Demist button default setting.

[Stagnite]

Good morning fellow A4 owners/fans.

I have a 2014 A4 AWD S Line 2 litre diesel Avant with 46k miles on the clock. I have owned it since it was 9 months old and it has been brilliant.



All was well until an Audi recall for the auxiliary heater element to be changed, after which, unless I am going mad, the default setting for the front demist button seems to have changed.

Prior to recall: Demist button sent all the air to the screen and set the fan to speed 11 or 12, not certain.
After recall: Demist button sets fan to 11 and sends air to floor, face and screen vents. If I manually set the fan to speed 12 and send all the air to the screen and then hit the demist button, the fan speed drops to 5 and all vents open. Most odd.

Audi Hatfield have had the car back twice and tell me that there is nothing wrong with the demist settings. They let me see another A4 of the same year which has had the recall work done which behaves the same as mine now does.

Anyone else had this happen?

Surely, if I am driving along and the screen fogs, I should just be able to hit the demist button for instant demisting and not have to bother to set it manually. Something is not right here.


Also, does anyone have an official Audi service sheet for this model?
I have conflicting advice as when to change the auxiliary belt and the cam belt.

Thanks in advance.

[Gunnark100]

My reply will not help you, but my old b8 demist button works as yours before update.

[Boy]

You have a lovely car there! I shall check my 2013 Black Edition which had the auxiliary heater recall done last Autumn and see what that button now does.
As to the cam belt question, everyone has his own opinion but I tend to think that seven years or 70000 miles is a safe. I don't know what the official advice is for your model year.

[Gunnark100]

Prior to recall: Demist button sent all the air to the screen and set the fan to speed 11 or 12, not certain.
After recall: Demist button sets fan to 11 and sends air to floor, face and screen vents. If I manually set the fan to speed 12 and send all the air to the screen and then hit the demist button, the fan speed drops to 5 and all vents open. Most odd.
Thanks in advance.

Just let your dealer to contact Germany(they should in cases like this, instead of pointless explanation how this is normal). Is this sw bug or adaption twist, i dont know, in German and in other forums you can find adaption maps and compare with yours, if you have vcds.

From manual regarding this button:
The temperature is regulated automatically. The air output is
increased to maximum and most of the air comes out of the outlets
below the windscreen.
The air recirculation mode is switched off when the button is
pressed.

[Boy]

I checked my 2013 Black Edition which had the recall work done during the Autumn. It appeared to be on Fan 11 and otherwise auto settings when front demist was pressed. I think I shall contact Audi and ask for an explanation too. I'll check the 2011 Quattro which has also had the Aux Heater recall work done, tomorrow.

[Stagnite]

Thanks for your reply Boy.
When you say it is on auto settings, can you feel air blowing out of the face vents and foot well vents too?
The handbook clearly says that when the demist button is selected, MOST of the air is directed to the screen - which is not the case with mine, any more!
I have reported this to Audi CS dept and await a reply. My local dealer has been hopeless. I am not expecting much from CS either.

[Boy]

I relied mainly on the display which showed that the air distribution was as per auto, but also, it was clear that there was a lesser air flow to the screen than I had expected.
i’m afraid that I have not yet checked the 2010 Quattro yet but will do so.

[Stagnite]

I relied mainly on the display which showed that the air distribution was as per auto, but also, it was clear that there was a lesser air flow to the screen than I had expected.
i’m afraid that I have not yet checked the 2010 Quattro yet but will do so.

Strange isn't it? Before the recall, one press of the button sent almost all of the air to the demist vents.

I have written to Audi Customer Services about this but no reply despite an acknowledgement email saying they aim to reply in 2 days - that was 4 days ago now!

[Gunnark100]

All you can do now is hope and wait, but it is hard to believe they will prepare fix for that. As per unofficial rumor part of sw update was also to reduce power consumption of climatronic, this explains maybe setting 12 was reduced to 11, but as this is also defrost, not only demist, rest behavior you explained in post1 is bs.

[Boy]

I have also checked my 2010 Quattro and it behaves in the same way, so I believe that the recall work has changed the settings which will make the defrost function less effective. That seems like a poor outcome. i look forward to hearing what response you get from Audi.