andrewbrion

Thanks for the info. Can you comment on whether or not the heated seats and heated steering wheel turn on using the remote start?

dgbaudiphile

Yes, both the heated steering wheel and heated driver seat come on with remote start - based on prior settings, not by using a sequence of button pushes on the remote.

I believe that the heated steering wheel is activated by a thermostat, i.e. if the button on the steering wheel column is activated, the steering wheel heats if it's below a certain temp as long as the car is on. I've never turned mine off but, what's news to me is that its part of the personal comfort settings (see below). I'm the only one that drives my car so it's irrelevant in my case.

The heated seats will default to "on" if they were on the last time. However, I haven't found specific instruction on this. I just double checked - started my car in the garage via remote start and then verified that my heated seats where on since I had them on the last time I drove it. They were on - full intensity. As you may know, they step down from Level 3 to Level 2 after about 10 minutes.

Your questions led me to check out a few things in the manual - more on how they work. Here's a cut/paste from the 2015 Audi A8/S8 User Manual.

Page 31:
Personal comfort settings
If two people use one vehicle, it is recommended that each person always uses "their own" master key. When the ignition is switched off or when the vehicle is locked, personal convenience settings for the following systems are stored and assigned to the remote master key.

- Automatic climate control <- maybe heated seats are included in here?
- Central locking system
- Rear window sunblind
- Ambient lighting
- Seat memory
- Parking system*
- Adaptive cruise control*
- Audi active lane assist*
- Audi side assist*
- Audi drive select
- Night vision assistant*
- Heated steering wheel*

The stored settings are automatically recalled when you unlock the vehicle, when you open the doors or when you switch the ignition on.

Twglasgow

dgbaudiphile

Jibsymalone

Does the Naviplus do Android Auto too? I know it says it does in the description, but the only thing I seem to see referred to from then on out is CapPlay?? Not everyone is a sheep, I mean has fruit flavored products...

chasingradio

Looking forward to hearing how this goes!

dgbaudiphile

Since I use an iPhone, I didn't research Android capabilities. I'd suggest contacting them directly as I did, with questions. They were very responsive, polite and eager to help answer all of my detailed questions. They even had me email them photos of my NAV version, my steering wheel controls and my dash controls just to be 100% sure everything would work as I intended. I was more than happy to do this.

I just received the package today via DHL and will check it out this evening. I won't be able to install it (or get it installed) until this weekend at the earliest so maybe I'll post the instructions as a teaser. More to come...

Jibsymalone

Awesome, I may have to follow up with them. I figure the cost is similar to what another member here reports paying around the same cost for a nav update. So being able to use Waze on the existing screen and MMI controls instead is a much better deal in my eyes...

I look forward to hearing how the install went for you!

dgbaudiphile

I spent the better part of my weekend tearing apart my dashboard to install the CarPlay adapter and the OBD2 gauge that I referenced below. First, both are performing as expected. I love having the CarPlay functionality and the gauge, well - it's just cool. Not only does it provide a lot of good engine data, it will also record your best 0-60, 0-100, 60-130, 100-0 and 60-0 times. Here's a video of mine in action.

Note that I had to fit this into the vent myself using a Dremmel and some glue. They custom fit it to other, higher volume vehicles but not an A8/S8 I'm sure if you sent them your vent, they'd fit it for you.

Regarding the install? Find an installer. I used to do quite a bit of DIY audio uprades back in the day when trim was MUCH easier to disassemble and there was enough room behind the dash to stash pretty much anything you can dream of. Not so anymore. I had to put more force on the trim than was comfortable - every time, my heart skipping a beat when I hear the crack of the trim popping off out of the retainer clips, thinking that I snapped it in two. It's not difficult, just a little time consuming for the first go at it. I could take the entire dash apart without worry in about 30 minutes now but I doubt that I'll ever need to again.

The issue is that although I was able to get it installed and working, I can't for the life of me, get the MMI unit pushed back into the chassis in its locked position. The resason is that I had to shove a control box behind it and a couple feet of new by-pass wiring harness that wasn't there before. I've conceded and am dropping it off at my installer tomorrow morning to get it fit properly and to add a professional-looking USB adaptor vs. having it hang in the footwell. I realized that I didn't have the parts to do this anyway.

So, I'm happy I did it but I've developed a new lexicon of colorful, compound adjectives along the way.

Happy to answer any quesitons and if I learn anything new about the CarPlay adapter, I'll let you know. Also, I'm happy to help anyone that's looking to take apart their dash - I even removed the impossible MMI control module in front of the shifter and below the climate control. Come to find that I dind't need to do it anyway (was considering running the USB cable below it and into the armrest).

TinyElviss

Many of us automotive non-DIY'ers would love to learn and grow our vocabularies from your experience. Please, feel free to share! For example, I have to remove the triple-handles for a shower/tub from the 1960's, and I found my colorful compound adjectives changed based on whether blood seeped or spewed from the newest cut.