Radio Ga Ga
Audi Multimedia System
What’s your best driving experience? Now think of the soundtrack that goes with that?
I remember my first car (Proudly named Ethel) and spending almost as much on a new sound system as I did the car. This was non negotiable. How else was I going to be like the cool people on TV? With the wind in my hair and my favourite song on repeat.
And even with my brothers’ ridiculous levels of self confidence, I decided that I needed a professional to do the swap. And that was when technology was different, it was easy. A radio was just a radio. Certainly no Bluetooth, no multimedia function, no satellite navigation. Just plug in and go.
Everything was interchangeable back then, today not so much.
And with everything being much more accessible to everyone in today’s world, we come to expect everything fully upgraded and working as a standard. You are not wrong in expecting the basics like seats and a steering wheel. But now we also come to expect the luxury features as part of the new Audi package.
The difference between an F Reg VW Polo and the modern day Audi is the technology available as standard. Technology so clever, the car has its own internal fight or flight system. It performs its own diagnostic analysis to ensure performance but also security checks.
And if you don’t know about these security checks and their outcomes, you can quickly find yourself with a problem.
This is what happened with a client of ours recently.
The client believed that changing the radio unit in the 2015 Audi A3 model would be straightforward and add resale value to the vehicle. But instead, it caused a complete shutdown of the Audi multimedia system. Nothing worked.
This “quick fix” was now costing the client time and money.
The new radio unit had nothing. No radio, no multimedia function, no telephone/ Bluetooth connection. And with nothing working, this was causing delays to the resale of the vehicle and so they brought the Audi A3 to our expert Audi technicians for our help and knowledge.
Using Our Audi Experiences & ODIS
Being able to use our experience in diagnosis and error codes within Audi models, allowed us to run various tests straight away and pinpointing the problem ASAP.
We used the Audi dealer tool ODIS to run a full diagnostic analysis of the vehicle and we were directed to test the new multimedia security system. The Component Protection was active due to the fitting of the new multimedia unit.
Component Protection is part of the security strategy on some Audi vehicles. It is designed to stop the exchange of components between different vehicles, without authorisation. A built in anti theft system if you like.
Consider it like the immune system of the Audi.
The new radio unit had triggered the interval security checks and activated the Audi Component Protection system. The multimedia system needed to be reset, and this can only be done by an authorised Audi dealer. Luckily we have that authorisation on site.
The next steps were to remove the Component Protection and re-enable the vehicle settings, back to as they had been on the day it had left the factory. We re-coded the new multimedia system, overriding the anti theft programming and confirming the new multimedia system within the A3.
Time & Money
Being able to complete the testing and identify the problem as quickly as we did, meant we were able to have the vehicle back to the client within 24 hours.
Every trade client knows that every minute the car is unavailable, it can become expensive. So a quick diagnosis, fix and return of the vehicle means the client is able to get the car on the market ASAP.
So if you are experiencing problems with your Audi, do not hesitate to get in touch. Our expert Audi technicians have the knowledge and experience of error codes and technical faults within the complete Audi range, which allows us to offer a speedy, reliable and effective service.
Contact us on 01543 452 630, and we will be more than happy to help to offer advice and get you back to enjoying your driving experience.
