Audi with SD card slot for MP3 does not load card, help

[Halo]

Have tried to transferring mp3 files from my computer onto Sd card and then play them in my Audi. The display shows the card being read and then reads card slot empty. Have imported direct from cd as MP3 files (160kbits/s) on itunes and then transferred onto sd card in Mac finder. Could anyone tell me if this is the correct method to create a sd card for playing MP3 files?

[Tame Technician]

Should play MP3's, AAC's and WMA. up to 320kbps.

But the card must be formatted FAT32

[Halo]

The manual states the memory cards must be formatted according to the FAT or FAT32 procedure and that the MP3 files names must end with "mp3"?

[Dr G]

The card needs to be a cheapo nasty SD, not SD high speed or SDIO and up to 2 gigs in size IIRC. Oh and contain fewer than 512 tracks.

Edited by Dr G on Saturday 13th March 23:51

[UVB]

Dr G is correct; if you have the "SDHC" logo on your SD card that's almost certainly the (primary) problem. It is possible to find 4Gb plain SD cards but it can take a while as many people advertise them as "SD" when they do in fact have the SDHC logo on them...given the 512 entry limit for tracks/directories you might find you hit that before you have a memory size issue anyway. Personally I've found the 2Gb ones work better too and they used to sell them in large Tesco's for peanuts.

[Tame Technician]

MMI 3G supports the newer cards, up to 32GB. And does the 3 file types I mentioned.

RNS-E spec and functionallaty changes with model year, the original RNS-E "2004 I think" was upto 2GB. And yes they had to be MP3's.

Current 2010MY TT's with RNS-E are upto 16GB and I dont think there is a limitation on number of tracks anymore.


All this is in the relevant handbook.

[Tame Technician]

Halo said:

The manual states the memory cards must be formatted according to the FAT or FAT32 procedure and that the MP3 files names must end with "mp3"?

It means the file extention. You know like an application is ".exe" a word file ".doc" and mp3 ".mp3"

[ChrisRad]

I've just bought a 57-plate A4 with the MMI RNS-E head unit. I know it takes 2GB memory cards but wonder if anyone knows whether it will cope with 4GB? I've tested 8GB SDHC and predictably that doesn't work. Also is there still the limitation of 512 files on this model?

[Cupramax]

ChrisRad said:

I've just bought a 57-plate A4 with the MMI RNS-E head unit. I know it takes 2GB memory cards but wonder if anyone knows whether it will cope with 4GB? I've tested 8GB SDHC and predictably that doesn't work. Also is there still the limitation of 512 files on this model?

As per above post it will read a 4gb SD but not SDHC and yes 512 files/folders limit.

[jamelad]

I have a 2010 Audi A4 with the MMI system. Earlier today I took it to the local dealer complaining that it's not recognising all MP3 tracks on my 16GB SDHC card (it reads just 995 of 2,315 tracks). After querying this with Audi, the dealer advised that MMI is only capable of reading prehistoric 2GB cards. I wish they'd have told me this before spending my hard-earned money!!! They reckon an upgrade is not possible.

Does anyone have any views or advice on this?

[chard]

Halo said:

Have tried to transferring mp3 files from my computer onto Sd card and then play them in my Audi. The display shows the card being read and then reads card slot empty. Have imported direct from cd as MP3 files (160kbits/s) on itunes and then transferred onto sd card in Mac finder. Could anyone tell me if this is the correct method to create a sd card for playing MP3 files?

itunes are copy right protected. Down load from "my music" from a windows machine

[Cupramax]

jamelad said:

I have a 2010 Audi A4 with the MMI system. Earlier today I took it to the local dealer complaining that it's not recognising all MP3 tracks on my 16GB SDHC card (it reads just 995 of 2,315 tracks). After querying this with Audi, the dealer advised that MMI is only capable of reading prehistoric 2GB cards. I wish they'd have told me this before spending my hard-earned money!!! They reckon an upgrade is not possible.

Does anyone have any views or advice on this?

Sorry, but they're wrong. I have an 2009 A5 which has the same MMi and 4 + 8gb SDHC cards work, haven't tried 16 though. Can only suggest you have files names with charachters other than letters i.e. commas, appostrophies etc etc as these seem to throw a spanner in the works from previous experience.

[db]

I have an 04 plate S4, the manual says the player supports sd cards up to 256 MB. Is that really the "largest" sd card that can be read?
Any idea how many tracks 256 MB cards can hold?

[Murph7355]

Have just sorted SD cards out for my 57 plate RNS-E equipped Audi. Some pointers:

- you can get 4gb std SD cards from a German company called Avides on Amazon. They're about a fiver each including delivery. They work fine.

- you will hit the 512 files and folders limit before filling a 4gb card. I've used about 2.5gb-3gb.

- if copying files from a mac, be aware that macs create hidden files starting with '.' that I believe confuses the RNS-E. To get rid of these you need to use the command line. Do the following at a command prompt (use the Terminal app in the Utilities folder of you Applications folder) :

cd /Volumes
ls

You should now see the name of your memory card...

rm -rf /<name of card>/.f*
rm -rf /<name of card>/.T*
rm -rf /<name of card>/.S*

dot_clean -m --keep=native /<name of card>

Then eject the card in finder. This should give you a card that works with no spurious duplicates.

PS and just realised the original post was from 2yrs ago

Rdf the 256mb cards... You might be able to upgrade the firmware of your unit to allow up to 4gb.

Edited by Murph7355 on Monday 28th January 10:06

[db]

Any idea how I'd update the firmware?

[Dr G]

...I think that's just what old versions of the manual say as that's what was available at the time.

[Adrian E]

On the RNS-E I think there were only ever 2 firmware versions and the update didn't alter sd card support. Mine still says 256MB or something daft ever with a 4gb card installed and working! Think the firmware change mainly altered navigation functionality

I have a collection of Platinum branded sd cards in 4gb size which aren't sdhc. A lot of cheap sd cards on eBay are sdhc but don't say as much - they copy the labels and packaging from branded media but doesn't relate to the product itself!

The Platinum ones can be found for £3-4 each online - I bought a dozen and keep spares for when they're no longer available

Ref the issue of format - I import CDs using windows media player with it set to import as mp3 and it automatically maps to 'my music' in artist order. I use iTunes for my phone but its easier to have 2 copies than try to convert and manually manage within iTunes

[Murph7355]

db said:

Any idea how I'd update the firmware?

Insert a later nav dvd. (I think the latest available firmware is on 2007 disks onwards). But as the above poster notes, 4gb cards may just work anyway.

The cards I bought from Avides are also Platinum branded.

[db]

Thanks for info Murph and others

[UVB]

Pretty sure my manual used to say something pathetic like 256Mb as well and it certainly worked with 2Gb.