How to Solve Multimedia System Issue in Audi A3
Driver fatigue is one of the leading causes of accidents in Britain, according to research conducted by a road safety organisation. The study states that around 10%-20% of all accidents are a result of tired driving, which is alarming because it is often hard to spot a tired driver.
Luckily, there are ways to improve driver focus and prevent accidents from happening by introducing driver stimulants into the mix. We are not talking about caffeine but the multimedia system in your vehicle.
The radio and Bluetooth connectivity in your car does a great job of keeping you busy and deflecting your mind away from tiredness or boredom. You can listen to your favorite tunes, talk to your loved ones or listen to radio stations to keep your mind working.
In this way, not only can you protect yourself but also others on the road from accidents.
Therefore, it is necessary that the entertainment system in your vehicle is always in top shape. If something unfortunate happens to it, you must book an appointment at the nearest garage and get them to check the system.
Something similar happened with our client who upgraded the radio unit in their 2015 Audi A3. The new radio unit was installed but that caused further problems and the other entertainment features stopped working. The Bluetooth wouldn’t connect, the phone wouldn’t link to the system and the radio wouldn’t work as well.
Our client had no idea what to do. Luckily, they came to the best Audi garage in the area – Links Automotive.
We welcomed the Audi A3 to our garage and our Audi specialist, Aaron White, took the car under his wing.
The first thing on Aaron’s to-do list was to verify the client’s faults and working his way up from there.
Faults Found
Our Audi technician started his work by performing a visual inspection of the vehicle. He specifically looked at the dash for warning light or signs, where he saw a warning message on the driver’s information panel. The message read, ‘Component Protection Active’.
Our Audi specialist understood the issue on first glance and he readied himself to perform further diagnosis. But before he could go any further, our Audi expert had to ensure no other connections were loose in and around the radio unit. It is possible that the other technician had installed the radio unit incorrectly, and the loose connection had caused the warning.
Aaron took some time to inspect the entire multimedia system and luckily, he could not find anything out of the ordinary. The Component Protection (CP) warning was the only thing standing out.
What is Component Protection?
The component protection feature was introduced in VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) vehicles in the early 2000s. It is a security feature that doesn’t allow an exchange of modules among the various VAG vehicles without central authorisation from the VAG online database.
But this protection feature only activates if you replace a used part from another car and install it into your own vehicle. The CP warning should not appear when you replace the existing module with a new one bought from the dealership.
Also, it is important to know when the CP warning kicks in on Audi cars. It does not affect all the modules and systems in the vehicle but a select few, including the entertainment system.
Since the client had changed the radio unit and it was a used part, the CP warning kicked in and restricted the use of all the components in the multimedia system. This also meant that there was nothing wrong with the Bluetooth, radio, or phone connectivity features in the client’s Audi A3.
So, Aaron moved on to confirm this issue by initiating the 15-step diagnostic procedure.
Diagnostic Procedure
The comprehensive 15-step diagnostic process helps our technicians to be accurate and efficient with their diagnosis, allowing them to offer the clients great value for their money. Not only that but an in-depth diagnosis helps our Audi specialists cover all the components of a car and not miss a thing during the inspection.
Our Audi expert used the procedure to his advantage, checking each and every relevant part of the client’s Audi A3. He carried out a complete scan of the vehicle using the dealer’s diagnostic tool and confirmed the ‘component protection active’ warning.
Aaron, being an Audi specialist, knew why the CP warning kicks in and what to do to solve it.
So, without wasting a moment, our Audi technician began working his magic. He had to code-in the new radio unit, remove the CP warning and re-enable all the functions of the entertainment system.
Solving The Problem
Aaron began by connecting the vehicle with the Audi online server. He started with the code-in process and worked hard on it for a while to register the module with the Audi online database.
This kind of work takes a bit of time, because coding and registering the new component is not an easy job, but our Audi specialist has dealt with many such repairs in the past, and he has the knowledge and expertise to do all this efficiently.
Aaron performed the entire job within a day and handed over the car back to the client the next day.
Summary
A client came into our garage complaining about the entertainment system in his 2015 Audi A3. Our Audi specialist accepted the car and listened to all the client’s issues, before setting out to start the diagnosis.
Our Audi expert used the 15-step diagnostic procedure to his advantage and in no time at all found the core issue. The client’s car was showing a ‘Component protection active’ warning message, which only kicks in on when you install a secondhand component in your vehicle.
Aaron ensured there were no other issues in the system before starting with the coding process. Our Audi specialist opened the online server and registered the radio unit to the Audi online database. Once that was done, our Audi technician cleared the warning message and wrapped up the repair.
If you are looking for a VW specialist who provides great value for money, you should look no further than Links Automotive Audi garage. You can contact us on 01625 402262 to learn more about our services.
