Wesley's Guide to Installing a RNS-E into an Audi A3 (8P)
(Before and After)
I recently went thru installing an Audi Navigation Plus RSN-E factory GPS system into my 2006 A3 3.2S. Having found little information on the web about how to do this, I thought I'd write up a quick guide. Note that I only installed the navigation system and did not install the Audi OEM bluetooth phone kit nor did I add the CD changer that normally goes into the glove box.
This guide is most useful to anyone who has the A3 3.2S or the A3 2.0T with the Bose Sound System (and the Symphony II radio with the in-dash 6-disc CD Changer head unit). The Symphony II is known as a "double DIN" head unit since it is twice the size of a normal ("single DIN") radio, like the Audi Concert I head unit.
If you have a Concert I head unit (doesn't have a tape deck and is half the size of the Symphony II), your retrofit wil be much more expensive and complicated as you have to re-configure your whole dash, and buy several more parts. Check out the Single-DIN install guide on Audi Forums if you're in this situation.
Several 3rd parties sell complete RSN-E Navigation Retrofit Kits on a forum called NavPlus. Check out the "For Sale" forum; there are usually several people that are selling A3 (3P) GPS kits that include everything as shown in the photo above. If not, you'll have to buy each part separately, and this can be a big pain. Probably the hardest part to get above are the custom harnesses for your A3 (depending on whether you have a BOSE sound system, there are different harnesses for each). If you do get each part separately, check out NavParts.com for a selection of custom harnesses for your car.
You'll also need two additional tools to do your install: a flat head screwdriver (to pry apart the antenna adapter) and a socket wrench (to remove the screws on your dashboard). A roll of electrical tape also comes in handy.
Once you removed your head unit, unplug all of the cables on the back side of the radio. Stash the radio somewhere safe in case you want to put it back in your car later on, you don't need it any more for this install.
Underneath your instrument panel and right above your steering wheel are two hex screws you'll need to remove to take out the instrument panel. There's a piece of cloth covering the screws, it just slides right out. Use your socket wrench to remove the screws. Be careful not to scratch either the steering wheel column or the clear plastic on the instrument panel.
Behind the instrument panel, on the right side, is a nice space to cram your GPS antenna into. The GPS can consistently see 4-7 satellites (more than enough to get a fix) with the antenna located here. I used a small piece of electrical tape to secure the cable and the antenna in that space.
String the antenna cable thru the access area in the back of the instrument panel to where your radio used to be. You'll need to do this to plug your antenna cable into the RNS-E head unit later on.
Now comes the fun of connecting the harnesses. First, you'll have to remove the yellow harness on the AM antenna that was once connected to your old radio. The AM antenna has a yellow plastic harness on it, as shown in the photo above. Use your flathead screwdriver to pry out the purple plastic fastener. Once the purple fastener comes out, you'll be able to easily remove the yellow harness.
Now plug in the AM antenna to the empty spot on the Diversity Cable Adapter harness. (Just plug in the antenna connector into the harness, and snap in the purple fastener!) Connect the black end of the adapter as shown in the photo above.
Now plug in the Cable Harness for the Head Unit into the other radio cables. Since each connector on the harness only fits one of the radio connectors that used to plug into your old radio head unit, this should be pretty easy to do.
Now plug all the connectors (GPS Antenna, Diversity Adapter Harness, Cable Harness) into your RNS-E head unit. You're almost done!
Slide the head unit, with all the cables plugged in the back of it, back into your dash. You won't need the radio removal keys for this step. It should slide easily (make sure you stuff the cables in the back so they don't block your head unit from going in). If it isn't going in easily, take it out and try again.
Plug in your car key, turn on the ignition, and turn on the RNS-E Navigation unit by pressing the power button. You'll have to enter the antitheft Unlock Code (this should have come with your unit; it's usually on a card attached to the cover of your manual) to activate the unit. (Keep this number in a safe place; if you lose power to your car you'll need to enter it in again). This would be a great time to also pop in your navigation DVD.
Press the "Info" button to check to make sure you can see the GPS satellites. (You should be outside and it should say something like "Tracking 6 satellites" or something like that). If you can see that, you're golden.
Beneath your steering wheel is an access port for a device called a "VagCom" which enables you to adjust the settings on your car. You'll need one of these devices to re-code your car so that it knows you have a GPS on board. You can get access to one of these devices by buying one (expensive!), by finding a friend or someone on the NavPlus forums near you that has one, or by having a friendly Audi dealer or tech who you're able to bribe into helping you.
You'll need to enter some codes to change the car. Give these codes to the person who has the VagCom and hopefully they'll know what to do with it.
Audi A3 (8P) VagCom Codes:
Under Navigation (37), Coding (Function 7)
For A3 (8P) with Bose, no telephone/bluetooth, no satellite radio: 0209117
Under Navigation (37), Adaptation (Function 10)
For A3 (8P) with Bose, no telephone/bluetooth, no satellite radio:
Channel 1 (Tires): 1930 (for 245/45 R17 all-season tires) (more tire type codes)
Channel 7 (Setting): 15
Channel 10 (Region): 0
Under Instrument, Adaption (Function 10): Channel 62: add 4 to the current value, this adds navigation to the orange LCD display on your instrument panel.