DTHREE

Hey There - I think the starter/fingerprint button is ill-conceived and ergonomically awful to use. Just wondering if I could put this in from I think an S8, and lose the whole fingerprint thing altogther? Problems possibly with VAGCOM?
Anyone done anything similar? 04 D3 V8 btw. Thank you.

jakematic

If the start button physically fits the opening and has the same connections I don't see why not.

You can code the fingerprint reader out with VCDS (VAG-COM)
Steering wheel electronics and parking aid both reference it.
Not sure how/if it ties into the IMMO though, or if there would be a problem since it no longer has two factor authorization.

Used to think the round button was silly until driving our C6 A6, and the D4.
On the D3 I had to hold the start button and on the newer models you just tap it once - not sure if my D3 was old and sticky or if there is different electronics.

K9COP

What fingerprint button? My starter button is just tap and go BTW....

K9

ezveedub

ROW D3 A8s had fingerprint reader start buttons. North America didn't get them. I haven't used it enough to know its quirks in the past, but a lot of people complained about the reader/start button function and Audi stop using them AFAIK.

jakematic

It was an option on certain years, standard on some W12 I think.
There is an aperture on the start button that reads your print.
So... apparently my button was pretty heavily worn since it required quite a bit of pressure and had to be held down.

Overview of the technology here.

You can get a brief view of it here:

snapdragon

It's easy enough to swap out.
One screw under ashtray insert holds in ash tray assembly.
Two screws under ashtray assembly hold down console wood insert and MMI buttons.
Pull wood up via lower edge of ash tray aperture to pull it up over climate control unit (CC remains in situ)
Lift MMI and wood out of console and tilt and one screw and a brass sliding pin holds in the START/STOP buttons (which are mounted in a separate box to the other MMI buttons).

Withdraw box, unplug and hopefully new one is plug and play.

AFAIK, the fingerprint only stores a profile of user preferences such as radio channel and seat position and is not used for engine start authorisation, but I may be wrong.

DTHREE

You're right: The fingerprint reader is not assocaited with security - only preferences. Is the button in my pic the same as most North American cars or is that an S8? (Trying to figure out a part #)

bmwm750

If I wasn't the only one to drive my car, I'd be REAL interested in this.

MP4.2+6.0

Used in other countries (if so equipped), but not here. Presumably can be swapped out and recoded.

Brozee

Needs to be coded as well as additional wiring is also required. More of a hassle of getting it working than its worth IMO. I like the look of the new pushbutton over the old ones though. But yes someone else here on the forums replaced the older black flush button with a new silver circle one and it worked just the same, no recoding needed.