LCD failure 2006 R1200RT

[John Alex]

My LCD in the instrument cluster has failed, it progressively got darker and darker and now has a reddish black appearance like it’s burnt out, it is still readable in the shade and still works in the dark (orange screen) is this a common fault and is it easily fixed or replaced, thanks 

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, John Alex said:

My LCD in the instrument cluster has failed, it progressively got darker and darker and now has a reddish black appearance like it’s burnt out, it is still readable in the shade and still works in the dark (orange screen) is this a common fault and is it easily fixed or replaced, thanks 

 

Morning John

 

I presume that you have your dash backlight adjusted all the way up to max intensity?

 

This does sound like a failed or failing dash cluster.  (new dash cluster is $1670.00 plus installation & programming)

 

I'm not sure what to tell you as that might end up being an expensive repair.

 

Problem is, the vehicle mileage is stored in a few different areas with the dash unit being one of them.

 

When a NEW BMW dash unit is installed it takes a BMW Motorrad diagnostic system to properly  register the NEW dash unit with the motorcycle. This can't always be done with a used dash unit. (or at least most dealers won't do it for obvious reasons).

 

I have also heard of a few riders getting a used dash unit to work (I have no idea how). 

 

Probably the place to start is to talk to your BMW dealer for your options, see if they can (or would) attempt to program in a  used dash cluster. 

 

There is also a BMW parts dash repair kit but I don't know what it consists of, or what it is capable of  replacing, (hopefully more than just the buttons at $285.00)  You will probably have to ask your dealer what that repair kit can repair or replace. 

 

Or, your next option is to find a cheap used dash cluster on E-Bay then see if you can install it & get it working yourself. 

 

Another option is to find a speedometer repair shop in your area then talk to them about the possibility of getting yours repaired. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Alex]

Thanks, I was onto a few used ones that  look okay, i didn’t think about odometer, I’m being a little niece and thought it would just plug and play and presumed the main onboard computer would just display the correct reading, it’s not the end of the world as one I’m looking at has 125,000k and mine is around 128,000k. Question is, will it work at all if I just plug it in, or does it need some sort of programming?

The first photo is of course what it should look like, the second is mine (sorry about the quality) and you can se that it’s clearly much darker / burnt out.

cheers

John

[dirtrider]

10 hours ago, John Alex said:

Thanks, I was onto a few used ones that  look okay, i didn’t think about odometer, I’m being a little naive and thought it would just plug and play and presumed the main onboard computer would just display the correct reading, it’s not the end of the world as one I’m looking at has 125,000k and mine is around 128,000k. Question is, will it work at all if I just plug it in, or does it need some sort of programming?

The first photo is of course what it should look like, the second is mine (sorry about the quality) and you can se that it’s clearly much darker / burnt out.

cheers

John

 

 

 

Morning John

 

Question is, will it work at all if I just plug it in, or does it need some sort of programming?--

 

That, is a darn good question. It is not supposed to work without programming into (registering with) the bike's other electronics as the mileage is stored in both the dash module & the BMS-K (I'm not sure if it is also stored in the ZFE chassis computer).

 

As I mentioned above it isn' supposed to work or be reconized without programming into the bike but I have heard of a few that worked OK without programing in. (note: this wasn't comfirmed by me).

 

About all you can do is try, if it works then you are golden, if it doesn't work then you will have to try to find a work around.

 

I do suggest that you talk to your BMW dealer as they might have additionl info on getting a used dash unit to work.  

 

 

 

 

[jjpen]

I dropped a retrieval magnet on mine and it caused some of the pixels to go dark.  I bought a used unit, took it apart, and removed the screen.  I then put that screen in the unit in the bike.  When I turned it on all was well.  I could not find any instructions on this procedure so I went slowly and relied on previous experience to unhook and reattach the electronic ribbons.  I know some people would not be comfortable doing this but it worked for me.

[John Alex]

Thanks, do the electronic ribbons have clips? 

This may be an option, I’m going to call the dealer for advice tomorrow.

