I have a audi a3 2014 and can not get a gps signal on my phone to use google maps tried multiple phones and no luck but they all work in other cars main dealership have had the car 3 times and could not fined a fault and want me to pay £1600 for a mew mmi unit but think it will not sort the problem as it would not block a signal to my phone but will still have to pay full price even if it doesn't fix the fault has any one else had the same problem as I've hit a brick wall tia
Gps signal blocked for google maps
- Thread starter rice123
- Start date
Google maps was never available for 2014 model.
Is GPS available for "normal" car sat nav? The car does not need to use your phone for GPS, and should pick this up .
Have you tried inserting a Sim card into the cars sim slot (assuming it has one)?
Is GPS available for "normal" car sat nav? The car does not need to use your phone for GPS, and should pick this up .
Have you tried inserting a Sim card into the cars sim slot (assuming it has one)?
It sounds like something in your car is interfering with the GPS receiver in your phone. Typical culprits would be cigarette socket USB power adaptors and power adaptors for dashcams which can generate wideband radio frequency noise. If you sit in the car with everything switched off, is your phone GPS able to locate you? It's also possible that metallic tints on your windows could effectively form a Faraday cage and block the GPS reception, check by winding down all windows.
Google maps on my phone I can not get a gps signal it will fined my location as soon as I pull off it goes off audi have had the car and think it's a mmi fault but when I asked if this would block a signal on my phone they said no so I dont see how that would fix the fault I dont have the sat nav built in activated no sd card
Can get a signal as soon as I pull off I stay in the same position even when I have drove down the road 5 miles got no tints on the car just standard windows I have no dash cam fitted main dealer recins they have never heard of the problem before and just want me to chuck £1600 for a new mmi unit to try if that doesn't work they want me to try getting the built sat nav at another £500 and then a shark fin total price £2500 but they also said that if this doesn't work I still have to pay full price and take the car home with the fault
Sorry, I don't understand why this has anything to do with the MMI or the sharkfin antenna. Am I misunderstanding? It's your *phone* that isn't getting GPS reception when it's inside the car, isn't it? So, the only possible causes are that the GPS signal is being physically blocked by the car bodywork or is being interfered with by something inside the car. I don't understand why anyone is pointing the finger of blame at MMI!
You definitely don't have a phone charger plugged into one of your 12V power sockets?
You definitely don't have a phone charger plugged into one of your 12V power sockets?
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I dont quite understand this aswel they just want me to keep chucking money at the car when I know it will not fix the problem nothing is plugged in and yes your correct carnt get a gps signal on my phone or on any external sat nav tom Tom ect the car has been checked for a black box and tracker by main dealer aswel
You haven't said if you're using an Android or an iPhone. If it's an Android, this app might be of use - it allows you to see the strength of the GPS satellite signals. Might be of use in helping work out what's going on. https://mashtips.com/test-android-gps/
Thank you for the info as you can imagine it's like hitting a brick wall trying to fined the fault and paying £300 ago at main dealership to be told were not sure what the problem is
It does sound as though you have some electronics in there that is either not shielded properly or cheap design - eg a 12v USB adapter or dash cam as mentioned previously. Unlikely it is the MMI but have you tried turning the MMI off to see if that fixes the issue? (Press and hold the volume knob though it doesn’t fully shut down on PFL).
For iPhone you could use the App GPS Diagnostic from PocketGPSworld to check GPS signal strength on your phone inside and outside the car. App hasn’t been updated in a while so unsure if it still available for new users.
This is also a key question:
For iPhone you could use the App GPS Diagnostic from PocketGPSworld to check GPS signal strength on your phone inside and outside the car. App hasn’t been updated in a while so unsure if it still available for new users.
This is also a key question:
See his first post: "tried multiple phones and no luck but they all work in other cars "
There’s a simple enough test to see if it’s mmi related and that’s pull the fuse or pull the unit out the glove box and disconnect and see what happens.
I can’t see what in the car could cause enough electrical interference that could block gps signal and not all the other signals . I’ve had a gps fix in an underground car park before. If something that can caused that level of interference your car key remote won’t work, mobile signal will be zero, in effect will interfere with all kinds of radio signals.
only other thing to check is dodgy light bulbs especially interior ones, like led replacements, and see if any of them is shorted to ground.
Does this only happen when you have the phone connected by cable to the car or does it do this when the phone is disconnected and sitting in your hands?
I can’t see what in the car could cause enough electrical interference that could block gps signal and not all the other signals . I’ve had a gps fix in an underground car park before. If something that can caused that level of interference your car key remote won’t work, mobile signal will be zero, in effect will interfere with all kinds of radio signals.
only other thing to check is dodgy light bulbs especially interior ones, like led replacements, and see if any of them is shorted to ground.
Does this only happen when you have the phone connected by cable to the car or does it do this when the phone is disconnected and sitting in your hands?
I tried to turn it off still no joy I rang main dealer back up and they said when they disconnected the mmi unit it started to work
They said fr or f5 fault on the mmi 8s blocking a signal to my phone and carnt replace that module it has to be a full mmi replacement
F4 or f5 fault in the mmi thats what is blocking a gps signal to my phone they think
Dealers only swap boxes, they don’t repair. The MMI unit is referred to as 5F - could that be the reference they gave?
There are several independent companies that repair your own MMI unit which I suspect would be cheaper than buying a new unit.
There are several independent companies that repair your own MMI unit which I suspect would be cheaper than buying a new unit.
I reckon it’s more than just the MMI unit to cause that level of interference.
@rice123
Does the phone even see 1 satellite in gps?
Does satnav on phone work with the windows/sunroof open?
Do you get a 3G/4g/5G signal when in the car?
It will fined my location when the car is running so you think it's working then you drive and you just stay in the same location even when you have drove 5 miles down the road have put all windows down and it doesn't make a difference turned mmi unit off still no difference
I will look in to it and see if any garage will do this the ones I have asked have said main dealer job they dont want to touch the car as there not sure what the problem is
Main dealer said when the disconnected the mmi unit it worked but they would not show me it working because of lockdown restrictions it will fined the signal at first but when start to drive it just stays in the same location I have tried it when plugged in and when the phone is in my hand when I asked main dealer would a mmi unit block a signal on my phone they said no which is why I was dubious in paying £1600 for mmi unit to be replaced as I would still have to pay in full if it didn't sort the problem out
I wouldn’t replace £1600 box on a hunch from a dealer tech!! that’s like 10% value of the car.
As far as I know whether your MMI has satnav activated or not the hardware is there. If you don’t intend to use it then it might be worth disconnecting the gps aerial from back of unit and see if it’s that. I had a shark fin aerial in an older Audi and the seal leaked water and caused all sorts of problem with the MMI but didn’t cause issues with my phone though. Sounds most likely an electrical interference as mentioned before but what’s causing it to be specific to gps signals only it’s what’s strange about it. Electrical interference generally interferes with everything electronic.
another thought is start pulling the fuses one at a time to accessories like MMI, heated seats, interiors lights etc and see if any of them makes a difference. Will start with the roof lights and map lights and also see if any of them have a dodgy bulb as well.
DJAlix
VAG CAR CODING
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Is the car in question in the UK? If so then the previous owner might have had an insurance black box, and in a bid for “freedom” might have installed a GPS jammer. Seen a number of cars like this recently and all gps related signals are blocked as a result. Just a thought.
Yes in the uk and main dealer said this and the first time we had the car booked in they looked for tracker black box and a jammer had all the dash took out but nothing I assume if there was one in the car it woudnt fined a signal at all for a sat nav as at the moment it will fined your location but then nothing happens after
I will have a look if a dodgy bulb think there is a few that havnt been changed before
DJAlix
VAG CAR CODING
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VCDS Map User
VAG Can Professional
ODIS (Offboard Diagnostic System)
Hi! My partner has the same car and is currently having the same issue. I am just curious, did you find a solution to this issue please?
GPS jammer was the first thing I thought of with I read this post too. A friend at work had one in his works van so as to use it outside of work hours and fool the tracker.
