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Orange juice in MMI - and it's on the blink


wordsman
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I'm sure this must happen all the time, but I managed to get orange juice dripping into the MMI controls on the centre console in my 2005 D3. Now it keeps switching radio channel before turning the MMi off after a few minutes, with all the button lights glowing red. Nightmare. I feel a very expensive repair coming on. Anyone had something similar? Is there anything I can do to fix it?

thanks guys:(

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You have to take it out and wash and dry it.

There is a screw under the ash tray insert.

Two screws under the ash tray assembly.

Then you tug on the corners of the wood in the lower edge of where the ashtray was.

You pop the whole wooden console out starting at the ashtray end.

The CC stays where it is.

Unclip the many connectors and take in the house.

You then have to wash out the MMI controls from underneath.

You can undo some screws to lift the lids on the back to see the PCB.

I used aerosol isopropyl alcohol, but any dry alcohol will do.

If the orange juice already dried, you may have to wash with warm water and then use alcohol to flush out the water.

Also be careful about the latex soft-touch coating on the buttons, I had no problem, but water can soften it.

You may want to completely remove the MMI boxes from the wood via the screws and by drifting out the brass locking pin in the start/stop button.

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Hi,

Good luck with your orange spill, I've spilt coffee a number of times and thankfully haven't done any damage yet!!

Snapdragon,

My son spilt a couple of coins between the cupholder cover and the end of the console. I can't seem to get them out and they are really bugging me. Do I need to dismantle the console from the front as described above or is there an easier way to open up the cupholder section? I've lifted out the cupholders but can't see an obvious way to get beyond the base. I've a 2008 D3 Sport.

Thanks for any help.

Xila

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It will take hardly any time to get the coins out. Mine had a concertinaed business car in there of the previous owner.

It stopped the lid coming up fully (I thought it was bad design)

I think that's why my tea spilled, the cup was always tilted forward.

Then after cleaning the tea, I noticed a rustling noise when I opened the lid and it was leaning forward more than ever.

I took no time to undo the screws and remove it again, and tilt onto it's side and poke the card out with a ruler.

Maybe you can just tilt yours upside down? I can't quite remember the exact design, but I think there is a gap in the thin flock-sprayed plastic at the back of the cupholder that you can access when it's out.

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I can't remember, aren't there lots of torx screws on the back?

Have you removed the actual MMI button holder from the wooden console?

I definitely did that.

I just loosened some more screws and the black plastic boxes became loose enough to spray my alcohol in and I could see the PCB and microswitches under the buttons..

BUT I think you have to remove the start/stop button box first. I didn't and it made it almost impossible to get apart and 100%impossible to put back. There are 2 screws and a brass pin on the back on the bridge between start & stop.

Sorry if my memory is hazy, I didn't bother to remember it as it wasn't enjoyable.

As I say, be careful of the coating on the buttons I have seen others ruined when I was looking at Audis to buy and the sellers said it was when they were cleaning it so when the alcohol got on mine I gently mopped it immediately and it was fine, but I think with prolonged contact with any liquid it will soften and wipe off or become tacky.

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So, I've had the console out, cleaned it through with 'video head cleaner' from Maplin (they said it was isopropol alcohol) and got everything back together nicely. On the plus side it was quite a pleasant job and not that tricky. But unfortunately it's not worked. MMI seems to be stuck on phone, and the radio comes on but turns itself off after a few minutes, with all the MMI lights glowing red at once. So, I think I might have another go at cleaning it this weekend, otherwise I guess I'm stumping up £600 for a new one :(

Either that, or, find myself an S8 and trade the 4.2 in. I need new tyres all round, the sunroof's a bit sticky and it's due an MOT, so I'm due a whopping bill anyway.

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I used:

Isopropyl Alcohol : Maplin Electronics

A rip off at £10 as we pay £2.33 at work mail order, but it was the weekend and I needed it fast.

The symptoms sound like conductive moisture is still in there.

Give it a really good flush with that stuff as it is 99.9% propan-2-ol so it will flush out any moisture and not introduce any of it's own.

It is not conductive itself so does not need to dry/evaporate before putting back into service.

In the old days when computers were very expensive, I used to buy smoke/flood damaged computers and wash them in hot water and washing up liquid and then dry them with alcohol before leaving them to dry for 2 weeks in a small room with fans. In those days people used to smoke in the offices too and they would often be yellow, sticky and smell bad. We even used a dishwasher for casings and keyboards.

They used to work in 90% of cases as everything inside is pretty much impervious plastic, silicon, metal or ceramic, the same as our MMI controls. It's when conductive soot or water bridges the gaps between the metal parts that it starts to go awry.

Edited by snapdragon
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