DAB Radio install,help required
 

Hi All,
As the title says, I need your expertise.
I have just fitted a DAB radio.
Could not locate the correct aerial so I have used an after market DAB "stick on window" aerial.
After completion I stuck the key in the ignition lock, MMI popped up and there was the DAB radio.
It worked.
Showed it off to SWMBO, and off I went to ASDA. Oh horror, the reception was awful. Kept cutting out and the other wavebands had stopped as well.
The current situation is:-

1. With the key in ignition but not switched on the DAB band works correctly, but the other three do not.
2. Turn the ignition on and DAB stops working. MMI show the stations but with a line through the icons.
3. Turn ignition off, still no DAB.
4. Select AMI, or CD player, they both work OK.
5. Then select Radio and the DAB is working.
6. At no time do FM, LW or MW work.
7. Sat Nav works correctly.
8. TV seems to work but where the car is parked TV reception is very poor.

Has anyone any experience with this kind of problem?
Pretty please :Confused:

Hi Ray,

I went down a similar route and bought a cheap aerial. This is the actual one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290951505122

I mounted it under the plastic boot trim. (Sorry don't have photos of it installed)

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...chmentid=11708

It works ok. Not perfect as would the correct amp for digital radio. When in a poor area the DAB goes to 1 reception quality and then automatically switches to FM. This is unnoticeable when listening. However it's great 90% of the time. And for the little money it's ok until I do the correct amp job.

All I can suggest is to pull the aerial from the DAB unit and see if FW, LW etc are back to normal. If not I guess your new DAB aerial maybe inducing noise to the other existing aerials, as I'm guessing you installed it on the rear window?

Thanks Matt.
I used a similiar aerial and did stick it on the back window.
Took me five hours to do the install, remember I am old and stiff now.
Routed the fakra cable along the other aerial cable routes, and while there I rerouted the reversing light connection for the after market reverse camera, and fed the TV out to the front seat backs in preperation for RSE.
I'll try your suggestion and unplug the aerial at the DAB.

I guessed it would be a long time to route the cable. I wasn't up for that so decided to do the lazy route and mounted mine under that trim, at least my DAB cable is separate from all other aerial cables. That's the only difference between our installs.

Ray, do you have USB-chargers in the car? They can cause interference with DAB radios.

Ah yes. Good suggestion.

Also Ray, don't you have aftermarket Xenon headlights? These also cause interference.

Wow!!!!!
I knew you chaps would have some pointers.
First the good news, I have the other wave bands back :ROFL:
I had a fiddle with the fakra connectors on the roof aerial thingy.
I was letting the other things distract me.
I do have chargers and HIds but none of them are plugged in or switched on at the moment.
I think the problem now is DAB aerial. I wonder if there is a stronger aerial out there?

I will have to see if mine switches automatically to FM. The little drive round the block just had the signal weakening to the point where the radio made a slight crackling and then DAB came back in

I have the DAB factory-fitted and the reception has been terrible today. Worst it has been in 5 years. Not sure if they are doing something with the DAB network, or it is atmospheric conditions? In any case, even when it is working it is not great and very susceptible to interference.

I had factory dab in the Q7 and RS6, but I couldn't describe it as flawless.... Its unheard of to have a journey where it doesn't flip between FM and DAB a few times. TBH its touch and go whether its worth using some times....

There is a signal strength meter for DAB that can be enabled and it displays a single digit number in the bottom right of the MMI iirc. That might help you troubleshoot a bit more on the signal strength side of things....

Thanks all.
Ian, I'll have a scout round see if I can find that.

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://...BYl34-7qjAW62Q

Here page 3..... You need to get into the hidden menu and enable it...

Dab aerial
 

For a good external dab aerial, try www.dabonwheels.co.uk and get the 8" mag mount and a stick number plate pad (mag mounts don't stick to aluminum bodywork. Put aerial on roof behind existing Orem one and run cable down gap between rear glass and bodywork. Cable is then fed into boot and down to dab box, plug and play and excellent reception. £20 delivered.

Regards

Richardracer

I got a factory fitted dab aerial by searching the part number on allegro iirc and it gave me a advert and I went through their own website to buy the aerial and got it a very good price, if I'm listening to 1xtra or radio 1 on DAB then it's usually flawless for me, didn't take long to run the cable round neither, probably had the aerial done in less than an hour +++

Hi Ian, Thanks I will try and borrow the car of Gwen tomorrow and have a lok in the hidden menu.

Hi richardracer, I might have to go that way eventually. I don't really want to go the external aerial route.

Hi Burnzey, If I manage to locate an oem aerial that would be the ideal answer.

The OEM route is very easy on these cars.

All the D3 aerials come off the rear screen. Same screen whether TV/DAB/FM etc.

There is an aerial module under the trim at the top of the rear window. There are different modules supporting different aerial configs.

Just swap the aerial module for one that also has a DAB output, then run a Fakra cable from that down the D pillar to the boot area....

Not guaranteeing this is a direct fit for you (check first) but heres an example one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A8-D3...item2c94eb5b27

I found one on Allegro at £42 + postage.
A8 parts was £160 odd but with IT's link it was down to £82 postage free so I have gone for that one.
Shouldn't be too difficult to pull the new fakra cable through, I left enough slack on the attached cable to the sticky DAB aerial so I will be able to use that as a fish wire.
I'll update when I fit the OEM aerial amplifier.
Thanks everyone.

