Technical Service Bulletin
96 Audi connect Gen1 and Gen2 systems: Differences and troubleshooting
96 16 04 2042811/1 February 3, 2016.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

All

2013 - 2018

All

Audi connect

Condition
The customer has a general concern related to Audi connect.

Technical Background
Identify the Audi connect generation and identify the specific customer complaint
Different features are included with different generations of the Audi connect system (see the attached document
“Audi connect features by generation”). When diagnosing an Audi connect system complaint, it is important to
determine which features or functions of the system are working and which are not working. This information is
key for determining a potential root cause.
The Audi connect Gen1 system includes all vehicles that utilize a removable plastic SIM card (MMI3G+, MIB, and
MIB2). The Audi connect Gen2 system includes all vehicles that utilize an embedded SIM card (MIB2). Note that
the MIB2 system has been implemented in vehicles using both Audi connect Gen1 and Audi connect Gen2,
depending on model year (model year 2016 A6, A7, and TT have MIB2 with Audi connect Gen1, and model year
2017 Q7 and B9 have MIB2 with Audi connect Gen2).
Vehicle to service provider data flow for Audi connect Gen1 and Gen2
Depending on which Audi connect service (weather, traffic, etc.) is being used, the data can either come directly
from the AUDI AG backend server (called “MBB”) or directly from the service provider after the communication
has been allowed by MBB. The general communication flow of Audi connect is illustrated below (Figure 1).
Understanding this communication flow is important for troubleshooting connectivity concerns in the vehicle.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin

Figure 1. General communication flow of Audi connect.
The root cause of all complaints cannot be attributed to the vehicle hardware because of the backend server
configurations that need to be correct in order for Audi connect to work:
• For most sporadic complaints, the issue typically resides with the MBB backend server or with the source data
provider (Google, INRIX, etc.), and not with the vehicle. In rare cases, the mobile network operator (AT&T, TMobile) can be the cause of the complaint.
• For most static complaints, the issue can be attributed to the user account subscription or possibly the vehicle
hardware.
The features and functions of Audi connect rely on a stable internet data connection in the MMI (and also in the
gateway for Gen2). Any disruptions or service outage due to outside RF interference (such as from construction
zones, military installations, etc.), an issue by the service provider (Google, INRIX, etc.), an issue by the MBB
backend server, or an issue by the mobile network operator is not a fault of the vehicle. Such issues are almost
impossible to diagnose at the dealership. The only way to diagnose such issues at the dealership is to compare
the same service in a similar vehicle with the same generation of Audi connect to see if it has the same issue.
Mobile network operators
• AT&T: All vehicles with MIB systems use AT&T as the data service provider. Additionally, all model year 2016
and newer vehicles with MMI3G+ use AT&T.
• T-Mobile: All other vehicles with MMI3G+ (model year 2015 and older) use T-Mobile as the data service
provider.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Production Solution
Not applicable.

Service
Understanding the customer’s complaint
Before moving forward with any diagnosis, review the following questions with the customer. The details of the
root cause may be revealed through the customer’s answers.
1. Which Audi connect features are working and which features are not working?
If some features are working and others are not, the issue is most likely a temporary outage. Compare the
vehicle to another vehicle. Contact the Audi connect dealer support center (1-888-545-9434) if a widespread
outage is suspected but has not been communicated to dealers.
2. Can the customer confirm that the services ever worked correctly?
If the services have never worked, and the condition is static, verify that the customer has a valid subscription
through the myaudiconnect.com registration portal.
3. Is Google Earth view working?
The MMI navigation may show a clear image of Google Earth view, but this does not necessarily mean that
the vehicle is receiving data. The Google Earth view caches the data offline onto the hard drive in order to
make the data available when the MMI is not connected to the internet.
An easy way to verify that Google Earth view is working is to zoom out to the state level and move the cursor
to a different state, then zoom in to the lowest level. If the image remains blurry, then Google Earth view is not
receiving any data and the current view is from cached data only.
4. Did the customer ever exchange SIM cards?
Verify that the SIM card matches the SIM card listed in their account on myaudiconnect.com.
5. Is the customer accidentally using a dealer demo SIM card?
Verify that the SIM card matches the SIM card listed in their account on myaudiconnect.com.
Dealer demo SIM cards are limited to 300MB/month and can easily reach this data limit when used in a car
with LTE data service.
6. Is the customer’s Audi connect service a trial or a paid subscription?
Verify the customer’s account on myaudiconnect.com and confirm that there is an active subscription or trial
and that the customer has not exceeded the data limit.
7. Did the customer recently switch subscriptions (for example, from month-to-month to yearly or to mobile
share)?
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Verify the customer’s subscription on myaudiconnect.com. Contact the Audi connect dealer support center (1888-545-9434) if an issue with the account is suspected.

