# TTS Technology review in daily usage



## tfsifreak (Nov 5, 2015)

TTS Nano Grey 
Spec
Comfort Pack + Tech Pack + Electric Front Seats + Advanced Key - 900+ miles










*Intro:*

I have been an Audi driver for many years and have owned an A4, A5, and MK2 previously and now a MK3 TTS. If you are reading this, you might already have a bias for the MK3 TT so no need to repeat the good looking, great lines etc and other evident attributes - nor to extend the full technology description you have surely read on previous reviews on TT Forum avidely while waiting for your car (I know I did!) - or maybe you are doing that just now. 
Well this won't be the review for you if you are expecting only praises - Instead I want to share my notes after daily usage for nearly 3 weeks with the car with other owners. I want to take a constructive approach for hopefully using this great forum and community to verify the issues/facts below are shared and common to the car - which some are to be expected due to the extraordinary amount of tech packaged in the car - and also asking for your experience / fixes and solutions you could share. Or confirm it's 'just me' 

I avoided the "go to the dealership approach" as I find not many reps/techs there have kept up with all the tech in this car and some are certainly expert at making you feel special buying a car - very few (none that I have met yet) in my experience might be able to address/answer the issues below - if you know one - please share.

Overall and before this post is viewed as negative, I want to express how much I love the MK3 and how it is the best deal for a coupe for look, tech, comfort, performance and price and an absolute pleasure to drive ... no surprise it's got so much praises - even Clarkson wrote a good review of it 

*Tech:*

*The Good:*

Clearly the Virtual Cockpit (VC for the rest of the review) is extraordinary good looking and after getting used to the interface and making it work for you, most works very well and is very reactive; more surprisingly it becomes the new normal very quickly. I think it became 'not yet boring but close' at the start of week 2 for me. Clearly a win here.










Once used to the vast amount of information and the format of the multiple screens, eyes are focusing on very clean and pleasant fonts and directly to the information seeked - it relies a lot on photographic memory so it is good to have a few plays around all the menus and just exploring all the different options. I work in tech myself and have spent the first 3 days exploring, trying and setting up everything I could and even going through a few erase/re-try it all.

*Other notes:*

Well as the VC is a brand new system and the MK3 the first roll of it in production - some teething issues are to be expected. These are the ones I noted (and verified they were reproducable and not a glitch) below - some might have been already reported on this forum already:

*Traffic Program configuration does not stick:*

This is just very anonying - it seems to loose it after a few hours. Disable the Traffic Program in the VC/MMI - Verify that after days, hours or minutes while driving, suddenly the sound jumps to just front speakers, and you realize the traffic program is activated. This is hapening constantly on my car so I have stopped worrying about it - yet will be good to get it fixed.

* Phone line suspended when changing VC focus:*

Steps to reproduce: 
-Connect phone via bluetooth / pair with car
-Dial a contact - start speaking 
-Now go to Central console - and press SatNav 
-VC shows map - call works for a few seconds - then suspended.
-Going back to "Telephone" fast enough on the Central console catches back the call and you can continue your conversation

This is very annoying - and I have to remember not to switch to something else in the VC or might loose the call - I have looked for configuration but have no found anything. I have tried with another phone and same problem occured. Those 2 phones (Android and Windows Phone) worked perfectly and never disconnected in an Audi A5 with a 2013 MMI.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

*Drive Select:*

Drive Select is best changed when the car is not in motion. When changed while driving some of the changes are not applied immediately making the driver think that the difference is very minimal - where it is in fact quite different behavior at each side of the spectrum.

It also helps when going to from Dynamic to Comfort modes while driving to stage it by slecting Auto in between. Patience is a virtue as to when all elements fall in place - its is indeed very useful; some are more stricking than others - the steering wheel feel being the most noticeable for me.

*Exhaust Note*

This is on the TTS and putting the Stronic stick to 'S' delights the hear with the engine and exhaust roar - which I'd agree with some reviews out there - sounds very 5 cylinders at times.

The issue there is a non issue really - the full-on sound is really addictive and I find myself putting the car in S mode just for the ear pleasure making the car drink a lot more. It will be great to have the full roar available in low revs of the normal D gears as an option (not always full on -mind) - I have just read some VAG cause might exist for this -is this correct?

*Connectivity - SIM Card or phone tethering*

I tried both by ordering a free freedompop SIM (thanks to whoever posted this here) and tethering 2 different phones.

*Using a SIM in the car slot:* 
Freedompop seems to be 3G service only with the car (central London tested) but yet data is fast enough to use Google maps and Google Street view with no noticeable delays. This worked right away after putting the SIM in the slot in the car. However, after stop, pause and go back in the car - I might have missed another message to connect the SIM when restarting the car to my annoyance despite selecting the 'always connect when needed' option on initial connect.

