or audio information such as CD no./track playing. How does the colour DIS upgrade cater for this, please? Do you loose anything at all?

David

Hi David, I think I can answer that for you. The standard DIS is split into two, with (as tom described earlier) approx. 7 or 8 different "modes", but with a fixed positioning for each option (CD/Sat Nav Data/Radio Channel etc.) - whereas the Colour DIS is much more customisable, so you definitely don't lose anything, rather you have many more options on what to display, and you can choose WHERE you want that information displayed. I believe there are 6 "areas" of display, and you can put what you what in each.

I personally want to be able to see track data (Music Artist and Song Title), and sat nav directions as my main display. This should be programmable. I'm sure Tom will help you deciding how you want it laid out :)
 
Hi Tom,

I think I read this before but have looked back through the thread and can't find a reference so will ask the question.

My daily driver A2 is a 2001MY car which is pre CANBUS. I have also inherited a 2000MY A6 TDI V6 Quattro which is also pre CANBUS. Both have failing DIS displays and so could do with a new screen.

Is the ColourMFA only compatible with later models with "full" CANBUS or can it work with the earlier models too?

regards

Andrew

Nudge for Tom - can you clarify the above situation for us owners of A2's of an 'older disposition'?
 
Hi Tom,

I think I read this before but have looked back through the thread and can't find a reference so will ask the question.

My daily driver A2 is a 2001MY car which is pre CANBUS. I have also inherited a 2000MY A6 TDI V6 Quattro which is also pre CANBUS. Both have failing DIS displays and so could do with a new screen.

Is the ColourMFA only compatible with later models with "full" CANBUS or can it work with the earlier models too?

regards

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

The short answer is "I don't know", but I'll expand on that...

The A2 was made with two generations of instrument cluster. Gen 1 clusters were fitted to 2000/2001MY cars and Gen 2 clusters were fitted from 2002MY onwards. They're easy to tell apart because Gen 1 clusters don't illuminate the analogue needles until the car's side lights are switched on. Gen 2 clusters usually illuminate the needles as soon as the ignition is switched on (though this is switchable via an adaption channel).

Gen 1 and Gen 2 clusters are physically different and I'm yet to establish all the ways in which they differ. Having never done a Colour DIS upgrade to a Gen 1 cluster, I cannot be absolutely sure that all the features of Colour DIS will work properly. However, firmware for the Colour DIS system does exist for the C5 (Typ 4B) A6, a vast majority of which were made with Gen 1 clusters, so I'm fairly confident that both your A2 and your A6 can be upgraded.

Your 2001, Gen 1 instrument cluster will use 2 CAN busses: Drive CAN and Convenience CAN. These are the two busses that Colour DIS needs in order for its core functions to work properly. However, your Gen 1 stereo head unit will communicate with your Gen 1 cluster over a proprietary interface. Colour DIS has no provision for this proprietary interface, meaning stereo info would no longer be displayed on the cluster's screen.
The solution to this is relatively simply: fit a later stereo head unit with CAN and wire it to the cluster. However, I believe your 2001 A2 has a multifunction steering wheel that controls the head unit over another proprietary interface. So, with a later CAN-based head unit, you'd also need to update your MFSW controller. If you're not fussed about audio information being displayed on the cluster's screen, then upgrading a Gen 1 cluster to Colour DIS ought to be no more troublesome than upgrading a Gen 2 unit.

I think I've convinced myself that it can be done, but a few obstacles may need to be overcome.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
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Nudge for Tom - can you clarify the above situation for us owners of A2's of an 'older disposition'?

Hi TFG,

Your case is also an interesting one. A majority of what I've written above in response to Andrew also currently applies to you/your A2. However, given the plans you've got, I'd suggest we just do a full-scale CAN update on your A2 and install a Gen 2 cluster along with the necessary extra wiring. This would bring your A2's CAN system in line with those made from 2002 onwards, making the world your oyster.

Cheers,

Tom
 
Tom, Just a quick question ... The standard DIS display is split and the top part can show temperature, Sat-nav directional data or audio information such as CD no./track playing. How does the colour DIS upgrade cater for this, please? Do you loose anything at all?

David

Hi David,

In case you've read what I've written above to Andrew/TFG, none of this applies to you/your car. All the features of your current monochrome DIS will also function with Colour DIS. From my recent post, I quote...

Just like standard monochrome DIS, Colour DIS is able to show audio information from the stereo head unit, SatNav instructions from RNS-D/E, phonebook contacts, washer fluid low warning, bulb-out warnings, etc. (assuming the correct OEM equipment is fitted).

Cheers,

Tom
 
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Sorry Tom, conversion of the cluster to Colour DIS.

Currently, it takes me just over an entire working day to convert and test one cluster. This may reduce somewhat once I've done a few more or if I'm doing multiple conversions as a simultaneous batch.

Mine has the double DIN

Sorry, but I don't understand the relevance of this... :confused:

Edit: Ah, has my discussion with Andrew about stereo head units muddied the water a bit, perhaps?

Cheers,

Tom
 
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Hi Andrew,

The short answer is "I don't know", but I'll expand on that...

The A2 was made with two generations of instrument cluster. Gen 1 clusters were fitted to 2000/2001MY cars and Gen 2 clusters were fitted from 2002MY onwards. They're easy to tell apart because Gen 1 clusters don't illuminate the analogue needles until the car's side lights are switched on. Gen 2 clusters usually illuminate the needles as soon as the ignition is switched on (though this is switchable via an adaption channel).

Gen 1 and Gen 2 clusters are physically different and I'm yet to establish all the ways in which they differ. Having never done a Colour DIS upgrade to a Gen 1 cluster, I cannot be absolutely sure that all the features of Colour DIS will work properly. However, firmware for the Colour DIS system does exist for the C5 (Typ 4B) A6, a vast majority of which were made with Gen 1 clusters, so I'm fairly confident that both your A2 and your A6 can be upgraded.

Your 2001, Gen 1 instrument cluster will use 2 CAN busses: Drive CAN and Convenience CAN. These are the two busses that Colour DIS needs in order for its core functions to work properly. However, your Gen 1 stereo head unit will communicate with your Gen 1 cluster over a proprietary interface. Colour DIS has no provision for this proprietary interface, meaning stereo info would no longer be displayed on the cluster's screen.
The solution to this is relatively simply: fit a later stereo head unit with CAN and wire it to the cluster. However, I believe your 2001 A2 has a multifunction steering wheel that controls the head unit over another proprietary interface. So, with a later CAN-based head unit, you'd also need to update your MFSW controller. If you're not fussed about audio information being displayed on the cluster's screen, then upgrading a Gen 1 cluster to Colour DIS ought to be no more troublesome than upgrading a Gen 2 unit.

I think I've convinced myself that it can be done, but a few obstacles may need to be overcome.

Kind regards,

Tom

Thanks for clarifying that Tom.

Both cars I described have the Concert 1 tape head unit, BOSE and the boot mounted 6 CD changer. As you say, the A2 has the MFSW so would require a change of controller module and some wiring changes to accommodate. I do have a spare Chorus 2 tape head unit so could contemplate an update to a generation 2 head unit. The A6 has the 3 spoke sports steering wheel and so no worry there.

warm regards

Andrew
 
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