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What you will need
A registered copy of vag-com and a laptop
New cluster with the proper SKC code (this is a must)
OEM Radio code (if you still have your OEM radio installed)
All of your car keys
Torx T20 screwdriver, preferable magnetic
Couple beers
~30 minutes
NOTE: I am not responsible for any damage that you may incur to your car. Proceed at your own risk.
NOTE: I performed this using an Immobilizer III cluster on an Immobilizer II car, directions for IMMOII > IMMO2 or IMMO3 > IMMO3 should be fairly similar but may require SKCs for the new and old clusters. Also note that IMMO 2 clusters WILL NOT work on IMMO 3 cars.
1. Write down your odometer reading. It is illegal to roll back your odometer so you will need this later.
2. Switch on your ignition, plug in your vag-com cable then start the program.
3. Press SELECT, then 17-INSTRUMENTS. Wait for vag-com to load up your controller. Write down the Soft Coding, you'll need this later. Press Close Controller.
4. Press 19-CAN GATEWAY, again wair for it to load your controller. Write down the Soft Coding. (see *1).
5. Shut down vag-com and unplug the cables. Switch off your ignition.
6. Start by moving the steering collumn all the way back toward you and down, lock it in place.
7. Find the small piece of trim between the steering column and the instrument cluster. Pull straight back toward you to remove, it will require a lot of force so be careful. This trim is attached to a flexible vinyl piece, leave it attached to the steering collumn.
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I suppose it would be easier if you took apart the knee bolsters but it isn't necessary.
8. Look underneath the cluster, you will find two torx T-20 screws. Carefully remove them taking care not to drop them into the dash. If they fall in you will curse yourself later.
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9. Once the two screws are loose you may begin wiggling the old cluster out. The cables around the back are fairly short so this may take a couple minutes.
![]()
10. Now that the cluster is out locate the blue connector on the left, we want to remove it. Flip the purple lever up, it rotates toward the wrapped up wires.
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11. Repeat with the green connector.
12. Finish removing the cluster, set aside. You can have it reset to zero by certain people.
13. Install the new cluster using steps 7-11 in reverse starting with the green wiring harness.
![]()
The harness tabs swivel back to their starting location with a satisfying click. The trim piece should snap right back into place.
Now we start recoding the cluster and adding your keys to the new immobilizer.
14. Plug the vag-com cables back in, turn your ignition back on, restart the program. Your cluster will probably beep at you with angry messages like Immobilizer Activated and No Oil Pressure, that is okay we are about to address them.
15. Press SELECT, then 19-CAN GATEWAY. Wait for the controller to respond. Press RECODE, a dialog box will appear, enter in the CAN Soft Coding you wrote down earlier. You may leave WorkShop Code (WSC) as zero, this will reuse the last workshop number that was entered by a dealer. Press DO IT!. Then Press CLOSE CONTROLLER. (see note below)
16. Press 17-INSTRUMENTS. Wait for the controller to respond. Press RECODE, a dialog box will appear, enter in the Soft Coding from the previous cluster. (see *2) Again you may leave the WorkShop Code as zero. Press DO IT!.
17. Press LOGIN-11, enter in the SKC code. Press DO IT!. Your cluster's immobilizer light will illuminate.
18. Press ADAPTATION-10, enter Channel 00, then click READ, then SAVE. Click DONE GO BACK. Click on CLOSE CONTROLLER. Switch off the ignition for a couple seconds but less than 1 minutes then switch it back on. This should adapt your cluster to your car, now lets add some keys.
19. Restart vag-com. Click SELECT then click on 17-INSTRUMENTS. Wait for the controller to respond. Click LOGIN-11, enter the SKC code, press DO IT!. Your cluster's immobilizer light will illuminate.
20. Press ADAPTATION-10, enter channel 21 then press READ. It will say the number of keys currently matched in "STORED VALUE" if it already says 0 then you can skip to step 21. Enter "0" into "NEW VALUE" press SAVE, now Zero keys are matched.
21. Enter in the number of keys you have in your possession into "NEW VALUE" press SAVE. Then click on DONE, GO BACK.
22. Turn off the igintion and remove the key, insert key two switch on the igition then wait for the immobilizer light to go out, turn the igintion back off and repeat with each sucessive key until your run out of keys.
