Another RNS-E Problem 2003 A4 Cabriolet

[Sir Pookie]

Hello

Audi A4 Cabriolet 2003 B6, had a Symphony 2 and am putting a RNS_E in it.

Got one with code also telephone module and CD Multichanger. wiring is complete with quadlocks etc and Fakra antenna adapter.

Coded it to the car with VDCS, Sat nav ,telephone and CD all work fine but I cant get a peep out of the Radio.

I understand this is a common problem but I have never found a solution on here for a 2003 Cabriolet.

The antenna set up is different from a saloon that  has it  in the rear window, the cab has it in the boot lid with the amps next to it.

I assume (pushing my luck I know) I still have to adjust the antenna's or swap one of the amps but cant find anyone that has successfully done it with a 2003 Cab.

Any ideas?

Mick

[Dave.G6HNI]

Hi, I have a 2005 A4 B6 cab and I retrofitted my RNS-e about 10 years ago and everything inc radio works fine, however, I have had an issue with both the AM & FM coax cables where they enter the boot lid through the left rubber gaiter.

Both have broken inside the gaiter due to repeated boot opening and closing and the power to the aerial amps go up the FM coax from the RNS-e.

There are several videos on how to check and fix these so I suggest you check these out first as this is a VERY common problem.

Did the radio work before you switched head units ? have you got both aerial cables connected ?

Regards, Dave G6HNI

[Sir Pookie]

Hi Dave,

Did your radio work straight away without having to do anything? I have tried 2 different RNS_Es and the radio doesn't work on either of them. 2 faulty units seems unlikely. I have read a lot about the wire problem in the boot conduit however I didn't look at that as when I put the original Symphony 2 back in the radio works fine leading me to believe that wasn't the problem. 

This is driving me nuts.

Any knowledgeable  input greatly received.

Mick

[Dave.G6HNI]

Hi Mick, no issues at all I upgraded from a Chorus 1 din, so I had to change the whole centre console. So I needed quite a few adaptor cables, but the radio just worked just fine.

I seem to remember having to programme it to not have Bose, but that wouldn't affect just the radio. I also had to change the amps when I added the TV tuner, but again no issues with radio.

If the radio works with the old Symphony unit then yes sounds like not the cables, only thing left then is the coding, I have attached my coding spreadsheet which you can compare with your, maybe you will spot a difference....

AUDI_CODES_via_VGA-COM.xls

[Sir Pookie]

Well that's my mind boggled 🤒

Think I got the hang of it but one problem, don't know if it is major,

Your RNS_E setting #37 0413718. The 3 denotes Audi A4 >2004

Mine is a A4 <2004. Yours is a 2005 and mine is a 2003

The code you have 0413718 is a code I have tried previously but ending in a 3 not an 8.

Reason being I only have a CD changer not a TV-CD=MFSW

My head hurts  

[Dave.G6HNI]

OK, but bear in mind I did this 10 years ago...

#37 0413718

The 3 is the only option for a cab, although mine is 2005, it is the 2004 model B6 8H

and I think it is just to do with noise levels.

The 8 is correct for me, TV + CD + MFSW but again shouldn't affect speakers or radio ?

So a 3 would mean CD fitted but nothing else, no TV or MFSW so again should not affect radio ?

As the radio amps rely on power from the RNS-e up the coax it might be worth checking it is actually chucking 12v up the coax, I have seen a YT video where someone added a 12v injector into the FM feed to the amp after accidently blowing up the 12v output in the RNS-e

 

[Sir Pookie]

I agree fully, none of the actual coding should affect the radio. I think that is more to get the entertainment system to talk to the car  so steering wheel operation and the instrument cluster information works correctly.

You are not going to believe this Dave, I have just watched the YT Vid and I have done exactly that previously, installing that very same booster. Once again it made no difference. You can probably understand my frustration. I am still fairly convinced it is an antenna problem but I can't figure out what, nothing I have tried makes a difference. Been struggling with this for weeks now.

Thanks for your patience

Regards Mick

[Dave.G6HNI]

OK, so lets confirm a few basics just in case,

I assume that when you say the old radio works, you have tried it since you had the issue with the RNS-e ?

When you say the radio doesn't work, does it find station but you can't hear them or does the scan not find any stations ?

Everything is pointing to a lack of power getting to the amps...

You could try plugging a bog standard aerial in the back of the RNS-e which should sort of work just not very well, but it should find some stations ?

[Sir Pookie]

Yes, I have tried the old Symphony 2 since fitting two separate RNS_E.

The radio on the RNS_E scans but finds nothing (Symphony finds them all). Not even a weak signal if scanned manually.

I agree, it seems logical that it is an antenna problem but why would the Symphony work but not the RNS_E, that doesn't make sense to me. I believe the RNS_E requires a better signal.

I will put the meter onto the a/e amp in the boot tomorrow and check the voltage, I also have a bog standard a/e in the garage and see what happens with that one.

I will  post the results tomorrow. (All this is weather conditional of course)

[Sir Pookie]

Well that was an interesting day.

I checked the power to the boot amp and nothing. Messed about checking a few other things, then decided to check the output from the RNS_E,  power coming out and the radio burst into noise as soon as I put the meter on it. I guess it must have acted as an  antenna. It turns out it was the antenna adapter that I bought.  I checked for the fault and it turned out that the Fakra connecter was duff, spliced a new one in and radio works fine.

That also explains why the radio worked when I put the Symphony 2 back in.

I don't suppose you know which colour wire goes into which pin on the blue 8 pin CD multichanger wire do you?

Regards Mick

[Dave.G6HNI]

Glad you have got there, it must be your lucky day, so I suggest you also do the lottery 🙂

I have attached a pdf I downloaded at the time with full RNS-e pinout info plus a lot more.

Dave

2072102185_Audi-A6TEDsRNS-E.pdf

[Sir Pookie]

Here we go  again, dunno about the lottery but perhaps I should have gone to Church this morning and prayed for help. I have always said the big man upstairs has a wicked sense of humour.

The RNS_E recognises the CD player and the discs within, however it won't play anything and always reverts back to it's default setting of disc 7 (the player in the RNS_E). YT is telling me it needs coding, which I have but still nothing. I used your code 0413718 but changed the last number from 8 to 3 as I only have the CD not the MFSW. Still it reverts back to disc 7.

Sorry to keep bothering you but any ideas?

[Dave.G6HNI]

To be honest I don't actually have the Audi CD player, I have a Sony 6 CD Cartridge unit, but I never use it, I have a few SD cards with all my favourite songs, jingles, etc and I tend to only listen to them or traffic reports. n.b. when using SD Cards put all the songs into 1 or more folders as the RNS-e will only see the first 450 files in the root directory.

I did a quick google, but couldn't find anything...

Disk 7 is the RNS-E DVD slot so if you eject and reinsert a CD/cart from the player, that may force it to be accessed ?