Help with RNS 315 DAB and BT

[Brody]

Hi , this is my first post so go easy on me! I have recently bought an 06 plate Vrs estate tfsi, really liking the car but the stream head unit and cd changer is not really hitting the spot. I have bought the above stereo from the bay and have done a bit of research on the forum.

I gather that as my car is a pre face lift without maxidot, I need to get a different canbus gateway, do I need to get this coded? I read something about battery drain on earlier cars like mine, do I need to have the car coded? Or can the gateway be pre coded & then installed? Also can anyone suggest where to get Bluetooth mic , dab and gps aerials ?

Also need a different trim around stereo, is main dealer best for this? I have had a look but can't find any how to's in terms of removing interior trim, don't want to break clips etc. Any help Greatly appreciated.

[RainbowFire]

To stop the battery drain, you'll need a gateway of Revision L or above. It will probably need to be coded in your car to avoid any issues.

 

Mic will need the green connector, eBay is good for this, make sure it comes with the cable to get it from the interior light down to the back of the head unit. Installation is dead easy. The connector will fit into an empty socket on the connector at the back of the unit.

 

GPS, again eBay, about a fiver or so, has round blue plug, just tucks in behind the fron air vents

 

DAB, ah, many available, ranging from interior sticky ones, to glassmount ones..co.uk is a reasonable place for information. I have an interior/exterior glass one, with exension cable....was about £20 Black or "open" connector (i.e. no shrouding)

 

Fascia, less than a tenner from your local friendly dealer. To remove the fasica, half open the ashtray, put your fingers under the bottom of the trim and pull, gently but firmly.

 

If you have mutli-function steering-wheel, none of those buttons will work any more too (different protocol).

 

Hope this helps

[Brody]

Thankyou for all of that info, I will pop to the dealers later for the fascia and look for the other bits online

Edited 16 May, 2016 by Brody

[RainbowFire]

Am at work now, so plenty of time to look ;)

 

GPS: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GPS-antenna-FAKRA-RNS-E-For-BMW-Audi-VW-Mercedes-NTG-Comand-APS-Vauxhall-Opel-/182120119315?hash=item2a67347c13:g:NEgAAOSw14xXE6p3

 

Mic: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Latest-Car-Bluetooth-phone-microphone-harness-cable-for-VW-RNS315-RNS510-MFD3-/391082616682?hash=item5b0e57276a:g:Q6MAAOSwPhdVAuCG

 

DAB: http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/Kinetic_DEGA-1001_glass_mount_DAB_car_aerial.html

and I think I used one of these (I can't remember which length I used, it was a while ago)

http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/DAB_aerial_cable_extension_4_metre_low_loss_.asp

 

Other aerials are available, better or not I cannot say. The one above I have on both Octy's and seems to be ok.

[Brody]

Thankyou so much, good to have some guidance , I will have a look this evening once the kids are in bed. Looking forward to getting this all installed. Do you know if I get it all correctly coded, well my climate control and outside temperature still show on the head unit display?

[RainbowFire]

No climate, temperature, or parking sensor display (although you'll still get the beeps.) You car is a pre-fl and is therefore using a protocol called DDP. The headunit is from a facelft, which ran a protocol called BAP. The two don't talk to each other at all. If you had a multi-function steering wheel and /or MaxiDot, the same applies.

[Brody]

Cheers Rainbow, thanks for clarifying what well and won't show on the headunit display, I don't have maxi dot or mfsw.

Do you think the cheap Chinese Bluetooth mic's and looms are ok ?

Do I definitely need to change my canbus gateway as I read on Ross tech that sometimes you can just recode to avoid battery drain?

[RainbowFire]

I think I have a loom in the bits and pieces drawer at home that would do the job.

 

I've not seen anything about recoding a gateway to avoid battery drain. I've seen mention of updating the gateway firmware, but that seems to have been hit and miss, plus it didn't seem something that was easy to do.

 

There are Columbus (RNS510) Firmwares that solve the issue, but Amundsen can't be updated anywhere near as easily. On an '06 the chances are the gateway will be behind the glovebox, so it'll be an easy swap to do.

[Brody]

Thanks again for taking the time to give me all of this info, it is hugely appreciated, I know from experience That the more info you have the easier these tasks can be. If you

Want to sell your spare loom, let me know. I have found a gateway on eBay for about £40 so happy with that , just need to source the other items .

So with your dab aerial, did you run the lead up the a pillar and then across the headlining and then stick the aerial on the outside of the windscreen at the top in the middle?

[RainbowFire]

On the hatchback I ran the cable up the passenger A-pillar, and then just tucked it under the lining until I got to the tailgate, then across to the driver's side, through a protective loop and then on the the tailgate glass.

 

On the estate it was a little different as it's got curtain airbags. What I did was to take off the passenger grab-handle and sun-visor. Then, using a long piece of plastic, ran the cable from the back to the front (missing the curtains), then across the front and down the passenger a-pillar again, tie-wrapping the cable to the existing look, and making sure it was completely clear of the airbag on the pillar.

 

Will look for the mic and give you a shout.

[Brody]

Thanks rainbow , mine is an estate , definitely don't want to be fouling the airbags, I thought that maybe I could stick it on the front screen , but that might look a bit naff!

Edited 19 May, 2016 by Brody

[RainbowFire]

If you get one of the interior sticky ones then you could put it on the passenger side in the top corner. I have no idea how good those ones are though.

[Brody]

I think I will do just that, would prefer having it there than having to route all the way to the back. Thanks again for all of your advice, I know I keep banging on with silly questions, but its good to have the install clear in my head before I start pulling the interior apart.