JPRobertsons

This only happens when the car is cold and only in the winter. Turning the volume know will generally result in maximum volume, sometimes no volume at all, thus making it impossible to adjust volume at all. Depressing **** and releasing it again (off and back to on) still results in almost maximum volume.

After car has been running for about 15 min. everything is back to normal.

The colder the weather is the more long lasting the problem.

What do you guys make of this? Any known solutions?

Pure Hatred

<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a4/msgs/2766817.phtml">Scrolling helps</a></li></ul>

JPRobertsons

is that dust has piled up somewhere around the know and it expands with the cold temperatures, thus giving the wrong input.

I feel tempted to spray contact cleaner through whatever clearance is left around the **** insert. Do you think this could cause any damage?

Pure Hatred

Do you have a moisture problem in your car? Could be shorting contacts in the **** sending an incorrect signal..

JPRobertsons

Not that I know of, but not impossible as it only plays up after sitting in garage all night

freakness

some electrical cleaner in there. Turn the **** left and right, shoot some more cleaner. Use the stuff that evaporates "leaving no residue". Don't use the skinny tube attachement unless you have glasses for protection because it has a tendency to splatter. I just used the tip on the can and made very short bursts. It worked for me. If I knew how to pull the **** off without damaging it then you could really clean things up and possible put some dialectric grease in there but at least try the cleaning first.

good luck...

AudiMick

GALA is the speed / ambient noise auto adjust. Sometimes gets confused.

UK_Audi_A4

I've got the same problem. After digging about on the net I've found out that this problem is caused by the controllor chip memory failing. Apparently everytime the volume is changed, the value is stored on this chip. The chip can only store approx 10,000 values so after 7 or 8 years of use the memory is full. Hot temperatures cause the memory to delete and hence it works again for a while. I heated mine up with a hairdryer and it worked for a week before playing up again. The only fix is replacing the chip or get a new unit.

If the Bass/Treble/Fader and Balance work fine and just the volume is not working, then this is the fault.

Lale

Hi guys,
I recently acquired Audi A3 with the volume problem which I did not notice when buying. After reading a number of treads it was clear that problem comes from the PROM which is memorising volume levels and after many years becomes saturated. Thanks to some who experimented with heating the radio as well as the common experience that radio works fine in hot weather I decided to locate culprit IC by heating precisely one by one (as I could not get schematic diagram). Eventually found responsible one and decided to provide heating for it. I used ceramic resistor which is square and has flat side which sits tight to the IC surface so transfer of the heat will be optimal. Also I found at JayCar small square thermostat which opens on 60 degrees which I connected in series with resistor to protect IC from overheating. Both were glued to IC surface. Depending on resistor value it will take more or less time to preheat IC to the "working" temperature. In my case it takes about 60 sec. It is important to connect resistor to 12V SW found inside the radio (is on only ON when ignition key is in) for not to drain battery when the car is not in use.
Hope this may help.
Lale from Sydney