Tech package+ satnav aerial on 2008 (58) A3 1.8 TFSI

[skells]

Hi all,

I'm going to look at an A3 tomorrow. I've got a couple of questions that the current owner didn't know the answer to...

- it has a 'Technology Package' (if there were variants for this model/yr, like Tech Pack High or Low, then I/he don't know which one of those it is), what would that have consisted of.. along with the satnav?

- as mentioned, it has satnav, factory fitted on new, and so naive/ignorant me was expecting to see a shark fin aerial on the roof, but it doesn't have one, so where is the aerial?

Also, he didn't know if it had bluetooth or not. Does any of the info above suggest that it does (i.e. having Teck Pack) or doesn't (i.e. lack of fin aerial) have bluetooth?

Excuse my ignorance, and thanks in advance.
Cheers.
Steve.

 

[LEE69]

I have the shark fin but no sat nav.
I think the aerial is the heated rear screen element

 

[Lewbo]

If the car has bluetooth or sat nav from factory it will have a shark fin, as the nav uses this for the antenna and phone prep uses it also for an antenna. If it doesn't have one it doesn't have bluetooth and sat nav will be a retro fit.

 

[LEE69]

Thanks, I have bluetooth.

 

[Artimus]

I have factory BT prep with armrest holder, but no Nav, the factory shark fin is a dummy. The aerial is in the back window element, so don't take the lack of one as meaning there's no BT.

The best way to test for BT is to search with your phone when you first turn the ignition on ...it'll show up for a couple of minutes, then switch off if it isn't paired with anything

 

[skells]

If the car has bluetooth or sat nav from factory it will have a shark fin, as the nav uses this for the antenna and phone prep uses it also for an antenna. If it doesn't have one it doesn't have bluetooth and sat nav will be a retro fit.

Thanks.
That's interesting then, as the current owner bought it from his friend. His friend is the only other owner, who bought it from new, and this guy says his mate specifically chose sat nav as an option when he ordered the car.
So he's got his story wrong by the sounds of it.
Will call him in the morning, see what he says about it.
It is an audi sat nav, and it's got FASH, so a retro fit wouldn't be an issue.
But if he's got this wrong (giving him the bene of the doubt, so won't call him a liar!), then who knows what else he's got wrong!

 

[skells]

I have factory BT prep with armrest holder, but no Nav, the factory shark fin is a dummy. The aerial is in the back window element, so don't take the lack of one as meaning there's no BT.

The best way to test for BT is to search with your phone when you first turn the ignition on ...it'll show up for a couple of minutes, then switch off if it isn't paired with anything

Ah that's confusing then, as it contradicts the previous post which says if don't have a fun, then it's not a factory fit (BT or sat nav).

Did you add the fin on afterwards then?
(And if so, may I ask why? Just for show?)

 

[Lewbo]

Shark fin is never fitted from factory as a dummy, your phone prep in armrest is wired back to the fin with fakra connection, if a car has a shark fin it ALWAYS has one or both of the two from factory. If it doesn't have a fin then it's never had it from factory it's as simple as that.

Only reason a shark fin is fitted from new in the factory is for the antenna for the phone prep when your phone is plugged in or for the GPS signal on the sat nav as it's the highest point of the car.

My car has a fin as it has bluetooth from factory, it had phone prep on dash but I took these out and fitted a new dash, the hold had two connections one of which is a fakra connection which is wired back to the shark fin.

the Ariel in the back window is only the Ariel for the radio and that's it, not bluetooth

 

[NHN]

As above, sharkfin is always fitted for a reason from factory & the rns will be retro'd for sure, as the fin is the gps antenna, audi do not fit puck gps antenna's.

 

[skells]

I got the car (yay!), it has no shark fin, and it does have satnav and bluetooth, and both work fine.
the guy said it was factory fitted satnav, but then the guy was pretty clueless about pretty much everything!
hey ho, not bothered if it was a retro fit, cos it's a good job anyway, and seems to work.

Although that said, I think I'm missing something essential on the satnav, like a disc, or a map update, as it doesn't show a lot of roads where you're driving! Edit: found the nav disc in the disc drive...whoops!probably the original, will look and see how I can get the latest one

it knows where I am, it can plans routes, etc, but when looking at the map, without a route started, as I'm driving along, it does appear to know whereabouts I am, but there is a severe lack of detail... and by detail, I mean roads!