[Pappy35]

That's a great idea assuming the dealer doesn't present options that are acceptable (i.e. not costing a billion dollars). How did you get the plastic covers off? Did the unit simply come apart with screws or were there adhesives and seals to deal with?

[jjpen]

The clear cover is held on with screws.  There is an adhesive band that must be severed before the cover will come off(it voids your warranty ha ha).

The ribbons are held in by keepers that just press on after the ribbon is inserted.  By the way, the replacement display picked up the mileage of the original display.  When I told the dealer what I had done they had never heard of it.

 

BY THE WAY!  You must lever the hands off of the speedo and tach.  When you replace the speedo hand, if you set the hand two to three mph below the O your speedo will be much more accurate.  Mine is less than one half mph off. 

 

[John Alex]

Spoke to the dealer, doesn't want to touch it with a 10 foot barge pole, not surprised.

i've bitten the bullet and bought a second hand one on line. from your comments below, i'm assuming i need to replace the while facure and not just the LCD?

can you also let me know what you resealed the case with?

so many questions and i'll probably come back to the "brains trust" for  more details once the unit arrives. 

exciting (and nervous) times ahead. I'm heading off on a 3000k ride in early march so hopefully i'll have it sorted by then. 

cheers, and thanks for your help so far.

John

 

38 minutes ago, jjpen said:

The clear cover is held on with screws.  There is an adhesive band that must be severed before the cover will come off(it voids your warranty ha ha).

The ribbons are held in by keepers that just press on after the ribbon is inserted.  By the way, the replacement display picked up the mileage of the original display.  When I told the dealer what I had done they had never heard of it.

 

BY THE WAY!  You must lever the hands off of the speedo and tach.  When you replace the speedo hand, if you set the hand two to three mph below the O your speedo will be much more accurate.  Mine is less than one half mph off. 

 

 

[jjpen]

I think the cover and case have a rubber gasket for a seal.  I only replaced the LCD BECAUSE i WAS TRYING TO GET AWAY WITHOUT HAVING TO MARRY A NEW PART TO THE BIKE. It worked for me.

[Kerry in Mpls]

4 hours ago, jjpen said:

...

BY THE WAY!  You must lever the hands off of the speedo and tach.  When you replace the speedo hand, if you set the hand two to three mph below the O your speedo will be much more accurate.  Mine is less than one half mph off. 

 

 

Aha! Good thinking!

[Pappy35]

This post needs to be pinned. Absolutely excellent finding!

[basilr]

I'd probably just mount my Garmin 660 in front of the display. I've then got speed, distance travelled, time of day, distance to gas-up, etc. Obviously not a fix, but better than an unrecoverable repair bill (unless you're really handy, which I'm not).

[John Alex]

Basilr, i'm loathed to spend the money as well (especially on a new one @ $1675) jjpens fix is worth a try at  only a few hundred for the used unit if this works, the problem is I cant see the engine temperature, odometer etc., I can  probably live without a fuel Gauge but I do a lot of long distance stuff on the bike. 

 

[SHIMHEAD]

I actually repaired mine with some replacement polarized film. I don't recall where I got it from at the moment, but I can likely dig that information up given enough time. the result was not as good as the original, but it is functional. It was indeed a bit of a tedious process and involved using an OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive), but it is possible. I have a short video clip I will try and post of the film in action externally held in front of my cluster.

[John Alex]

jjpen success, thanks for your help, it was easier than I thought, simply pulled them both apart and put the good LCD panel into my assembly, cleaned everything, put it back together and it worked, it picked up my original odometer reading and no programing was required. thanks so much for your advice, all up I probably spent $300AUD which is far cheaper than $1650 for the unit plus labour. apologies for the crappy picture once again!!!

[jjpen]

I am glad to hear the exchange went smooth for you.  I am curious to know if you tried to put the speedo hand back on less than 0 and how accurate it is if you did.

[John Alex]

yes JJPEN, I did but wasn't sure how far back below zero to go so i guessed and went about 2mm, I just went for a ride with the GPS on, tipped it up to 100kph on the speedo and put it on cruise control and the GPS read 100kph unbelievable and a real bonus!!!

