When I bought the car, the red led in the center of dashboard cluster had an issue, looked corrupted, so it just had to be replaced as it was an eye sore
However, there are a few options that I will list below as this can either be easy or complicated.
NOTE: In the end, I opted for option 3, the most expensive but trouble-free option.
Option 1 – Repair the LED screen on the Touareg cluster
I went onto eBay and found someone who was selling the LED screen but it would require that I take the cluster apart and replace the small screen. I did actually buy one but did not go through with it.
Pros
– Cheap. Only paid $45 for the replacement LED
– Quick (if I knew exactly what I was doing)
– There are youtube tutorials on how to replace them but PIA by the looks of it.
– You keep the mileage on the cluster
Cons
– Damn fiddly to open up the cluster
– Risk of breaking the cluster if you are all fingers and thumbs
Option 2 – Buy Used Touareg Cluster
Clusters are everywhere on eBay ranging from €150-€300.
Pros
– You can get a new looking cluster in top condition for €250
– Some clusters are backwards compatible so you can have a newer looking cluster with colour LCD from a 2006 and install it onto a 2004.
– Its pretty easy to remove the old cluster and there are a few good youtube videos showing how to do it.
Cons
– The mileage is stored on the cluster itself and not coming from the central computer on the car. So if you buy a cluster that shows 350,000km’s, when you install it in your Touareg with 150,000km’s, then the cluster will display 350,000km’s.
– The ONLY way to reset the cluster is to send it to a specialist who specialises in resetting clusters on VW Touareg and they are hard to find. They will charge €100 minimum for this. A VW garage won’t reset secondhand clusters.
Option 3 – Buy New OEM Touareg Cluster
This is the nuclear option.
Pros
– The Touareg cluster will be brand shiny new.
– Dealer will usually install it for you (even though according to youtube it’s pretty easy to change a cluster)
– Dealer will set the mileage to the same as the computer so the mileage will be correct. They don’t charge extra for that.
Cons
– Expensive. I paid €1000 for a new cluster for this car.
– Dealers will ONLY install the cluster for that model, so if your 2004 has a red led version, they won’t install a newer 2006 version even if it’s shown to be compatible.