Audi Connect and Apple Car Play retrofit

[stevo55]

I know this subject has been discussed before in the past but here it is again:
I’m due to get Connect sorted at Audi next week for the C7, main reason was to get Google Maps up. Read somewhere that Google stopped their contract with Audi and hence no longer available? If true then is there any point and what else would I get from Connect that would be worth it?
Apple Car Play is available as a retrofit from Hazzydayz and they did some good work on my old C6. Seems to be around £500 incl VAT and having had that on my M3 and RS5 it makes a real difference.
With mine being a Nov 2015 build would there be any issues do you think? Read about the ‘Chinese Fix’ although I’m not sure if that’s still around (would be cheaper for sure).


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[JoolsBerko]

Hi - I asked the same question (though re: Android Auto) - and got some very useful responses here: https://forum.rs246.com/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=141348&p=956417#p956417

Forget Audi Connect - nothing on there worth paying a penny for (that was the advice offered to me as you'll see on the above link - and very good advice it was) as the Google / Audi contract is no more - therefore no Google Maps (I wasted £45.00 on a 2 year 20 GB Data Sim for this purely for the Google Maps overlay!)

I'm looking at getting Android Auto retro fitted to my 2014 C7 RS6 - and found this company who offer it (incl. Apple Car Play): https://bavarian-automotive.co.uk/collections/all, as I don't want to risk getting something that won't complement the MMI, or something that may bugger up the MMI.

At the moment though I've just fitted a mobile phone cradle onto the dash to use Google Maps through that and the Google Maps voice over the car bluetooth when it wants to yell directions at me. But will at some point invest on the retro Android Auto so I can use Google Maps and the relevant phone apps via touchscreen MMi - which is I guess your intention too.

Hope this helps.

[frankandreas3]

There is a chap called Simon Leigh who is on the Facebook RS6 groups. He has done loads of them and will be doing mine. I think his website is - https://vagcodingleicester.co.uk/

I bought my RS6 and it did have Apple play on it and the Google maps worked fine. It seems to have disappeared though and Im not sure who installed it so Im going to speak to Simon to get it all sorted. He can also code in a load of other things so worth talking to

If you are on Facebook, look out for Audi RS6 C7 Owners group to

[wildbore]

All of this stuff interests me but I am not clear on what is being discussed here. As far as I am aware, Audi Connect mainly gives you access to online traffic data and online Google POI searches. I would like the traffic data feed in Audi Connect (Nav is close to useless without it - TMC Pro sucks) but I can't swallow £11.50 per month for it as I now drive so little.

@Stevo55: What do you mean when you talk about Google Maps with regard to Audi Connect? I think the contract between Google and Audi that came to a close removed satellite imagery overlay capability from the in-car nav maps and also the Google StreetView function (useless, anyway! Who thought that would be useful in a car?). I think online POI searches still work if you have Connect? I only used that a handful of times in the 5 years or so I had that function.

@JoolsBerko: I was under the impression that Google Maps running on a phone can no longer broadcast nav instructions to the car's speakers via Bluetooth as that function was removed by Google a while back (perhaps to drive uptake of Android Auto?). If you can do this, I would dearly love to know; I have Googled it extensively and most posts say it can't be done (or they are out-of-date posts referring to previous versions of Google Maps and Android OS).

I am looking for Android Auto so thanks to the posters who pointed me to potential suppliers.

[frankandreas3]

There is a way to connect Google Maps to the screen via Apple Car play. That way you can use Google maps and I believe it can do the sat nav instructions as well. The apple Car play basically can have some Apps similar to the Phone.

Speak to the guys at my link above, they will know about the android as well and how it can be connected. Ive just ordered last night my updates for my Apple Car Play and so Simon is sending me the SD cards to update the car

Thanks

Frank

[stevo55]

Thanks for all the info so far guys, just to clarify the main reason I’m after reinstalling connect was to get satellite photos on Google Maps on the main screen. I had that in my old B9 RS5 and loved it-having said that the vast majority of the time it was on Apple Car Play and Waze which is far superior to most of the other apps.
So if you can’t get those satellite maps anymore then I probably won’t bother and spend the money on getting a smartphone interface/Apple CarPlay retrofitted to my C7.5. I realise you can go down a coding/Chinese route but on reflection I’m trying to keep the car as OEM as possible. It’s still under warranty (when Audi released it last year they gave it a two year warranty) so don’t want to mess about with fault codes etc.


