MIB3 Software to be Updated

[CJJE]

According to the German magazine Autozeitung, the VW Golf 8 MIB3 software is having a major update, which should also be carried over into the corresponding Skoda and SEAT cars. 

 

They say (via AutoTranslate):

"THE SOFTWARE UPDATE OF THE VW GOLF IN THE TEST

"The VW Golf is Volkswagen's most successful product – but since the eighth generation it has also been a problem case, because it hooked with software and hardware. Unusual assistance systems, touchscreens without display and thus a disused climate control as well as disconnections between smartphones and multimedia units were the rule in Golf test cars and the derivatives of Skoda and Seat. Many of our readers also reported similar incidents. Already at the beginning of 2021, a software update with improvements for the infotainment system MIB3 was introduced, affecting vehicles from the start of production until calendar week 29 of 2020. But test cars with sluggish infotainment, disconnections or bulky voice assistance still stood out. Now VW is once again following suit and offering an ECU-specific software update for existing vehicles up to production week 48 of 2020, but according to VW only for vehicles with the navigation systems Discover Media (1115 euros) or Discover Pro (1950 euros; both with 10-inch touchscreen) including voice control. The standard Radio Composition does not receive a software update. In four to five hours, the data is to be uploaded to the dealer via OBD connection. Unlike the all-electric ID models with central computer, 70 to 80 control units are in use in the decentrally controlled Golf, depending on the equipment, so OTA updates (over the air) via Internet connection are only possible for directories such as navigation data. Since the end of 2021, newly built VW Golf will not only get a new software, but also an improved hardware with more powerful processing units. The Central Processing Units (CPU) are to offer 25 percent more computing capacity, the new graphics card even three times as much as before. In addition, a locking logic for individual user interfaces has been implemented to prevent incorrect operation.

 

"SOFTWARE UPDATE ENABLES SPEAKING AND LISTENING AT THE SAME TIME

"So far so good. But what does all the effort really bring? Striking when activating the ignition: The system of the VW Golf boots up quickly, promptly all important functions are available. This used to be different, because the computer always activated all functions immediately at once – even those that are usually not needed at first. Often you had to wait one to two minutes before you could change the temperature, change the radio station or start a phone call. The voice assistant is immediately active after the wake-up call "Hello Volkswagen" ("Hello VW" or "Hello Golf" not working) and switches on the seat heating. The good thing is that after the wake-up call you no longer have to wait for a "Yes please" or "What can I do for you", but can connect the command directly. If you engage reverse gear during the dialogue with the computer, the assistance is paused – safe is safe. The camera image (325 euros) now appears on the screen within fractions of a second. Here, too, there was a problem in the past. In general, everything works much faster in the test – the implementation of functions via fields on the touch screen, scrolling and swiping through the individual menus and the calculation of navigation destinations. However, most things can be regulated anyway via the voice assistant, which itself indistinctly or hesitantly speaks ("Hello Volkswagen", two seconds pause, then "Navigate to, uh, Krahnhofstraße, Holzem"), casually or only half-formulated commands ("Where is the next tank?", "Call Sebastian") accurately. In addition, the assistant can speak and listen at the same time. If one falls into the word of the friendly-distanced lady's voice, newly formulated commands are nevertheless executed. Only rarely do the question "How please?" or other suggestions for voice commands come up. However, the computer in the VW Golf cannot process two wishes in one sentence ("I'm cold, navigate to Cologne"), and sometimes roads are not recognized if you name a district as the destination instead of the municipality or city. It is practical when controlling climate functions that several microphones in the roof console detect who is issuing a voice command in the car ("My feet are cold"). The voice assistant, which is permanently linked to the Internet via data line and additionally supplied with data from an offline memory, also has points of interest (POI) on it, even special ones such as dentists, DIY stores or African restaurants.

 

"SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THE OLD, ADDITIONALLY NEW HARDWARE FOR ALL NEW VW GOLF

"However, there are also limits to the infotainment software, which is equipped with many new lines of code. During a test drive with the VW Golf through a sparsely populated area with poor network coverage, the voice assistant acknowledged the question about the nearest VW dealer with the note that the online functions were only available to a limited extent and that one should try again later. With commands such as "Dim lighting", "Change driving mode", "Head-up display" or "Driving assistance", however, you will encounter incomprehension even with an Internet connection – the systems of other manufacturers can do this better, sometimes for years. If you say "driving assistant" instead of driving assistance, the surface is activated, on which you can configure things like emergency braking function series), blind spot warning (440 euros) or traffic sign recognition (component Navigation: from 1115 euros). Even the numerous functions of mirrored smartphone interfaces (Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Mirror Link) cannot be controlled by voice input. To do this, you have to take your hands off the steering wheel and hit the right field on the smooth touchscreen surface. This may work well with a tablet on the sofa at home, but while driving, this type of operation distracts. To get a little more stability and accuracy with the touching index finger, you support the thumb intuitively on the bridge placed under the display. But this slider not only houses the functional surfaces for temperature and volume control in the VW Golf. The result: During the touchscreen input, the music suddenly roars full pipe or the blower blows ice-cold or hot air through the cockpit. Alternatively, you can reach behind the screen with four fingers and operate it with your thumb, which requires even more attention.

 

"IMPROVED OPERATION IN THE VW GOLF THANKS TO LOCKED SURFACES

"But even with this dilemma is now over, at least with newly produced Golfs with updated hardware as in our test car. Here, only one operating level is active at a time. As soon as you touch the touch screen, the system locks the slider surface, which, by the way, is still not illuminated, which is why you do not see in the dark which functional surface you are touching with your finger. It is rumored that this problem will only be fixed with the large VW Golf facelift in 2023. The quartet of touch-sensitive direct dialing fields for assistance, parking, climate and driving modes around the analogue hazard warning lights is also locked as soon as the hand approaches the screen – although the large distance between the touchscreen and the four direct dialing fields has never posed the risk of double operation. Speaking of twice: The infotainment in the VW Golf still pairs two smartphones simultaneously via Bluetooth. The interfaces via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (App-Connect Wireless from 485 euros) also work wirelessly. In the test of the software, however, it was noticed that after the problem-free integration of an iPhone 12, the device could no longer be paired via CarPlay the next day, with the note that the smartphone was either not in the vehicle or switched off and therefore not reachable. Even switching from a pure Bluetooth connection for telephony and audio streaming to a CarPlay connection did not work – despite activated WLAN. To do this, the device listed in the infotainment system had to be removed and reconnected. However, once the connection was established via Bluetooth or WLAN, it was no longer interrupted – unlike in the past.

 

"SOFTWARE UPDATE: ALL NEWS AT A GLANCE

"For existing vehicles of the VW Golf until production week 48/2020: Infotainment update for MIB3 (Software 1890) with improved voice assistant, reduction of superfluous interfaces, stable running programs. Duration of the update in the workshop: four to five hours. Around 60,000 vehicles are affected. For new vehicles, there is an infotainment update as for existing vehicles. In addition: New hardware with higher computing power (H58), improved display control unit (ABT Hardware H42) with new software (3080), blocking of the direct dial touch surfaces around the hazard warning light switch when the finger approaches the touch screen, locking of the sliders for temperature and volume under the screen when touching the screen area."

 

Now some of the above faults have not affected the Karoq's different hardware (although other Skodas may well have been affected) but lets hope we can also benefit from the improvements, and that the satnav software is also updated at the same time!