Audi Navigation Plus dropped Satellite links...

[Atomic]

Any ideas? apart from something blowing.

I've come across this forum time after time which checking for satnav and other dvd upgrades, hopefully someone can give me some hints? I'm very technically minded so I'd be more than happy to pull bits of the car apart to check for loose connections if it helps...

I purchased a 3 1/2 year old A8 about 4 weeks ago and everything worked fine until about 1 a week ago at which point it no longer seemed to track my location correctly.

Initially I just thought the a subscription had run out or been cancelled not having had sat-nav before. However reading these and other forums it appears there is no subscription.

Only problem I can see (apart from the lack of tracking) is that it reports 0 of 28 active Satellite links.

I have admittedly over the last week or two pulled the CD from the unit and played with other settings but cannot see how I could stop it from connecting from the satellites themselves.

Many thanks,

Atomic.

P.S. On a secondary note can anyone point me to links.information where I can retrofit items listed below:

1. Better TV reception?

2. TV on the move.

3. Additional DVD player for existing screen.

4. Large screen essentially slaved from the Navigation plus.

End goal is to allow the kids/wife to watch TV/DVD in the back of the screen whilst if possible to be able to control it from the front - too much bickering... especially the wife

A large list I admit, sorry in advance.

[craigyb]

The A8 has a large GPS antenna mounted on the boot, these have been known to go faulty. Quite expensive from Audi, so unless your car is under warranty, I would pop a £20 GPS receiver (from ebay etc) behind the dash and connect that to the back of the Nav + unit.

You can add a DVD player, you need an input adaptor for the tuner in the boot, again £20 for a lead, will give you 2 AV inputs.

TV on the move is a switch and a wire cut (GALA on the navigation unit), I like to use the rear head rest switch and some relays to make it look neat in the A8. Unless of course you have rear heard rests and the switch position is not blank.

TV reception, well imagine what your house would be like moving at 60 miles an hour and you trying to get a TV signal, the Audi has four TV antennas/amps and still struggles, so I don't hold much hope there.

Slaving off your TV is possible, I have never done it, but have the wiring diagrams to get the TV tuner output to another screen. So yes, can be done.

Rather than a DVD player, why not use a media player, you can store hundreds of movies on a media player and its portable car/home use, can be controlled from the dash and fed to front and rear screens. It can hold music as well as movies, with "TV in motion" you can see the screen to control it too.

[Atomic]

Thanks,

Im going to checkout the wiring between the receiver and dash tomorrow, in the hope that it's simply a loose connection but i dont give it much hope. I'll check the ebay options... presumably the connections are standard?

When you say media player do you mean something like a video IPod?

I have a IRiver PMP120 which can store a few hours video, in fact I already use it connected to the kids portable dvd screens/player as a video input. Problem is keeping up with their films though... they have 20-30 to choose from and each takes about 500mb/hr and approx 2 hours to convert... not exactly off the shelf. I could connect that but it would still be a pita to manage.

What sort of input adapter would suit if i went the DVD route is it a standard off the shelf item?

[craigyb]

I was thinking more of a purpose built media player like the Rapsody RSH-100, this comes with a car kit for around £150 + the cost of your 3.5" disk. This makes it ideal for car installs as it can hold hundreds of movies and thousands of mp3 files and it ha an IR link to the front of the car for remote control.

[Atomic]

I managed to get the Sat-Nav going again... pulled the padding from the boot and fiddled with the connector, seems to be working but now the fuel gauge shows about 1/4 less than it should - gave me a shock as it told me I was outa fuel until I put some more in.

It all kinda leads to a bad connection/connection block somewhere imo. I can live with a low guage for a while but worried about what else is likely to quit on me.... gues I'll dig around for some wiring diagrams to see if I can spot a common connection.

That RSH-100 looks interesting. Any idea how you would load it up if it's located in the car though? or would you just un plug it and bring it in doors?

I'd still also need to fit a screen. How did you manage to fit the screens into the headrests? looks a painfull job and did you buy specific screens?

Thanks,

Atomic.

[craigyb]

I dont have screens in the headrests, I have a center drop down screen. But I would use a professional fitter to do any head rest work.

You would unplug the mediaplayer and connect it via USB2 to a PC to download more stuff.

[Atomic]

It's very strange, the fuel guage is slowly returning to normal...

[Atomic]

Sorry to drag this up again. Can anyone suggest alternatives to the Rapsody RSH-100? I dont have a problem with it per-see, just like to know what the options are.

Thanks,

Atomic.

[craigyb]

I tried another one before switching to the Rapsody, Avix 335, similar and slightly cheaper, but lots of issues with it.

[Atomic]

Thanks,

I'm happy withthe advice but I just like to see what the options are

I'm thinking of fitting a rear screen with 3 inputs (not sure how yet, guess it depends on the model...). One from the TV tuner, one from something like a media player and the last from an old PS2 I have floating around.

Hopefully the PS2 will also act as a DVD player as well, albeit I dont know how resilent to knocks it is.