CANBUS question

 

For Christmas my wife bought me a  DAB radio adaptor and paid for it to be fitted to my Skoda Superb estate (AKA Dogmobile)

 

When I got home I realised that the adaptor is only live when the ignition is in the full ’on’ position but doesn’t work with the key in the auxiliary position.

 

I rang the fitting centre and spoke to the technician who said the DAB adapter unit can't stay on as the power is cut by the CANBUS unit and he can't connect it unswitched as it would drain the battery. It was only later thinking it through that I realised if he had taken the power supply from the same source as the radio then it must sty on with the radio.

 

Still unhappy I called at the fitting centre this morning and they are adamant that they cannot get an auxiliary switched supply for the unit.

 

I just cannot believe this. As I pointed out to him, the radio stays on when the key is in the auxiliary position as does the cigar lighter so why not utilise those circuits. He says they can’t and the CANBUS unit only uses 4V.

 

Please tell me this is BS or my head will explode.

 

I know I’m old school and my knowledge of electrical circuits is limited but…   

Hi,

What is the model of the DAB unit?

Regards,

Kevin.

It's a DAB motion unit

 

DAB1001

 

http://www.dabmotion.co.uk/how-dabmotion-works

CANBUS question

 

Please tell me this is BS or my head will explode.

Yes, it is BS. Having looked at the installation instructions it is straight forward.

A12 volt supply is available in the fuse box to the side of the dashboard. I use the fuse 12 position to power my iPhone charger using a fuse tap that switches on when in the accessory position. Any competent installer armed with a multimeter could find this in a few minutes. I have picked up the return from the car grounding point located in the footwell but you could use the metal frame near the fuse holder.

I have attached a photo showing mine. The phone powers off when car switched off, no battery drain.

They may be getting confused as some VW's don't have an accessory key position.

Regards,

Kevin.

The factory radio is switched on and off via canbus signals, there is no switched 12V power feed behind the headunit. The only way to get a switched feed is by taking more of the car interior apart and running a switched supply from the fusebox.

Thanks for the information.

 

Kevlock's solution looks straightforward and as these guys are supposed to be specialist ICE installers one would have thought that this solution would be obvious. However, on the basis that they have messed up the interior lights so none of them work it appears that competence may not be one of their strong points.  

CANBUS question

 

Please tell me this is BS or my head will explode.

Yes, it is BS. Having looked at the installation instructions it is straight forward.

A12 volt supply is available in the fuse box to the side of the dashboard. I use the fuse 12 position to power my iPhone charger using a fuse tap that switches on when in the accessory position. Any competent installer armed with a multimeter could find this in a few minutes. I have picked up the return from the car grounding point located in the footwell but you could use the metal frame near the fuse holder.

I have attached a photo showing mine. The phone powers off when car switched off, no battery drain.

They may be getting confused as some VW's don't have an accessory key position.

Regards,

Kevin.

Kevin, thanks for the pic.

 It helped.

 

Well, the interior lights were out because the fuse was blown, no doubt when the installer was messing about in the fuse box.

 

Kevin, where did you get the fuse piggyback from please? Also am I right in saying that some of the spare fuse holders are switched by the ignition key being inserted?

 

I should clarify that when I said in earlier posts that the key was in the auxilliary position I meant that the engine was off and the key still inserted. There is no aux position per se on my car.

Edited 3 January, 201412 yr by TyreTread

Hi,

I purchased the fuse holder on eBay. Search for piggyback mini fuse holder. I believe I used a company called Autostar. A selection can be found here - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/321280328423?lpid=83&device=t&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=83

I also mis-applied the term accessory. The Superb has three positions - ignition off, ignition on and start engine. I have used a spare fuse position that goes llive in the ignition on position and goes off when the car is switched off, avoiding any possible battery drain? I could not find a position in the fuse box that switches on when the key is inserted and off when removed. I used an empty fuse position so the circuit was independent from any others.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Kevin.

The fitters of my DAB unit did the same as you except they used a spare fuse socket rather than piggybacking another fuse.