Management came home from work full of joy. The DAB radio had worked for her. The one really bad reception area it swapped automatically to FM and then switched back to DAB. Result!!!!!

Update.
Prestige had the aerial amp to me the next day.
The fakra cable has taken a while but it finally arrived today.
Fitted the amplifier and replaced the aerial cable with the new one from Poland. Went extremely quickly, this time I knew what I was doing and only removed/loosened what was absolutely needed.
One problem, the fakra connector cover at the radio end was the wrong one for the DAB radio. I have taken this cover off and just "shoved" the connector on, hope that it does not fall off :D

Big thing is that outside ours where I park I am receiving DAB at level 5 and it works. Before I was not receiving anything on DAB.

Now where can I locate the correct fakra cover? :love:

Loads on eBay. ;) Search "Fakra shell".

Wow!!!!
that was bloomin' quick +++

Did not manage a slurp of my cuppa.
I'll have a look on fleabay :love:

Just happened to see it and I've been researching all sorts of connectors not long ago.
There are many types of Fakra, you need to decide exactly which you need. I think Wikipedia would be useful to explain the differences, mostly to do with the keys/lugs.

Great result +++

Can you use the black fakra case from your old aerial?

Hi Matt,
That was my thought but there is no retaining thingy to release the connector. I'll have to butcher it and see.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1397684378

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1397684378

Are they not like these Ray?

Here is the problem.
Photo one shows the two fakra connectors.
The lower one is the new one and is in use. The upper one is the old connector. The difference is too great for me to use the old cover on the new connector.

Photo two shows the two covers.
The blue one is the cover from the new cable and does not fit the DAB radio (note the three location slots at NE, SE & NW).
The damaged black one is from the old cable and does fit the DAB radio (note that this one only has two location slots at SW & NW).
Note that the locking tabs are on the west of both covers in this photo.
I had to damage the black old cover to remove it from the old cable.

What I need is a cover to fit the new cable with two location slots (SW & NW).

Hope that makes sense. :Confused::Confused:

Sorry Del,
Spotted your query after I had posted my description.
My new one is just like yours but has two location slots whilst yours has only one.

It looks like your new jack will fit to me, if it's the Neutral 'Water Blue' jack?

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...chmentid=11743

Just use Z water blue for everything as it is not keyed.

Matt,
That is the data that I needed. I need a black cover.
If the water blue is what you want I could post it to you.

Now to find someone that supplies the black cover.

The water blue is not really neutral.
To fit anything it would have to have four locating slots.

Go give that jack another fit Ray, try it alone without the cable. I'm convinced it will work as it looks Neutral to me.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...chmentid=11745

This is the cable that I ordered and received.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1209948176...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Both connectors are water blue Z.
The right angled one fitted the aerial amplifier correctly.
The straight connector is the problem. But that is not the suppliers fault. The water blue is not truly neutral, or fit anything.

like Matt says it should fit, have you got a damaged key on the unit preventing them new plug fitting, you could shave the keys off with a sharp knife

Apologies every one.
I am now wet, from the rain, and covered in egg.
Did as Matt suggested and it worked.

I have no idea why it would not fit when I tried earlier.

I now have a working DAB radio and SWMBO is much happier. We are planning on a Glasgow return on Bank Holiday Monday so will be able to give it a good try.

Thanks for all your assistance.

Great result! Did you use the Clarkson method? :D

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...4a4b2a4776.jpg

Crazy thing is when I tried it again it just fell on, even with the connector in it just did as it was told, without shouting or cursing!!!
Now that I have stopped panicking and overthinking everything I can see why water blue is neutral. It does not have a fourth slot, it has a whole chunk missing.
So again apologies to everyone.
You can all have a laugh at me on our next meet.

Let us know how your Glasgow trip goes, I may have to upgrade my DAB aerial to the proper aerial as you've done.

And yes, be good to chat over a pint at a meet. :cheers:

Big improvement on the TV signal as well.
Outside ours the TV drops of but we have two big mills blocking the signal from Winter Hill, but when I moved it picked up within a couple of yards, where before today it would usually take half a mile at least.
With DAB I now have a 5 and it is loud and clear outside ours and improves as soon as I moved off, before it used to take a couple of hundred yards to pick up.
Still looks like a good job and worthwhile the extra effort. I would say after my experience the OEM is the best way, even the only way. Of course in other areas of this sacred land folk might manage a better result doing it my original way.
Anybody need an aerial amplifier, no DAB!!!!! Free to a caring home.

The Z definitely fit anything, I ordered them from here for my backup cam retrofit.(see PDF photos) the female has 4 keyways for any type of male and the male has no keys so will fit any female.

Hi Snap,
Yes, you are correct, water blue is neutral. I was looking for four slots but my "missing" slot was actually a big space.
I should have gone to Specsavers.

Nun ist es wunderbar!!

Everything appears to be A8 A OK:ROFL:
Except VCDS is showing DAB radio "not registered".
Any ideas?
I had the same problem with my CD player when I retrofitted AMI, but cannot remember how I fixed it.

Tick the digital radio box in the gateway installation list. +++