DAB radio can it be added

[B5NUT]

There are three possible aerials modules that fit in that location.

DAB only
Aux heating only
DAB and Aux heating

The heating can be controlled via remote, that is what the aerial is for. However it was never an option in this country.

The wring is different depending on what aerial is fitted, so for the UK it's only ever going to be DAB only.

 

[Steveredman]

Brilliant thanks for that B5NUT, so if I did happen to need the one with auxiliary heating control then I would know because I would already have the 'Aux heating only' model fitted currently.


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[B5NUT]

Correct, however as you are in the UK you won't have it fitted.

 

[Screw90]

Correct, however as you are in the UK you won't have it fitted.

I didn't think of aux heating in term of communication at all but you are absolutely right
If anyone knows safe option of attaching antenna cable to window it would be really helpful for others to share that knowledge here.
I was scared to do it myself so I did what I did (3rd party antenna)


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[Simon968]

My car had two wires already soldered to the antenna on the glass. They seemed to have been fairly roughly chopped off, not even the same length, so I'm not quite sure why they were like that, or if all cars came like that.

 

[B5NUT]

That's not normal someone could have retrofit DAB before and removed it.

 

[simonwjones]

I didn't think of aux heating in term of communication at all but you are absolutely right
If anyone knows safe option of attaching antenna cable to window it would be really helpful for others to share that knowledge here.
I was scared to do it myself so I did what I did (3rd party antenna)


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When I did my DAB install I glued 2 wires to the contacts on the rear side window using conductive paint.

I held the wires in place using tape whilst the paint dried and then built the paint up over about 2 or 3 days

Never failed since I did it

Simon

 

[Simon968]

That's not normal someone could have retrofit DAB before and removed it.

Don't think so. The car had one owner for most of it's life before me (company car I think). He left his Road Angel in the car, which was easy to remove, so I doubt he would have gone to the trouble of removing the DAB module, aerial lead and aerial amp.

 

[Steveredman]

Don't think so. The car had one owner for most of it's life before me (company car I think). He left his Road Angel in the car, which was easy to remove, so I doubt he would have gone to the trouble of removing the DAB module, aerial lead and aerial amp.

Sounds a bit dubious then, maybe the glass was replaced with glass from a scrapper? (Clutching at straws a bit) I'm hoping that with careful solder flux application I should be able to get the solder onto the contact and then tin the wire tip and apply heat with the wire and the contact together.


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[Simon968]

Sounds a bit dubious then, maybe the glass was replaced with glass from a scrapper? (Clutching at straws a bit) I'm hoping that with careful solder flux application I should be able to get the solder onto the contact and then tin the wire tip and apply heat with the wire and the contact together.


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Maybe. I did think that the way the wires ended looked odd, but I was just glad they were there.

Perhaps carefully warming the window with a hairdrier would be worthwhile before going anywhere near with a soldering iron, just to reduce the thermal shock.

 

[Steveredman]

Maybe. I did think that the way the wires ended looked odd, but I was just glad they were there.

Perhaps carefully warming the window with a hairdrier would be worthwhile before going anywhere near with a soldering iron, just to reduce the thermal shock.

Sounds like a good idea, don't want to have to replace the glass! I'm hoping I won't need the iron in contact for long.

Can you advise which wire goes to which contact? Looks like there are 2 wires coming from the amplifier module.


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[Simon968]

I can't remember I'm afraid, but I think that the answer may have been in the Kufatec instructions.

 

[B5NUT]

I always heat the glass first with a hairdryer stops thermal shock on the glass. Replacing that glass is a pain in the ......

 

[Steveredman]

I always heat the glass first with a hairdryer stops thermal shock on the glass. Replacing that glass is a pain in the ......

A poet and you didn't know it?

Hopefully the instructions will be clear from Kufatec. That's everything ordered so once I have everything ready I'll update with the results.


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[Steveredman]

I got my hands on the replacement radio unit this morning so I plugged it in to give it a test (obviously no DAB capability as I don't have the aerial yet). I got sound on the analogue wavebands so I guess this must have come from a car with Bose amp/speakers, so no recoding required I hope?

After a minute or so the sound started to cut out and in every couple of seconds, am I right in thinking this is due to CP? Don't want to pay for CP removing if the unit is a dud.

Thanks.


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[Shaun todd]

Hi there please could someone point Mr in the right direction for retrofitting this dab unit. Thought it was pretty straightforward but now looking at tge wires I'm not sure. Was told it was pretty much plug and play but doesnt look like it... It will be fitted into a6 4f avant which i believe has dab antenna allready built into the rear quater panel??

