*NEW* Mk8.5R operational tips

[Booth11]

3 hours ago, AHG said:

What I have seen is (early days of the car) that only if you go into the AC menu and turn AirCare on over there it will show a line filling up along the circumference of the “button” in the screen, to show its progression, and when done, it will revert to a normal setting, which is not necessarily what you had it on before.

I barely use that route, so not sure if it hasn’t changed with SW versions (will try and remember to check tomorrow).

 

What I do in my mk8 is put up an AirCare shortcut button on the pull down menu, and that will work the same as in your mk8.5, meaning it will stay on until you turn it off and not show progression. That is what I use, along with a ReCirculation shortcut button, having both allows me to avoid any use of the AC menu screen.

 

The best thing about the AirCare shortcut button is that auto fan level, etc) so for me the AirCare shortcut along with the ReCirc shortcut make the AC menu completely unnecessary (I use it maybe twice a year, just to verify it is as I left it - fan auto medium, all hatches open, sync).

 

 

In the 8.5 main AC menu the air care button (the one to the bottom right of the AC menu - air particles and an arrow icon) is quite different to how it was in the mk8 (iirc) and once pressed (a brief message appears to says it’s on) but there’s no count down line round the edge like there was in the mk8.  I ran it this morning via the main AC menu and it did not turn itself off even after 15 minutes. 

 

 

The shortcuts in the 8.5 aren’t exactly the same as in the mk8.  AC doesn’t seem to feature as an option for a shortcut at all in pull down screen as it did with the mk8; and in others it doesn’t appear in the exact same way as it previously did where you could scroll through the various AC options of a shortcut. I haven’t found a way of accessing Air care other than via the main AC menu….yet.  

[AHG]

11 minutes ago, Booth11 said:

I haven’t found a way of accessing Air care other than via the main AC menu….yet.

I hope you do find a way

IMO avoiding AC screen is a great idea, if possible by shortcuts, and much easier to use while driving. 

Although easily reachable by tapping the temps (in the mk8) it is a busy screen with various sizes of buttons (even more so in the 8.5) and much easier to use a simplified screen with 4shortcuts (or 6 in 8.5) when you are on the go.

[Booth11]

3 hours ago, AHG said:

I hope you do find a way

IMO avoiding AC screen is a great idea, if possible by shortcuts, and much easier to use while driving. 

Although easily reachable by tapping the temps (in the mk8) it is a busy screen with various sizes of buttons (even more so in the 8.5) and much easier to use a simplified screen with 4shortcuts (or 6 in 8.5) when you are on the go.

The way the 8.5 is setup does seem designed to take you to the main AC screen whatever the route taken. Even an AC shortcut (possible in the various layout screens) is just a simple one touch pane that takes you directly to the main AC screen of its one one of the smaller panes. Tbh I don’t mind as I find the main AC screen both quicker to get into from the main screen (it’s permanently there on the bottom of the screen) than in the mk8 and find it easy to navigate the main AC screen even in motion. 
 

EDIT - @AHG I’ve figured that you can access some of the AC controls without going into main AC screen like you could in the mk8 if you set it up as a widget in one of the larger panes in a layout (see my post below with pics) but there are less options than previously.  The mk8 AC widget had a lot more ac buttons avail to access. 

[Nighthawk]

(Sorry I'm away for a night so not near car)

 

I presume the climate button next to the hazard button takes you to this main menu again @Booth11? 

 

Also the widget takes you there? 

Edited March 25, 2025 by Nighthawk

[Booth11]

7 minutes ago, Nighthawk said:

(Sorry I'm away for a night so not near car)

 

I presume the climate button next to the hazard button takes you to this main menu again @Booth11? 

 

Also the widget takes you there? 

Yes the Clima button on the small control with the hazard button takes you into the main AC screen Kevin. I rarely use any of those controls now with the 8.5 as I find the main screen controls much more user friendly than the ones of the mk8, so for me that panel is largely redundant now.  

Not sure what you’re referring to re the widget?  Do you mean the Clima touch on the bottom of the infotainment screen? 

 

[Nighthawk]

8 minutes ago, Booth11 said:

Yes the Clima button on the small control with the hazard button takes you into the main AC screen Kevin. I rarely use any of those controls now with the 8.5 as I find the main screen controls much more user friendly than the ones of the mk8, so for me that panel is largely redundant now.  

Not sure what you’re referring to re the widget?  Do you mean the Clima touch on the bottom of the infotainment screen? 

 

Ahh ok, thought so Becs, thank you for confirming.

 

Widget, I mean like on the 8 if you have your screen devided into sections, different widgets, like satnav widget, radio widget, heating and cooling wiget 😂 I call them widgets, not sure what they are 😁

[Booth11]

25 minutes ago, Nighthawk said:

Ahh ok, thought so Becs, thank you for confirming.

 

Widget, I mean like on the 8 if you have your screen devided into sections, different widgets, like satnav widget, radio widget, heating and cooling wiget 😂 I call them widgets, not sure what they are 😁

Ah am with you now.  Yes I think widget is accurate Kev.  That’s what I was referring to in one of my previous replies to @AHG when I referred to layout screen.  
 

I’ve had chance to play about with these now and if you choose AC widget to be one of the larger panes in a layout, then you do get access to some of the AC controls without having to go into the main AC screen.  However the choice is more streamlined than in same setup in mk8 so less control options.  But the fan control is there which is good. The air care control is not there.  

 

 

If you have the AC widget as one of the smaller panes, then when you tap it, it

simply takes you to the main AC screen, so no control of AC functions without going to the main AC screen. 

