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Google Earth for MMI 3G+ / VW RNS850 / MIB systems

162K views 271 replies 100 participants last post by  mca5oc  
#1 · (Edited)
Hello all,
some of you might already noticed as of Dec 2020 Google Earth was disabled for all vehicles older than MY2018.
That left all legacy MMI systems w/o that option.

I'm happy to announce that there is a software solution now that can make GEMMI work again :)
Installations are performed remotely, all you need is empty SD card and active green menu as i will need some details from it.

More info here :
Code:
https://www.audi-mib.bg/audi-google-earth/
For MMI3G+ systems min software version required K900, best with K942/P1001 (lowest version tested US: 0566 EU: 0532)
For RNS850 systems min software version required K821 (it might work with older but it was never tested)
For MIB1/2 systems almost all software versions are covered, if update i needed i will guide you thru the process if you are not comfortable doing it by yourself.

Active Connect subscription is not required, but if the system was retrofit i need to know that prior to making the activation pack.
Data connection is required.

MMI 3G+/RNS850 systems -> Price is 90€ one time only.
MIB1/2 systems -> Price is 180€ one time only.

Because of recent questions from members i will state that here so it's public - No information about location of the car is transmitted back to me when using Google Earth alone. Location might be transmitted (but not recorded) only while using the streetview option. If you dont want that then you can disable the streetview completely from the green menu (MMI) or coding(MIB).

As some of you may have concerns about reliability of the service I'm extending the warranty period to 6 months.
What is covered?
If you have MIB1/MIB2 system and the software is not able to function as intended before the end of the 6th month since it was activated and I'm not able to restore it in 2 month time then you will get up to 50% refund.

What is not covered?
Unfortunately due to its age MMI3G+ systems are not covered by any warranty period.
End user action that somehow prevented the software from functioning correctly.
Isolated case where only one system is affected (i believe it's clear that is local problem)
Activation that is not made direct from me elsewhere using my files.
Discounted packages.

Warranty VOID
As expected some will try to reverse the code and/or try other techniques to understand how it works. That is fine for own education but if shared publicly will result in immediate support termination w/o any refund. No new updates will be offered.

Software is expected to function properly for more than 2 years. Any speculations that it will stop in a week or two are nonsense's by people that have absolutely no idea how this thing actually works.

Please write in English only. Foreign users can use google translate to do that.

Required information for MIB systems:
I will provide software package that will do the information extract for you.

Required information for MMI3G+/RNS850 systems:
1. photo of GreenMenu -> Environment screen.
2. VIN or FAZIT. FAZIT can be seen from VCDS -> 5F, Advanced Identification.
3. Version of the software should be at least 900 or newer.
If you dont have green menu activation I will provide script that will do the information extract for you.
Image


Image



Demo of A6 4F (retrofitted MMI3G+)

Demo of S4 B9 (W/o fix from Audi)

p.s Forum members with more than 5 posts and account created more than 3 months ago will get 10% discount on the price.

Contact for more info.

The price paid is not for providing the satellite images, they are freely available. It's for the time taken to make it work again.
 
#6 ·
Hi Congo,

I was about to install the external components late last year and enable google earth on the MMI. When news of the end of google maps came out I stopped this project. Now I need to get this working then I'll be in touch for the update.

On a side note, I have no Audi connect account or online traffic, is this an issue with your fix?

Regards, J
 
#20 ·
If you have QualComm unit (MHI2Q), or Audi A3/TT/R8 MY2017+ with MHI2 unit then you can update by yourself and try to see will it work. MIBS (Scale) Delphi units are also covered and they can be updated too. The only requirement is that you have active Audi Connect subscription.

More informanition and software packaghes can be found here -> Gogole Earth saga and VW Group
 
#21 ·
As some of you may have concerns about reliability of the service I'm extending the warranty period to 6 months.
What is covered?
If you have MIB1/MIB2 system and service stops before the end of the 6th month since it was activated and I'm not able to restore it in 2 month time then you will get 50% refund.

