Glitches in infotainment systems are the new curse of the majority of cars. They may glitch once you take your vehicle from the dealer or after just 10K miles on them. They may glitch because you've inserted a bad SD card or USB flash card or if you connected them to the internet. They may glitch just because they are glitchy and sometimes we just don't know what to do.
Resetting the infotainment system highlights
- Reasons:glitch, dead screen, freezing
- Quick fix:look in manual, pull the fuse, disconnect the battery
- Price forrepair:$0 - $150
- Time forrepair:0.1 - 1 hours
- Howcommon:very common
- DIYrepair:possible
Resetting your Volkswagen infotainment
So, here's what exactly you should do to reset the screen and the system in your VW vehicle:
- Step 1. Make sure your infotainment system is on. The screen should be on. For this, turn on the ignition in your vehicle, it's not necessary to start the engine, just the ignition will be enough.
- Step 2. Make sure you are doing everything in safe conditions. Please never try to reset or tune your infotainment system while you are driving your vehicle. Once your attention is not on the road, something really bad may happen.
- Step 3. Locate the power button that is used to turn your infotainment system on and off. In most cases, this button will be located in the central left part of the screen and will have the "Power" icon on it.
- Step 4. Press the on/off button and hold it for approximately 12 seconds. When you hold it, at first the system will turn to clock mode, then, after 10 seconds, the system will turn off completely, and after another 2 seconds, it will reboot.
- Step 5. Make sure the infotainment system is on and working. If you still see the black screen when you already released the button, press it once more to turn on the system.
This is a very simple guide that will help you to reset the system and get rid of some glitches in its operation. Unfortunately, Volkswagen cars have a lot of problems with their screens and not all of them can be solved just by resetting the system.
What will this resetting help with?
First of all, you can get rid of some minor glitches with your radio. Also, it will help if your infotainment doesn't recognize a flash card or an SD card. In some cases, this will help to rearrange Bluetooth connections and you'll be able to connect your Phone to use all those perks of CarPlay and Android Auto.
Also, if your screen is frozen, resetting will obviously help you get it back to life. We've seen when people could solve their problems just by pressing that power button for 10 seconds after driving their cars with bad infotainment systems for months. So, knowing this trick is super important for any Volkswagen owner.
What are the problems that resetting will not help with?
Unfortunately, resetting your infotainment system in a Volkswagen car will not help you get rid of all the problems. Sometimes, these units malfunction and need repair or replacement.
We've gathered some common issues that will require a visit to a dealer for sorting our problems:
- The screen is black and doesn't react to the power button at all. In this case, you will not be able to reset the system because it just doesn't work.
- The touchscreen doesn't work. If the touchscreen in Volkswagen doesn't react on your finger, you may try resetting it. But in most cases, it won't help. You need some proper repair or replacement of the screen.
- The infotainment system is heating. If it's hot to the touch or even emanates some high temperature to the interior of your car, the best solution is to turn it off as soon as possible and head to the dealer for diagnosis.
- The infotainment system keeps glitching after resetting. In this case, you should ask the dealer to update the system and diagnose it. In most cases, the software update will help. But sometimes, a replacement will be needed.
- The screen logo freezes when the systems is turned on. A lot of VW owners report that the infotainment doesn't boot successfully, just the logo is displayed and the system is frozen. In this case, you will need to check if your vehicle was recalled by VW and then go to the dealer to solve the problem.
About the authors
The CarAraC research team is composed of seasoned auto mechanics and automotive industry professionals, including individuals with advanced degrees and certifications in their field. Our team members boast prestigious credentials, reflecting their extensive knowledge and skills. These qualifications include: IMI: Institute of the Motor Industry, ASE-Certified Master Automobile Technicians; Coventry University, Graduate of MA in Automotive Journalism; Politecnico di Torino, Italy, MS Automotive Engineering; Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Mechanical University in Skopje; TOC Automotive College; DHA Suffa University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
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