Here's some more before and after photos difference like chalk and cheese, thanks again, you the brain trust on this site have made my day!!!

[Tooofast]

Linking these two thread together,

 

I did my LCD swap today before I was pointed to this thread. (thanks Rocket Man)   Bottom line if you replace just the LCD display there is no need to re-program anything as far as i can tell. My 2005 RT did run and drive with the 2013 RT-Police display but the options were wrong. traction control and TPMS lights were on and flashing to name but a few.  Total time 15-20 min if you have no fear or are stupid,  30-40 if you are smarter than me. Tools needed is a super fine torx (sorry dont know the size) . Don't touch the inside of the clear cover, it has a coating that gets smuggled (as me know i know) but other than that its pretty straight forward,.  The photos and sequence write up are on the attached thread and should help out.

good luck and reach out to me if you have any questions. 
Dave

 

 

[opsguy]

I just wanted to share. My 2005 RT had faded out LCD. I picked up a used one on ebay for a 2008 RT but it looks identical. On the back sticker they both say K26. I installed it and that solved my issues. LCD is nice and crisp and bright now.

[nino]

I have the 05 RT as well, and my led screen had also gone bad.  I was able to purchase the entire gauge from an 07 on ebay for $235, and it was in like-new condition.  I was hoping to just plug the entire gauge in call it a done deal, but that was not to be.  The 07-09 gauge has some extra displays that the 05 does not. And, of course, the new gauge read its current mileage of 24K, whereas my mileage is 82K.  So thanks to Tooofast, I was able to switch out the led screen by following the procedure he so accurately described.  Everything worked out perfectly.  My mileage is correct and the readouts are just as they should be, only now I can actually see them!  Thanks Tooofast for supplying your insights and knowledge that allowed me to do this procedure myself.  Would never have attempted it if not for you. 

[Martyde]

This a saga of a darkening LCD on a 2008 R1200RT

 

Good day gentlemen. I am coming to you with some VERY interesting information for those of us who have experienced the dreaded DARK LCD display demon.

 

The reality is that the display itself is NOT what is failing. It is a piece of adhesive backed polarized plastic that is applied to the glass front of the display. What I learned was that the display "Image" is polarized light. So the "filter" that is on the face of the display blocks the polarized light from the image which then looks to the naked eye as a high contrast image on an orange background. I found this out by removing the clear cover off my cluster and carefully removing the plastic film which had died due to exposure to UV from the sun. Then I plugged the cluster back in to the harness and turned on the key only to find a very bright orange square. As I looked closely at the LCD I noticed at varying angles the image of what we are used to staring at but it was very dim and washed out. As I inspected the plastic film that I had removed from the face of the LCD,  there was a corner that was undamaged. To verify my suspicions, I walked out to our dock and looked down at the water through the small corner of the removed plastic. When I rotated it I could see clearly down into the water! That told me this wasn't just a piece of normal plastic, it was a polarizing filter applied to the front of the display. Next step was to dawn my polarized sun glasses and when I looked at the bright orange square it was like a new display, I saw a perfectly formed image. So I went online to Amazon and found adhesive backed polarized film two pieces for a total of $16.00. I now await the arrival of that material which I will orient properly on the face of the LCD and Batabing Bataboom I just save $250 plus dealer fee to program used cluster to the bike or $1700 for a new one and dealer fee all for only $16.00.

 

I will post as soon as I get the material from Amazon and will show with and without the film and instruction and cautions as well. Photos as well.

 

Pretty cool huh?

[pwillikers]

Very cool.  Good work.   Please post links to materials and pics as you progress.  Thanks.

[Skywagon]

Good post. What would be nice is if you could take a before and after picture

[pwillikers]

I'd like to attempt to repair / upgrade a faded LCD screen.  Unlike the above, I would like to explore options for the reflective film behind the LCD to increase readability of otherwise functional LCDs in direct sunlight.  Mine is still functional so I need one that's faded.  If anyone has a faulty one on hand that they're willing to part with, please PM me to make arrangements.  Thanks.