RNS-E/BT/SW/SDS/Buttons/etc Questions and Answers galore!

[iwBen]

Hey guys, I'll be browsing the web on and off today for answers to these questions and posting them back here, but if anyone has any insight to share I (and I'm sure others) would greatly appreciate them!

1) RNS-E firmware updates. Installation, new firmware with older units, which is the best one out atm, etc.
2) RNS-E chrome dials! For those who don't want to shell out for a new unit, how to get and install them.
3) RNS-E + BT loom. Audi part number, and recommendations for a custom splice.

I've searched around and only found mention of the above, no specific Q&A. So, will browse the interwebs and return with what I find.

Thanks in advance for any help guys!

 

[iwBen]

1) RNS-E firmware updates. Installation, new firmware with older units, which is the best one out atm, etc.

A: First up, (for the benefit of latta1989), pre-2010 (<H80) units need to be installed with SW650. This is the latest (and probably last ever) update for pre-2010 units, and can be installed with a 2010 maps DVD or by downloading the maps. Search Google for "RNS SW650 Firmware Download" and you can grab a torrent or whatever from there. I won't solicit it with specific details, that's down to the end user, my advise is to get a good deal on an official 2010 DVD, and get new maps and new software. You cannot install newer versions of firmware even with hacked packages - people have tried and failed, the unit doesn't have enough RAM.

Install by inserting the disk and restarting the unit? From what I gather? I'm already on SW650 with my H80 unit but I'll take a butchers later. If someone else could confirm for latta it would be nice. Also, anyone got experience installing an SDS enabled firmware (SW660) on an non-SDS unit? I haven't even checked if mine is a non-SDS unit yet, but just incase something else to sort out.

 

[iwBen]

2) RNS-E chrome dials! For those who don't want to shell out for a new unit, how to get and install them.

A: You can pickup fake or real ones. Real ones look way better, part numbers "8P0 919 069 B" for the larger knob and "8P0 919 070 A" for the smaller knob. They cost about £15/£8 respectively.

The larger knob, as I understand it, should be able to just pull off. The smaller knob, however, requires that the front fascia be dismantled (so don't rush yanking them off!). This is why the fake ones might appeal to some people. I wouldn't shun you for it... publicly .

Real:

(ignore the fact that the small knob in this image isn't chrome, the part number is correct.)

Fake: (Tachoringe.de)

 

[iwBen]

3) RNS-E + BT loom. Audi part number, and recommendations for a custom splice.

A: Can't find a part number for the official loom Audi use. Am I being ignorant? Can you even buy OEM looms?

Closest plug-n-play solution I've found is the Kufatec adapter - which isn't cheap by any means.
KUFATEC GmbH - Kabelsatz Handyvorbeitung Audi A3 8P "Nur Bluetooth" Plug & Play 37881

I've not yet decided on how to wire this up. Probably with some junctions cut into the main loom - or if I can be bothered I might get a male and female pair of quad lock connectors and make my own Kufatec-esque loom. Anyone else got better ideas?

I came up with a relatively tidy way to test the BT unit. Wouldn't recommend this for regular use. In fact, I wouldn't recommend it at all, I'm just impatient and needed a solution that didn't involve butchering without research

As you can see below, I stripped the wires off of the BT loom supplied with the unit, twisted them up and fed them through either side of the quad lock into the front of the sockets they should be crimped into. Of course the two Mic wires and the K-Line go into the other blocks at the back.

 

[sijones]

There is no such thing as SDS 660 firmware. The firmware is 650 with a hack to turn the SDS on, the version is then increased to fool the RNS-e to take it as an upgrade.

 

[sub39h]

had a question:

when looking for the latest RNS-E, is it the "H**" that's the important bit? so you mentioned on the classifieds thread that NHN has H05 (which i'm assuming has the black gloss around the screen) and JohnS3 has a H04 (lastest version but matt screen surround) is that right?

 

[iwBen]

H or HW is the hardware number, a few different electronics manufacturers use HW and SW to reference Hardware and Software respectively, so yeah indeed it is important I suppose.

H80 is the newest old model from what I can tell, and H04 is the earliest model number for the new 2010 version I've heard mentioned (JohnS3's). H05 is what NHN has yeah, but I would assume that if the H04 has the upgraded system specs (processor, ram, video chipset, etc) then they will be able to take all the software updates just as have the pre-2010 models been capable of doing so until now.

Any more experienced people want to correct me please do!

 

[VRStu]

A MY11 RNS-E is -

Address 37: Navigation Labels: None
Part No SW: 8P0 035 193 G HW: 8P0 035 193 G
Component: RNS-E PU EU H04 0200

 

[iwBen]

A MY11 RNS-E is -

Address 37: Navigation Labels: None
Part No SW: 8P0 035 193 G HW: 8P0 035 193 G
Component: RNS-E PU EU H04 0200

Thanks Stu, mind letting us know what it says under Car>Version?