 

 

[Nighthawk]

23 minutes ago, Booth11 said:

Ah am with you now.  Yes I think widget is accurate Kev.  That’s what I was referring to in one of my previous replies to @AHG when I referred to layout screen.  
 

I’ve had chance to play about with these now and if you choose AC widget to be one of the larger panes in a layout, then you do get access to some of the AC controls without having to go into the main AC screen.  However the choice is more streamlined than in same setup in mk8 so less control options.  But the fan control is there which is good. The air care control is not there.  

 

 

If you have the AC widget as one of the smaller panes, then when you tap it, it

simply takes you to the main AC screen, so no control of AC functions without going to the main AC screen. 

 

 

I'll have to have a play around, still so much to discover 🥳 Thank you for checking and all the replies 😍

[AHG]

4 hours ago, Booth11 said:

I find the main AC screen both quicker to get into from the main screen (it’s permanently there on the bottom of the screen) than in the mk8

 

If you are referring to the bottom of the screen having permanent AC controls, that seems to make life easier for many people who adore it (personal opinion aside) and that was not available on the mk8.

 

I was referring to the full AC screen, having all the options, accessed in the mk8 by a single tap on the temp’s on screen (on the driver’s side) or using the Clima button (either way, single tap and direct).

If I’m not mistaken, it is the same in the mk8.5.

So it can’t be easier. It can be just as easy 🙂

 

4 hours ago, Booth11 said:

The mk8 AC widget had a lot more ac buttons avail to access. 

I was t referring to Widget, but I get your point.

I was referring to the pull down menu with programmable shortcuts that was in the 8. I think the 8.5 has it pulled aside instead of down and it has 6 icons instead of 4.

Are you saying that ReCirculation and AirCare can not be selected for that ?

 

Can you select it for the permanent shortcuts at the top of the screen ? 

[Booth11]

7 hours ago, AHG said:

 

If you are referring to the bottom of the screen having permanent AC controls, that seems to make life easier for many people who adore it (personal opinion aside) and that was not available on the mk8.

 

Yes this is what I meant. I find the placement of the Clima touch control along the bottom of the 8.5 screen to be easier to access, in part because of the higher position of the infotainment unit (screen) itself, but also the button being along the bottom.  For me this is easier than on the mk8.  For a right-handed driver in a RHD car, that has to access screen controls with their left hand, that button is better placed (ime).  

 

 

7 hours ago, AHG said:

I was referring to the full AC screen, having all the options, accessed in the mk8 by a single tap on the temp’s on screen (on the driver’s side) or using the Clima button (either way, single tap and direct).

If I’m not mistaken, it is the same in the mk8.5.

So it can’t be easier. It can be just as easy 🙂

That isn’t what I was referring to.  But no, on the 8.5 you cannot access the AC screen by tapping on the temp on the bottom of the screen - tapping on that simply brings up a temp slider control, and I presume its not necessary because the Clima control is right next to the temp button.

The buttons on the small control panel (between air vents) below the screen are unchanged. Clima button there takes you to the full AC screen as in mk8. 

 

7 hours ago, AHG said:

I was referring to the pull down menu with programmable shortcuts that was in the 8. I think the 8.5 has it pulled aside instead of down and it has 6 icons instead of 4.

Are you saying that ReCirculation and AirCare can not be selected for that ?

 

Can you select it for the permanent shortcuts at the top of the screen ? 

There is still a pull down screen (accessed from the top of the screen) but no AC,  Aircare or Recirc as options for shortcuts.  4 pages of options - see below.  

Page 1

 

Page 2

 

Page 3

 

Page 4 

 

Pulling the main screen from the side just takes you to the second page of main icons. There is AC icon on the second page but that just takes you to the main AC screen.  
 

I should probably move these posts to the 8.5R operational tips thread.  

[AHG]

11 hours ago, Booth11 said:

4 pages of options - see below.  

 

WOW, sos many useless shortcuts, and they took out 3 out of the 4 most useful ones (ESC, ReCirc, AirCare).

It is better on start stop, which you can put up in the top line, and turn off with a single tap.

[Booth11]

9 minutes ago, AHG said:

 

WOW, sos many useless shortcuts, and they took out 3 out of the 4 most useful ones (ESC, ReCirc, AirCare).

It is better on start stop, which you can put up in the top line, and turn off with a single tap.

Yes there’s some strange omissions from that vast shortcut menu.  But, I find the top screen shortcuts the most useful to the point that I have never yet used that pull down shortcut screen.  But it all depends which shortcuts are most important to you. For me, Recirc and Aircare are not things I’d set up as shortcuts.  

[AHG]

Do you have ESC on the top line ? Like start/stop ?

[Booth11]

26 minutes ago, AHG said:

Do you have ESC on the top line ? Like start/stop ?

No, you can’t have ESC as app favourite on the top favourites bar - these are the options for the top favourites bar.  

 

However if you tap the car icon on the top favourites bar, you can have ESC in the Vehicle favourites pop up screen. 

 

 

These are the options you can configure for Vehicle favourites accessed via the car icon on the top.

 

[GT4scot]

On 05/03/2025 at 21:55, Booth11 said:

Maybe you’re just remembering your old system, hopefully.  

I had HK in my mk8 so don’t know what the screen looks like with the standard system.  Of course that pictorial background (on the EQ screen) will change depending on which of those 4 options along the bottom is selected. 
 

Fingers crossed it’s just misremembering or you didn’t tap on something. 

Finally got home after being stuck for a few days after Heathrow fire. 
 

Audio settings are HK! All good. Can now get to know the car after 3 weeks of it sitting on my drive!
 

Also got the boot liner, sun blinds and a phone cable.