[fritzner]

i have a Dietz 1417 and 1280 hooked up to my EU unit; everything is working perfectly..

i got a new US unit.. i wanted to test the unit itself and also how it works with the 1417.. so i unplugged the EU and plugged in the US; everything worked perfectly.. GREAT!!

so i reinstalled the EU unit and checked the "TV" mode, but it did not show up under the "SOURCE" menu??.. i check the lights, and they did not work??.. seems to be a problem with the CAN.. the unit did not turn ON/OFF with the ignition either which pretty much confirmed the CAN signals were no longer getting thru..

i checked all the connections and they look good..
[siteimg:3f0f5c9a31]169[/siteimg:3f0f5c9a31]
i disconnected/reconnected the power (2 yellow insulated spade connectors plugged into blue T-taps) for the 1417/1280 and that did not seem to help .. and i checked the CAN (4 red bullet connectors - polarized so they cant be plugged in wrong) and that didnt seem to help either..

so i disconnected power to the Dietz devices, and connected the CAN directly and the RNS-E works as it should (illumination, ignition, etc)..


3 possible problems::
-1- maybe i pulled a power or ground wire loose on the one of the Dietz devices - i would guess the 1280, since it actually interupts the CAN signal = likely/hopefully..

-2- i somehow fried one of the devices - no idea how that would have happened = damn i hope not, those things are expensive..

-3- somehow one of the devices got confused and just need some time to reset = that would be nice, but i doubt it..


any other thoughts / suggestions / things i should look out for or be careful of next time??..

i dont have the car tonight, but i will double check everything tomorrow night..

thanks ..

 

[cmb6s]

Well, simple things first. You think frying the unit is a possibility, so I have to ask... did you check the fuses? I'm assuming the RNS-E has a small fuse on the back of it like the Symphony II, and did you check the radio system fuse at the fuse box? Like I said... simple things, but they can be overlooked when one is stressing.

 

[fritzner]

you are so right -- i am definitely thinking of the big stuff.. i will be sure to check the inline fuses i installed and little things, thanks..

i dont think can be the fuse on the back of the radio or the main radio system fuse, because the radio does work..

the problem is the CAN is not working when connected to the Dietz devices.. the 1417/1280 require power and ground which it gets off the RNS-E (which again is working, so it has power).. so maybe i pulled a wire loose or blew an inline fuse i installed..

unfortunately to save space and connections, i wired the 1417 and 1280 together, so it is difficult to test them indepentantly..

thanks ..

 

[fritzner]

i had some success, but still not sure what is going on..

i check all the connections and they seem to be good.. so i hooked everything back up and initially it seemed to work..

but then i started getting intermittent loss of video with "TV tuner not connected", but the audio from a movie continued..

i looked under the source menu and "TV" appeared and disappeared from the list..

illumination and ignition worked, so i decided to take a drive and try to navigate..

the arrow moved, but not smoothly.. and the nav info on the DIS appeared and disappeared..

i am pretty sure it is an issue with the CAN and the devices.. but not sure if it is::
-- bad CAN connection??..
-- bad power or ground connection for the devices (though the DVD player is connected to the same power/ground source and it has no issues)??..
-- or one of the devices is malfuntioning somehow..

Lanny, any way to warranty, repair, etc these devices??..


without the devices, everything works perfectly..

i will go over my connections again and try to isolate which device is causing the problem..

 

[AudiA4B6US]

Check your CAN wires (CAN high/low that is). Not exactly sure about the specs but they should be twisted pair with about 5 twists per inch. If you are using long (more than 10cm/4inch) wires close to power and audio wires, this might be an issue.

 

[fritzner]

i saw a recent post regarding twisted CAN wires and will give that a try..

mine are ~12" long and do run near power and audio wires..

the strange thing is it has been working fine for a month or 2, until i swapped units.. well actually i swapped units and it worked fine, but when i swapped back it didnt at all, now it is working intermittently..

i am still hoping it is just a loose connection..

but can you think of anyway simply disconnecting one radio and connecting another could screw up a dietz device??..

 

[AudiA4B6US]

but can you think of anyway simply disconnecting one radio and connecting another could screw up a dietz device??..

You'll never know how hard you can pull on those wires until you open the little black box.

 

[BayrischerS4]

Lanny, any way to warranty, repair, etc these devices??..quote]

I'm sure there is but since I am in the stages of finalizing my deal with Dietz (the person I need to deal with is on vacation until September) I can't give you firm yes or no.

Maybe we need to get together one day and have a look and see if two heads are better than one.

 

[fritzner]

Maybe we need to get together one day and have a look and see if two heads are better than one

that sounds great.. if i dont find the problem this wknd, i will definitely head out to your place to get some help figuring it out..

if your numbers changed in the last yr or 2, PM the new ones to me.. the 2 i have both end in 03..

 

[BayrischerS4]

the 2 i have both end in 03..

That be the ones.

 

[fritzner]

well i completely disassembled everything and found nothing wrong.. i reconnected everything and it worked..

i didnt want to be stuck with an intermittent connection, so i disconnected and reconnect 2 more times and it worked flawlessly every time :?

so unfortunately i did not find the problem but am happy that it is working..

one very strange thing occurred::
-- i went for a test drive with a movie playing and the 1280 activated..
-- i stopped for gas; turned the car off; turned the RNS-E back on (stupid US units dont say on like the EU units do :twisted: ); the 1280 was still activated..
-- i filled the tank; got back in the car and started it; THE FUEL GAUGE STILL READ ~1/8th!!!..
-- i turned the car off and back on, still 1/8th..
-- i tried to put more gas in, but it was full??..
-- i turned off the DVD and 1280, still 1/8th..
-- i started route guidance home and it worked fine..
-- once home; i disconnected/reconnected the instrument cluster and everything is fine now - reading full..

next time i need gas (and i am near home) i am going to repeat the exact same steps to see if the 1280 is messing with the instrument cluster somehow..

i will also repeat with the 1280 turned off (not necessary anyway when you are parked).. to isolate the source of the problem..

from Dietz installation instructions::

Unit 1280 is an interface which processes afterwards described data from the CAN-protocol of a car. It’s installation in a car means an important interference into a complex system which we as a supplier of the above mentioned unit do not know very well. We cannot guarantee that picking off data from the CAN Bus system may not influence other electronic units or systems in the car. So if you install electronic units in cars, please always pay attention to the installation-guides and the warranty-regulations of the car producer because otherwise the warranty will be lost. Because the changes in mass-production of the cars, we also cannot guarantee, that the interface is suitable in all the above mentioned combinations. To avoid risks, we advise you to contact the car producer or one of his dealers.

how true!

 

[brianjpugh]

try perzan - US dietz dist

[email protected]
LARRY PERZAN
(610)734-1234

got his info from dietz. good guy.