Help Diagnosing Infotainment Issue

[pbrunts]

Hi all.

I have a 2016 Golf R without DCC/NAV. About 2 weeks ago, my headunit screen froze while using android auto and then went black and has not worked since then. The USB still charges my phone and the buttons on the side are still backlit. Phone does not connect (screen behind wheel says "connecting..." permanently) and no audio plays.

I have tried
(1) holding the power button for 10 seconds - the backlit buttons show the power cycling but nothing changes on the screen,
(2) unhooking and reconnecting the battery,
(3) disconnecting the screen from the back,
(4) disconnecting the glove box unit from the back,
(5) replacing the screen with one bought off eBay,
(6) checked all possibly related fuses (but without official diagrams it's possible I missed something).

Before throwing money at the issue, I'm hoping someone else has dealt with this and knows the solution. I'm sure something needs to be replaced, but at this point is it the glove box unit? or the amp? or something else?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Adurm]

Try a different phone just in case. Doubtful it's the phone though. Or check the usb hub for a loose connection. Maybe pop the brains out and wigglw the usb fakra plug on the back. I think it's green.

 

[pbrunts]

Try a different phone just in case. Doubtful it's the phone though. Or check the usb hub for a loose connection. Maybe pop the brains out and wigglw the usb fakra plug on the back. I think it's green.

The whole center screen isn't working. It's not turning on and nothing's showing up or playing through radio, media, phone, or Android auto. The screen doesn't turn on when I put the car into reverse even though the camera still moves. It's as if the internals for the infotainment system fried.

I'm going to replace the unit in the glove box.

 

[Adurm]

Ewwww that sounds bad. Do you have vcds or have a friend with it? A scan might be helpful.

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/radio-doesnt-work.321265/

 

[pbrunts]

Ewwww that sounds bad. Do you have vcds or have a friend with it? A scan might be helpful.

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/radio-doesnt-work.321265/

I might be able to find it through my local group but I'm skeptical it will show anything.

Honestly, that thread you linked is par for the course infotainment issues. Even when similar questions are asked, they seem to be unanswered. I ordered a replacement glove box unit, which will need to be coded for the car but hopefully it solves the issue. It seems to be a "guts" issue as opposed to wiring or power related, which points to the actual infotainment unit.

 

[sprinks]

Basically simple trouble shooting should be the way to go here. An obd11 or vcds will tell you if the infotainment unit is borked. If nothing there, then you need to figure out if it's the display. If you have a local group, ask if you can run some basic trouble shooting with someone with a similar vehicle. Swap your screen into their screen and see if it functions. If it doesn't you know the screen is the problem. It should take less than 15 minutes to swap the screen in and out if you have the appropriate radio keys (~5 bucks on ebay).

 

[KevinC]

If it turns out that your screen is the issue - I have my old 6.5" screen out of my '16 sitting here doing nothing and would be willing to part with it on the cheap. Perfect condition. But - it has the NAV-related button layout. Not sure how much of a headache that may cause on a non-equipped car.

 

[simaservis1108]

It is almost never the screen issue.
5F unit has failed,it is a CD player in the glove box.

 

[pbrunts]

So, I just went ahead and bought an ebay glove box unit. Simply to install with the right radio keys and the headunit booted right up.

The component protection has locked the unit so I need to get it removed at the dealer. Seems right now I may have lost the "R" bootup screen, which was pretty cool but I guess not necessary.

 

[simaservis1108]

If you remove it at the dealer you will loose all FEC activations.
I can help you remotely with FEC and CP.

 

[pbrunts]

If you remove it at the dealer you will loose all FEC activations.
I can help you remotely with FEC and CP.

Everything I'm seeing says for simply replacing MIB2 with MIB2 keeps all of the app controls. Should just need to clear error codes. Is that not true?

 

[sprinks]

If your car came factory with the mib2 (as it did with the 2016), it shouldn't* be a problem for dealer to remove CP and reinstall FECs since it's literally just updating it back to factory. Bring a receipt for the infotainment brain if they want proof it was purchased legally. It is an issue for 2015s wherein VW doesn't recognize they could ever have the mib2s so they won't touch em. As for the Golf R boot screen, that's a simple coding change available in obd11/vcds if you have it.

* because i haven't done it personally, i just remember specifically that 15s were the challenge. I believe there is at least one other user who has swapped MY16 to MY16 infotainment brains and had the dealership manage to remove CP and maintain/restore full FEC.

 

[pbrunts]

If your car came factory with the mib2 (as it did with the 2016), it shouldn't* be a problem for dealer to remove CP and reinstall FECs since it's literally just updating it back to factory. Bring a receipt for the infotainment brain if they want proof it was purchased legally. It is an issue for 2015s wherein VW doesn't recognize they could ever have the mib2s so they won't touch em. As for the Golf R boot screen, that's a simple coding change available in obd11/vcds if you have it.

* because i haven't done it personally, i just remember specifically that 15s were the challenge. I believe there is at least one other user who has swapped MY16 to MY16 infotainment brains and had the dealership manage to remove CP and maintain/restore full FEC.

Yeah, I'd looked into it for my wife's 2015 GTI to try to get her up to apple car play and it required purchasing a new license with VW to allow the FEC verification. Mine already is MIB2 and has android auto, so I'm hoping it's easy enough.

 

[sprinks]

Yeah, I'd looked into it for my wife's 2015 GTI to try to get her up to apple car play and it required purchasing a new license with VW to allow the FEC verification. Mine already is MIB2 and has android auto, so I'm hoping it's easy enough.

For your wife's 15 you don't have to buy the fec. They can't even install the fec. Ask me how I know.

 

[pbrunts]

For your wife's 15 you don't have to buy the fec. They can't even install the fec. Ask me how I know.

From what I've seen around here it's been done but it looks like a pain in the ass.