BuSdRiVeR

You're incorrect. If you read the original post, you'll see the following line:

"I'm not quite sure how to fix this... is there a hard reset somehow?"

Which was the point of me trying to bring the thread back on topic by asking if anyone has a "fix". Those of us with looping MMIs have seen plenty of people offer reasons WHY but very little in the way of SOLUTIONS.

Does that make sense or am I being obtuse again?

MP4.2+6.0

His post: Well, I figured out why mine got stuck on the Audi loop screen. It turns out the car has to have AT LEAST version 5 of the navigation installed on it. I'm not quite sure how to fix this... is there a hard reset somehow? here's a link proving my findings...

My response (including title): Version 5 refers to your Nav disk--the one in the trunk unit. If you have either 1 or 4, you have to buy at least 5. New versions come from Navteq. I see versions 5 or 6 a lot [on] e bay, presumably being dumped by people moving to newer revs.

New explanation: I answered with the obvious, you need the right minimum nav disk rev. My guess was "this" referred to getting the right disk, as opposed to something about being in the Audi loop screen that was two sentences earlier and I'm not even sure what exactly it is. Some people on the board have confused the disk revs for MMI revs, so I figured when I posted maybe it was that situation. Maybe though is he/you trying to say after you tried the upgrade and didn't actually have a rev 5 or later Nav disk, that then the update is stuck in a loop and you can't start over? And/or later maybe you went back to it when you did have rev 5 or later and it wouldn't go, or have been thinking about that as a fix? And, I also don't know if being stuck in the loop (I found pressing Return aborts it but maybe that didn't go either) means no matter what it is stuck so the MMI is useless all the time, or that only it gets stuck when you try to do the update via the disk? I am scratching my head still on the question, so restating the background and problem from scratch so at least some of us don't have to guess about "this" might be best.

MP4.2+6.0

In the update it started fine, but when it got to the AMI update it couldn't get through, stuggling to find the device. I then selected the sure, try again choice and it just went into grind away forever mode. I waited over half an hour w/ no obvious progress. So, I hit the return MMI button, where it then gave me this might mess up your software type message. First time I was scared enough I canceled out and went back into the update that was going nowhere. Seeing on the screen summary info that it had successfully installed three modules, one had failed and nothing was midstream, with some trepidation I bailed out. No problem as it turned out and MMI came to life as normal like it does following a typical three button reset per the owners manual (where you see the Audi MMI splash screen).

By then I figured out likely the iPod needed to be unplugged, similar to needing to empty the CD changer. But the instructions didn't say that about the iPod. Having now unplugged the iPod, I started again. It went to the AMI section this time (presumably seeing the first two before it had already updated), it went to work on the AMI update, and got right through it and then ran to conclusion.

PAC

SimonBackman, Where exactly did you find that document "Customer Pay-MMI System Update"

RAD2

Does anybody know if this version fix any of the Apple iPhone/MMI issues?

BuSdRiVeR

Basically, several people ran the 4140 update and all appeared to work fine. They then chose the "Restart MMI" option at the end of the update and that was the last they ever saw of anything but the Audi splash screen. As soon as the MMI restarted, it showed the Audi screen for about 15 seconds, then went black and rebooted, showed the Audi splash screen again, then went dark again... rinse and repeat, ad nauseam.

So there's a bunch of us out here with MMI systems stuck in these reboot loops, so we can't even re-flash the system as the system has ceased to boot up past the Audi screen. It appears we've now identified HOW we got in this pickle but we don't have a way to get OUT.

I'm still not even sure I see the need to have the previous version of the MMI software as this procedure is a firmware update which means it is flashing an eeprom or other chip thereby erasing the memory completely, so there'd be no previous version of software on the module any longer as it would be completely overwritten by the newest firmware.

We do all appreciate your thoughts on the subject but I think we're all stressed out because even the dealer doesn't have a clue how to fix it.

MP4.2+6.0

And peeling off a few more layers:

1. Confirm the basic MMI three key reset has been attempted.

2. Confirm you can't get it to re start an update routine at any point of its current cycling behavior.

3. Is the configuration one where the underlying problem was in fact a v1 or v4 Nav disk was in the Nav drive. I have been guessing this from the first post, but I want to make sure that's the trigger of the problem as you guys see it.

4. If #3, has anyone yet tried to put in a later version Nav disk.

As background, from watching it install for most of the screens before I tired during the AMI/ipod instruction problem, you are absolutely correct it was writing to flash. It said that specifically on the screens as they slowly went by. It seemed to be writing to a variety of different embedded controllers that own various functions.


Interim ideas:

Of course if you can accomplish #2 with a 3360 disk in there maybe you could also get it to back up to a prior rev and come back. In general, it was real time flashing the controllers from what the screens said. The one that wasn't so obvious to me was what it was doing to the core MMI display and panel control related controller. Nor was it obvious by the way from what the release says about what was being updated, why they were doing that--the phones, nav and the like are logical from the update subjects, but not the core display type controller. I suppose yes, as it updated that it would have needed to go offline, flash and then come back, hence that final re boot. It also seems very odd that (if I'm understanding this right) it should be dependent on seeing that external nav disk at a particular rev.

One last thought: you realize when you put a new nav disk in that it does an update to the system in some way too? It did on mine when I put in the rev. 8 disk. Maybe in there is the missing code you need to kick start it? Stuffing the newer disk in there will quickly answer that. I bet dealers are probably not used to swapping disks between cars since it disables another car, and parts doesn't sell them except strictly as part of warranty repair as I understand it. Hence, not sure if they would have gone there. Meanwhile, if you find a buddy near you physically with an MMI car, its an easy thing to try.

