XCarLink questions, tips, tricks, and issues!

[eboosted]

After a lot of help from Xileh I felt I was ready to do the install myself which took place this sunday

The unit works perfect, I even went ahead with the Can low and high connections from the air conditioning and now I'm able to switch AV sources from the mode button, it doesn't works 100% of the time though so sometime it's needed to press it more than once.

The CAN box automatically detects when the car is on reverse and switch the interface showing a virtual road, so it will be pretty easy to connect a rearview cam later on.

I'm uploading a video at the moment to show how good it works, will post it up tomorrow morning.

[eboosted]

here's the video

http://img190.imageshack.us/i/p1030641z.mp4/

[macuser]

thats awesome. +1 rep. did you put the movie on an sd card?

[khtjj]

Do you get sound in your system?

[A4DK]

Kick ass. Now i might have to install that and get the back up camera.
+1 rep

[eboosted]

thats awesome. +1 rep. did you put the movie on an sd card?

No, I used a home DVD player just for testing

if you plug the audio in to the interface and then the audio out to the aux input on the armrest you will hear the sound of the movie via the speakers, but you will have a cable interfering on the way, I need to find the aux input behind the stereo to make it look OEM

[macuser]

so i'm listening to the radio and i want to watch a dvd. all i have to do is press the media button on the center console, press the mode button on my steering wheel and video should start playing? thanks

[eboosted]

so i'm listening to the radio and i want to watch a dvd. all i have to do is press the media button on the center console, press the mode button on my steering wheel and video should start playing? thanks

you should press mode on the steering wheel and select aux audio input on the MMI screen and that's it

I'm trying to find the aux input behind the head unit, so the switch can be done internally with no cables

[linet90]

you should press mode on the steering wheel and select aux audio input on the MMI screen and that's it

I'm trying to find the aux input behind the head unit, so the switch can be done internally with no cables

would you have any idea on how the audio would work of we have a ipod hook up in the glove box i dont have a aux plug
they really should of made a interface for the audio like the parrot's do with their bluetooth systems

[eboosted]

if you want to hook up video from an iPod you will need to plug the three coaxial cables to AV1 and then plug audio out to aux input.

It seems that theres no other way unless you take audio from a can cable, xcarlink sells the audio out interface but it's for M.O.S.T.

[macuser]

you should press mode on the steering wheel and select aux audio input on the MMI screen and that's it

I'm trying to find the aux input behind the head unit, so the switch can be done internally with no cables

can you please take a look at this video and tell me what i'm doing wrong? thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag3oqu0MpcY

[eboosted]

can you please take a look at this video and tell me what i'm doing wrong? thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag3oqu0MpcY

I just saw your video, you need to press the mode button for 2 seconds and then it will switch.

have you try with the red button that comes with the interface?

[macuser]

i was told the red button wouldnt work if i hooked up the can. i just tried hold the mode button down for 2 sec and it didnt work

do you remember which dip sticks you had on? did you plug the vcr in to aux 2? from your video, it looks like you went from the SD card to the video, not the AUX? is there anything else that would make this thing not work besides it being installed incorrectly? thanks again

[eboosted]

i was told the red button wouldnt work if i hooked up the can. i just tried hold the mode button down for 2 sec and it didnt work

do you remember which dip sticks you had on? did you plug the vcr in to aux 2? from your video, it looks like you went from the SD card to the video, not the AUX? is there anything else that would make this thing not work besides it being installed incorrectly? thanks again

That's incorrect, if you plug the red button it should switch video sources, even if the can box is pluggeg and connected to the can low and hi cables.

where did you take the can low and hi lines from?, you should take them from the left connector that plugs behind the A/C unit.



When you plug it the can box the leds should turn on if ignition is on, after you press the mode button for 2 seconds you should hear a click on the xcarlink card behind the screen, if you don't hear anything then you might have incorrectly plugged the cables, they might be upside down or shorted to ground, I did this the first time and it didn't switch either.

Test if you can switch AV sources with the red button, it should be plugged on the side of the interface and the clicking sound should noticeable while switching

[macuser]

thanks for all your help. i'll try again tomorrow.

[bahram]

eboosted; I have some additional questions. can you please help me.

