[steaman]

I bought a tested RNS-E on Ebay by a company in Germany. The kit included a retrofit wiring harness, not specified for my A4 B6 with Bose sound. When i tested the Navi in the my car, the radio started directly but the display was black. In direct sunlight I can barely see the information on the display. It is like the display illumination has no power supply.

Is the Navigator faulty or could it be the wiring harness?

 

[dmollico]

The rns-e has the ability to be dimmed based off the can-bus communication - but I don't believe it can be dimmed to the extreme you are speaking of.
I believe your lcd backlight perhaps may need to be replaced - I'm not sure where it is - but there are some guys on here good enough to fix that sort of thing.
<cough>NSX JR & PROXUS</cough> MY guess (and a friends guess) would be the can-bus works with the voltage regulator on the rns-e for the lcd backlighting.
I could probably do it - but it would take me forever!
heh - good luck!

 

[PetrolDave]

I believe your lcd backlight perhaps may need to be replaced

Second that diagnosis.

Might be easiest to replace the whole display. There's been posts on here which give the part number of a GM Europe display that IS available (on eBay) and is the same display!

 

[steaman]

How is the display illuminated bulbs or diodes? If there are more than one, how come they brake at the same time?

 

[dmollico]

I second(third?) PetrolDave -
it uses diods to light the lcd - you you'll never find the right ones, and if you find different ones, you'll need to build a voltage regulator which will look like crap on the rns-e -
Do yourself a favor and find the part number and buy a new lcd!

This should serve as yet ANOTHER message to come no where near ebay for these things! Buy from the guys on this forum!

 

[bjarne]

Have you tried to disconnect and re-seat the flex cable between the display and the motherboard?

It might be worth a try.

 

[lauriv]

The display is lit by a cold cathode tube.

Lauri

 

[PetrolDave]

The display is lit by a cold cathode tube.

Lauri

Exactly what I was just about to post - but you beat me to it lauriv!