Is there any way to change the color of interior ambient lighting?
05-01-2017, 11:57 AM
#21
AudiWorld Expert
05-01-2017, 12:04 PM
#22
My experience with this car (and it is my fourth recent vintage Audi with Audi Drive Select), is that you do indeed have to put the car into "S" mode every time you get in and start up, even though you have set the ADS to the "dynamic" engine and transmission setting.
BTW, while in "S" mode the transmission will select 8th gear without overriding anything or switching to "D" mode.
The rev matching downshifts happen in "S" quite naturally (just like they did on the DSG transmission) and the transmission will downshift without a DEEP depression of the accelerator pedal, which seems to be a requirement when driving in "D" -- the car, to me, feels more like a manual transmission car would feel were I making the shifting decisions. In short, "D" seems artificial in that the mission of the "D" program is to to upshift out of the current gear as soon as possible -- which is probably fine for fuel economy reasons, but the engine just feels (to me) like it is lugging. It seems that D means to be permanently ONE (sometimes TWO) gears too high for the conditions that you can actually see are upcoming. Then, to get to the next lowest gear, you have to press the pedal too far -- for MY tastes (of course you could just use the paddle shifter). I don't want to feel like I'm always needing to engage kick-down when all I need to have happen is to be in 4th gear rather than 5th as I navigate through a series of conditions and speed limits of 50MPH or less. S mode, like Goldilocks says is "just right." I drove ONLY stick shifts through my 2003 allroad -- I got spoiled. The first auto I was forced to drive was the auto in my 1997 A8 -- the thing seemed like it never knew which of its five forward gears it should be in. I went right back to stick shifts. Gawd, I thought autos were so dreadful.
Then the newer generations of tiptronics kept getting better and better -- when they got to 6spds, they were tolerable -- then came the 7-spd DSG's and I thought I had found the promised land. I was, initially thinking Audi must be nutz putting the 8-spd in an S car -- I WAS WRONG.
I WAS WRONG. The DSG is still fantastic -- but the programming on the 2018's Tiptronic would fool a DSGs own mother. They must've perfected it on the RS 7, because the S4 in S mode makes me believe I'm driving my 2014's DSG, it's THAT good.
Now if there was a "hack" that could make the default of this transmission be associated with the Drive Select "Individual" setting, all would be right with the stars.
PITA, otherwise.
BTW, while in "S" mode the transmission will select 8th gear without overriding anything or switching to "D" mode.
The rev matching downshifts happen in "S" quite naturally (just like they did on the DSG transmission) and the transmission will downshift without a DEEP depression of the accelerator pedal, which seems to be a requirement when driving in "D" -- the car, to me, feels more like a manual transmission car would feel were I making the shifting decisions. In short, "D" seems artificial in that the mission of the "D" program is to to upshift out of the current gear as soon as possible -- which is probably fine for fuel economy reasons, but the engine just feels (to me) like it is lugging. It seems that D means to be permanently ONE (sometimes TWO) gears too high for the conditions that you can actually see are upcoming. Then, to get to the next lowest gear, you have to press the pedal too far -- for MY tastes (of course you could just use the paddle shifter). I don't want to feel like I'm always needing to engage kick-down when all I need to have happen is to be in 4th gear rather than 5th as I navigate through a series of conditions and speed limits of 50MPH or less. S mode, like Goldilocks says is "just right." I drove ONLY stick shifts through my 2003 allroad -- I got spoiled. The first auto I was forced to drive was the auto in my 1997 A8 -- the thing seemed like it never knew which of its five forward gears it should be in. I went right back to stick shifts. Gawd, I thought autos were so dreadful.
Then the newer generations of tiptronics kept getting better and better -- when they got to 6spds, they were tolerable -- then came the 7-spd DSG's and I thought I had found the promised land. I was, initially thinking Audi must be nutz putting the 8-spd in an S car -- I WAS WRONG.
