IV BEEN MADE REDUNDANT SO I GOT MORE TIME FOR MY CAR!!!

[rdhighoctane]

So I was made redundant from my works (f***ing w***kers)
But on the upside and after a whole week of xbox/me time! I've decided to tackle some DIY projects on my car
(as well as look for a new job of-course...)

I completed a Double Din conversion over a year back which went great. It was my intention to upgrade to an RNSE but after trawling the net for a bargain I finally gave up and opted for a DD Audi Concert (still, it looks great none the less).

Not long after I connected the radio up, I noticed that the reception kept cutting off after about 10 seconds of driving. It would be absolutely fine when the car is stationary, but once it's moving, it would cut out after a few seconds. The strange thing is, if I then turn the radio off and then back on again, it would pick up a station fine, but then lose reception once again after around 10 seconds?...

I did a bit of digging and and got the impression that it's something to do with compatibility with the antennas in the boot?...

Managing to get the boot trim off (such a b**ch!!) I've taken pictures of the bits I'm sorting out, and so for your consideration and advice I list them below:-

This is my Audi Concert Radio (2007+ model I believe):

This is the lower antenna (located top left if looking up at the open boot hatch):

Searching the web following the radio/antenna compatibility issue, and the possible reason being the antenna model, you can see mine is (from factory) 8P4.035.225
Would I need the 8P3 version? sorry for my naivety - but I know of the model references 8P1 8P2 8P3 for the A3 but does that mean all the parts in the car should reflect that? I don't know the difference in the 8P? part numbers.
i.e. 8P4.0350.225 and 8P3.035.225

This is the upper antenna (located bottom left if looking at open boot hatch):

This is something I noticed while looking at the connections - as you can see, the upper antenna is on the left, and there is a pair of soldered, but cut? connections on the right side... anyone know what they are for / are they meant to be like that? is this a possible reason why my radio's reception cuts out?

Finally, this is my rear wiper unit:

My car is an A3 2004-2007 2.0TDi SE Sportback. Does anybody know if there's a repair kit on the market other than getting parts from Audi directly. I have seen on Ebay a repair kit, but only for the 1997-2003 A3.


I hope this post and the advice will help others in the same predicament as me. Thanks guys

 

[NHN]

Reason you have bad reception is the antenna system is wrong for that head unit, so you can either swap it for an rns-e which is compatible fully with current antenna system or change antenna system to be compatible, I have either path available if interested.

What is wrong with your rear wiper unit?

Did you mod the climate fascia onto the older back end, as those facelift units do not work fully on your year if its an 03-07 car.

 

[rdhighoctane]

Reason you have bad reception is the antenna system is wrong for that head unit, so you can either swap it for an rns-e which is compatible fully with current antenna system or change antenna system to be compatible, I have either path available if interested.

What is wrong with your rear wiper unit?

Did you mod the climate fascia onto the older bac end, as those facelift units do not work fully on your year if its an 03-07 car.

So what antenna set up would I need, would it be 8P3.035.225 & 8P3.035.225.B ? I'd love to get an RNSe! but we all know how expensive that is, especially with the increased chance of your car being broken into and it nicked. Do you have one to sell?

Well, the motor works for the rear wiper, therefore it actually rotates (when it wants to..) but the arm it's self is hanging lose (over reaches its rest position) but I'm guessing all I need to do is tighten the nut under the washer jets? But my main concern is when I sorted out the lack of wash getting through (turned out to be blocked exits in the jets) so that's fine, and unscrewing the housing had water escape. So I'm presuming the brass pipe running through the center is naff, as is common with the A3?

Funny you should ask about the climate control. When I installed it, it ran absolutely fine, until one day it stopped blowing air through the center blowers, I thought maybe a cable had came loose, nope, that was fine. I then thought maybe the aircon needed refueling (took it to Quikfix and they do it for free if it doesn't fix the problem) but that didn't work ... so I was left baffled for months without any heating in the car, but then a while back the windscreen blower worked, so I was happy, now the center blowers work (most of the time) as long as I don't have it on AC... So at the moment I'm counting myself lucky! Do you know of any fix for this? (except putting an older unit back in)

 

[Rhyso]

With regards to the wiper i had this and it had lost the spring from the wiper arm. New wiper arm sorted the drooping issue

if you look at the wiper arm there should be a spring where it hinges; if thats missing then thats the reason its hanging down

 

[Ash187]

the reason your climate control hasnt been working properly is because well... you have the wrong climate control in your car!
you need to put your old one back in for it to work properly as that new one isnt designed to be compatible with your car.

you can always do this to your old one to make it look better:
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a3-s3-...ft-chome-climate-control-module-switches.html

 

[JPK]

In regard to the antenna module. I found this on google:Converting Symphony II+ antenna system for use with RNS-E | Audi Forum

These guys are talking about the reverse of what you are trying to achieve (and me too), but why are they using some sort of 'diversity module', rather than simply fitting the earlier antenna module that comes with the single din concert?

This is from that thread:

All generation II radios, the RNS-D, RNS-E and BNS 5.0 use the switching diversity. Only teh II+ generation radios use phase diversity with two HF antennas.

 

[NHN]

No, the diversity golf module was the 1st way to fix it, which wasnt 100% successful, so the actual factory install was put together which I've done numerous times now.

I can supply the kit to reverse this fix, so the 2+ units you are trying to make compatible with your older cars, work fully with radio antenna's.

 

[JPK]

Im guessing this is what is required? Aerial system - Retrofit - Audi A3 8P Sportback-

 

[NHN]

If the pictures correct then yes possibly.

I can do a bit cheaper than that.

 

[RedDejavu]

I've got some of these bits left over after fitting RSN-E on my previous car. Can give you for free just cover the postage. Will double check and post some photos later if they've not been binned by my missus already.

 

[rdhighoctane]

the reason your climate control hasnt been working properly is because well... you have the wrong climate control in your car!
you need to put your old one back in for it to work properly as that new one isnt designed to be compatible with your car.

you can always do this to your old one to make it look better:
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a3-s3-...ft-chome-climate-control-module-switches.html

Cheers for that ash, brilliant write up. I'm gonna give that a go!

 

[rdhighoctane]

Does anyone know if it's meant to be like this, and why...

 

[NHN]

Yes.