PAC

Got it from Braman Audi ...Thanks

BuSdRiVeR

1. Yes, on mine if I push the buttons it will restart the MMI but it still hangs on the Audi splash screen.

2. No update routine available. You're right, ife would be MUCH easier if this weren't the case.

3. The main issue looks to be that none of us were at version 3360. However, I recall seeing lots of people go from our MY2004/5 MMI version(s) to the latest without issue. Perhaps those people had updated NAV discs but not updated MMI version? That's the only plausible explanation.

4.PAC (the other member posting in this thread) has the latest version of the NAV disc, but I don't know what happened when he stuck it in the DVD drive. I assume he's tried that already and would have reported anything other than status quo, but I'll defer to him.

As for the code on the NAV disc, I know that now but did not know that at the time. Hell, I know more about this whole thing than I ever cared to know, at this point. :-)

MP4.2+6.0

1. Did the dealer check for error codes in the front control head (07)? And what did they find?

2. When you did the update, did you do it per the now posted instructions (I'm guessing not since those just got posted this week)?

3. In particular, per #2 do you have the adaptation values for the control head prior to the upgrade attempt?

4. Did the dealer look at the adaptation values in the front control head in general, if you took it in?

5. I'm guessing all of ##1-4, may yield nothing, so:

a. do you have access to a VAG COM to read codes? If not, to look into my suggestions you are going to need one or borrow one, or take it to a patient dealer who would be checking the same kind of stuff with their equipment.

b. do you have access to Bentley to look at TSB's, or else can you get one from your dealer or have them look at one? If so, you can read first person what I will try to extract below.

Where I am going is two tracks, both related to coding or adaptation of the control head unit.

A. First, there is a TSB from a few years ago dealing with MMI issues in 2004's and 2005's. For reference the TSB is 91-05-12 dated August 17, 2005. It's 15 pages, and my CD Bentley doesn't let me copy anything. Where it ends up going is to describe an earlier update to the MMI software. This would have been a rev from several years ago, before 3360. Figure possibly some people who updated successfully in their 2004's and 2005's might have this update and others who had problems with the update did not. The TSB talks about the rev fixing problems relating to losing nav destinations, radio station changing by itself when restarting the car, and resetting problems with MMI in weird alternating shade driving conditions. It also involved updating TPMS software of all things. Since it doesn't sound like a feature improvement, I could see where some cars have it and some don't depending on complaints about these areas. Your car's electronic file in the Audi database should show this by the way, or if you have had the car since new with your service dealer paperwork. It seems to be called the D3USMMI317 action (as in, D3 US MMI 317). That aside, it talks about checking the coding of the unit (the group 7 display controller that is) and confirming it is coded to 103 [more on that below]. It says to check adaptation channel 12 and be sure that is a 4 [see below again], and to check adaptation channel 111 and CHANGE the value from 0 to 1.

Okay, now it gets a bit more interesting. It says when you do that change to channel 111 the unit will do a reset of some sort and now the value should be 1. Hmmmm, wonder what that means to you as far as saying it will do a reset? It also says check the value of adaptation channel 1 and be sure it was the same as when you started (of course to do this, you need to know the value from before you did the update...)

B. If all else fails and you don't know your coding from before the problem, maybe considering entering known good codes from the adaptation fields the update instructions posted above talk about. VAG COM and Bentley make clear in lots of ways that if the adaptation or coding are seriously off in various modules, things may not work. By working through the coding and adaptation channels I'm thinking maybe you can unscramble it if it isn't just in a more general flash program but in a very specific configuration type thing (coding or adaptation) that has gotten corrupted. Since the new instructions specifically said to recheck the adaptation values, to me that is a real flag to look at them hard.

First write down what you have now (even if messed up) so you can backtrack. Then try to find codes from a car as close to yours as possible, since presumably the equipment drives the codes from other adaptation experience. Suggestion too while you are down: BEG PEOPLE ON THE BOARDS TO WRITE THESE DOWN AND POST THEM AS THEY SUCCEED wITH ANY UPDATE FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS, with their car specs, to try to build up a set of known good profiles. By the way, are you checking the C6 A6 and Q7 boards too for signs of the same problems cropping up? I've seen the update discussion on the C6 board some, but I don't look at the Q7 board hardly ever.

For what it's worth, posted below are mine. Mine is a 2006 Audi A8L, W12 motor, with XM (though it came with Sirius and it was a dealer owned car when they changed it), no dealer installed phone as far as I know, has blue tooth by 2006 of course, now has AMI (I don't have the pre AMI codes but I installed it and I didn't change any, but did update that it had a second media unit now in the second bay), uses the v. 8 Nav disk; had v. 5 until I replaced it myself and it ran some update after I installed the disk. I think the W12 does not matter; the A8 vs. S8 does a little bit (which I think is in the basic coding and probably drives which splash screen you get).

My hardware coding is 0000003 (which disagrees with the above TSB saying it would end in 103). VAG COM gives you more guidance about this when you look at this field in terms of what it should be). When in doubt, carefully try each one sequentially.

Channel 1 7519

Channel 2 35 (instructions mentioned to expect to find 35 for this, which I think is what brings back the battery meter, suggesting it is probably 3 if the battery meter doesn't show; a different TSB covers that fix of adding 32 here that I have seen)

Channel 3 100

Channel 4 15

Channel 11 36

Channel 12 2 (again, disagrees with the above; may be a later rev. than 2005 like 3360 changed it)

Channel 16 0

I put the VAG COM on mine and casually noticed probably 30 or 40 channels (which are discontinuous in sequence, some over 100) have adaptation values. Obviously I would focus on the ones the newest instructions talk about, trying to find a known good car of your vintage and equipment.

That's probably as much as I can offer you to check from what I found. Obviously having a crippled MMI must be no fun.