What is not covered?
End user action that somehow prevented the software from functioning correctly.
Isolated case where only one system is affected (i believe it's clear that is local problem)
Violation of the rules for sharing resulted disabling the service.
Activation that is not made direct from me elsewhere using my files.

Just for information - expected lifetime of the service is above 3 years. Any speculations that it will stop in a week or two are nonsense's by people that have absolutely no idea how this thing actually works.

Regards.
 
#22 ·
Congo, maybe you could explain (in shortly) how this service works.
I suppose you have some kind of server-in-the-middle as a central point between audi and nvidia users.
I also suppose that this server prepares packages and send it to your users.

If that's true users are dependable on your server which should be active 0-24.
 
#23 ·
Hello,
can you tell me how this info will help you?
It is not important how exactly it works, its important that it does work.
I already give you the information you need on PM?
And what have nVidia to do with all this ;)

Last but not least - users are dependable on many systems along the way. There were moments before when some services were unavailable and there will be such moments in the future.
Audi does maintenance every month for 2 days but i don't see you complaining about it, Google does it every month but yet ... all is quiet.
 
#24 ·
Hello,
can you tell me how this info will help you?
It is not important how exactly it works, its important that it does work.
And what have nVidia to do with all this ;)
Ok, I guess you think i'm a fool to whom it doesn't make sense to explain how something works because - he won't understand. Good approach! ;)

And the solution applies to nvidia devices, qulacomm users can make the update themselves (without 3rd party solution) - or I'm wrong because I don't understand a thing!
 
#29 ·
It brings back Google to any MMI Touch(MMI 3G+, MIB1, MIB2, PCM4) on VW Group vehicles (Audi,Volkswagen, Skoda, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley) by making communication between MMI and Google Earth serves possible. This is as far as i can go.
Im not angry, im just curious as same questions i have been asked from another user in another communication channel that later posted in Facebook and telegram "i will soon be able to do it" :) If that is you then good luck, if not them im sorry i might made a mistake. I admire people that do unique things and bring to others, leaders not copy machines.

QualComm or nVidia(yes there is nVidia that have new software - A3,TT,R8,Q2) if updated to 5XXX will need active subscription to make it work. Delphi also have new software that is using Maxar (2035/2037) or older that can still use google 1040/1042 and so on.
Older software can be made to work w/o subscription mainly because older is using Google as source and newer Maxar thru Here MAPS.
It appears that they left only some A4/A5/Q5/Q7 not covered from the new models and all older.

Google provides better pictures as of now, Maxar is using lower quality data same as what Google used to be last year.
This year images in big cities are crystal clear.

Regards.
 
#30 ·
Thanks, I'm not "that user" and I have no idea who you're talking about.
But now you have interested me with this "Older software can be made to work w/o subscription mainly because older is using Google as source". I'm in that train, so, if I understand correctly, I do not need an active Audi Connect subscription?
I have to admit that "Google Earth" and "Car Status" are only two things which makes Audi Connect reasonable for me. Now (if your solution works) I will cancel subscription right away.
 
#31 ·
Yes, with old versions you dont need active subscription. If you are 2XXX, 3XXX or even 4XXX then Google will work even if you terminate your subscription.
About Car Status, that is different connect package that normally is for many years not only one. You can check its valid period in the Audi Connect menu, right func button and choose Licenses. So that should not stop if you stop the infotainment connect package.
 
#36 ·
@congo This whole GEMMI reprovision tactic seems to be floating around in variety of iterations here and elsewhere for about the same cost. Looking over your statements in this thread you're tying your changes to the MMI through BTMAC/VIN to identify users in your system that is tying into the original GE API through Audi backend somehow through a proxy via a valid "license" i.e. working VIN MY 2018+ to trigger the updates to flow.

When GE disabled their API 12/2015 it seems as if VAG ported a copy over to their own server and supplied the data on their own metal w/ a replication from GE to support the defunct API configured in older MMI units. So, either this method is updating the 10th character in the VIN to something post 2018 and tracking users on your side by BTMAC as the identifier or the proxy method / license bypass.

