Silly question regards the SD sat nav

Pickle1970

Pickle1970

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Having never really used any sat nav systems it wasn't something that really bothered me when ordering our A3 so i didn't go for it.

As it uses an SD card can you just load a package yourself using an SD card or does it need factory software for it to work?

Apologies for the stupid question but i'm not really a Sat Nav guru and SD card Sat nav just goes well over my head :)
 
I think theoretically you could get the actual SD card yourself.

But Audi need to "activate" the sat nav, I think, for it to work. And they charge a significant fee
 
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Stevo985 said:
I think theoretically you could get the actual SD card yourself.

But Audi need to "activate" the sat nav, I think, for it to work. And they charge a significant fee
Click to expand...

I think you can negotiate a cost on a par with the option price. It certainly isn't a huge amount and avoids the wiring/charging/rubber stickers faff with Garmins and Tom Toms. SD is actually quite a good system in my experience. Chose Tech Pack for DVD play, bigger screen and I thought Wi-Fi hot spot,
 
It's about 500 quid though isn't it?

Which is a hell of a lot for a sat nav.

It's why I didn't go for it. As convenient and clean as it would be, when pretty much every decent phone comes with sat nav these days it's hard to justify paying that much for a sat nav when you can buy a very nice phone holder for 50 quid.
 
Stevo985 said:
It's about 500 quid though isn't it?

Which is a hell of a lot for a sat nav.

It's why I didn't go for it. As convenient and clean as it would be, when pretty much every decent phone comes with sat nav these days it's hard to justify paying that much for a sat nav when you can buy a very nice phone holder for 50 quid.
Click to expand...

True, but you can retrofit for much less- I got an official Audi maps SD card on ebay for £45, and activation is £168, so £212 isn't bad for full integration - admittedly you don't get the speed cameras but you do get Traffic updates etc
 
audi upgrades
surely if the car come with sat nag the card should be included and activated.
 
I'm now confused, does the s3 not come with SD sat nav as standard ???
 
no, it can now be retro fitted as all you would need to purchase is the SD card and then have the system activated :)

The SD Nav is now much better than the old VAG system as it now takes full postcodes
 
seniorjj said:
True, but you can retrofit for much less- I got an official Audi maps SD card on ebay for £45, and activation is £168, so £212 isn't bad for full integration - admittedly you don't get the speed cameras but you do get Traffic updates etc
Click to expand...

Ah ok. I thought the activation was basically the amount it costs as an option, so c£500.

£168 is still a lot, imo, but obviously not nearly as bad. Puts it "under consideration" for me
 
richarl said:
no, it can now be retro fitted as all you would need to purchase is the SD card and then have the system activated :)

The SD Nav is now much better than the old VAG system as it now takes full postcodes
Click to expand...
but what about the unit itself surely its £500 which includes the unit itself as well as the SD card
 
It's a bit confusing.

I think there's 3 stages basically. Your car can either have nothing, in which case you'd need the unit fitted AND the sat nav activated.
Your car can be sat nav "ready", but not activated. In which case you have to have it activated.
Or your car can have it all fitted and activated, in which case you obviously don't have to do anything.

Mine is the middle. It's Sat Nav "ready", but I don't have it activated.


For people in the know, would audi activate it but not supply the SD card? Basically what I'm saying is will they be ok with the fact that you'd obviously be planning to buy the SD card from ebay, for example, and not from them.
 
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It says on my order form "sat nav preparation"

So will this have it or not ?
 
sorry i should've said, i've ordered an S-Line sportback but didn't go for the sat nav as my wife has a tomtom (which i have used once in 3 years) i just thought it might just be a case of buying the maps on an SD card and bobs your uncle kind of thing
 
Pickle1970 said:
sorry i should've said, i've ordered an S-Line sportback but didn't go for the sat nav as my wife has a tomtom (which i have used once in 3 years) i just thought it might just be a case of buying the maps on an SD card and bobs your uncle kind of thing
Click to expand...

SD Card has to be activated by Audi, unless you know a person who knows a person who can do the activation for you on the 'dodge'.
 
No i'm not that bothered by it to be honest, i'd hate to do any kind of dodgy thing that might otherwise void any warranty?

you never know do you?

i'll still to the googlemaps on my phone for now if need be :)
 
RYuill said:
It says on my order form "sat nav preparation"
So will this have it or not ?
Click to expand...
Don't quote me on this, but I think that means it has it fitted, but NOT activated.
 
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Just phoned Audi and he said all new a3/s3 come prepared for it. But if you want it you need to pay for the software and the license. £495
 
RYuill said:
Just phoned Audi and he said all new a3/s3 come prepared for it. But if you want it you need to pay for the software and the license. £495
Click to expand...

Software = SD Card
license = con
 
Whatever way you look at it it's a hell of a lot for sat nav.

When you consider you can get a ****** good Tom Tom for under 100 quid!

I think I'll stick to the free sat nav on my phone
 
So if you don't have it activated, what does the NAV buttons do ???
 
Ok my interest re. acquiring Audi maps off eBay is pricked. I couldn't justify C £500 but I'd pay £168... Can anyone point me in the right direction please?...
 
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Stevo985 said:
It's a bit confusing.

I think there's 3 stages basically. Your car can either have nothing, in which case you'd need the unit fitted AND the sat nav activated.
Your car can be sat nav "ready", but not activated. In which case you have to have it activated.
Or your car can have it all fitted and activated, in which case you obviously don't have to do anything.

Mine is the middle. It's Sat Nav "ready", but I don't have it activated.


For people in the know, would audi activate it but not supply the SD card? Basically what I'm saying is will they be ok with the fact that you'd obviously be planning to buy the SD card from ebay, for example, and not from them.
Click to expand...


