I have the new 2011 A5 Cab with MMI 3.0 but because it is a cab the voice control is turned off by the factory. My understanding is a VAG-COM cable (USB+CAN) version can flip this on. but there is some confusion about if it is 1 or 2 bits that need to be changed and the exact steps required. Has anyone done this? can provide steps? know where in Atlanta I could get it done? or get a access to a cable?

 

I modified these instructions from what I found in about 3 places on line. An just to be complete those guys rock for providing the information. It took them some time to figure this out and I certainly appreciate it. So to insure it stays as up to date as I can provide here's a step by step guide to what I did to enable Voice Control on my A5 Cab (and enable the battery monitor).

I bought the latest cable from Ross-Tech ($350); cheap for voice control if you ask me.
I downloaded the latest software and manual for free from the site. If you want them just email me and I will forward them.
Then I followed the following steps:
• Click on the '5F-Information Electr.' button.
• Click on the 'Coding - 07' button.
• Change byte 16 from 01 to 00. Really the change is only to the SDS Disable/Enable bit.
Note: Copy the string save it in a couple locations (you don't want to screw it up), then edit it and Paste it back
Initial Value (1=SDS Disabled) 01 02 00 03 00 06 A9 EF 71 00 0B 0E 00 00 00 01 01 00
Final Value (0=SDS Enabled) 01 02 00 03 00 06 A9 EF 71 00 0B 0E 00 00 00 01 00 00
• Click the 'Do It!' button.
• Close the controller, exit VCDS
• Pressing the Voice Control/ SDS button on the right of the steering wheel won't work, yet. As others have pointed out you have get to a hidden menu, (Actually the loading of the voice control commands have to be triggered).

There are 2 ways to do that I have tried both:
1) I tried changing languages and this does work and is probably safer. (You need to see a message about loading voice control commands). I did English => French =>restart (in french), changing the language option was greyed out for a minute so I restarted again by turning off the MMI completely, again in french with the option now => changed to English, => saw a message about loading voice commands. When I restarted now the voice command was there when I pushed the button on the steering wheel.

2) If that does not work you can unlock the hidden menu. Here is how you do that
• Select control module 5F in VAG-COM/VCDS
• Select “Adaptation – 10″
• Select channel 06 (have to use the 0 in front atleast on latest software)
• Set the value to 1
• Press test
• Press save
• Press “Done, Go Back”, close the controller and quit the software
• There’s no need to restart the MMI, just press CAR + SETUP for 6 seconds to enter the hidden menu
• What was not mentioned is that then you have to scroll down the car setup options down to the vin number before it popped up the hidden menu. There are screen shots on some sites for that but basically it is green text on a black background showing up in the MMI window.

However, the problem is not solved, it only seems to work in help mode & then cancels. The system takes a long time to turn on & is not responsive. It appears that when it went to load the voice control commands they are not there to be loaded & only exist in the help menu. Anyone seen this? I assume this was an improvement in the 2011 model maybe?

I then went on to enable the batter capacity status bar as follows
• Press CAR + SETUP for 6 seconds to enter the hidden developer menu
• Select “car”
• Select “carextdevicelist”
• Check the “Battery” checkbox
• Press return key
• Select “carmenuoperation”
• Set the battery value to 5
• Press return key
• Press CAR key (exit hidden menu)
• Restart the MMI: Press and hold down the function keys 1 (Setup), the control button 2 and the control key at the top right 3 simultaneously until the MMI system shuts down. Release keys -> MMI system reboots.
• You’ll find a new “Battery” entry in your MMI CAR menu just before the vin number in my case.

 

Key issue from above is, the problem is not solved, it only seems to work in help mode & then cancels. The system takes a long time to turn on & is not responsive. It appears that when it went to load the voice control commands they are not there to be loaded & only exist in the help menu. Anyone seen this? I assume this was an improvement in the 2011 model maybe? ideas?

 

Seems I should also have cleared the 01 in byte 15 (per another forum). Will try that ASAP and update.

 

Byte 15 01 => 00 did the trick. Voice commands are working great now.