As an insight providers like TM / ATT / etc. have devices called "Google Cache" that store searches for faster response w/o sending an external lookup to GG each time thus cutting the bandwidth needed and lower latency to EU devices in the process. They're very effective in cutting down the need for WAN bandwidth after they scrape GG information for download to the cache itself. I'm guessing that something similar is in play for the GE "product" that VAG disabled for older models and left in place for current systems.

The whole excuse that the HW in older models doesn't support an overlay image tied to a spontaneous download from the API is stupid as it's been working for at least the last 5 years w/o issue and it's also damaging the VAG brands by saying they can't support their own products. It's either a waiting game for them to turn it back on w/ the backlash they've produced or lose a customer base that had been loyal to the technical abilities no one else had shown in the past. In the past VAG has been a forerunner in tech in vehicles and now the innovation seems to have subsided.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Hi,
its a bit foggy ...
Actually Google have not stopped the service back in 2015. They might disabled some options like streetview but the sat map remained.
VW Group never made anything to make it work, they just had agreement with Google that expired 2020 and Google decided to move on and implement changes that were on hold for years.
VW Group never renewed the contract because On 3 August 2015, Here was sold to a consortium of German car makers Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. A bit later same year Here was given a task - to make Sat Map functionality. In 2018 A8 was the first to get this new SatMap. Although the Google logo remained as the customers get used to it, the new Sat Map have nothing to do with Google. It have lower quality photos at the moment, it use other sources and it uses completely different protocol. If you look close enough you will notice slight difference in the Google logo of the new Sat Map and the old one.

VW Group will not make anything for the models older than MY17 that's for sure, those model as outside of standard warranty period. The whole MMI 3G project is closed. Also because of the fact that they don't want to pay two times for same service, once to Google once to Here. Yes they do pay Here regardless of the fact that they own the company. It is the way it works in enterprise organizations.

As for the MY18 models, they do cover some of them leaving very small percentage of cars that are not covered. They dont care about the guys that have activated Google w/o active subscription (the notorious remote_HMI tweak) so on paper the percentage of affected vehicles is really small.

VW Group is ignoring reports for software vulnerabilities that can cause serious problems for the equipment ... so that's it with customer care. They don't care about so its unlikely that they will cover the only one hardware type that is not yet covered - A4/A5/Q5/Q7 nVidia units which were installed till 2018. All the rest are covered as long as they have active subscription - that is a must now.

If we look at the new models VAG is still leader in the infotainment technologies and not only. The only one other brand that is actually ahead of its time is Tesla but that is not very popular on EU soil so that keeps VW at no 1.

If we look from other angle we can see VAG like Apple, they do the innovations that later are copied by others and improved as expected. It is one thing to get something that is ready and just tweak it a bit it's other thing to carry on the whole R&D from 0.

As for the information "floating around in variety of iterations here and elsewhere for about the same cost" - its normal as it does have only one source :)

p.s. As i said elsewhere when we talk about Google Maps (the original) Audi have nothing to do here.
 
#38 ·
remote_HMI tweak
Not sure about this as it's not something I needed to do other than put a different sim in the unit and apply the appropriate APN in the connection screen to make it work.

As to the MMI 3G+ not being supported that's fine but the reasoning behind disabling it just doesn't jive with the HW being incompatible reason that was given. Sure it's a bit antiquated in comparison with what's on the market these days but, it's still more powerful than the systems that supported the Apollo missions in the 60's.

Anyway... I shot you a PM the other day on another matter regarding UMTS activation....

As to the whole buy from yourself enterprise issue... yes, same here in the states as some TV stations were having the same issue with broadcasting rights / fees in dispute with other carriers outside of themselves under the corporate umbrella. What doesn't make much sense though is if you install the new FW on the MMI and the Maps get updated (30GB) why can't the system just run the overlay based on the HD images preloaded instead of that 90's look that shows up?