Now lets make the car legal by entering the odometer readings. (see *3 below)
23. If you use miles you will need to switch the cluster to Km for a couple minutes to get the cluster set correctly. Turn the igition back on, restart vag-com. Press SELECT then click on 17-INSTRUMENTS, wait for the controller to respond. Click RECODE, change the third to last number in the code to a 3 then click DO IT!. This will make it say Km instead. If you already have it set for Km then skip to step 24.
24. Click ADAPTATION-10, enter channel 09 then click READ. Take your old reading convert it into Kilometers. Divide by 10, enter this number in. Click TEST, your milage should appear. If it is correct SAVE. If it is wrong then your math is incorrect, you need to login with the SKC, or you didn't code the cluster correctly so try again. Once you click SAVE it is there essentially forever.
25. Switch the cluster back to miles, click RECODE then change the third to last digit in the coding back to 2, click DO IT!. Your cluster should now read in miles within a mile or two of your old reading.
26. Enter your radio code if it prompts you for it.
27. Crack a beer and enjoy your new Euro look.
![]()
*1: Ross-tech's site lists this as a step, it says that you need to recode the CAN gateway toward the end but I've been told that this isn't an option on clusters made after 2002.
*2: You could conceivably recode a new number but it can cause trouble in you don't know exactly what is going on. I'd stick with the original coding as much as possible.
*3: The cluster can be coded to any odometer reading provided it hasn't rolled over 100km/66miles. If you screw up or have a cluster that wasn't below this to begin with you will need to have it shipped out to someone willing to help you. Rolling back the odometer in any way, shape, or form is illegal in the US and probably everywhere else.
UPDATE: I had to re-enter my radio's security code after I completed the setup. Make sure you have it available before starting unless you have already swapped it for an aftermarket. The code should be inside the radio's manual.
NOTE: Again, I am not responsible for any damage you incur on your car as a result of this project. Proceed at your own risk.
Thanks & Credits
Ross-tech for the software that makes this possible, portions of these directions were adapted from their howto.
Theresias for helping me with some coding weirdness
VgRt6 for inspiring this DIY
Modified by ericthebikeman at 7:27 AM 4-18-2005
A registered copy of vag-com and a laptop
New cluster with the proper SKC code (this is a must)
OEM Radio code (if you still have your OEM radio installed)
All of your car keys
Torx T20 screwdriver, preferable magnetic
Couple beers
~30 minutes
NOTE: I am not responsible for any damage that you may incur to your car. Proceed at your own risk.
NOTE: I performed this using an Immobilizer III cluster on an Immobilizer II car, directions for IMMOII > IMMO2 or IMMO3 > IMMO3 should be fairly similar but may require SKCs for the new and old clusters. Also note that IMMO 2 clusters WILL NOT work on IMMO 3 cars.
1. Write down your odometer reading. It is illegal to roll back your odometer so you will need this later.
2. Switch on your ignition, plug in your vag-com cable then start the program.
3. Press SELECT, then 17-INSTRUMENTS. Wait for vag-com to load up your controller. Write down the Soft Coding, you'll need this later. Press Close Controller.
4. Press 19-CAN GATEWAY, again wair for it to load your controller. Write down the Soft Coding. (see *1).
5. Shut down vag-com and unplug the cables. Switch off your ignition.
6. Start by moving the steering collumn all the way back toward you and down, lock it in place.
7. Find the small piece of trim between the steering column and the instrument cluster. Pull straight back toward you to remove, it will require a lot of force so be careful. This trim is attached to a flexible vinyl piece, leave it attached to the steering collumn.
I suppose it would be easier if you took apart the knee bolsters but it isn't necessary.
8. Look underneath the cluster, you will find two torx T-20 screws. Carefully remove them taking care not to drop them into the dash. If they fall in you will curse yourself later.
9. Once the two screws are loose you may begin wiggling the old cluster out. The cables around the back are fairly short so this may take a couple minutes.
10. Now that the cluster is out locate the blue connector on the left, we want to remove it. Flip the purple lever up, it rotates toward the wrapped up wires.
11. Repeat with the green connector.
12. Finish removing the cluster, set aside. You can have it reset to zero by certain people.
13. Install the new cluster using steps 7-11 in reverse starting with the green wiring harness.
The harness tabs swivel back to their starting location with a satisfying click. The trim piece should snap right back into place.
Now we start recoding the cluster and adding your keys to the new immobilizer.
14. Plug the vag-com cables back in, turn your ignition back on, restart the program. Your cluster will probably beep at you with angry messages like Immobilizer Activated and No Oil Pressure, that is okay we are about to address them.
15. Press SELECT, then 19-CAN GATEWAY. Wait for the controller to respond. Press RECODE, a dialog box will appear, enter in the CAN Soft Coding you wrote down earlier. You may leave WorkShop Code (WSC) as zero, this will reuse the last workshop number that was entered by a dealer. Press DO IT!. Then Press CLOSE CONTROLLER. (see note below)
16. Press 17-INSTRUMENTS. Wait for the controller to respond. Press RECODE, a dialog box will appear, enter in the Soft Coding from the previous cluster. (see *2) Again you may leave the WorkShop Code as zero. Press DO IT!.
17. Press LOGIN-11, enter in the SKC code. Press DO IT!. Your cluster's immobilizer light will illuminate.
18. Press ADAPTATION-10, enter Channel 00, then click READ, then SAVE. Click DONE GO BACK. Click on CLOSE CONTROLLER. Switch off the ignition for a couple seconds but less than 1 minutes then switch it back on. This should adapt your cluster to your car, now lets add some keys.
19. Restart vag-com. Click SELECT then click on 17-INSTRUMENTS. Wait for the controller to respond. Click LOGIN-11, enter the SKC code, press DO IT!. Your cluster's immobilizer light will illuminate.
20. Press ADAPTATION-10, enter channel 21 then press READ. It will say the number of keys currently matched in "STORED VALUE" if it already says 0 then you can skip to step 21. Enter "0" into "NEW VALUE" press SAVE, now Zero keys are matched.
21. Enter in the number of keys you have in your possession into "NEW VALUE" press SAVE. Then click on DONE, GO BACK.
22. Turn off the igintion and remove the key, insert key two switch on the igition then wait for the immobilizer light to go out, turn the igintion back off and repeat with each sucessive key until your run out of keys.
Now lets make the car legal by entering the odometer readings. (see *3 below)
23. If you use miles you will need to switch the cluster to Km for a couple minutes to get the cluster set correctly. Turn the igition back on, restart vag-com. Press SELECT then click on 17-INSTRUMENTS, wait for the controller to respond. Click RECODE, change the third to last number in the code to a 3 then click DO IT!. This will make it say Km instead. If you already have it set for Km then skip to step 24.
24. Click ADAPTATION-10, enter channel 09 then click READ. Take your old reading convert it into Kilometers. Divide by 10, enter this number in. Click TEST, your milage should appear. If it is correct SAVE. If it is wrong then your math is incorrect, you need to login with the SKC, or you didn't code the cluster correctly so try again. Once you click SAVE it is there essentially forever.
25. Switch the cluster back to miles, click RECODE then change the third to last digit in the coding back to 2, click DO IT!. Your cluster should now read in miles within a mile or two of your old reading.
26. Enter your radio code if it prompts you for it.
27. Crack a beer and enjoy your new Euro look.
*1: Ross-tech's site lists this as a step, it says that you need to recode the CAN gateway toward the end but I've been told that this isn't an option on clusters made after 2002.
*2: You could conceivably recode a new number but it can cause trouble in you don't know exactly what is going on. I'd stick with the original coding as much as possible.
*3: The cluster can be coded to any odometer reading provided it hasn't rolled over 100km/66miles. If you screw up or have a cluster that wasn't below this to begin with you will need to have it shipped out to someone willing to help you. Rolling back the odometer in any way, shape, or form is illegal in the US and probably everywhere else.
UPDATE: I had to re-enter my radio's security code after I completed the setup. Make sure you have it available before starting unless you have already swapped it for an aftermarket. The code should be inside the radio's manual.
NOTE: Again, I am not responsible for any damage you incur on your car as a result of this project. Proceed at your own risk.
Thanks & Credits
Ross-tech for the software that makes this possible, portions of these directions were adapted from their howto.
Theresias for helping me with some coding weirdness
VgRt6 for inspiring this DIY
Modified by ericthebikeman at 7:27 AM 4-18-2005
