Rear Parcel Shelf speakers not working (non-Bose)
 

I think the title says it all really.
This is a spin-off from another thread to keep topics clean.

Trying to resolve problems with my RNS-D in a facelift D2 S8 I realised that there was no sound from the shelf speakers and that the rear doors aren't exactly "sparkling" either, though they do work. Better with the Fader seriously biased to the rear though.

A comment by Notorious suggested that they never work. :Confused:
Is this really true, there's an awful lot of "stuff" under the shelf in the boot.

mine do work HP (also non Bose) but think they only deliver bass, certainly with the fader biased towards the back they do produce a fair amount of thump which can be clearly heard when you open the boot lid

Thanks, what head unit do you have and do you know how it's coded?

OK, I put my fader right to the back (well 2 clicks short) and cranked up the volume and there is a vague rumbling in the boot. And I can feel vibration if I put my hand on the speaker units in the boot or the covers inside on the shelf. Not a "thump" in any sense. :mad:

Pretty sure the two boot speakers have their own amplifiers.. check for voltage at the pins and see if they've maybe just both failed

I'm also quite certain of that, and IIRC they then feed the rear door speakers so there will be a filter mechanism in there as well, so multiple wires rather than just 2.
Not sure what voltages to expect and the audio signals will presumably be AC.

It "sort of" works but is extremely faint.

When the rain stops I'll try to find time to get my multimeter (and screwdriver and torch) out. I just love lying on my back in the boot. :rolleyes:

mine is an RNS-D, not sure about the coding but I did change the NAV part of the unit for one that came from a BOSE car and had to have it recoded to get front speakers to work, no idea what codes are/were though, Richard (Psyche) did it for me at the time

OK, that's very similar to my current setup.
I've had the covers off inside the boot and there are 2 speakers there, with multiple wires as you'd expect. But very little sound noticeable in the boot.

If I put the RNS in max Bass, min Treble, fully faded to rear and then stick my head over the rear seat above the parcel shelf I CAN hear some bass sound, but it's really quite faint. :(

Picture of one of the speakers attached, looks like 4DO 035 401 3QG.

Anyone know how you get them out so I can test voltages?
Edit: You undo 2 rather obvious Phillips screws inside the boot and they just lift up inside the cabin. Though it looks like they've been out before from markings on the paint. :tuttut:
Will investigate later, but on really high volumes you CAN hear the bass, so I'm thinking it's more an RNS-d issue. :(

Can't remember what the coding was, but I think I had to code it to an A6 setting.. Though VCDS had the options listed.

If you're getting some sound out the rear speakers then I'd assume that the coding is correct.. If you drop the old stereo in, does it work?

I've just done that and it's the same. And both units are coded the same anyway.

It's sort of just acceptable with Bass at or near maximum and fader 2 stops from the rearmost position. Maybe I'm still missing my old Bose/RNS-C where the Bass was pretty solid. +++

Might try the A6 coding if you can verify that somehow; do you have a VCDS scan saved anywhere, it will show the Soft Coding on the Radio. Mine are both 000207.

If "some" of the information I have is correct then the 2nd digit is 2 for an A6, i.e. 02207.

Well it took that code of 02207 and subjectively I'd say it's noticeably better. +++ For a start I can definitely heard bass in the boot now, though I still haven't refitted the plastic covers.
I have still changed the fader heavily to the rear, but the Bass is central. And even with all settings at nominal it definitely sounds better to me.

Pretty sure that was one if the issues with Brian's unit. not driving all the speakers properly and the coding sorted it out. It was ages ago, so I don't have a scan.

OK, I didn't see anything useful, where was that, if you remember?
I only have VCDS-Lite (Registered though, I paid!) which doesn't have a full set of information. :(

Covers refitted, lovely job lying on my back in the boot in the pouring rain, no fun if you're as big and arthritic as me. :-(

Tested by listening to Radio 1,2,3,4 and Bass is now really evident, especially from Ken Bruce! :ROFL: Clear bass notes from parcel shelf and inside the boot. +++

All the tone settings are at nominal except Fader which is 2 "blocks" in from extreme rear (3rd block from right).

I'm now really quite pleased, and rather sad I didn't sort this a while ago.
Been doing a little "stress testing" +++ :
Mahler's Resurrection (2nd) Symphony, especially the finale
Aaaron Copland, Fanfare for the common man - lots of brass and tympani.

So, for anyone with a none-Bose RNS-D that's sounding a bit "thin", change the Radio soft coding from 00207 to 02207, and fader a fair way rearwards. :cool:

Bon choice. +++ When testing out some speakers are a shop in Glasgow, i used Mahler's 2nd and Neil Young's "hey hey,my my (into the Black)". the first tests for dynamic response/vocals and full orchestra the latter just destroys speakers not up to it!

If you really want to test speakers you need to enlist Hotblack Desiato and Disaster Area. :rolleyes:
(I believe they were in fact inspired by Pink Floyd and their Venice concert in particular: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcxzaBSzlH0 )
NOT this Hotblack Desiato though...

Personally, I prefer to test with the live version of Iron Maiden's "The Clairvoyant", even the Bose in the D3 doesn't quite get it right but is absolutely stonking with most classical stuff (target audience I suppose).

Comfortably Numb is a pretty good test as well. :ROFL: (Or Run Like Hell which ended that Venice concert, apparently causing a fair bit of damage to various buildings!)

I tried other values for that 2nd digit, i.e. 01207 to 07207 and it made no discernible difference, so I'm sticking with 02207 for now.

A good test will be tomorrow, a long drive with SWMBO in the car; she has long complained about the difficulty of hearing speech clearly on the radio at "motorway speeds". This should be a good test. :cool: