# semi-off topic (Q7) question



## ehd (Sep 9, 2006)

My wife appears to have allowed the kids to spill some Gator Aide around the console of her Q7, in this area:








Afterwards the knob on the console that controls the stereo stopped working. The dealer said she need a new "MFI(?) board" that was $1,200.00. She didn't order it yet, but the knob started working -- now it works intermittently.
I recall when she did this to her BMW 525 years ago, the dealer said to pour water into the same area (where the buttons stuck), allow it to wash away the sticky stuff and dry it with a blow-dryer -- it worked then.
Should I try that in this case or am I










_Modified by ehd at 10:24 AM 3-22-2007_


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## TREGinginCO (Jan 4, 2004)

*Re: semi-off topic (Q7) question (ehd)*

Get some Electronics Contact Cleaner. It's got an alcohol base and will clean away the gunk and completely dry fairly quickly at the same time.
I guess the Q7 is very much like the TOUAREG... because some owners have had the same problem happen on their rigs.


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## chickdr (Nov 28, 2003)

The way I look at it whats the worst that can happen if you try water or electronic cleaner? You will have to buy a $1200 board if it doesn't work but you are in that position now anyway... I second the contact cleaner solution!


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## mml7 (Dec 3, 1999)

*Re: semi-off topic (Q7) question (ehd)*

The E380 control head (what your arrow is pointing at) is fairly easy to remove. It might be easier to work on when not in the car. Drop me an email and i can sent you some snapshots from my Bentley


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## ehd (Sep 9, 2006)

*Re: semi-off topic (mml7)*

OK, I purchased a can of contact cleaner; sprayed it all in and around the console -- no change in the behavior








mml7 sent me some instructions on how to remove the console (to clean it better); will try than next, as soon as I can figure-out which diagram applies to our Q7 -- I'm not much of a wrencher







/skeered








However, I don't think the dealer is correct that the board is shot, since I've learned from my wife that EVERYTHING WORKS if you invoke the controls while the Q7 is off (ie; prior to starting it). All will even work for a while after starting it, then cease to work. Does that make any sense to anyone?


_Modified by ehd at 10:24 AM 3-22-2007_


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: semi-off topic (ehd)*

If you need to purchase the part, you should be able to get it for $700 according to the info I have. However, the problem will be Audi having it in stock in the USA.


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## mml7 (Dec 3, 1999)

*Re: semi-off topic (ehd)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ehd* »_mml7 sent me some instructions on how to remove the console (to clean it better); will try than next, as soon as I can figure-out which diagram applies to our Q7 -- I'm not much of a wrencher







/skeered








However, I don't think the dealer is correct that the board is shot, since I've learned from my wife that EVERYTHING WORKS if you invoke the controls while the Q7 is off (ie; prior to starting it). All will even work for a while after starting it, then cease to work. Does that make any sense to anyone?

All of the snapshots I sent you are applicable to your Q7. To get at the control head, you need to first pull up the shift boot as well as remove the storage compartment. 
As for the intermittent functionality..yes, that's rather odd. Do _all_ functions cease to work after awhile? Is it possible that thermal changes are causing the failures?


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## ehd (Sep 9, 2006)

*Re: semi-off topic (mml7)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mml7* »_
All of the snapshots I sent you are applicable to your Q7. To get at the control head, you need to first pull up the shift boot as well as remove the storage compartment.

Thanks!; I'll try it... 

_Quote »_As for the intermittent functionality..yes, that's rather odd. Do _all_ functions cease to work after awhile? Is it possible that thermal changes are causing the failures?

I don't think so, as I'm talking 30 seconds max, before it stops working after it's started.


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## AudiMechanic (Nov 28, 2005)

this happens all the time on A8's and A6's and more recently on Q7's. 
If you get soda or whatever into 2 or more buttons (the knob counts as 2) enough to make operation sticky the MMI controller will cancel itself out seeing multiple requests. When this happens it will go back to the MMI startup screen and just stay there or it will go completly blank. 
Dont use water, thats just plain silly to put water into electronic parts.
Most alcohol and chlorine based electronic parts cleaners will work temporarily, they will cause the thin rubber element under the button to expand making operation in the future almost impossible.
My stance is that it more than likely needs a new switch pannel, so I would swap one over from another car to be sure before I make such a bold move as to try to sell somthing that expensive to a car thats under warranty, let alone relativly new.


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## ehd (Sep 9, 2006)

*Re: (AudiMechanic)*

Thanks for the relply. 
However, don't you think its strange that "everything" works perfectly as long and you don't turn on the ignition -- that it'll work for about 30 seconds after turning on the ignition, then stops working? That implies that the "MMI" board is OK and not getting bad signals from the switch panel -- or am I missing something?


_Modified by ehd at 4:16 PM 3-26-2007_


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## ehd (Sep 9, 2006)

*Re: semi-off topic (mml7)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mml7* »_
All of the snapshots I sent you are applicable to your Q7. To get at the control head, you need to first pull up the shift boot as well as remove the storage compartment.

OK I finally got it out, but I still can't get to the board to clean it. There are screws that look like a cross between allen nuts and phillips-head screws. See below -- any help would be appreciated.


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## Stinky999 (Sep 14, 2006)

*Re: semi-off topic (ehd)*

Did you ever get this fixed? My wife did basically the same thing, spilled coffee on the MMI knob and now it doesn't work.


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## ehd (Sep 9, 2006)

*Re: semi-off topic (Stinky999)*

I was determined to fix it and did everything recommended here, ad nauseam; nothing worked -- had get a new control module thru the dealer (you get everything; its one unit: the module with keys, control/volume knobs, etc., for the $1.2k) -- it was $$$ stupid tax

















_Modified by ehd at 2:00 PM 3-23-2008_


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