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[JoolsBerko]

@JoolsBerko: I was under the impression that Google Maps running on a phone can no longer broadcast nav instructions to the car's speakers via Bluetooth as that function was removed by Google a while back (perhaps to drive uptake of Android Auto?). If you can do this, I would dearly love to know; I have Googled it extensively and most posts say it can't be done (or they are out-of-date posts referring to previous versions of Google Maps and Android OS).

Works the same as on our A1 - connect the phone via the cars bluetooth, play your music from your phone via bluetooth whilst you have Google Maps acting as your Sat Nav on the phone - and hey presto the Google Maps lady will talking over your music. So as long as on the MMI you set the "Source" to being the bluetooth device - will work fine. What it won't do is for example interupt what media you're playing on another "Source (i.e. SD Card, Radio) - hence why my "tunes" I keep on the SD Cards, Jukebox, and Phone - so I've got the "tunes" "Source" option available when driving, on all devices, and on my phone when we visit her family and I need to distract myself from the tedium!

Have to say though I'm really surprised that when Audi launched the C7 they didn't create the MMI immediately with Apple Car Play / Android Auto connectivity.

[Veedub]

New poster, long time lurker (recent buyer of a MY17 Performance model).

I paid Audi for the Smart Phone Interface upgrade...it took an hour and cost £377 (I'm told that this is a standard price and not an RS6 'tax!). Yes I could have got it done cheaper elsewhere but, to me, I wasn't bothered (having the Audi receipt may also be helpful one day).

Anyway, it works relatively well and is certainly a huge improvement over the standard maps application.

[wildbore]

@Veedub: Sadly the official Audi upgrade isn't available on early facelift cars (2015/6 registered), otherwise that would be the way to go to avoid warranty hassles and possible loss of functionality during future MMI firmware upgrades.

@JoolsBerko: That makes sense that you are using your phone as the music source and then Google Maps satnav directions are audible over the top of the music stream, but there isn't (as far as I am aware) a way to interrupt the music stream if it is being played from an MMI internal source (radio, SD card, HDD, USB).

@Stevo55: The satellite imagery has definitely gone (along with a broad range of Connect services that were up and running when we bought our cars, although most of them were of marginal use or were completely pointless). This is my first experience of having a vehicle's functionality taken from me without any sense of apology or guilt by a manufacturer. It's the wonderful new world of subscription motoring, in-built obsolescence, and computer-style functionality decay.

[stevo55]

Thanks Wildbore, all seems to me that getting a retrofit by a firm such as Hazzydayz to get Apple Car Play on the car would be the way ahead. I had connect plus Car Play on my RS5 which was great but the C7 is old tech now.


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[Veedub]

@Veedub: Sadly the official Audi upgrade isn't available on early facelift cars (2015/6 registered), otherwise that would be the way to go to avoid warranty hassles and possible loss of functionality during future MMI firmware upgrades.

Oh shoot, you're right. Reading comprehension fail!

Hope it gets sorted.

[Urbanpixels]

Simon Leigh can do any facelift carplay activation i believe he doesn't charge much for it either.

I enquired but as mine is 2014 i had no other option than to install the aftermarket one. I used the bavarian automotive one from ebay linked above.

It has its quirks, but it works as it should and gives me the carplay interface i've got used too.

[stevo55]

Just to update I went to Hazzydayz in the end as they did some great work on my old C6. Came to me for a £30 surcharge which is very reasonable and I know have full smartphone interface for Apple and Android.
Works great and job done!
Thanks for all the suggestions on here guys.


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[stevo55]

Car went in for an oil service and inspection yesterday and a nice bonus was that the dealership fitted a Dataplug to the car for free so I get some connectivity without worrying about using the Audi Connect subscription. Runs off a separate App (Connect Plug and Play) but has a few useful features such as fuel levels and where you parked it etc. Plus free is always nice!