I WAS WRONG. The DSG is still fantastic -- but the programming on the 2018's Tiptronic would fool a DSGs own mother. They must've perfected it on the RS 7, because the S4 in S mode makes me believe I'm driving my 2014's DSG, it's THAT good.
Now if there was a "hack" that could make the default of this transmission be associated with the Drive Select "Individual" setting, all would be right with the stars.
PITA, otherwise.
Last edited by markcincinnati; 05-01-2017 at 12:19 PM.
05-01-2017, 12:06 PM
#23
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05-01-2017, 12:12 PM
#24
AudiWorld Senior Member
While I was checking out the color dial feature, I came across a way to use the iPhone WHILE plugged in that -- to me -- is quite satisfactory.
I plugged the cable in -- and BOOM -- up comes the Car Play screen (and also BOOM, bye bye phone via MMI). I went into the settings (Connection Manager) and enabled my iPhone as my phone and disabled (deselected) my phone as the Audi Car Play choice, the Apple Screen went away and I received a message that I was plugged in but that BlueTooth was active. I simply pressed the MMI **** and I was returned to my regular MMI screen, "already in progress." Yeah!
Then, I started up, on my phone, some songs and hit shuffle -- the MMI screen now shows me the apple iphone directory and allows me to choose Groups or Tracks or Albums (I choose tracks--individual songs with shuffle play) and I'm back in business with a bit of an apple-like interface but with my MMI full functionality.
I was also able to open up (by picking up the phone) my Audible library and select a book without going through all kinds of BS (which I had to do on my 2014 S4 if I had the phone plugged into the cable in the glove box.)
It seems (and 2 minutes isn't enough for a final conclusion) that I can completely disable Car Play, keep the phone plugged in for charging AND access both my tuneage and my bookage. And, my directory works, too. I assume Siri, via the push-to-talk button on my steering wheel does NOT work, however. But, while I'm driving I:
Simply Drive and/or
Talk on the phone and/or
Listen to Sat Radio and/or
Listen to tuneage from the iPhone and/or
Listen to an Audible, Audio Book.
Most often I listen to tunes or an audio book and make and take phone calls. If I am using sat nav, I command "Google Search . . . Taft's Ale House, Cincinnati Ohio" and/or "Last destinations" and/or "Enter Address" and then follow the Audi Lady's instructions (and, have you noticed how much nicer the 2018 Audi Lady is than the previous one we've had for 11 years?)
The former Audi Navigation Lady was very strict and issued DEMANDS, not commands. The new Audi Lady issues instructions -- she makes her instructions seem much more like "you might want to get in the left lane."
The old Audi lady "Now! Turn Left! Do it NOW, Now! I tell you, don't mess with me or I'll pull this car over and you'll regret it, if I have to do that!"
The new Audi lady is even nicer than Alexa (Amazon Echo's virtual assistant voice), and that's saying something.
I'd say I'm pretty much OVER Audi CAR PLAY (the Apple version). MMI is part of the car and it shows. Car Play seems more like one of those Garmin or Tom Tom after market deals -- I never liked them either. Although I won one of them and it had a "Yoda" option -- so I would take my portable navi unit with me when I rented a car and I would program yoda to take me to my destination.
Yoda was a hoot, "A left turn you will make." "You'll be wanting the next junction now you will. Coming up now in a minute it is."
I know, I'm easily amused.
Those of you that use Car Play (the Apple version): can you really use it exclusively by voice? Among a few other nits I found to pick, that one (having to use both the MMI **** AND commands given to Siri) was a deal killer for me.
I guess if you're able to make handwriting recognition part of a system, couldn't you add the ability to simply touch the damn screen, too?
Just a thought.
I love driving this S4.
O BTW, I drive it with the transmission in "S" -- don't like how it feels in "D", plus the exhaust drones when the thing is in D since it takes an act of Congress to get it to downshift to bump up the revs which seems, coincidentally, to muffle the exhaust note droning.