I need to test this further but the SIM in car should really be a plug and forget option. As if you have activated and used navigation with Google Earth before, most of the maps of the area will already be downloaded and cached, and you won't notice immediately you are disconnected as the graphics will be the same. You need to look for the "online" little panel on the bottom of the VC map to be sure you're connected.

*Tethering a phone:*

I used a Window Phone 8.1 and Android (Marshmallow) to test this. Both worked well and were not too hard to connect however as the mobile hotspot on the phone is usually deactivated automatically after inactivity - the real issue there is to always think of reconnecting/reactivating the hotspot before driving. Not the best - however the ability to put the car online can be seen as novelty in the initial days - when I tested the phone tethering and forgotten to connect, I simply did not stop and did not miss too much really ;-)

That is it for now - will continue and update the thread with more as I continue to discover and if there is any interest - and would love to hear if you experienced similar issues and potential fixes to make this car even better.

TFSiFreak


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## patatus (Jun 12, 2006)

Thanks for the interesting review. I would go to the dealer for them to check if a software update is available for the issue you mentioned. (The one with the phone seems to be quite bad, surely Audi is aware of it).


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## Pugliese (Aug 4, 2010)

As a non tech I found your review useful and thought provoking (I will now be looking out for changes in the drive select on the move and I am sure my sim is now plug & forget - mind you can't remember how I achieved it!), and exactly the sort of review needed on this forum - highlighting issues and trying to find solutions. Keep them coming


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## johnny_hungus (Jun 14, 2009)

Thanks for the review, some good points to note. I am also a tech and am finding the layouts a little over complex sometimes.

What I am curious of is where the single dial rev counter/speedo is - the dealer tells me it is on the view button when in S mode, which it is not. Any ideas?


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## AdamA9 (Jul 8, 2011)

I work in tech and think the VC is dreadful in terms of usability. Knowing whether to go left or right, back or use the jog wheel. And when I'm on Sport display, it really irritates me that when I want to change album it goes back to large view, only for it to go back to Sport view when I select it. I've not found a way to change album without the display switching between Sport and Normal. If you know a way please share.

Also, how do you get streetview to work? I would have thought the natural way would be to push down the jog wheel, but alas this brings up the manual mode to move about the map, which I can only seem to remove when I stop nav and start again.

I understand this is user error, but the errors shouldn't be there. It could be so much more intuitive.


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## Dano28 (Feb 10, 2013)

johnny_hungus said:


> Thanks for the review, some good points to note. I am also a tech and am finding the layouts a little over complex sometimes.
> 
> What I am curious of is where the single dial rev counter/speedo is - the dealer tells me it is on the view button when in S mode, which it is not. Any ideas?


To get this display up (TTS only)

Press menu - car - layout - additional display - change to sports view "yes"

Car needs to be stationary when changing takes a couple of seconds.


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## johnny_hungus (Jun 14, 2009)

Dano28 said:


> johnny_hungus said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the review, some good points to note. I am also a tech and am finding the layouts a little over complex sometimes.
> ...


Thanks fella, do you have the choice of all three views when that's enabled?

Sorry for the thread hijack! [smiley=gossip.gif]


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## IC_HOTT (May 29, 2010)

Excellent drivers POV, and well presented.

The query I have is exactly how would Audi be aware of any of this?

Genuinely? I am not aware of any feedback system though there may be, unless they wait till someone complains then gets fobbed off in their inimitable fashion!

So, surely would be worth forwarding same observations not to your dealer but perhaps Audi uk ?


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## AdamA9 (Jul 8, 2011)

johnny_hungus said:


> Dano28 said:
> 
> 
> > johnny_hungus said:
> ...


No. You have two displays. The Sport view replaces the view where the dials are side-by-side and large.


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## Shug750S (Feb 6, 2012)

IC_HOTT said:


> Excellent drivers POV, and well presented.
> 
> The query I have is exactly how would Audi be aware of any of this?
> 
> ...


Surely they would have beta tested the system?

Whoops, that's what early buyers do for free. Saves a fortune in R&D [smiley=devil.gif]


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## leopard (May 1, 2015)

I'm not even sure about giving feedback to Audi UK as all they're interested in is sales figures and good publicity.It's like they said to me once when I had a complaint about a purchase and they turned around and said something along the lines of"we wouldn't want to get involved in any dispute,as we're just importers at the end of the day "Got it sorted in the end,but still....

Feedback should go back to the people who have designed the system in Germany.


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## Samoa (Apr 4, 2014)

leopard said:


> I'm not even sure about giving feedback to Audi UK as all they're interested in is sales figures and good publicity.It's like they said to me once when I had a complaint about a purchase and they turned around and said something along the lines of"we wouldn't want to get involved in any dispute,as we're just importers at the end of the day "Got it sorted in the end,but still....
> 
> Feedback should go back to the people who have designed the system in Germany.


Interesting comment - both before & after the VW emissions matter, the 3 dealerships I've dealt with have always been very attentive & had the car in to look at things I've raised.

Only thing we didn't agree on was the mpg of low 30's on a DSG TDi when I first got it, otherwise have been close on perfect

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## noname (Aug 20, 2015)

Shug750S said:


> IC_HOTT said:
> 
> 
> > Excellent drivers POV, and well presented.
> ...


not so free..I've read that if you want update the MMI, you have to pay... it's not official but voices from other TT owners...


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## tfsifreak (Nov 5, 2015)

AdamA9 said:


> I work in tech and think the VC is dreadful in terms of usability. Knowing whether to go left or right, back or use the jog wheel. And when I'm on Sport display, it really irritates me that when I want to change album it goes back to large view, only for it to go back to Sport view when I select it. I've not found a way to change album without the display switching between Sport and Normal. If you know a way please share.
> 
> Also, how do you get streetview to work? I would have thought the natural way would be to push down the jog wheel, but alas this brings up the manual mode to move about the map, which I can only seem to remove when I stop nav and start again.
> 
> I understand this is user error, but the errors shouldn't be there. It could be so much more intuitive.


For Google Street view, once you have got Google Earth, you need the following:

- Car stopped
- Data connection and google Earth working
- Zoom to 30yards
- click the pad once to get the cross
- now zoom lower than 30yards -> boom here is google street view.

Hope this helps


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## tfsifreak (Nov 5, 2015)

IC_HOTT said:


> Excellent drivers POV, and well presented.
> 
> The query I have is exactly how would Audi be aware of any of this?
> 
> ...


Thanks for the nice words - well If a car company has enough know-how to put all the tech inside the MK3 in production, one will expect they can roll significant training down to the dealerships ...

In reality, this is only a little of the things to come, and as we move forward, with car becoming more like computers all the time, the car sales rep is soon in need to become a technology savvy expert (at least of the tech in a given car).

I fully agree with you that we should find a way to feed this back to Audi UK or Audi Germany rather than loosing time asking licensed resellers and importers as it is impossible to verify if they effectively report it up the chain or simply move on to the next sale (which frankly is hard to blame).

Here is an idea: one can nearly force a company to listen by using twitter and posting the issue there - seems companies are more worried about the public spreading of such issues than customer direct contact ... if someone felt so inclined, we could experiment - this forum reputation will only help the cause.

Hopefully, several software upgrades will roll onto the MMI soon and all this will be unnecessary


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## tfsifreak (Nov 5, 2015)

patatus said:


> Thanks for the interesting review. I would go to the dealer for them to check if a software update is available for the issue you mentioned. (The one with the phone seems to be quite bad, surely Audi is aware of it).


Thanks. For the phone line cutting issue, I did ask and got told none of those phone exact models are listed on the Audi Connect compatibility site therefore the issue will not be escalated.
I need to have the issue using an exact phone listed there ... for which I am hoping a mate to lend me his phone for tests sometimes next week.

The ones in Tech will appreciate that bluetooth being bluetooth, and being mainstream phones, these are hardly 'incompatible phones' but this is the initial answer I got.


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

tfsifreak said:


> For Google Street view, once you have got Google Earth, you need the following:
> 
> - Car stopped
> - Data connection and google Earth working
> ...


Blimey, how'd you work that out?


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## tfsifreak (Nov 5, 2015)

deeve said:


> tfsifreak said:
> 
> 
> > For Google Street view, once you have got Google Earth, you need the following:
> ...


Decrypted the manual while trying it in the car ... It's a gadget rather than being useful for anything


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## tfsifreak (Nov 5, 2015)

I might have found a solution for the Traffic Program.

As we are lucky in the UK to have a great DAB signal, I notice that traffic program has an option to be on FM or FM/DAB. I have selected FM, and then deactivated it altogether. 
While listening to DAB radia and media on the jukebox yesterday, I never had to face the traffic program. Will test for the following days - I thought I'd share and hoping this solves it.


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## AdamA9 (Jul 8, 2011)

tfsifreak said:


> AdamA9 said:
> 
> 
> > I work in tech and think the VC is dreadful in terms of usability. Knowing whether to go left or right, back or use the jog wheel. And when I'm on Sport display, it really irritates me that when I want to change album it goes back to large view, only for it to go back to Sport view when I select it. I've not found a way to change album without the display switching between Sport and Normal. If you know a way please share.
> ...


I'll give this a try, thanks.

Now, if I could only get the auto lowering wing mirror when parking to work...

