RickObe

Viper finally released official firmware for the 2017 Q7 and I had the SmartStart system installed yesterday. First one for this dealership and it took them all day. But so far (in very limited use), it seems to be working great.

Some functions are not supported (e.g., remote panic alarm) but hopefully there will be a future firmware update that will fix that.

Since I let my Audi Connect subscription lapse, I got the GPS enabled version of SmartStart which will provide me Audi Connect's GPS services for only $1.67 a month extra.

Eppieguy

Good to hear, Viper makes great products, I've used them in all of my vehicles over the years. Keep us posted on any issues you may have, hopefully won't hear from you though!

bobby26

Had it installed about 4 months ago and use the app to start my Q7 all the time

Keyser Wi

Hi Rick,
I am very interested in this system. Do you have a specific model for the SmartStart and GPS? I plan to let my Audi Connect lapse too, so it'll be great if Viper can provide GPS with low cost. I wonder if I can trust local Viper vendors to install the system ...

RickObe

Only issue I've noticed so far is that automatic lock/unlock no longer seems to work. (This is when the car doors lock when you get to about 9 mph and unlock when you put it in park.) There doesn't seem to be a setting in the MMI for this. I seem to remember this is can be set in coding. I'll have to dig around and try to find that and see if I can get it working again without messing up the Viper.

One surprise benefit... the key fob lock/unlock function seems to now work with the engine running, both when started via Viper and when just hopping out of the car with the engine running normally. In the latter case, all the main doors lock but there is no chirp and the mirrors don't fold as for a usual lock. The rear hatch only locks in this case if the MMI "disable tailgate handle" is checked.

RickObe

Interesting. Three months ago, Viper (Directed, Inc.) told me that the firmware wasn't ready yet for the 2017 Q7. My installer said they could, but would not, install until there was firmware certified for the platform. About two weeks ago they told me that the firmware was ready and that's when I scheduled my install.

You may want to check with your installer and see if you should have the firmware in your unit re-flashed to the current version. The firmware version that I've got is 402.VW08 1.14.

RickObe

The Viper unit you want is VSM350 Viper SmartStart GPS. This is the new SmartStart technology that uses Verizon's CDMA 3G network. (The previous SmartStart used a 2G network.) The unit itself is $100 more than the non-GPS unit (VSM300). I paid $500 total for the system installed.

I would definitely NOT trust mass market outfits like Best Buy to install in this car. Search here to find local dealers:
Where to Buy Viper Products

I would pick one that is "Connected Car Certified" and a "Preferred Dealer" if you have one in your area.

The plan costs are listed here:
Viper SmartStart Service Plans

You can see that the GPS plan is only about $1.67 a month more than the non-GPS plan on a 3-year subscription; about $6.67 a month; way cheaper than the $25 a month that Audi wants for Audi Connect PRIME. If you call Directed, they will give you a coupon code for $20 off your initial subscription.

Keyser Wi

@Rick

Wow.. THANKS for the detailed info!!

It definitely looks like a great Audi Connect substitute. The $750 for 30-month Audi Connect pretty much pays for the installed Viper system and 3-yr subscription. Anything after that will be $550 saving per 3 years over Audi Connect. It looks like the plan offers most of the Audi Connect features that I care about (GPS, remote lock / unlock, car location / speed) ... Not familiar about the other features.

Unfortunately, there's no certified or preferred dealer in my state (WA)!

RickObe

There are tons of Audi Connect PRIME features that the Viper doesn't supply. But if they are ones you don't use, who cares.

The main other Viper feature you didn't mention is remote start, something that Audi refuses to do with their Audi Connect. The Viper system will let you set speed alerts, lockdown (tells you if car moves from current location), and geofencing (tells you if car enters or leaves a designated area). It will also let you remotely pop the trunk (not sure why you'd ever want to do that). That's about it.

RickObe

A couple other points about the Viper install...

1) You must sacrifice a key fob for the installation. It doesn't get destroyed, but it does get buried way up under the dash. I knew I'd be doing this, so I ordered one with the car when new which was cheaper than getting it later, I think.

2) The above has an interesting side-effect for this car (and one that I consider a plus). The remote start uses the HVAC settings memorized by the buried key fob, not the one you carry with you. So you must get inside the car, remote start it with your regular key fob nowhere nearby, and set the HVAC as you want for the season (high cabin temp, defrost on, seat heat on, steering wheel heat on, etc.). Then when you remote start, it will remember and use these settings even though you may have forgotten to turn on the seat/steering wheel heat or defroster when you parked the car. I find this is a blessing as I was always forgetting to engage all these functions when parking my 2012 Q7 for the night outside.