 

[Steveredman]

So, the aerial amp finally arrived so I thought I'd have a play.

Turns out my window also has wires soldered on that have been cut!

So I soldered the wires from the amp to the existing wires to test:-

And BAM! got DAB

So the next question is where should the cable to the radio module run?

Thanks.


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[Simon968]

The wires on my window looked just like that.
I ran the cable under the window, down in the corner of the boot and then under the trim near the battery across to the other side where the radio module is.

 

[Steveredman]

I've been for a drive with the DAB on, bit disappointed as the signal was cutting out all of the time, was hearing the radio maybe half of the time. Is it possible that I soldered to the wrong terminals on the window? Is there anything else I could look at?


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[Steveredman]

Just found this picture, looks like I'll be resoldering tomorrow then!

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[Simon968]

Have you mounted the amplifier in its correct position so that it gets a good earth?
That may also make a difference.

 

[Simon968]

Looking at the picture of your window, the two outer contacts are linked, so the ones that you have connected to are correct.
I'll try and find my instructions and see which contacts it shows to use.

Edit: I've checked my Kufatec instructions and they show the same as your picture, so I guess I must have connected to the two outer terminals too.

 

[Steveredman]

Thanks for that, seems a bit odd that I would essentially be connecting the 2 together but given that the reception I get now is not good enough I need to try changing something.

The only other option would be to switch the 2 wires.


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[Steveredman]

Ok, so things are looking promising! I have switched my wires to match the picture from Kufatec and the signal is now a lot better. Took a drive down the road a few miles with DAB on all the way and had no dropouts, squelches or farts at all

I came back with the DAB signal quality screen on in the hidden menu and the audio quality was at 100 the whole way.

Got a few hundred miles to do tomorrow (Hull to Stamford, then Stamford to Slough) so should be a good test.


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[Steveredman]

Just to update, my DAB reception is now flawless and all done with no damage to the trim panels etc

Thanks to all for the advice.


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[Simon968]

Mine is not perfect, but much better than the windscreen mounted aftermarket aerial in my previous car.
Maybe I need to make sure that the amp is earthed better to the body. I notice that your car didn't have any tape over the square hole for the speed nut.
I think that I should have removed it from mine, but I left it in place, just in case of rattles and perhaps that was a bad move.

 

[B5NUT]

The aerial does need to be grounded, also it would never rattle as the bolt holds it securely in place.

 

[Simon968]

The aerial does need to be grounded, also it would never rattle as the bolt holds it securely in place.

I guess that I'm going to be pulling it all to bits again at some point then.

 

[Steveredman]

I pulled the tape off mine before I took the photo, the hole is painted but I guess there must be enough conductivity, perhaps it is unpainted on the inside?

Genuinely the reception was flawless all the way down here. Quite often it cuts out when I open the driver's door though, maybe it's when the door crosses the path of the wave and reflects it.


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[B5NUT]

The clip goes inside the hole and clamps to the inside of the body, this will have minimal coating so it should get a good earth from that..

 

[slater7]

Im just preparing to fit DAB unit but I was wondering if anyone could help me how to remove trim C pillar to fit amp and connect to the glass aerial - I have an avant

 

[Steveredman]

It's a pain in the proverbial. You can pull the top of the trim away, it has a kind of hook that bends up into a hole in the panel behind. You can access the required area by holding the trim away, without releasing it at the bottom. To release the bottom part you would need to unfasten the peg that the seatback latches onto, and you can proceed to unfasten and remove the whole trim panel below, from the end near the door to the end near the tailgate. Quite lengthy process but allows complete removal of the pillar trim.


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[slater7]

Thanks a lot for info...
I have a MMI 3G Basic and unit number: 4G0 035 056, which one would be better for me: 4G0 035 061 or 4F0 035 061 ?

 

[Steveredman]

I'm sorry I have no idea, hopefully someone with a similar MMI can help


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[mikejasonsmith]

Hi all.

Im a complete newb. Just picked up a 2009 Le Mans with Bose and want to fit DAB. Getting quoted some sky high prices so would appreciate some help in ordering the right parts and maybe trying to fit myself or getting someone more knowledgable than me to then go ahead and fit?

starting point is the module I guess...how do I find the right one for my car??? Thanks in advance an apologies for going over what is probably old ground to a lot of you.

thank you.