Sticky Buttons on MMI (Fixed)

[ReyWithAnE]

I drive a 2017 A4 B9 Premium Plus and my "menu" and "back" buttons on my MMI control (Part Number 8W0919614) were stuck and the part was $830 from the dealer. My car was already out of manufacturer's warranty, and I definitely wasn't willing to pay that much. To fix the problem, I bought the part on eBay, replaced my old one and fixed the issue. As I was about to throw my old controller away, I decided to open it up, clean up the insides, and lo and behold, the stuck buttons were fixed. I already bought another MMI controller, so I wasn't afraid to break my original one. Here is what I did to solve my issue and hopefully, this will save someone some time and money. Follow at your own risk!




First, I tried spraying electronic cleaning solution, which helped a little bit, but didn't fully fix the issue. I'd go ahead and give it this a shot first because if this doesn't work, you'll need the electronic cleaner anyway:



Since the spray cleaner didn't work, I had to take apart my center console. Follow these directions, and as the guy said, the console should first pop off with the cup holders. The console comes out as a whole piece:



To remove the MMI control from the console, you will need to remove the cup holder after following the steps above. There are two screws for the cup holder and 4 screws holding the MMI controller. Once those 6 screws are removed, then you may go ahead and pop off two console pieces separately. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of this step before I put it back together.


Once you have the MMI controller removed from the center console, remove the 9 silver screws. There is NO need to remove the rubber molding on the edge of the MMI control. I accidentally removed it, but it was a waste of time.



After removing the back cover, you should have access to the circuit board. Remove, the white clip, flip the controller over and the board should come out.



Remove the circuitboard and rubber circuitboard protector. If you see any gunk on the rubber protector, you may clean it with mild soap and water. Do not spray with electrical cleaner as it may warp the rubber.



These four pieces fell out when I removed the circuitboard. They're used for the toggle Nav/Tel and Radio/Media switches. Use the following picture when putting back together. They only go back one way so don't worry about inserting it incorrectly.



Depending on which button is stuck, go ahead and spray with electric cleaner. Don't be afraid to overspray as the circuit board is removed and the cleaner will not damage the plastic. I also used a screwdriver and my finger to push the buttons back and forth after spraying. To get to small areas, I used a needle to scrape off any gunk that I found. I almost thought that I didn't fix the issue until I thoroughly removed the dirt. The smallest amount of debris will cause the buttons to stick. I've marked the parts where I pushed with a screwdriver after spraying to move my stuck keys back and forth:



When checking if the buttons are no longer stuck, everything but the screws must be put back together. Don't be discouraged as I had to repeat the process of spraying, cleaning, and putting back together several times before the buttons were finally to my liking. Also, when putting back together, make sure that these wires are in their appropriate slots as everything might not close correctly:


One last note: make sure you put EVERYTHING back together before restarting the car. I forgot to put the shifter and got a "P Button" error message. I drove the car around my block, parked, locked it, and went in my house for a few minutes and the code went away on its own. Good luck!

[sykokilla]

This Helped me out SO much, Thank you!

I Have a 2018 and the previous owner spilled soda all over it.
Using steamer and working the buttons over and over again did the trick.
I then sprayed it down with some plastic/electronic safe alcohol after letting it dry in front of a fan for a couple mins.
Finally got it all back together and it was like brand new. Couldn't be happier.

Also, watch out for the metal clips that pop off and fall into the console cavity when removing the console. luckily i found all of them and put them back on the bottom of the plastic.

[gapband]

I spent some time cleaning out my stubbornly sticky MMI keys, and after my initial cleaning failed, I figured out how to disassemble the MMI control panel. Another nice reference is this AudiWorld thread.

To open the MMI control, you'll need a trim pry tool. First, you'll need to remove the rubber trim (noted in one of OP's pics) around the perimeter of the module. Next, use the pry tool in the space where the rubber was to carefully release the top assembly from the bottom -- start from the opposite side of the MMI control wheel and work your way down. Most of the assembly will separate with a notable click. The bottom part, where the control wheel is, will not. That part feels like it's connected via a screw; it's not; it's only held in via the control wheel.

The MMI wheel is held in via clips. Apply pressure between the two assembly pieces where the wheel is (if you have two pry tools, you can use one on each side of the wheel). The wheel should pop out when the right amount of force. Remember, all of this happens in-between both assemblies where the rubber trim was.







I did this because the other, less invasive cleaning method didn't work for me, and I did not want to pay for a new control panel (~$200-~$800). I figured if I broke the unit, I would go ahead and fork over the money.

[toxicxk23]

Would this be something the Audi dealership would cover under warranty? Just bought a used 2018 S4 and the buttons were all stuck. I got them all loose with isopropanol but they are still a bit sticky. Before I go ahead and take it apart for a deep clean, figured I'd find out if the dealer will help out. Still has 13 mos/7k miles left on the warranty.

[OUBraves3B]

Thank you all sooooo much for these write-ups. All of it worked like a charm! Saved me a TON of time!

[Jm2121]

Hi
Thanks for the comprehensive information about dismantling the mmi unit. I have the same issue, I’ve had some success in freeing up some buttons but some remain stuck. Next step is to remove the buttons completely and clean them. My question is, how to remove the nav/tel radio/media toggle buttons?
Thanks in advance.

[danutzu_2001]

I spent some time cleaning out my stubbornly sticky MMI keys, and after my initial cleaning failed, I figured out how to disassemble the MMI control panel. Another nice reference is this AudiWorld thread.

To open the MMI control, you'll need a trim pry tool. First, you'll need to remove the rubber trim (noted in one of OP's pics) around the perimeter of the module. Next, use the pry tool in the space where the rubber was to carefully release the top assembly from the bottom -- start from the opposite side of the MMI control wheel and work your way down. Most of the assembly will separate with a notable click. The bottom part, where the control wheel is, will not. That part feels like it's connected via a screw; it's not; it's only held in via the control wheel.

The MMI wheel is held in via clips. Apply pressure between the two assembly pieces where the wheel is (if you have two pry tools, you can use one on each side of the wheel). The wheel should pop out when the right amount of force. Remember, all of this happens in-between both assemblies where the rubber trim was.







I did this because the other, less invasive cleaning method didn't work for me, and I did not want to pay for a new control panel (~$200-~$800). I figured if I broke the unit, I would go ahead and fork over the money.

Hello,

the best way to open the MMI control is to remove the silver cap on MMI wheel.
I tryed your method to remove the MMI wheel and is a PITA to put back the electronic circuit from inside the wheel.
Inside the wheel is a bearing also who will be fitted in a 4 clips, and also in parallels you should fit also the electronic circuit (it has one way position).

Buttons from NAV/TEL & RADIO/MEDIA can be popped out with a pry tool from outside edge.

All buttons were washed with soapy water, dried and and greased with silicone spray.

Thanks