Thanks and 3 more questions

[DenverA4]

Thanks for all the help provided so far in my post below "Thinking of Joining your Club." Between looking at an online 2021 owner's manual, window stickers and a 2022 Order Guide, I think I have the options mostly figured out. I have these additional questions - for now. To the extent it matters, these questions relate to a 2021-22 A5 Prestige convertible.

1. How "codeable" are these cars? For example, can auto start/stop be coded to be off unless I turn it on, or do I always have to turn it off every time I start the car?

2. I’m really confused about the suspension after reading the things listed above. Does it have active dampers or just standard struts/shocks?

3. I’m a fan of using native navigation systems. How is it updated to current maps on 2021+ cars? OTA download directly to car? Online download to thumb drive? Cost or free? Dealer only or third-party sources?

Thanks.

[Smac770]

1. The best way to deal with stop/start on the B9 is to get that dongle ($50?) that just sets the button on startup to whichever value you had it at shutdown. The coding hack, and it is a hack not a direct disable, pretty much just hard offs it, no options.

2. The only correct way to know what suspension the factory put on the vehicle is to look at your vehicle identification sticker and see which suspension PR code you have. B9.5 A5 are only going to be 1BA standard or 1BE sport. Neither of those are adaptive. Audi makes such options; AoA just won't allow them here.

3. I don't know jack about updating MIB3 nav data. There's the five or six free updates thing, but I think those might be "within a specific time window". This might have useful info: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...09266-0001.pdf

[JohnEnglish]

MIB2 had 5 free updates, the rest need to be purchased from Audi or a 3rd party. MIB3 has lifetime OTA updates.

[DenverA4]

Is there a rough or exact date or model year after which cars were MIB3? I know I can look in the car itself, but at the moment it is 1,600 miles away and the person I have dealt with so far is about as useful as a legless cat. I did a google search, and the answers conflict. Some say 2020 A5s had it, and other sources say not until 2022 models. I'm looking at a 2021.

[JohnEnglish]

2020 and later models have MIB3. It was part of the facelift/refresh. If it has a touchscreen, it's MIB3. If it has the rotary click wheel in the center console in front of the shifter, it's MIB2.

[Smac770]

As John put it, MY20+ (aka B9.5 aka B9 facelift) for A4/A5. It's MY21+ for Q5, as Q5 didn't facelift until MY21. Besides the model year ranges and the human interface difference, you can also look in the glove box. MIB2 has the optical disc and SD card slots. Audi eliminated all external media options except the USB port with MIB3; all you see in the glove box is a blank wall.

[ZeeksterATX]

1. The best way to deal with stop/start on the B9 is to get that dongle ($50?) that just sets the button on startup to whichever value you had it at shutdown. The coding hack, and it is a hack not a direct disable, pretty much just hard offs it, no options.[/url]

Anyone know if this would impact your warranty? I was thinking about getting this but after coming from Dodge where they will void your warranty for anything, I've been hesitant. Basically, if you remove it would the dealership even know? I know some cars will throw hidden codes with anything is messed with or changed. This is what I'm looking to prevent.

[Smac770]

Anyone know if this would impact your warranty? I was thinking about getting this but after coming from Dodge where they will void your warranty for anything, I've been hesitant. Basically, if you remove it would the dealership even know? I know some cars will throw hidden codes with anything is messed with or changed. This is what I'm looking to prevent.

The circuit is nothing but a wire back to the J519 for detection of the button press. The object just emulates pressing the button by connecting the two wires for you. There's nothing fancy, and the thing is not doing anything your own finger isn't doing. Now, if you go breaking stuff trying to install it, .... And there's always the chance the unit might fail and connect the two wires persistently, ie exactly the same result as if you were pressing the button all the time. So there's nothing of warranty concern whatsoever.

[bpd]

This is the dongle I installed for my '23 S5. Works perfectly and it was easy to install. Took less than 10min. Many Youtube vids on how to do it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[new2s5]

I coded out the start/stop function with my Obdeleven on my 2023 S5.

[JohnEnglish]

Doesn’t the “coding out” of the start/stop function work by forcing the A/C compressor to run all the time?

[Smac770]

I think someone tested out that it's about the climate system being on, not specifically about the AC being on. But can't confirm that first hand. It would seem more relevant to the compressor load than the blower motor load, but .... And in either case, it's a hard disable, so you can't turn stop/start back on for when you find yourself in a place where it would be helpful (school pickup, slow drive through, etc).