[powertony]

Hello guys,

I tried to install a RNS-E system into an Audi S6/C5 Avant.
Manufacturing year is 1999 month 7.

The car was equipped with a Navi Plus DX. Navi Plus worked without any problem. Even displayed RDS info and Navigation arrows in the DIS.

I installed dozens of this kind of systems so I removed the knee bolster and expected to see the TMC tuner to bridge the Canbus wires.

unfortunately NO TMC tuner.

Since it's a digital dashboard I found the grey connector at the back of the cluster and connected pin 5 and 6 (this should be can bus). Unfortunately no results.

Does anyone has a clue where I can find the comfort/can bus signal of this car? I'm out of options!

Thanks in advance,
Tony

 

[AudiA4B6US]

Does it have a digital clock or an analog clock? In latter case it doesn't have CAN. I think the older RNs-D used a TMC tuner that converts to the 3 wire bus. But I'm not sure about that.

 

[powertony]

The cluster has a digital clock. even the gray connector is available. So it seems like it's a can-enabled cluster.

The Navigation system is DX, so afaik it uses an external TMC Tuner box to connect to the cluster.

Regards,

 

[craigyb]

Chances are it was an RNS-C, not a D.

The RNS-C had clk/data/enable for the cluster like the symphony 1

Have you actually tried enabling the cluster channel 62 to add 5 to enable can cluster for radio & navigation.

If you cluster has 3x 32pin connectors, grey, green & blue, then it is CAN enabled.

 

[NSX JR]

Change adaptation channel 62 to a value of 5 to activate the CANbus as craigyb says above. The CANbus wont be active otherwise.

 

[powertony]

Thanks guys,

Pin 5 & 6 of the gray connector were not occupied.
So I connected the can-high and can-low to these pin numbers.

It did not work out. But if I understand well, if I change channel 62 to 5, it must work ?

That's good news. I will try that immediately.

Thanks

 

[TeddyBGame]

I would also recommend that you twist those pair of wires going to the cluster...and any other canbus wiring in your car. This will rule out any [potential] future communications issues on the canbus.

Good luck!

 

[powertony]

Hi guys..

bad luck. I tried to change channel 62, but it says:
Function unknown. So channel 62 cannot be updated.

Anyone suggestions ?

 

[NikolasZ]

Hybrid instrument clusters

I can now confirm that the A6 with the V8 engines (A6 4.2 and S6) has some kind of hybrid instrument-clusters. Normally the intrument clusters for the A6 1998-1999 have a blue, a green and a red connector. They are really not compatible with the Display-CAN-bus. But allthough the "hybrid" instrument clusters (which I now call them), have the blue, green and GRAY connector in the back. it is still not Display-CAN-bus enabled.

I am doing an experiment right now. Since I believe that the A6 with the V8-engine, having this hybrid instrument cluster, has the Immobilizer version II, I think that an instrument cluster from a 2000 A6 will fit. the 2000 A6 should also have the Immobilizer version II. That is my experiment, since I am not sure about Immo version. Various official documents claim that Immo version III came with MY2000 and others say that it came week 18 of 2000, which in fact means MY2001. I am placing my money on the latter information. The Immo versions are not compatible backwards nor forwards.

Mind you that the instrument cluster with the RED connector, is not pin-compatible at all with the instrument cluster from 2000. So switching instrument clusters having this type is VERY difficult. The Immo version on these cars, is as I understand version I, which is also not compatible with a 2000-intrument cluster.
The "Hybrid" instrument cluster with the GRAY connector is on the other hand fully pin-compatible on all three connectors with the intrument cluster from 2000.

1999 Hybrid intrument cluster for A6 4.2 partnumber is 4B0920830C graded 280km/h metric version.
1999 Hybrid intrument cluster for A6 4.2 partnumber is 4B0920880B graded 170mph imperial version.

2000 instrument cluster for A6 2.7 and 4.2 partnumber is 4B0920936R graded to 280km/h. For S6 you need the equivalent of 4B0930936S graded to 300km/h.
2000 instrument cluster for A6 2.7 and 4.2 partnumber is 4B0920981D graded to 170mph. For S6 you need the equivalent of 4B0920981E graded to 190mph.

I have found an instrument cluster from a 2000 A6 2.7. It has part no 4B0920931E which is equivalent to part no 4B0920936R. I ordered it today and it should come by mail to me by tomorrow. I will update you on my findings along the way.

These will be my findings after this experiment:
* Is it possible to re-code the Instrumetn Cluster?
* Is the Display-CAN-bus working with RNS-E?
* Is the Immo version compatible, i.e. will I be able to match the instrument cluster with the engine control unit?

Wish me luck! :?

 

[NikolasZ]

Got the 2000 Instrument Cluster

Today I received the instrument cluster that I ordered. It is from a 2000 2.7 A6.

As I suspected it was all plug-and-play regarding all the connectors. So all indicators, lights, FIS/DIS were working correctly.

I re-coded it to fit my V8-engine. I coded all the service inspection settings not to have the dynamic oil-change program, since my engine control unit does not support this.

I managed to code the Display-CAN-bus to display the RNS-E data, such as the station ID, and the arrows for the navigation. So, so far, so very good.