:lol:


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

j14lal said:


> re the dipping function.
> 
> put the car in reverse
> turn the little twisty thing on the drivers door to the left and move the passenger side mirror down so that you see the curb
> ...


You shouldnt have to touch the 'twisty thing' once its set. Once you have engaged reverse the mirror dips. It doesnt return to the normal position until you are driving forward at +5mph, ie. once you have finished your parking manoeuvre.


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

Another thing with the 'key'. With a proper key you couldnt take it out of the ignition unless the drive was in Park.
Now you can get out of the car with the engine off having neglected to put in in Park and wonder why the dam thing wont lock with the remote.... :x


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## noname (Aug 20, 2015)

To me 15 km/h in fact is too high for my opinion..

Regard the key in park, I don't like it either! 
fortunately there is a warning on the cockpit but is not safe enough..someone can steal the car anyway and use it without turn it off!!


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## AdamA9 (Jul 8, 2011)

deeve said:


> j14lal said:
> 
> 
> > re the dipping function.
> ...


I still cannot get it to work. Does this come on all cars? I have a UK TTS and no matter how many different ways I try it, it doesn't auto dip.


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## jryoung (Feb 8, 2015)

AdamA9 said:



> I still cannot get it to work. Does this come on all cars? I have a UK TTS and no matter how many different ways I try it, it doesn't auto dip.


It is an option even on the TTS - option 6XE or 6XK


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## Mr R (Mar 1, 2015)

That sounds right.. you need electric seats (with memory) to get auto-dip of passenger mirror on reverse...?


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## noname (Aug 20, 2015)

Mr R said:


> That sounds right.. you need electric seats (with memory) to get auto-dip of passenger mirror on reverse...?


Exactly


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## minsTTerman (Aug 5, 2003)

Definitely don't have to have electric seats with memory to get this function.

I've got the electric folding mirrors and I set it when I first got the car back in January, so cant remember exactly how (j14lal's instructions sound about right)

However, it only dips on reverse when the twisty thing is pointing at the passenger mirror. And the mirrors are only heated when the twisty thing points to the heater logo, so you can't have it permanently set on heated AND auto-dip, you have to choose.


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

ManuTT said:


> Mr R said:
> 
> 
> > That sounds right.. you need electric seats (with memory) to get auto-dip of passenger mirror on reverse...?
> ...


Nope. Incorrect. Its a standard option on all models.


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## noname (Aug 20, 2015)

No because if you don't have memory seats or electric folding mirrors, you don't have the memory unit!
The confirm is that if you enable via vag the lowering mirror without one of those optional, the coding doesn't work


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

deeve said:


> tfsifreak said:
> 
> 
> > For Google Street view, once you have got Google Earth, you need the following:
> ...


Sounds like tfsifreak has spent too much time Escape type computer games. :lol:


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## winrya (Feb 22, 2014)

It comes with electric folding mirrors and dimming wing mirrors as well as with other packs as mentioned. Not standard fit in the Uk anyway


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## deeve (Apr 5, 2004)

ManuTT said:


> No because if you don't have memory seats or electric folding mirrors, you don't have the memory unit!
> The confirm is that if you enable via vag the lowering mirror without one of those optional, the coding doesn't work


The OP has got the electric folding mirrors which is all he needs . Doesnt need electric seats


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## tfsifreak (Nov 5, 2015)

minsTTerman said:


> Definitely don't have to have electric seats with memory to get this function.
> 
> I've got the electric folding mirrors and I set it when I first got the car back in January, so cant remember exactly how (j14lal's instructions sound about right)
> 
> However, it only dips on reverse when the twisty thing is pointing at the passenger mirror. And the mirrors are only heated when the twisty thing points to the heater logo, so you can't have it permanently set on heated AND auto-dip, you have to choose.


I am seeing the same thing on my TTS and driving me a bit mad - not the auto mirro dip, but the not heating the mirrors until I put the knob on the heated position is bad - first Audi I have that does not automagically :twisted:


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## noname (Aug 20, 2015)

On the TT you always have to turn the knob if you want the mirror heating!! I went mad too years ago it's incredible!
But, I remember that if when you start the car and the temperature is very low, the system turns on by itself...I repeat BUT because I seem to remember so..check the manual..


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## noname (Aug 20, 2015)

winrya said:


> It comes with electric folding mirrors and dimming wing mirrors as well as with other packs as mentioned. Not standard fit in the Uk anyway


so folding mirrors are not standard in uk and in Germany where I bought the car... I tried to activate via vag dipping mirrors in reverse but it doesn't work without electric seats and folding mirrors


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## AdamA9 (Jul 8, 2011)

So that settles it. No wonder I couldn't get them working. I thought it was something I was doing wrong.


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