RSQ3 Bluetooth Call Audio: Silent Mic Troubleshooting

Had a similar issue with my 2012 RS4. As someone with some hands-on experience maintaining Audi audio systems, I can share what worked for me. The audio input problems you describe match exactly what I dealt with. My ambient noise cancellation and voice commands stopped working completely, followed by call audio issues. The sound quality for music remained fine, but the microphone system was totally dead. After multiple diagnostic attempts, my workshop found that the main control module for the infotainment system was defective. The volume control and basic Bluetooth connectivity worked, but the microphone processing component had failed. The complete fix required replacing the control unit and recoding the system. Total repair cost was 815 Euro and took about 4 hours of workshop time, including testing and system adaptation. Before you proceed with repairs, could you share: Have you checked if there are any software updates available? Does the issue persist after disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes? Are you getting any specific error messages on the MMI screen? Has there been any recent water damage or extreme temperature exposure? This information would help determine if youre facing the same core issue or if its something else in the audio system chain.

Just had my 123147 KM service last month. This actually resolved a very similar voice recognition issue for me. The problem was a loose connection in the microphone wiring harness above the rear view mirror. The voice system and speech recognition features all came back after they reseated the connector and cleaned the contacts. Cost was only 95 Euro for diagnostic and repair since they found it during regular maintenance. The ambient noise cancellation issue you mentioned definitely sounds familiar. Before fixing the loose connection, my system would connect but couldnt properly process voice inputs or filter background noise. If your basic Bluetooth still works but the audio pickup doesnt, start with checking those connections before replacing more expensive components. Worth getting the wiring checked before committing to a full control module replacement. Most workshops can diagnose this pretty quickly during inspection.

Thanks for sharing your experience. The wiring harness solution would have saved me the expensive control module replacement on my RS4. When my sound quality issues started, the workshop went straight to component replacement without thoroughly checking the microphone connections. Good point about ambient noise cancellation being affected by wiring. Even a partially loose connection can disrupt the audio system's ability to process voice inputs properly. The microphone repair route you took makes more sense as a first step. Your service experience highlights why its worth getting a full diagnostic before replacing parts. My 815 Euro repair might have been avoided with better troubleshooting of the connections. The speech recognition and call audio problems presented identically in both cases, but the root causes were completely different. For anyone else facing similar issues, start with checking: 1. Microphone wiring connections 2. Contact cleanliness 3. Harness routing 4. Basic connection points A proper diagnostic should identify if its truly a component failure or just a connection issue affecting sound quality.

Based on your diagnostic feedback, I feel much better about my situation. Just called the workshop to schedule another look, specifically requesting they check the microphone wiring harness first. The symptoms match exactly, voice recognition not working and poor audio quality during calls, while basic Bluetooth connectivity remains fine. The sound quality issues started right after that big temperature swing last week, which might have affected the connections. Makes sense that the ambient noise cancellation would fail if the mic connection is compromised. Will definitely have them inspect the wiring above the mirror before considering any control module replacement. Nice to know this could be a simple 95 Euro fix rather than an 815 Euro module replacement. Will update once they check the connections and verify if its the same wiring issue. Really appreciate the detailed responses about audio system troubleshooting, saved me from potentially unnecessary expensive repairs.