I plugged the cable in -- and BOOM -- up comes the Car Play screen (and also BOOM, bye bye phone via MMI). I went into the settings (Connection Manager) and enabled my iPhone as my phone and disabled (deselected) my phone as the Audi Car Play choice, the Apple Screen went away and I received a message that I was plugged in but that BlueTooth was active. I simply pressed the MMI **** and I was returned to my regular MMI screen, "already in progress." Yeah!
Then, I started up, on my phone, some songs and hit shuffle -- the MMI screen now shows me the apple iphone directory and allows me to choose Groups or Tracks or Albums (I choose tracks--individual songs with shuffle play) and I'm back in business with a bit of an apple-like interface but with my MMI full functionality.
I was also able to open up (by picking up the phone) my Audible library and select a book without going through all kinds of BS (which I had to do on my 2014 S4 if I had the phone plugged into the cable in the glove box.)
It seems (and 2 minutes isn't enough for a final conclusion) that I can completely disable Car Play, keep the phone plugged in for charging AND access both my tuneage and my bookage. And, my directory works, too. I assume Siri, via the push-to-talk button on my steering wheel does NOT work, however. But, while I'm driving I:
Simply Drive and/or
Talk on the phone and/or
Listen to Sat Radio and/or
Listen to tuneage from the iPhone and/or
Listen to an Audible, Audio Book.
Most often I listen to tunes or an audio book and make and take phone calls. If I am using sat nav, I command "Google Search . . . Taft's Ale House, Cincinnati Ohio" and/or "Last destinations" and/or "Enter Address" and then follow the Audi Lady's instructions (and, have you noticed how much nicer the 2018 Audi Lady is than the previous one we've had for 11 years?)
The former Audi Navigation Lady was very strict and issued DEMANDS, not commands. The new Audi Lady issues instructions -- she makes her instructions seem much more like "you might want to get in the left lane."
The old Audi lady "Now! Turn Left! Do it NOW, Now! I tell you, don't mess with me or I'll pull this car over and you'll regret it, if I have to do that!"
The new Audi lady is even nicer than Alexa (Amazon Echo's virtual assistant voice), and that's saying something.
I'd say I'm pretty much OVER Audi CAR PLAY (the Apple version). MMI is part of the car and it shows. Car Play seems more like one of those Garmin or Tom Tom after market deals -- I never liked them either. Although I won one of them and it had a "Yoda" option -- so I would take my portable navi unit with me when I rented a car and I would program yoda to take me to my destination.
Yoda was a hoot, "A left turn you will make." "You'll be wanting the next junction now you will. Coming up now in a minute it is."
I know, I'm easily amused.
Those of you that use Car Play (the Apple version): can you really use it exclusively by voice? Among a few other nits I found to pick, that one (having to use both the MMI **** AND commands given to Siri) was a deal killer for me.
I guess if you're able to make handwriting recognition part of a system, couldn't you add the ability to simply touch the damn screen, too?
Just a thought.
I love driving this S4.
O BTW, I drive it with the transmission in "S" -- don't like how it feels in "D", plus the exhaust drones when the thing is in D since it takes an act of Congress to get it to downshift to bump up the revs which seems, coincidentally, to muffle the exhaust note droning.
Once again, Mark, I am glad I put down my cup of coffee before reading your post.
Thanks for figuring all of this out for me now. By the time my S5 get here sometime in August, I will have little left to find out on my own....
05-01-2017, 12:13 PM
#25
AudiWorld Senior Member
05-01-2017, 12:37 PM
#26
AudiWorld Expert
The "S" mode does have to be engaged every single time though.
Last edited by ex-quattro PETE; 05-01-2017 at 12:50 PM.
05-18-2017, 08:58 PM
#27
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12-13-2017, 09:23 PM
#29
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Do you know if you can activate all 30 colors with ross tech or obdeleven? Just took possession of my 2018 SQ5 technik and I just have the white blue and color... And thete is anyway to activate the "pulse" to make the lighting effect with radio? Thanks
12-14-2017, 10:47 AM
#30
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It was mentioned elsewhere that the LED themselves are different. So HW change will be needed.