Detailed troubleshooting for Audi connect Gen1 system
1. Verify that the currently-installed SIM card is registered and active in the Audi connect registration web portal
at myaudiconnect.com. Note that it is easiest to search the portal by VIN, but the SIM serial number (ICCID)
can also be used for vehicles with the Audi connect Gen1 system.
2. Verify that the customer’s account hasn’t exceeded the maximum data during the current time period (does
not apply to trial subscriptions). Contact the Audi connect dealer support center (1-888-545-9434) if this
information cannot be confirmed through the web portal.
3. Verify that only one ICCID is assigned to the customer account.
It is possible that the customer has received multiple SIM cards for troubleshooting issues in the past. If
multiple ICCIDs are assigned to the account, a service outage may be caused.
4. Verify that the correct ICCID is assigned to the customer account.
If an incorrect ICCID is listed in myaudiconnect.com, a service outage may be caused.
5. Verify that the currently-installed SIM card is compatible and is working.
AT&T SIM cards do not work in model year 2015 or older vehicles that have not had the UMTS telephone
replacement & K0814 MMI update.
Customers attempting to use an AT&T (or other provider) SIM card in a T-Mobile-supported MMI system may
only be able to receive 2G service because the hardware does not support the data technology being used by
T-Mobile.

Detailed troubleshooting for Audi connect Gen2 system
1. Verify that the vehicle is registered and active in the Audi connect registration web portal at
myaudiconnect.com by searching with the VIN.
2. • If the customer’s VIN is registered: Ensure that the customer has accepted the “Terms and Conditions” on
the web site. After the terms and conditions are accepted, the licenses on MBB will be updated. The
vehicle will receive the updated licenses on its next ignition sleep cycle. The customer must also start the
“Audi 6-month trial” if the vehicle is a new retail-sold vehicle.
• If the customer’s VIN is not registered: Ask the customer to register it, accept the terms and conditions, and
start the trial. Note that this is easy to do when connected to the vehicle’s hotspot because the VIN will
automatically populate in the landing page. If the VIN cannot be registered, contact the Audi connect dealer
support center (1-888-545-9434).
3. Verify that the service is licensed by temporarily adding the VIN to the dealership’s or technician’s personal
myAudi portal web site account (my.audi.com). Remember to delete it from the account after troubleshooting
is complete.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
In the myAudi portal, view the list of services
that apply to the vehicle (Figure 2). If the
vehicle does not have the affected service, it is
possible that the vehicle is not licensed for the
service or that the vehicle was not built with
the feature.
Check the license status for each service by
clicking on each service icon (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Service list in myAudi portal.

Figure 3. Checking license status in myAudi portal.
Tip: For issues related to remote services requiring a “Key User” for Audi connect Gen2, refer to TSB
2043037.

Warranty
This TSB is informational only and not applicable to any Audi warranty.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2042811) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Feature Name

Audi connect Gen 1 Audi connect Gen 2 System Utilized

Removable plastic SIM

Yes

No

MMI

Embedded non-removable SIM

No

Yes

MMI & Gateway

T-Mobile service provider

only MMI3G+

No

MMI

AT&T service provider

only MIB1/2

Yes

MMI & Gateway

Wi-Fi hotspot 3G-capable

Yes

Yes

MMI

Wi-Fi hotspot 4G LTE only

only MIB1/2

Yes

MMI

myAudi destination retrieval

Yes

Yes

MMI

Google Online Destination/POI search (Google, Inc.)

Yes

Yes

MMI

Google Earth view (Google, Inc.)

Yes

Yes

MMI

Google Street view (Google, Inc.)

Yes

Yes

MMI

Weather (MeteoGroup)

Yes

Yes

MMI

Online traffic (INRIX)

only MIB2

Yes

MMI

Fuel prices (INRIX)

Yes

Yes

MMI

Facebook (discontinued by Facebook)

No

No

MMI

Twitter

Yes

Yes

MMI

Travel & City Events Information

Yes

Yes

MMI

Parking Lot Availability Information

Yes

Yes

MMI

News Information with personalized RSS feeds

Yes

Yes

MMI

Navigation Map database update in MMI (TBD)

only MIB2 (TBD)

TBD

MMI

Navigation Map database update from myAudi

only MIB1/2

Yes

myAudi Portal

Online radio stations (Internet music stream)

Yes

Yes

MMI connect App

Aupeo! or Rhapsody online radio

only MIB2

Yes

MMI connect App

Roadside Assistance call

No

Yes

Gateway

Emergency SOS call

No

Yes

Gateway

Vehicle parking position

No (available only

Yes

using the MMI

Gateway/MMI
connect app

connect App when
connected to vehicle
Wi-Fi hotspot)
Online service reminder

No

Yes

Gateway/myAudi
Portal

Vehicle status report

No

Yes

Gateway/MMI
connect app

Remote lock and unlock

No

Yes

Gateway/MMI
connect app

Geofencing, speed, valet, and curfew alert

No

Yes

Gateway/MMI
connect app

MMI = Multimedia Interface, diagnostic address 5F, Information electronics control module 1 (J794).
Gateway = Diagnostic interface, diagnostic address 19, Data bus on board diagnostic interface (J533).