Upgrading your Audi C7 A6 with massage and ventilated seats can significantly enhance driving comfort. This article details a retrofit experience from a pre-facelift Audi A6 C7 Avant to a facelift Audi A6 Avant C7.5, focusing on the challenges and solutions encountered. This DIY project involved swapping components and tackling coding complexities to integrate these premium seat features.
The original vehicle had basic textile electric seats with driver memory. The upgrade required adding passenger side cables from the right door to accommodate the new features. A key part of this retrofit was replacing the front and rear climate control units.
Climate Control Unit Swap:
- Original Front Climate Control: 4G0 820 043 CD
- New Front Climate Control: 4G0 820 043 BM (replacement for 4G0 820 043 CE in ETKA)
- Original Rear Climate Control: 4G0 919 158 Q
- New Rear Climate Control: 4G0 919 158 K (due to rear seat heating requirements)
The coding from the original front climate control unit (36821178250000) was initially reused. However, after the hardware swap, several issues arose.
Initial Problems and Troubleshooting:
Despite completing the component protection (CP) removal, the cooling function and seat ventilation were not working correctly. Seat ventilation would only activate for a few seconds (3-5 seconds). Similarly, while the massage seat function appeared on the MMI screen briefly, it remained inactive. A vehicle scan revealed errors on both seat memory units and the instrument cluster following the front climate panel replacement.
Attempts were made to recode module 09 (central electronics) to reflect the absence of front seat heating, hoping to resolve conflicts with the seat units. The original coding of module 09 is shown below.
Address 09: Cent. Elect. (J519) Labels: Redir Fail! Part No SW: 4H0 907 063 DG HW: 4H0 907 063 AG Component: BCM1 2.0 H20 0311 Revision: 14020001 Serial number: 00001172356502 Coding: 0105001440349FE2C9014087A0001800CF9CC7082E08020180000894E101170200400009090000 Shop #: WSC 02391 785 00200 VCID: 70EBB6F1A32669C4D1-8024Further diagnostic efforts involved using a HEX-NET cable and VCDS experimental Beta software to recode, but these attempts were also unsuccessful in resolving the issues with cooling, ventilated seats, and massage functions. The persistent problems suggest potential deeper coding or compatibility issues that require further investigation.
Seeking Expert Assistance:
The complexities encountered highlight the intricacies of retrofitting advanced features like Audi Massage Seats. Successfully integrating these features requires not only hardware installation but also precise software coding and potentially overcoming component protection measures. For those undertaking similar projects, consulting with experienced Audi retrofitters or utilizing advanced diagnostic tools may be necessary to fully enable all functionalities.
This case study serves as a valuable reference for anyone considering an Audi massage seat retrofit, emphasizing the importance of thorough planning, access to advanced diagnostic tools, and potentially expert assistance to navigate the coding challenges involved in enabling these comfort features. The journey underscores that while physically installing components is a significant step, the software integration is equally crucial for a fully functional and enjoyable upgrade.
