mawindholz

Here is a video in two parts showing how to know and repair a broken steering column where someone (usually a repo company) has forced the steering wheel to turn and broke the lock plate rod.  By Stacy
 
 
2015 GMC Sierra broken lock plate Part 1 by Stacy Hetchler.avi 2015 GMC Sierra broken lock plate Part 2 by Stacy Hetchler.avi GM Lock PLate Rod Repair CSS column.m4v Broken CSS column pictures.pdf

Feel free to call. It's been several years and that was the only VW cluster I've ever dealt with but I can try working through the cob webs in my brain. I'd say first compare my cluster pics to yours. They may be the same or completely different. Happy to help however I can.

Years ago, I had one on a 2000 VW Jetta I worked on.  Blown capacitor and burned up trace.  I used eeprom equipment to pull a .bin dump from the bad cluster and saved it to the eeprom on a donor cluster off ebay.  I'd imagine the process could be the same if you wanted to give it a go.  Otherwise, follow James' advice.  Touch up the solder joints and see if anything looks bad / wrong.
On mine, I shipped it to some place in Massachusetts but they declined and sent it back.  Full write up here if it helps any: 
 

Another short teaching video from Stacy.
1238406430_2017NissanAltimaremoteusingtheKeytoolmax.m4v

2014 camaro. Car clobbered. Pcm connector busted  luckily it was connector (connection on PCM) that i didn't need.  Read the data and saved read new pcm data and saved wrote to new pcm plugged in and started right up. Not sure what the shadow password is but can ran no lights
No theft learn no csv relearn

If you need to shut the alarm off to program the key you can use this to find the door pad code and disarm it.
 
WhatsApp Video 2020-10-23 at 2.32.49 PM.wmv

Another short tip. ..
VID-20201021-WA0006.mp4

E38 ecu swap 07 Silverado uses same equipment for the later 11 and up
Was able to read eeprom and flash save the new one (so I have virgin files) and write used module files to new unit and it fired right up process took 15 min tops on bench
Then I did an 09 Silverado same ecu but it wouldn't communicate so I had to use sps to program then do the theft learn and crankshaft variation relearn that took prob 30 to 40 min  
Io terminal is a great tool

E92 ecm swap. No sps, no theft learn and no crankshaft variation relearn  application 2015 silverado. Done it on bench in 10 min or so.  This tool is awesome 

GM_ECUS.pdf

I'd venture a guess that most any 2005 Caravan still on the road is a failed wheel bearing or missed oil change away from being junkyard fodder. 
I understand wanting to defend the moral high ground but it's ok to be realistic. Write down the pin you choose on the vehicle in a conspicuous place (door jamb by the data plate is my fave because it's where I normally look to get the vin back in the days I could just call in a PIN). Notify the customer and explain the potential issues. Do the thing, get the money, get on with your day. 
All of us keyboard badasses on here would do the job better, faster, and charge more. I myself have raised the issue and challenged the status quo when the ability to change the PIN first arrived in our collective toolbox and a few people had the audacity to mention they'd set some PIN's to 0000 because eff the customer, they're always gonna have to use a locksmith now!
I'm older and less interested in causing a ruckus over the way other people choose to fix things. I still replace stripped screws when I find them and pick up trash off the sidewalk (provided there's a receptacle to drop it into), but I'm not above farting in an elevator either. On a moral alignment chart, I'm probably somewhere between chaotic good and chaotic neutral. 

This is a little video I made this morning while programming a replacement PCM (used) into a 2013 Grand Caravan. Sorry I wasn't too chatty first thing this morning.

I did this using the Maxisys Mini. It showed a failure during the programming cycle, and for some reason it does that frequently since I last updated (it used to do it flawlessly). I find that when it says it failed, all you need to do is hit the "Reset ECU" function and you're good to go. After you finish the programming cycle, make use you run a scan and clear DTC (diagnostic trouble codes).
Now if the customer supplied a brand spanking new PCM, this will NOT work. You need to flash with via J2534.
Caravan PCM Replacement.mp4