A6 MMI 3G radio/TP/TMC problem

[MFGF]

Hi all,

I have just taken delivery of an Audi A6 fitted with the new MMI 3G with MMI Navigation Plus (HDD based) and AMI. My car has an odd problem with radio reception, traffic bulletins and TMC which I'm guessing is a software issue. When I start the car and the MMI initialises, everything is OK - TMC enables and shows info messages, TP traffic bulletins interrupt normal radio/iPod playback, and all expected FM radio stations appear in the MMI display. If I drive the car any distance, however, things begin to go awry. If the radio is tuned to (say) Radio 1 on 97.9, it does not detect regional changes to the station's frequency, and eventually loses the signal as I move to a different area of the country. TP Traffic Bulletins also stop, and TMC disables itself. If I look at the list of other stations displayed, it still appears exactly as it did when the MMI initialised, so the car could by then be in Manchester but still show BBC Radio Oxford as being available. I have discovered that if I switch waveband to MW then back to FM again, everything rights itself - local radio stations appear, TMC re-enables, national stations (eg Radio 1) are back to normal reception, traffic bulletins start to come through again, and out-of-area stations disappear.

I have taken the car to my local dealer, but they seem quite puzzled by the problem, and have ordered some new parts for the car (radio boosters and a new rear window). Given the nature of the problem and the initial excellent radio reception, I'm not convinced that this will make a difference. I'm just wondering if anyone else out there has an A6 with the same spec and is experiencing the same problems as me (and in a perfect world knows what the resolution is), or is it just a glitch with my car?

Many thanks,

MF.

Edit. As of February 2010, Mark Chesworth identified a workaround whereby switching the Traffic Programme (TP) function to OFF in the radio setup allows the radio to self-tune as expected, and TMC to remain active. Obviously this is not a complete solution, as TP messages are often useful when not using the navigation system, but it is keeping me sane until Audi fix the software.

MF.

Edit 2. As of October 2010, Audi have released a Revision T software update CD which fixes the radio retuning/TMC/TP issues. Cars with this fix applied can now safely have the TP function enabled. The update also fixes the navigation voice prompt errors on cars with 3G navigation high and low ("now turn left" fix).

MF.

[Froggy]

It sounds like software to me - not hardware. I would get the dealer to check what the latest MMI software/firmware version is and make sure you have it installed.

[MFGF]

Thanks. I will get back to the dealers and ask them to check the software versions.

MF.

[markchesworth]

i have exactly the same problem in my new 2010 audi a4 with MMI 3G, did you get yours sorted out??

[a8 tech]

please post your current mmi sw version
Press the appropriate function selector button to activate the RADIO menu.
First press SET UP and then RETURN and hold both buttons down simultaneously
for approx. five seconds until the display changes.

[markchesworth]

software version
HNAV_EU_P0022_DI
8R006884E_ECE5.8.5

THIS IS THE ONLY INFORMATION I COULD FIND..

[a6audiman]

please post your current mmi sw version
Press the appropriate function selector button to activate the RADIO menu.
First press SET UP and then RETURN and hold both buttons down simultaneously
for approx. five seconds until the display changes.

How do you get it back out this menu to the main user screens?

[astalavista]

Hi there, I have a 2007 audi A6 Avant 2,7 TDI, with MMI (full colour screen). A couple of days ago, there was a quick digital squeaky noise when the radio was on. Suddenly after that, the tuner was gone and a message on the screen that said: Radio is Not Installed.
After that it found few stations but they're all in grey and couldn't select them. I tried tuning the stations, seek + and -, I even set the radio to factory setting but no radio station is found.

Did that sound I heard in the first place meant some part inside the radio has blown? Or is it something to do with the antenna?

Can anyone help me with this issue please. Thanks

[MFGF]

Hi there, I have a 2007 audi A6 Avant 2,7 TDI, with MMI (full colour screen). A couple of days ago, there was a quick digital squeaky noise when the radio was on. Suddenly after that, the tuner was gone and a message on the screen that said: Radio is Not Installed.
After that it found few stations but they're all in grey and couldn't select them. I tried tuning the stations, seek + and -, I even set the radio to factory setting but no radio station is found.

Did that sound I heard in the first place meant some part inside the radio has blown? Or is it something to do with the antenna?

Can anyone help me with this issue please. Thanks

Hi,

Sounds suspiciously like it may be the same problem reported here. Stop using your rear screen washer immediately, and check the radio/amp/nav modules in the boot behind the panel on the left for water ingress.

Good luck!

MF.

[MFGF]

Update on my car:

I got a call from the dealer just before lunch to say they had completed the software update, but they asked if they could leave installing the map update until a later time to eliminate any possibility of this having a bearing on the issue. They want me to test the car over the next few days and report back on whether the radio retuning/TMC dropout/TP dropout problems have been cured (which is quite handy as I'm off on a long drive South on Sunday night, which previously would illuminate the problem nicely). I've now switched TP back on, so fingers crossed...

For anyone interested, here are the reported software version numbers:

Before the update: HNav_EU_K0022_2_D1
After the update: HNav_EU_K0031_3_D1

Having seen A8 Tech's report on the problems specifically addressed by this update, I'm confidently optimistic it will cure our cars' problems!

Wish me luck!!!

MF.