Of course the immobilizer kicked in, so I could not start the car, but that was expected. Now I need to book a service appointment with the local Audi-dealer. First available slot was on May 4!!! Fortunatelly it was this year, at least.

Isn't there anyone out there who has some kind of access to the database of where you get the 7-digit secret code for recoding the immobilizer/keys?

2 out of 3 of my questions are answered so far. I'll get back to this post, as soon as have got the immo re-code done.

 

[NikolasZ]

Recoded the keys

Today I went to my local VAG repair shop and asked them if they could re-code my instrument cluster and my keys right away.

They agreed!

They re-coded all my keys and it WORKED!!! :lol:

So I can now confirm that an instrument cluster from 2000 works in a 1999 V8 A6. Most likely a 2001 instrument cluster does not work, since it works with the immobilizer version III.

I am happy!

 

[AudiA4B6US]

Good work. What firmware version does the new cluster have and do you see the time sync issue on the RNS-E that so many early 4B0 owners have expirienced?

 

[NikolasZ]

Good work. What firmware version does the new cluster have and do you see the time sync issue on the RNS-E that so many early 4B0 owners have expirienced?

Thank you! The new instrument cluster is a VDO with firmware D11, coded as 03183 (part no: 4B0 920 931E).

Yes, I do have the time sync issue. It's a pity, since I live in Europe and have the Radio Clock Sync option active and available. I will have to get the CANGate at a later stage to fix that fault.

I believe that the time sync issue is valid for everyone who has the A6 prior to 2002. A major change was made in the internal electronics in all of Audi's cars for MY 2002. More external equipment, such as PDC, MFSW, Radios were "CAN-iffyed", and the CAN-signals were then slightly modified.

Is there anyone out there with a MY2001 A6 that doesn't have the time sync problem?
Is there anyone out there with a MY2002 A6 (or later) that does have the time sync problem?

(The 10:th character in the VIN tells you your MY. X=1999, Y=2000, 1=2001, 2=2002 a.s.o.)

 

[kristoffer]

Tjenare!

I have an 2002 A6, dont' have any clock sync problems. Few weeks ago we went to summertime (clock one time back) and the GPS was right at once. But I had to wait a few days before the cluster connected to the clock in Germany, then it was right too.

I have another issue though, the car has no infotainment CAN-BUS. I've been playing with the idea to change the instrument clusterto one with full FIS, but dont know if this will work. (and in Norway/europe this clusters go for about 350-400 $...)

With you experience, do you have any ideas if it will work?

And did you get a completely new cluster or a used one? (if used, was it reset or not...?)

Regards, Kristoffer

 

[NikolasZ]

FIS-cluster - no problems

Tja!

Since you have a 2002 A6, you would have any problems changing your cluster from "any" A6 from 2002-2005. I write "any" since the instrument clusters are somewhat different depending on the engine type that you have (V6, V8, diesel, gasoline, etc).

I don't have any experience in adding FIS in a car that doesn't have FIS to begin with. Maybe you will have better advice from someone who has.

Since you don't have the grey connector, you will have to add that connector to your cluster. From that connector you can get the infotainment-CAN.

You will have some added FIS-functionality, but to have full FIS-functionality, you need to change the wiper-switchlever and add some control units that sense broken lamps, etc.

All in all i believe that it will work, but you will have som issues with the FIS.

Do you have a CAN-simulator now?

My "new" instrument cluster was not new. it was from a crashed car. It was not reset, but had some 40500 km on the meter. I will need to adjust that since my car had 121240km on the meter.

 

[audigogo]

Hi, my question has posted on http://www.navplus.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5733
The 03 A6 2.4 car, no infotainment CAN and RNS-E want to connect DVD player.
But the CAN simulator and multimedia interface are incompatible.
How to know which instrument clusters support the infotainment CAN?
The "instrument clusters" include which components?

Thank in advance.

 

[NikolasZ]

New instrument cluster again

I wasn't too impressed with the MY2000 instrument cluster I got (4B0920931E). First of all since the cluster wasn't new, it had a lot (and I mean almost totally) of faded pixels in the DIS/FIS. Secondly I wasn't too glad about the clock sync issue that all pre 2002 A6 have with the RNS-E. Thirdly I did not manage to correct the Km-counter. So I returned the cluster with a money refund.

I bought a new cluster. This time a 2002-2005 instrument cluster. (4B0920933S) Previous information was that those clusters will not work with pre 2001 cars, due to the IMMO version 3. It is correct that IMMO v3 is not compatible with IMMO v2, as IMMO v2 is not compatible with IMMO v1. But all instrument clusters from 2000 to 2005 have selectable IMMO version. You can select IMMO v2 or v3.

Other information said that the CAN-signals for the ECU, transmission control unit etc are totally different and incompatible. But it seems it was just unfounded roumors.

I successfully installed the cluster, coded the keyes to the IMMO v2. In addition to that I got a correct working clock in RNS-E and chromed rings in the instrument cluster. No faded pixels in the FIS/DIS. And as another big plus: when driving in navigation mode with the arrows in the DIS/FIS, I get the outside temperature just below the radiostation-display, which I did not get with the 2000-cluster. It was just an empty space there.

I can now successfully confirm that a 2002-> cluster works with a 1999-> A6 as long as it has the Blue, Green and Gray connector from the beginning.

NOW I am happy Very happy :!: :!: :!: