'21 Tiguan infotainment failed again.

Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
3,447
Location
Easton, PA
It was horrible for the last 6 months and when we had our 2nd oil change done it failed on their scan and was replaced. Now 3 weeks later it's a black screen of death. I opened a case with VWoA being pretty blunt that I will invoke PA Lemon Law if it happens a 3rd.

The first dealer was dismissive about issues but this one seems more open to my complaint. The cruise control also has a 50% operational capacity. It will work for 5 hours straight, then fail & error out for a 30 min trip later.

I love VW's and go figure the new car gives me an issue and not the multiple early 00's I had which were known for questionable electronics.
 
Typical unfortunately

My Ford gives me a black screen sometimes or locks the reversing camera. A reboot always clears it up. K-1/K-0

My wife's Subaru Outback messed up a few times and she couldn't run her HVAC or defroster in the Winter! SAFETY ISSUE!

She is selling the new car and getting one with Knobs for HVAC. Luckily trade value is still high. I hope.

addendum
I told her the knobs likely just rotary encode to the body computer also,but then I get the what the ???
 
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Typical unfortunately

My Ford gives me a black screen sometimes or locks the reversing camera. A reboot always clears it up. K-1/K-0

My wife's Subaru Outback messed up a few times and she couldn't run her HVAC or defroster in the Winter! SAFETY ISSUE!

She is selling the new car and getting one with Knobs for HVAC. Luckily trade value is still high. I hope.

addendum
I told her the knobs likely just rotary encode to the body computer also,but then I get the what the ???
Considering my Chevy has knobs and communicates with the infotainment so you are probably right.
 
Our Passat is the first VW I've bought since buying a 1962 VW Bug as my first car way back in 1969. Our 2016 Passat is very nice, the VR6/DSG combo absolutely wonderful. But I do not trust the electronics in the car. We often get key fob warnings that the key is "defective" or "out of range", although it's right there in my pocket. Replacing batteries doesn't seem to help. Apparently this is a common problem with VW.

Even more aggravating is the memory side mirrors have only a 75% chance of positioning themselves accurately. This is especially maddening because you expect the mirrors to be properly positioned. There have been a few times I've merged onto the freeway only to realize my left hand side mirror is pointed too far downwards. Super annoying and it can make me look like a bad driver. The dealer cannot reproduce and say they've never have heard of this problem.

Just last week I told my wife I might sell the car for this. And I just might...

Scott
 
these unfortunate stories convince me that absolutely bottom-base (in my case a 2013 vw passat s, with its plain 2.5 na engine, plain 6sp at, solid roof, plain am-fm radio & cd player, and virtually no electronic gizmos) is the best choice for german-brand cars.
 
these unfortunate stories convince me that absolutely bottom-base (in my case a 2013 vw passat s, with its plain 2.5 na engine, plain 6sp at, solid roof, plain am-fm radio & cd player, and virtually no electronic gizmos) is the best choice for german-brand cars.
Well it worked on the way to the dealer and they did find a fault with the touch screen and replaced that so here's to hoping!

However even base cars now have it so you aren't getting away from it that easy and VW isn't the only one have issues. Honda/Ford/GM/Subaru...etc. are all having their share of issues.
 
It was horrible for the last 6 months and when we had our 2nd oil change done it failed on their scan and was replaced. Now 3 weeks later it's a black screen of death. I opened a case with VWoA being pretty blunt that I will invoke PA Lemon Law if it happens a 3rd.

The first dealer was dismissive about issues but this one seems more open to my complaint. The cruise control also has a 50% operational capacity. It will work for 5 hours straight, then fail & error out for a 30 min trip later.

I love VW's and go figure the new car gives me an issue and not the multiple early 00's I had which were known for questionable electronics.
What’s the software level of the 5F? It’s a 4 digit number? Loads of issues with the latest infotainment systems and it needs a big (takes all day) update to cure. The Audi TPI’s show this is a world wide issue.
 
Our Passat is the first VW I've bought since buying a 1962 VW Bug as my first car way back in 1969. Our 2016 Passat is very nice, the VR6/DSG combo absolutely wonderful. But I do not trust the electronics in the car. We often get key fob warnings that the key is "defective" or "out of range", although it's right there in my pocket. Replacing batteries doesn't seem to help. Apparently this is a common problem with VW.

Even more aggravating is the memory side mirrors have only a 75% chance of positioning themselves accurately. This is especially maddening because you expect the mirrors to be properly positioned. There have been a few times I've merged onto the freeway only to realize my left hand side mirror is pointed too far downwards. Super annoying and it can make me look like a bad driver. The dealer cannot reproduce and say they've never have heard of this problem.

Just last week I told my wife I might sell the car for this. And I just might...

Scott
Do you use both key fobs or just one? Get it into the dealer with a picture of the warning on the dash and the key fob in the pic to show its in the car. Needs a new fob.

Memory mirror issue I‘ve not had any complaints but if this happens with both mirrors I would ask the customer if the memory seat position works correctly or if this sometimes goes to the wrong place.
 
Do you use both key fobs or just one? Get it into the dealer with a picture of the warning on the dash and the key fob in the pic to show its in the car. Needs a new fob.

Memory mirror issue I‘ve not had any complaints but if this happens with both mirrors I would ask the customer if the memory seat position works correctly or if this sometimes goes to the wrong place.
You seem like you're in the VW/Audi business, I appreciate your reply.

I've yet to figure out the mirrors. One thing most people probably don't know is that the key must be programmed so that it knows who's driving and what memory positions to take. That's easy to miss but I've done that.

The outside mirrors have a tendency lose position and face too far downward. One mirror usually, both mirrors sometimes. It never happens while driving or reversing after driving awhile. It's not like the mirrors are canted visibly, but they're out enough to render them useless. Seat position is always correct.

It seems to happen more after an unlocked cold start from the garage. I've experimented with the outside mirror adjuster by parking it in different positions. Still does it. One mirror, or both, will point too far downward. I've reprogramed the seat and key multiple times. Locking and unlocking the car with my programmed key before getting in ands driving...no help. Mirrors might be fine. Or not. It's probably a 60% failure rate when overnight cold and backed out of garage.

This is especially weird - but hitting the memory recall on the seat when I notice bad mirrors after heading out, sometimes the mirrors will take their proper position - other times they won't! Only way to fix is with mirror adjuster knob. That's really flakey IMO.

I've talked with the VW dealer they say they've never heard of such an issue. Car is out of warranty and I'm certain it would cost me thousands to have it fixed. That, I don't want the electrics dug into and molested. I'll find a way to live with it. It's a nice car and is worth the quirk.

Although we're still talking about VW electrics, my apologies if I am highjacking the thread.

Scott
 
Considering my Chevy has knobs and communicates with the infotainment so you are probably right.
There’s a LAN that connects the HVAC HMI to the rest of the car’s control modules(BCM, PCM, body gateway if CAN needs to be translated to a different bus). GM has their own Class 2 bus and GM-LAN.

There’s two Toyotas I work on - both with systems engineered in the 1990s that use the navigation touch screen as the human interface with a GUI. Those controls send messages over proprietary Toyota data bus(AVC-LAN, which is an implementation of IEBus from NEC - also used by Honda and Pioneer and BEAN, a Toyota-only serial bus) to a gateway ECU that sends a CAN messages to their target.

Nowadays thanks to CARB and the EPA, the OEMs are mandated to use CAN - buy all new cars will carry multiple buses for various needs. The aftermarket now has a infotainment integration solution for most newer cars - iDatalink Maestro which can communicate over CAN/IEBus and allow an aftermarket head unit to retain OEM telematics, menus and infotainment.
 
There’s a LAN that connects the HVAC HMI to the rest of the car’s control modules(BCM, PCM, body gateway if CAN needs to be translated to a different bus). GM has their own Class 2 bus and GM-LAN.

There’s two Toyotas I work on - both with systems engineered in the 1990s that use the navigation touch screen as the human interface with a GUI. Those controls send messages over proprietary Toyota data bus(AVC-LAN, which is an implementation of IEBus from NEC - also used by Honda and Pioneer and BEAN, a Toyota-only serial bus) to a gateway ECU that sends a CAN messages to their target.

Nowadays thanks to CARB and the EPA, the OEMs are mandated to use CAN - buy all new cars will carry multiple buses for various needs. The aftermarket now has a infotainment integration solution for most newer cars - iDatalink Maestro which can communicate over CAN/IEBus and allow an aftermarket head unit to retain OEM telematics, menus and infotainment.
VW as well as others have been using POF(Plastic Optical Fiber) for a while now. I'm all for it because it certainly takes EMI out of the loop in regards to trouble shooting. Hopefully the LED's never burn out. 😅

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOST_Bus
 
VW as well as others have been using POF(Plastic Optical Fiber) for a while now. I'm all for it because it certainly takes EMI out of the loop in regards to trouble shooting. Hopefully the LED's never burn out. 😅

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOST_Bus
The Europeans are fond of their fiber optics, solid-state devices including optoelectronic solid-state relays and optical transceivers have proven very reliable in practice.

Ford has recently started to used Automotive Audio Bus - and oddly enough the connector to the amp from the head unit is an Mini-USB port. Why can’t everything be IP-based using an implementation of ethernet or optical?

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/ford-factory-a²b®-automotive-audio-bus-sync3.16470/page-2
 
My infotainment screen is always turned off. Luckily there are redundant knobs/buttons to control HVAC.

I find large computer screens vile and distasteful in a car. I wish they were swivel based so that I could flip and not have to look at them.
 
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