Have RNS-C, want to upgrade to RNS-E

ToreBj · #1 21st April 2013, 05:23 PM

I've been trying my best to find info for this upgrade. Seems like most of the stuff available is for RNS-D and other variants. Can someone point to any info available? Anyone having an opinion on this upgrade?

I'm looking at how the RNS-E would connect to CAN BUS. The RNS-C doesn't have any CANBUS connection as far as I can see from the connectors? I'm getting confused by the the statement in this thread:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6002

It says:

"Directly. The rns-c talks the same can bus as Audi, same as rns-e. it's only the rns-d that's a problem." quoted from IT.

I see that some describe that a connection must be made to the instrument cluster for CANBUS hookup?

I have a '99 FL A8 with a 2.5 TDI engine.

Appreciate any help. Good forum btw.

Tore

Norway

RanjS8 · #2 21st April 2013, 07:06 PM

The upgrade will be fairly straight forward with an adapter from kufatec....to hook the Rns e to canbus ....take hi and lo feeds off the back of the unit to the hi and lo canbus points on the back of the instrument cluster....there are pin out diagrams on here somewhere if u get stuck with the instrument cluster wiring.

Then you just need a seperate GPS antenna for the satnav....and you are away.

Good luck

mannyo · #3 22nd April 2013, 06:33 AM

You need to patch 2 wires behind the cluster, in just the same way as the RNS-D, except the wiring goes direct to the RNS-E and not a TMC module.

I managed it on my D2 when fitting an RNS-D and TMC module, its quiet straight forward as long as you are careful. There are a lot of thin wires on that connector, and damage a single one and something may stop working.

However even once you have done that you only get the radio display on the top of the DIS. Nobody has yet found a way to get the D2 DIS to display the navigation instructions on the DIS like it does with the RNS-C and RNS-D.

ToreBj · #4 22nd April 2013, 06:46 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I see now that the navradio (RNS-C) actually has a Canbus (pin 26/13) but it seems to go to the TV tuner only according to the documentation. That explains why nothing happened when I moved the wires from that contact over to the proper RNS-E contact.
I'm also a little confused over the way the brightness adjustments work. The manual settings option on RNS-E doesn't seem to work?. After a little googling I see that this may start working once I get the Canbus connected?

RanjS8 · #5 22nd April 2013, 09:23 AM

Without canbus the Rns e will still be in engine off mode....so u have to turn it on and off manually....whereas with canbus it will turn on with the ignition and when buttons will light up when u turn on the car headlights.

ToreBj · #6 23rd April 2013, 06:57 AM

Yesterday I tried to connect to the cluster Canbus. There are 3 Canbus connections available. Navigation, comfort and a 3rd one(engine control etc).

I tried the Navigation connection as this was used in some other DIY descriptions I've seen (T32a/21 Low and T32a/22 High). This corresponds with the documentation I have and the color coding matched.

It didn't work and I got Canbus errors indicating single wire operation. Both the radio and cluster threw error codes. I do not have them available right now.

I tried to connect to the comfort bus as well, T32a/23 and 24. No joy there either.
I guess need to go over the coding again as well.

In the end I gave in and connected a Canbus emulator. Ignition on/off + lights on/off work. But dimming, multisteering wheel control and whatever else coming through Canbus is not working. I need to continue my research and try again this evening. Any input will be highly appreciated.