Audi A3 Audio System Dead: No Sound From Any Source

Had the exact same sound system issue with my 2014 A4. Started with radio silence, followed by complete sound quality loss across all audio sources, despite the volume control appearing to work normally. After basic troubleshooting (checking fuses, head unit connections), took it to a workshop where they diagnosed a defective bass speaker that was causing a short in the system. The repair cost me 280 Euro, including parts and labor. The fix restored full functionality to all car speakers. Before your workshop visit, you might want to check: Fuse box for any blown audio-related fuses, Head unit connections for loose wiring, Sound balance and fade settings in your audio menu, Basic reset of your audio system To provide more specific guidance, could you share: Whether you hear any static or popping sounds, If the issue started suddenly or developed gradually, Current mileage on your A3, Any recent electrical work or battery replacement, Whether your steering wheel audio controls still respond These details would help determine if youre facing the same underlying issue I encountered with the bass speaker failure.

Latest service completed at 128000 KM, current mileage 130141 KM. Thanks for the detailed response. The auxiliary input and all other sound sources went completely dead without warning while driving. No static, popping, or any audio signals through the car speakers. The volume control appears responsive on the display but with complete radio silence. Checked all the suggested points, fuses look good, connections appear solid, and factory reset attempted multiple times without success. Steering wheel controls still respond normally on the display. No recent electrical work or battery changes. This definitely sounds similar to your bass speaker issue. Will mention this specifically when taking it to the workshop. Hoping for a straightforward fix like yours, though would appreciate any other troubleshooting steps before the visit.

Thanks for those additional details. Given the complete silence across all audio sources and identical symptoms to what I experienced, it strengthens my suspicion about the bass speaker issue. My car showed the exact same behavior, functional controls but total radio silence. A quick additional check you can do: try setting your sound balance controls to extreme left/right and front/back positions. In my case, when the bass speaker failed, I could occasionally get minimal sound output through some individual car speakers when adjusting these settings. This test helped the technicians pinpoint the sound distortion source. When my sound quality completely failed, the audio connectivity still showed as working in the system diagnostics, which initially made troubleshooting confusing. The workshop found that the defective speaker was creating a protection circuit response, shutting down the entire audio output. Given your similar mileage range and symptoms, Id bet youre dealing with the same component failure. When you visit the workshop, request they specifically check the amplifier and bass speaker circuit first, it could save diagnostic time and costs.

Thanks for everyone's detailed input. After testing the balance controls as suggested, I still get complete radio silence regardless of settings. Will definitely have the workshop check the bass speaker and amplifier circuit first, given the matching symptoms. Good call on mentioning the system diagnostics too, just checked and my Bluetooth connection still shows as active despite the audio issues, exactly like your case. No sound distortion or partial output through any car speakers, just total silence. Will schedule the workshop visit this week and make sure to highlight the potential bass speaker failure based on this discussion. Will update here with results for anyone who might face similar sound system problems in the future. Really hoping its the same relatively straightforward fix with similar repair costs. The helpful comparisons and troubleshooting steps saved me from out of nowhere testing various solutions. Much appreciated.