RNS-D display corrupt when cold
 

Not noticed this before, but this winter, when cold, the RNS-D display is "out of sync" like an old-school TV.
Initially it's totally unwatchable but slowly comes back as it warms up, getting less and less "jaggy".
This is a display thing, it's exactly the same on all inputs (Radio, CD, Nav, TV/camera).

So, thoughts anyone, what might this be and how to fix it? Could it be as simple as a poor contact in the (ribbon?) cable to the screen?

And as an aside, does anyone have a spare RNS-D, with code, available at a fair price? ;)

From your description, it does sound like a contact issue. Could you post a photo?


I haven't taken an RNS-D apart (yet) so I don't know what type of LCD technology it uses. A lot of older LCDs used 'elastomeric connectors' that are prone to connection problems, usually when contaminants get under the rubber or when the rubber ages and begins to harden or shrink. If the RNS-D uses an elastomeric type of connection, it's possible the rubber has hardened and that the cold temperatures are exacerbating the problem.

I gave the screen a wiggle earlier and things changed/improved. Will investigate more tomorrow.

Edit: Looks fine this morning so I won't touch it; I think this can be left (unless it goes permanently wrong) until the weather is better.

I had issues like this and when I went over bumps in the road the screen scrolled etc and IT posted a fix for this involving taking the unit out and re-seating the cables so I did that with mine and since then it has been like a new display, all colours perfect and never any issues +++

LINK TO IT's FIX HERE

Thanks for that Neil, confirms (pretty much) my suspicions. +++
As for which end of the cable is suspect, who knows, though I reckon from the geometry it's more likely the main unit (not screen) end.
It was a bit "iffy" this morning but a gentle wiggle of the screen sorted it immediately.

I also think the RNS-D is subtly different to RNS-C in construction, but I've had them apart before anyway so know what's involved.
I always take the CD/Nav (top half) unit off as step 1 and then it's all much easier to get at.

For reference this is the "iFixit" link for RNS-D basic disassembly and CD lens cleaning: https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Audi_N...ion_Plus_RNS-D

PS: For those that don't know, the top half (CD/Nav) unit is very easy to swap over and isn't coded. Radio code is in the bottom half.
So if you do get Nav or CD drive issues and can get a spare unit just swap them over. :cool:

As for IT's comments about only seeing the problem on an RNS-C I think he was maybe bragging? After all the RNS-C was rare as rocking-horse poo and if anyone would have one it would be him. :ROFL:

Mine is definately a C lol should I auction it off on ebay immediately for a huge sum of money? :rolleyes:

I rather liked the RNS-C I had in my old S8. I was told it was slow, and while that was true to some extent (mainly when calculating routes) once up and running it was fine. :cool:
The biggest problem now would be the age of maps, wasn't the last non-DX update 2007? Maybe even earlier...

Yes it was which is why I use tom-tom on my phone which is much more accurate and is really the main reason I still havn't put an RNS-E in yet (along with the fact that you lose the DIS nav display)

This is uncanny. Mine has been doing exactly the same recently but I also have a problem where the bezel is a little loose, when I clicked it back in place it also made the screen was normal again. Perhaps it is a contact problem which is exacerbated by the cold.

All sorts of temperature-related things happen with RNS-D. :tuttut:

When cold you get condensation so it won't read the CD and get other odd behaviour until it warms up.

If it gets really hot, again it won't read the CD, though I think that's mainly down to the copies I use (which are generally superb, thanks Adrian_E :cool: ) and the non-OEM CD material characteristics changing at high temperatures.

Though, as it happens, mine is working perfectly on this cold and frosty morning. :Confused: