Dan24k

Hello,

first time poster and first time Audi buyer. I purchased a 2018 Audi A4 Ultra , CPO with 3k miles on it and the tech package which came with the VC. I’m noticing a clicking noise (see attachment) coming from the speakers (mainly from rear passenger side, and rear driver side) when I have Google Earth displayed on the Virtual Cockpit display. I have a few observations:




-clicking sound seems to happen when data is being loaded, I.e when scrolling the map outward to view a bigger area the ticking sound comes and stops when it is done loading.




-ticking sound also appears in the regular maps (standard, not google earth) but comes as a different tone through the speakers.




-sound happens when no Bluetooth devices are connected AND even if Bluetooth or CarPlay devices are connected.




-the ticking noise seems to come through the speaker system and stops when not viewing the google maps tab on the VC. I.e, if you start navigation, then switch over to music tab, the sound will stop, then if you switch back to google earth tab, the sound will start.




Those are the observations that I’ve made. Part of me thinks that it’s due to some kind of a hard drive data writing issue. I’m not sure what kind of a HDD or SSD data storage device the Audi uses.

LA4091

Have a 2017 Audi A4 allroad Premium Plus and have had this sound issue a few times but could never place it so thanks for locating the source. Also, I don't use google maps in VC but am using google maps via apple carplay. Anyone with ideas on how to resolve? Thanks.

directorguy7

If you put your phone near unshielded speakers is what that sounds like (you may be bale to try with computer speakers). Id be curious if your get a difference in sound RIGHT BEFORE somebody calls you.

That said, the car uses a cell service to pull in MMI data, maybe thats causing the car speakers to pick up interference as I would imagine the car is using a much stronger cell hardware and maybe thats enough to breach speakers? The fact that more data is flowing when maps are up also makes me think its this. Try going to audi connect menu and load news or weather and see if it does it there too since you are pulling data like maps does.

José Miguel Cejudo

Same problem here with a5 sportback. Any updates?

hipendicular

I don't know if mine is related or not but I get a very rhythmic ticking from my drivers side rear door speaker only after I shut my car off. It really sounds like a clock, as in one tick per second. Its so strange, it eventually goes away (like after 5 mins or so) but stops the min I turn the car on...

I have no idea when it started doing this but figured it was caused by me messing with the VCDS settings... My wifes B9 Q5 does not do this... My car did at one time have google maps but it since expired.

Chancho

I have this exact problem with the noise seemingly coming from behind the centre MMI screen.

Narrowed it down to whenever the Navigation is used on either of the 2 digital displays.

i have taken it to 2 seperate dealers and both tell me it’s normal - I just can’t accept that response and hoped someone here has found a fix or better yet a TSB?

STI2Audi

Do you all have virtual cockpit? If it's a ticking sound I think it's a fan for the Nvidia chip in the VC. As far as interference from a phone sound on a speaker. I have not heard that. I did have a ticking noise in the dash when I had the A4. I don't hear this in the S4 with VC though.

Chancho

Yes I have the VC but the ticking noise is only present when navigation is on either VC or main screen.

STI2Audi

Yeah, that is when a fan would kick on. This is just my guess. It's a fan for the VC/Nvidia chip.

Chancho

That’s a real shame as it’s quite loud and very noticeable in a quiet cabin (radio off).

Surely Audi could have dampened this noise somehow...

the only workaround is to have the navigation off the VC and main screen when not in use..