16 GTE MHI2 upgrade to 9.2" and digital cluster

[Falck]

Hi,

I have a 16 GTE with MHI2 (MIB2 HIGH, I've flashed the unit to MU1427) and wondering about what I need to do to upgrade to 9.2" (MIB2.5) screen and go from analogue to digital cluster.

I have come to the understanding that I can just swap the MultiMedia screen from the 8" to 9.2" (with trim ofc) and that's a wrap? Should I flash to P4521 (VWG13?)

The real problem/challenge is going from analogue to digital cluster?

I've seen some "hacks" that remove the main/motherboard from the old cluster and insert it in the new digital one, but that seems to good to be true to work?

What do I need to take in to consideration for this type of upgrade.

Thank you!

Kind regards,

[dv52 (Australia)]

Falck Hi: In regard to your question about retrofitting an AID (Active information Display)  - changing the dashboard module on a MQB platform car is tricky because of the following matters:

Component Protection: Not sure if you are aware of CP - but it's a protocol that VW applies to the key modules on your car to combat the trade of stolen parts on the back market (or so VW says). You can think of CP as a kind-of encrypted license that is individually tailored to match the car's VIN. 

If another (new, or 2nd-hand) module is retrofitted to this car, a CP error will be generated because retrofitted unit will either have NO "encrypted license" if the module is new, or the license will be for a different VIN if the module is 2nd-hand . 

The effect of a CP error on the retrofitted module will be to cause the display to continuously flash "error CP". To clear a CP error in the official manner, the car needs to be remotely connected to VW's central server (called FAZIT) - the CP error clearing process changes the license in the module  to match the car's VIN.

ONLY dealers and registered VW agents have access to FAZIT

Odometer reading: ALL MQB platform cars have severe restrictions on changing the odometer reading that stored in multiple modules. Again, permission is needed from the parent company for this process!

Immobilizer: The dashboard module also controls the car's immobilizer - which is linked to the car's keying system. Once more and officially, changes to the immobilizer necessitates FAZIT access

So, because of the matters above (and for other reasons), retrofitting another dashboard module into a MQB platform car is NOT a trivial exercise. I suspect that this is why folk tend to favor the option of replacing just the clock-front with a digital screen. This simpler option retains the "smarts" in the existing module - thereby avoiding the complications above! 

I do NOT recommend using non-OEM parts and it depends on which dashboard module is currently installed in this car - but  maybe look at options like those sold by Alliexpress (search for item #1005004055038838, or item #1005005856183934).

Finally, there is a fairly detailed description of retrofit process HERE - which might be of interest (maybe)

Don

[Carmaffia]

Only 9'2 inch screens are supported in VWG13 firmware. So you need to flash your Mib2 to Mib2.5 first to run this firmware.

[Falck]

Apr 6, 2024 23:12:22 GMT dv52 (Australia) said:

Falck Hi: In regard to your question about retrofitting an AID (Active information Display)  - changing the dashboard module on a MQB platform car is tricky because of the following matters:

Component Protection: Not sure if you are aware of CP - but it's a protocol that VW applies to the key modules on your car to combat the trade of stolen parts on the back market (or so VW says). You can think of CP as a kind-of encrypted license that is individually tailored to match the car's VIN. 

If another (new, or 2nd-hand) module is retrofitted to this car, a CP error will be generated because retrofitted unit will either have NO "encrypted license" if the module is new, or the license will be for a different VIN if the module is 2nd-hand . 

The effect of a CP error on the retrofitted module will be to cause the display to continuously flash "error CP". To clear a CP error in the official manner, the car needs to be remotely connected to VW's central server (called FAZIT) - the CP error clearing process changes the license in the module  to match the car's VIN.

ONLY dealers and registered VW agents have access to FAZIT

Odometer reading: ALL MQB platform cars have severe restrictions on changing the odometer reading that stored in multiple modules. Again, permission is needed from the parent company for this process!

Immobilizer: The dashboard module also controls the car's immobilizer - which is linked to the car's keying system. Once more and officially, changes to the immobilizer necessitates FAZIT access

So, because of the matters above (and for other reasons), retrofitting another dashboard module into a MQB platform car is NOT a trivial exercise. I suspect that this is why folk tend to favor the option of replacing just the clock-front with a digital screen. This simpler option retains the "smarts" in the existing module - thereby avoiding the complications above! 

I do NOT recommend using non-OEM parts and it depends on which dashboard module is currently installed in this car - but  maybe look at options like those sold by Alliexpress (search for item #1005004055038838, or item #1005005856183934).

Finally, there is a fairly detailed description of retrofit process HERE - which might be of interest (maybe)

Don

Awesome! Thank you so much for information Don!

So, those videos I've seen where they take out the motherboard from the original cluster and put it in the digital one is done on non-oem clusters and will not work with OEM, let's say from donor car?

[dv52 (Australia)]

Apr 7, 2024 18:40:51 GMT Falck said:

So, those videos I've seen where they take out the motherboard from the original cluster and put it in the digital one is done on non-oem clusters and will not work with OEM, let's say from donor car?

hmm... not really!!

OK - lets go back to basics and look at how the term "non-OEM" applies to the retrofit process that removes the front clocks only from the dashboard module

On OEM dashboard modules with dial indicators  - the actual module lives on the motherboard that sits on the rear of the housing. In front of this is the board that holds the 2 x clocks and the small central screen. I guess that you can think of the "clock/small-screen board" as being a type of daughter-board.

The non-OEM part of the Allixpress product is the digital display board that replaces the clocks/small-screen. Effectively after the retrofit - the Alliexpress product becomes the daughter-board for the OEM motherboard on the original dashboard module.

The reason why the Alliexpress solution avoids the FAZIT matters in my first reply is because the the actual dashboard module (which lives on the motherboard) is NOT changed. The only thing that is changed is the daughter-board - which is simply a peripheral component for the module.

Replacing the original module with an OEM type AID module (either new, or from a donor car) WILL trigger the the FAZIT matters in my first reply because the actual module is changed

PLUS -it is NOT possible to remove the display board from a OEM AID dashboard module (from a donor car) and fit it into a OEM dashboard module with clock indicators. 

Using the OEM digital display board from an AID-type dashboard module as a daughter-board on a clock-type OEM dashboard module just won't work because the parts were never designed to be inter-changeable.

Hopefully this makes sense - my apology if I have further confused your understanding.

Don

[Falck]

Hi again dv52!

Absolutely not! You have explained well enough so that I at least think I understand. 

Changing from analogue to active display (original VW) would require access to VW shop to make it work. And that's what I want to do, because I want to keep the units original. Besides, while those aftermarket dash/clusters looks nice, I want the units to be able to talk and exhange information, let's say when I use GPS on the MMI, I would like to get that to the cluster. Not having the cluster live it's seperate life. And AFAIK that's only possible with OEM (Original) part (and access to FAZIT).

So maybe I need to contact my lokal VW shop. But they prolly' won't help?