Also, when entering postcode, it only takes 4 characters' worth (or 5, including a space), so you have to enter 5 chars of the postcode, then it gives me a list of all the roads in the high level postcode (e.g. 'SS7 3'), which can be dozens, then you have to go through another step of choose the road... which I can't seem to simply scroll down in the right-hand-list, I have to go through the rigmarole of choosing each 'next letter', using the dial, 1 at a time, till I've spelt the whole road name out... is there a setting somewhere to fix this?
I looked in the manual about entering the postcode, it says nothing about a restriction on number of characters.

any info on these 2 things would be gratefully received!
thanks.

 

[Artimus]

Ah that's confusing then, as it contradicts the previous post which says if don't have a fun, then it's not a factory fit (BT or sat nav).

Did you add the fin on afterwards then?
(And if so, may I ask why? Just for show?)

I bought the car second hand from a main dealer and the fin was already there, as was Bluetooth\Phone Prep Low! when I later fitted a third party head unit with a friend's help, I wanted to use the shark fin for the GPS! lowered the head lining & looked, but there's no wiring to it at all ....hence my statement that you don't need the fin for BT.

I was going to buy a GPS antenna from e-bay, but decided to fit the Pioneer antenna that came with the head unit under the dash instead, as it's 3D enabled and I wasn't sure if the Audi one is.

None of this is to say the previous owner didn't fit the fin for looks himself of course, just that my Phone Prep isn't connected to it.

 

[Artimus]

I got the car (yay!), it has no shark fin, and it does have satnav and bluetooth, and both work fine.
the guy said it was factory fitted satnav, but then the guy was pretty clueless about pretty much everything!
hey ho, not bothered if it was a retro fit, cos it's a good job anyway, and seems to work.

Although that said, I think I'm missing something essential on the satnav, like a disc, or a map update, as it doesn't show a lot of roads where you're driving! Edit: found the nav disc in the disc drive...whoops!probably the original, will look and see how I can get the latest one

it knows where I am, it can plans routes, etc, but when looking at the map, without a route started, as I'm driving along, it does appear to know whereabouts I am, but there is a severe lack of detail... and by detail, I mean roads!

Also, when entering postcode, it only takes 4 characters' worth (or 5, including a space), so you have to enter 5 chars of the postcode, then it gives me a list of all the roads in the high level postcode (e.g. 'SS7 3'), which can be dozens, then you have to go through another step of choose the road... which I can't seem to simply scroll down in the right-hand-list, I have to go through the rigmarole of choosing each 'next letter', using the dial, 1 at a time, till I've spelt the whole road name out... is there a setting somewhere to fix this?
I looked in the manual about entering the postcode, it says nothing about a restriction on number of characters.

any info on these 2 things would be gratefully received!
thanks.

Drop the space from the postcode! it shouldn't be needed and your results should display less options... and I don't think I'm the only one that believes Audi Nav\Media for the 8P is next to useless in practice - looks good though.

 

[skells]

Drop the space from the postcode! it shouldn't be needed and your results should display less options... and I don't think I'm the only one that believes Audi Nav\Media for the 8P is next to useless in practice - looks good though.

I'm not adding the space in, the nav does it.
So say I'm trying to enter SS7 5PQ, I use the dial, one character at a time, when I get to the '7', it plonks a space in then gives me the options for the next number, I choose 5, it puts a space in and shows 'SS7 5', and then that's it, end of options to enter more characters! It just gives me all the road names that come under 'SS7 5*', doesn't let me input the last 2 letters.

Anyone here got an 8P /sat nav where it 'does' allow you to enter the full postcode?
If so, I'll hope mine can get fixed. If not I'll give up the ghost!
Cheers

 

[Artimus]

I've just used an Option Decoder to read the factory options for my car and there being no mention of Phone Prep on the list, I can only assume it's been retrofitted, but the install in the armrest looks factory - maybe you worked on my car before I owned it, Nigel???

anywhooo... you can check your factory options by entering the 3 digit codes from the label stuck in the front of your service book >here.

HTH.

 

[LEE69]

Mine isn't listed in the options either but i have the bluetooth and the holder on the dash.

 

[skells]

anywhooo... you can check your factory options by entering the 3 digit codes from the label stuck in the front of your service book >here.

HTH.

Cheers dude, I'll check that out later.

 

[NHN]

I've just used an Option Decoder to read the factory options for my car and there being no mention of Phone Prep on the list, I can only assume it's been retrofitted, but the install in the armrest looks factory - maybe you worked on my car before I owned it, Nigel???

anywhooo... you can check your factory options by entering the 3 digit codes from the label stuck in the front of your service book >here.

HTH.

Maybe the armrest was an after thought & they got it cheaper than the non phone prep version, does the dock work at all, pull out the ashtray from rear of armrest console area, see if wiring is connected or loose.

 

[Artimus]

It works Nigel, I bought an iPhone adaptor and used it.