Infotainment Screen Flickering Red/Purple/Pink

[ivnn]

Hi there,

 

I've seen a lot of posts about infotainment issues in this forum, but couldn't find one quite like mine, so starting a new thread.

 

My 2016 Octavia Mk3 infotainment screen has recently started to occasionally flicker in red/purple/pink.

 

Last weekend around midway of a 60-ish mile trip it started to progressively flicker more in more to the point of getting stuck in purple/pink and continuously restarting. I turned it off and completed the trip home. Decided to test it with ignition off and somehow it was fine.

 

Fast forward 2 days of normal behaviour and no flickering - and it started doing it again.

 

It has been getting progressively worse this week. I noticed it would get worse (flicker more often) in the evening when driving back from work (15-20min 95% motorway commute). In the mornings it was usually fine; maybe a few flickers. Don't know if the cold weather or the car being cold in general in the mornings was having some sort of a "positive" effect.

 

This weekend it has gotten to the point where it stays in purple/pink monochrome 90% of the time with the occasional flicker to red and sometimes going back to normal for a few minutes.

 

Everything works fine otherwise - touch, knobs, sound, nav, etc.

 

I took both the screen and headunit off today in attempt to wiggle and push in all connections in case something had gotten loose. This does not appear to have an effect - the screen would flicker randomly, apparently unrelated to connector wiggle.

 

I did notice it would flicker more when the screen refreshes - like when zooming in/out in navigation or cycling though the main menu. At this point it's just stuck in purple/pink.

 

Any ideas whether this is the screen on it's way out, or maybe the headunit? Anything else I could check? 

 

Attaching photos of what I thought was relevant.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Dean]

Hello and welcome to the community. I've moved this into the Octavia section, as it was posted under Fabia.

Usually with a screen going pink, it's an LCD issue. It might be worth searching the site to see if other have suffered this issue.

[varaderoguy]

I agree with Admin Dean.  Screen is phoobard'd.

I can see that there was a revision M on the screen part number.  This means that VAG revised the hardware, obviously due to an issue.

 

 

[ivnn]

Thanks both for the replies. 

 

@varaderoguy by "revision M", did you mean the 8-inch 5E0919605M screen? Looking at other topics on the forum it looks like my 5Q0035874A headunit might be plug-and-play compatible with that screen. I still have third party warranty with Autoguard, so planning to go to a garage to claim it through warranty - but I'm guessing they might be hesitant about part compatibility and end up with another 5E0919605J... 

[varaderoguy]

10 minutes ago, ivnn said:

Thanks both for the replies. 

 

@varaderoguy by "revision M", did you mean the 8-inch 5E0919605M screen? Looking at other topics on the forum it looks like my 5Q0035874A headunit might be plug-and-play compatible with that screen. I still have third party warranty with Autoguard, so planning to go to a garage to claim it through warranty - but I'm guessing they might be hesitant about part compatibility and end up with another 5E0919605J... 

I don't think so - what happens if that the last character is usually a revision number.  When the company puts in the part number with a J at the end of it, their system will tell them it has been superseeded by the same part number, but with an M in it.  Its quite usual VAG processes to do that.

[ivnn]

Thanks varaderoguy.

 

I contacted a local "infotainment specialist" someone recommended and sent them photos/video - their "MIB guy" also reckons it's the screen rather than the glovebox unit. Also rang the local Skoda dealer - they want £100 to diagnose and quoted ~£700 for 5E0919605J (same as my busted one). I asked about the M variant - they said I should get what was originally fitted and wouldn't comment on compatibility with M..

 

@pab567 you appear to be the expert on those around here - any advise? At this point I'm thinking of just getting a 2nd hand 5E0919605M and swapping it myself. My glovebox unit is 5Q0035874A (photos above) - am I right that this should be a simple plug-n-play job? Anything else I can check beforehand?

 

Thanks.

[pab567]

5E0919605M is indeed P&P but APP button will NOT work with your unit - too old firmware.

[ivnn]

So I took a gamble as I got a pretty good deal on a used 8-inch screen that arrived today. Plug and play, just like @pab567 said - but it looks like that wasn't the issue.. 

Any advice on the best next step to take? 

[pab567]

Well, there are just two more possibilities: either glove box unit or LVDS video cable between glove box unit and display unit. If you find someone having a car with MIB2 unit (it does NOT have to be the Octavia, it does NOT have to be exactly the same unit) you can install your glove box unit in that car to test. You will have no sound as unit will become locked with Component Protection but you will be able to check if the same problem occurs. No worries about Component Protection - after re-installing in your car the unit will be automatically unlocked.