Audi Aches

The instrument cluster information display (Driver Info Display, or DID) on my 2004 Audi A4 has a 'pixel blob'. This is a relatively common occurrence on older Audis, but with under 100k miles on my car (okay, by 400 miles or so, but still...) I would not have thought that I would have this issue now. Basically, some of the pixel remain lit at all times, and start to encroach upon the info in the DID (the DID shows, from top to bottom, radio information on the top 2 lines (and autocheck info when starting the car or low fuel when that occurs), the outside temp in the middle, and on the bottom, the computer readout, like instantaneous MPG. Here is what the blob looked like a couple of days ago....










































At that point, it kind of looked like the profile of a girl with a ponytail, who was looking to the left.... Now it looks like a Rorschach blob. The fix is to have the unit rebuilt/replaced, which is about $200 (not including the removal of the instrument cluster). This will have to get in line behind the following -

1) The glovebox door hinges have broken for the third time. The first 2 were replaced under warranty. Not this time.

2) I still need to clean out one of the rear drains on the sunroof. The dealer blew some air through them, but the rear one on the driver's side still backs up into the seatbelt reel well on that side. Short-term fix is to park the car in the driveway facing downhill when it rains, so any water drains through the front drains...

3) The driver's side window is inconsistent and is not making a terrible grinding sound when used. I try not to use it.

4) The sunroof will randomly close itself. hasn't done this in a while. I just hope it doesn't start randomly OPENING itself.

5) There appears to be a slight oil seepage from the front, that's only evident when I park the car downhill in the driveway (see #2 above).

6) The fuse for the cigar lighter blows whenever I unplug the portable GPS unit.

I just had 2 separate coolant leaks fixed - one was on the rear passenger's side, the coolant flange that is where the heater take-off is, the other the electronic thermostat sensor which is on the drive's side, under the intake manifold.

Ah, the joys of owning a well-engineered German car....

Dan