2011 seems to be the year for my Audi's cluster. I have a 2001 roadster and last week I drove to work, parked, went on working but unusually late (and hence dark). When I started the car to go home, the instrument cluster wont light up. I thought being winter and cold and all it might come up when the engine warms up as this has happened to me once before. But this time is different, it has been a week and the instrument cluster shows only the ABS, BRAKE (when the handbrake is ON) and the check engine light on. Nothing else.

No Engine RPM (RPM = 0 all the time driving or not)

No Speed (Speed = 0 when driving)

No Fuel or temperature

No LCD display

All dead!

I am going to check the fuses today but I doubt it is the fuses and dreading the fact that I'd be spending atleast a grand and a few days of non-use.

After tons of research on this I finally sent mine to modulemaster.com last fall. They completely rebuilt it for $160, problem solved. It now functions like new. It takes 10 minutes to remove. Shipping only takes a couple of days. Seriously, just do it, it's not that big of a deal.

Ohhhh I feel your pain... but it is getting better, it was $800 for a rebuild a few years back but now it's either $160 or $350 depending on the rebuild option you choose.  Go here http://www.modulemaster.com/en/services/instrument_clusters.php to check it out.  They have no BBB complaints in three years.  I've yet to send mine in, but they're the ones I'm sending mine to.