Well, I thought this might be handy for someone, so posting this.

I have a Dension Gateway 300 canbus version connected to my stream radio with maxidot display.

As old posts show, this has a habit of vanishing from the maxidot.

Anyway, cutting to the chase, mine vanished off maxidot options almost a year ago, dension replaced the unit for it only to

show the same symptoms after another week or so.

Even pulling the main fuse under the bonnet didn't bring it back.

Since last August/september time, Its been lying unused (apart from the usb port for charging my phone)

I was making some changes using vag com earlier (selective locking, auto locking and seatbelt reminder) when I decided to

have a look at the CAN gateway coding, nothing there, so looked at the radio settings.

I noticed that on the option for coding, the least significant bit is for the CD changer, with options:

0 = no CD changer

2 = CD Changer

4 = CAN CD changer / external display.

It was set to "2", so thought I'd try changing it telling it there was no CD changer, then adding the option again......

Result, the dension is now back in the maxidot menu...... even if its doesn't last, I can always try recoding it again !

I'm interested to see how long it lasts as mine hasn't been back on the display for months

I'm interested to see how long it lasts as mine hasn't been back on the display for months

I'll keep you posted on how it goes. My has never been intermittent and both units I've had only lasted 10-14

days before vanishing. After that they never showed up on the menu.

Hopefully it'll last better, if not hopefully this will work again in the future !

Edited 20 August, 201015 yr by swil00

Good to hear. Fingers crossed :yes:

Steve

I have had mine in now for 4 months and been fine, touch wood

only problem i have had seems to be down to certain usb keys not being fast enough :p

Just out of interest did you set it to 2 or 4 ?

Edited 20 August, 201015 yr by Dallan

The only cure I came up with is to disconnect the unit and re-connect it. It's ok then for a while but does disappear for some reason. If you've found a cure, there could be an orderly queue for your vag-com !

I did try setting it to "4", but it wouldn't save the change, hence set it to 0 then back to 2.

Been ok after a couple of days, so keeping my fingers crossed for now !

got mine back on screen at the moment by disconnecting the stereo and it and also disconnecting the cd changer. Then re-connected all bar the changer. Lets see how long it lasts this time.

I did try setting it to "4", but it wouldn't save the change, hence set it to 0 then back to 2.

Been ok after a couple of days, so keeping my fingers crossed for now !

Same here - couldn't get it to save the setting as 4. I found another solution in the end though - sold the car

and it has gone again :(

got mine back on screen at the moment by disconnecting the stereo and it and also disconnecting the cd changer. Then re-connected all bar the changer. Lets see how long it lasts this time.

and it has gone again :(

Sounds like probably the equivalent to my regular, temporary fix, which was pulling the stereo fuse in the box next to the battery - a lot easier than pulling the dash apart every time.

I learnt to navigate the Dension "blind" from the stereo controls (as you would with the non-CAN versions) and I guess it was okay but only because I generally used it on "Play All - Random", so only ever need to press "Next" to move on a track. Scrolling through a list of 200 Artists or Albums wasn't even worth trying though. Even the random function seemed useless as it followed the same "random" playlist every time I restarted the car.

I think if you are unlucky enough to have one of the car/dension combinations that exhibits these issues, you're better off just disconnecting the thing and putting it down to experience, since I don't think Dension are ever going to release a fix.

Well people, almost two weeks and 1500 miles since I messed around with the radio CD changer coding.....

My dension is still on the Maxidot !

It does do some funky stuff, like when I stop and turn off with the dension display on maxidot, then get back in and and turn on again, maxidot is

sitting on the main menu rather than the ipod display.... Annoying at first, but personally I quite like it now, since I can choose what I want to

see :-)

Bet I get in the car tonight and its no longer on the display. :-)

Well people, almost two weeks and 1500 miles since I messed around with the radio CD changer coding.....

My dension is still on the Maxidot !

It does do some funky stuff, like when I stop and turn off with the dension display on maxidot, then get back in and and turn on again, maxidot is

sitting on the main menu rather than the ipod display.... Annoying at first, but personally I quite like it now, since I can choose what I want to

see :-)

Bet I get in the car tonight and its no longer on the display. :-)

Is it still working? I got my Dension from Paul007 so was fully aware of this 'issue' before buying, but would be interested to see if the coding change fixed it for good. IIRC when I last looked at my coding it was set to CD Changer not fitted, even though there was one, and that was before I fitted the Dension and the CDC worked fine! Is there any value to disconnecting the CDC at the boot end??

Is it still working? I got my Dension from Paul007 so was fully aware of this 'issue' before buying, but would be interested to see if the coding change fixed it for good. IIRC when I last looked at my coding it was set to CD Changer not fitted, even though there was one, and that was before I fitted the Dension and the CDC worked fine! Is there any value to disconnecting the CDC at the boot end??

Yeah, its still working ok. There are two fault codes logged because of the dension (incorrectly coded module on the CAN gaeway controller). I tried clearing them and it removed the Dension from maxidot, so recoded the radio again..... told it no CDC, exited, then told it there was one and hey presto, the Dension reappeared, although the fault codes come back......

I can live with a couple of fault codes if it means the Dension remains fully functional.

Not sure what disconnecting the CDC in the boot will help with, as its already disconnected behind the radio.