Yes, confirmed this with them- as long as it is an official Audi one (not a copy), wherever it is from, they will activate it for you.

I think that £212 isn't bad comparing to £1495 for the tech pack! And considering your average Sat Nav (with traffic included) is probably about £120-£150 and requires yearly cost/contribution
 
Micromecca said:
The screen reports 'not activated' or something along those lines
Click to expand...

Yep, exactly that.

I got excited when I saw the option on my screen because I thought maybe they'd accidentally included it (I work for a car manufacturer, believe me, that can happen!).
But no, if you try and select it you just get a message that says "Navigation not Activated". Something like that anyway.
 
PembsA3 said:
Ok my interest re. acquiring Audi maps off eBay is pricked. I couldn't justify C £500 but I'd pay £168... Can anyone point me in the right direction please?...
Click to expand...

If you are happy with a 2013 map version, £45

GENUINE AUDI SAT NAV SD CARD VERSION 2013 (MIB-S) EUROPE 8V0 919 866 A | eBay

Otherwise £120ish for 2014 maps (I went for 2013, as you can update them for £30ish if you find the maps are dated!):

GENUINE AUDI SAT NAV NAVIGATION MIB-S SD CARD 2014 EUROPE INCL UK A1 A3 Q3 Q5 Q7 | eBay


And to activate, you just talk to a dealer, which costs £168 (at Watford Audi at least)
 
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seniorjj said:
If you are happy with a 2013 map version, £45

GENUINE AUDI SAT NAV SD CARD VERSION 2013 (MIB-S) EUROPE 8V0 919 866 A | eBay

Otherwise £120ish for 2014 maps (I went for 2013, as you can update them for £30ish if you find the maps are dated!):

GENUINE AUDI SAT NAV NAVIGATION MIB-S SD CARD 2014 EUROPE INCL UK A1 A3 Q3 Q5 Q7 | eBay


And to activate, you just talk to a dealer, which costs £168 (at Watford Audi at least)
Click to expand...

Where can you get the update done from 2013 please
 
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That looks like a better idea. I take it a card can be used in more than one system?
 
Old thread revival alert... Anyway I have a 2013 map sd card in my a3... Obviously it's activated etc.however I'd like to update it...I can get a current mib-s card ...but will it be automatically activated? Is it the vehicle that gets done or is it the software thats activated? Thanks
 
I think you have to get the dealer to link the SD Card to the car. Hence why you can't just buy an SD Card off Ebay and stick it in. whats an "mib-s card"?!

Recently i went thought the motions & fact finding of buying and setting up Sat Nav in my car. I was told i needed to activate Nav in my car AND buy an SD Card then link the 2 together. Also told NO Updates included! When update needed you buy a new SD Card.
 
nolovelost said:
Old thread revival alert... Anyway I have a 2013 map sd card in my a3... Obviously it's activated etc.however I'd like to update it...I can get a current mib-s card ...but will it be automatically activated? Is it the vehicle that gets done or is it the software thats activated? Thanks
Click to expand...

Ormesome said:
I think you have to get the dealer to link the SD Card to the car. Hence why you can't just buy an SD Card off Ebay and stick it in. whats an "mib-s card"?!

Recently i went thought the motions & fact finding of buying and setting up Sat Nav in my car. I was told i needed to activate Nav in my car AND buy an SD Card then link the 2 together. Also told NO Updates included! When update needed you buy a new SD Card.
Click to expand...
I'm in the same boat as @nolovelost, in that I'm considering updating my 2014 SD maps before I go on my European jaunt next year.

Appreciated the process you've gone through @Ormesome, I had to do the same thing myself to add nav to my car as I took on a ready-built vehicle that was sat at Emden when I ordered, but it doesn't answer the question @nolovelost posed, specifically whether once a car has had an SD card installed by Audi, do subsequent cards (genuine Audi, naturally) all then require unlocking at Audi's exorbitant 'labour' rate for typing a product key into a computer, or is it the car itself which is unlocked and therefore receptive to read any genuine Audi SD card that is inserted?
 
Relliott6879 said:
I'm in the same boat as @nolovelost, in that I'm considering updating my 2014 SD maps before I go on my European jaunt next year.

Appreciated the process you've gone through @Ormesome, I had to do the same thing myself to add nav to my car as I took on a ready-built vehicle that was sat at Emden when I ordered, but it doesn't answer the question @nolovelost posed, specifically whether once a car has had an SD card installed by Audi, do subsequent cards (genuine Audi, naturally) all then require unlocking at Audi's exorbitant 'labour' rate for typing a product key into a computer, or is it the car itself which is unlocked and therefore receptive to read any genuine Audi SD card that is inserted?
Click to expand...

I feel my reply answers the question adequately but thank you for your "comment". As stated in my reply, ALL A3's come with Sat Nav, whether you ticked the option when you bought it is down to you and price you paid. If you didn't tick it, like me, then you need it "Enabled" by Audi. After its enabled then you need to buy and SD Card from Audi containing Maps. After this the SD Card is then paired to your car and your car alone. If you want updated maps, and for example like in the case of "nolovelost", have 2013 maps then based on what the Audi dealer told me and various info from this site using the simple "search function" you can only buy a new SD Card at a round £200ish pounds from Audi. This will then be paired to your car and your car alone..... and so on! SD Cards are non-trasnferable from car to car.

I have read that a few people got a few updates with their car when buying new. When i went in to Audi a few months ago asking for 2016 maps on an SD Card,they stated NO Updates at all.

Some other systems may apply but I'm talking about SD Card based Sat Nav only.
 
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