htxdave

Hi all.

In November I picked up a 2013 (mfg. 10/12) A5. It's my first Audi and my only regret is that I didn't spring for the S5. When I got it, there was no SIM card in the slot. The salesperson explained that I could get one from T-mobile or event AT&T, plug it in and everything should work. I was already an AT&T customer, so I tried one of their's first. I noticed that the MMI screen would only display 2G in the lower right corner. Later I tried one from T-mobile. Same deal, only 2G was displayed. I was under the impression that it should work at 3G speeds, was I wrong? If not, what does it take to get it to work at 3G?

raj99

The 2G and 3G are a reflection of the data speed being connected and many of the dealers are offering updates to customers to allow them access to faster speeds. If I were you I'd contact the dealer and let them know your situation and they may update the modem in your MMI to allow for faster connection. Mind you there are also workarounds, but try that first. Good luck and let us know what happens

superswiss

The cellular modem in the 2013 A5 needs to be upgraded. It doesn't support speed faster than 2G on AT&T and T-Mobile has been upgrading their networks in multiple markets to newer frequencies and as a consequence if you drive in any of those markets you no longer get 3G, either. Audi offers a hardware replacement to restore 3G speeds on both AT&T and T-Mobile. Original owners of these cars have been getting letters from T-Mobile and Audi on this topic. You can contact Audi of America or your local dealer to get the hardware replacement. It's free under warranty, so get it done before your warranty runs out.

htxdave

THANK YOU!

peytonel

Call them up, explain you need an MMI update to obtain 3g speed and provide your preferred dealer and they will send you a letter in the mail within a week authorizing the upgrade to be performed by your dealer of choice provided your vehicle is still under warranty...

1big10

Went on Audi Chat to ask this question. Here is my correspondence regarding this subject.

An online assistant will be with you shortly.

Misha B. said:
Hello Kevin Krause. My name is Misha B.. How can I help you?

Kevin Krause said:
Hi Misha

Kevin Krause said:
I recently purchased a used 2013 A5 with 17K

Kevin Krause said:
I understand that you can upgrade the MMI to 3G under warranty. Is that correct?

Misha B. said:
Hello Kevin. That would be incorrect.

Misha B. said:
In what regard are you trying to upgrade the MMI

Kevin Krause said:
The modem to support 3G

Misha B. said:
Are you trying to upgrade your MMI system or the Audi COnnect service?

Kevin Krause said:
Because 2G is not supported anymore...a change to hardware is required.

Misha B. said:
That would only be if your vehicle is located in a turndown area

Kevin Krause said:
Here is more information

Kevin Krause said:
The cellular modem in the 2013 A5 needs to be upgraded. It doesn't support speed faster than 2G on AT&T and T-Mobile has been upgrading their networks in multiple markets to newer frequencies and as a consequence if you drive in any of those markets you no longer get 3G, either. Audi offers a hardware replacement to restore 3G speeds on both AT&T and T-Mobile. Original owners of these cars have been getting letters from T-Mobile and Audi on this topic. You can contact Audi of America or your local dealer to get the hardware replacement. It's free under warranty, so get it done before your warranty runs out.

Misha B. said:
Who told you this?

Misha B. said:
Its only for vehicles that are in the turn-down area according to T-Mobile.

Misha B. said:
May i have your vin number?

Kevin Krause said:
Where is the turn-down area?

Kevin Krause said:
I want to add audi connect, but not at 2G speeds. It makes no sense.

Misha B. said:
Your vehicle would only be getting 2G speeds if you are in a particular area, according to T-Mobiles service area provided. If you live in an area that is affected by this, after you have an active subscription you may explore options of upgrading the coverage, but only if oyu are in one of the affected areas.

Misha B. said:
If you are not in one of the affected areas, this would not apply to you

Kevin Krause said:
Ok..I have not signed up yet. I travel alot. So how do I find out where the affected areas are?

Misha B. said:
I would recommend contacting Audi Connect

Misha B. said:
they would be able to go over that with you, once you have an active subscription

Kevin Krause said:
That makes no sense to sign up before knowing if I would be stuck on 2G service. What is their number?

Misha B. said:
1-877-505-2824. They would be in the best position to inform you of best options since it is their service, whether you decide to purchase a subscription or not.

rj12

Hi

I also purchased a cpo 2013 A5 last year. I actually just got a sim from Tmobile so I could use it out of the country since Tmobile works in Mexico and Canada. On my screen it says I'm connected at 3G speed. I ran a speed test to see what speed I am at but it says maybe around 2mbs. I'm waiting till next month because I am currently over the 1gb data and therefore throttled until my next cycle. Once I am on the new cycle I'll give you the data speed.

I was actually wondering how much data the maps uses when driving. That's really all I use the data for. I stream music through my phone using Apple Music but I believe that should not be included because of Tmobiles free up service.

Force-1

My 2013 S5 always shows 3G when I drive around Albuquerque.

raj99

OP, go to your local dealer and talk to them. If you are impacted with lower bandwidth as a result of Tmobile policies and such, many folks have had success with them fixing things to allow your car to take advantage of faster spectrum and with the updated modem for the SIM.

superswiss

The maps themselves don't use any data. The Google Earth overlays do if you have them turned on. However, they get cached, so the data usage depends on how often you leave your "home" area. I keep the MMI on the map screen, with auto zoom turned on, so it's frequently zooming in and out, which causes it having to load Google Earth images at different zoom levels. Depending on where I drive in a given month, my data usage is anywhere between 100-500mb per month.