1) can u tell me which interface you bought at XCarlink? I have the A4 B8 from Nov 2009. conform XCarlink site I should you the interface of A5/A6

They write:
All of the above without MMI. If your car has the Full MMI system (Identifed by controls behend the gearbox, you will require our MMI interface which is avaialble here:

http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...8&cat=4&page=1
Specification

2) I lost your point about the usage of "Mode" button. What I understood from your explanantion is as following. There is 2 options. Option1 is to use the switch for video source. option2 is to use the mode switch on the steering wheel. If this correct; how do you cable the mode switch? and how about the other functionalities of the mode switch. do they remain?

3) XCarlink is speaking about a "MMI MOST Audio Interface for Sound"; what is this. Do I need this as well to be able to watch video on the main screen.

4) By using XCarlink interface; you will be able to use all functionalities of the MMI system?

many thanks foor support!

[A4DK]

eboosted; I have some additional questions. can you please help me.

1) can u tell me which interface you bought at XCarlink? I have the A4 B8 from Nov 2009. conform XCarlink site I should you the interface of A5/A6

They write:
All of the above without MMI. If your car has the Full MMI system (Identifed by controls behend the gearbox, you will require our MMI interface which is avaialble here:

http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...8&cat=4&page=1
Specification

2) I lost your point about the usage of "Mode" button. What I understood from your explanantion is as following. There is 2 options. Option1 is to use the switch for video source. option2 is to use the mode switch on the steering wheel. If this correct; how do you cable the mode switch? and how about the other functionalities of the mode switch. do they remain?

3) XCarlink is speaking about a "MMI MOST Audio Interface for Sound"; what is this. Do I need this as well to be able to watch video on the main screen.

4) By using XCarlink interface; you will be able to use all functionalities of the MMI system?

many thanks foor support!

I think this is the one you want.
http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...3&cat=0&page=1

the one you linked is for A6, A8 and Q7 unless of course you have the full MMI setup. Think that requires NAV though.

[eboosted]

eboosted; I have some additional questions. can you please help me.

1) can u tell me which interface you bought at XCarlink? I have the A4 B8 from Nov 2009. conform XCarlink site I should you the interface of A5/A6

They write:
All of the above without MMI. If your car has the Full MMI system (Identifed by controls behend the gearbox, you will require our MMI interface which is avaialble here:

http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...8&cat=4&page=1
Specification

2) I lost your point about the usage of "Mode" button. What I understood from your explanantion is as following. There is 2 options. Option1 is to use the switch for video source. option2 is to use the mode switch on the steering wheel. If this correct; how do you cable the mode switch? and how about the other functionalities of the mode switch. do they remain?

3) XCarlink is speaking about a "MMI MOST Audio Interface for Sound"; what is this. Do I need this as well to be able to watch video on the main screen.

4) By using XCarlink interface; you will be able to use all functionalities of the MMI system?

many thanks foor support!

My car is not the full MMI it's the MMI low with no navi.

The mode switch and the switch for video source can be used at the same time, there is no conflict there. The xcarlink interface come with a CAN box which detects several functions of the car, for instance it automaticaly detects when you depress the mode button for more than 2 seconds and switch video sources (sometimes it take mora than 1 try to do it, but nothing to worry about since it's done only when you start the movie and then when you finish it), it can also detect when you select reverse and switches to rearview cam and switches back as soon as you select "drive"

MOST is the new protocol to transfer audio through the same communication cable than the rest of the car modules, you need to find out if your car transfer audio through MOST or CAN.

You can use the exact same functionalities of the MMI by installing the xcarlink interface, it's only acts as a switch for video inputs.

[macuser]

i wasnt able to get the mode button to work in my car so i've been using the toggle switch. the toggle switch actually broke off the wire acouple days ago and after contacting xcarlink, they're telling me they dont have any replacement part...

[bahram]

I have in deed the full MMI system with navigation and control board behind the gearshift. Like Xcarlink advises I should use the one for A6....

[macuser]

http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...3&cat=0&page=1

this is the one you want. it's for the a4, a5, and q5

[bahram]

My car is not the full MMI it's the MMI low with no navi.

The mode switch and the switch for video source can be used at the same time, there is no conflict there. The xcarlink interface come with a CAN box which detects several functions of the car, for instance it automaticaly detects when you depress the mode button for more than 2 seconds and switch video sources (sometimes it take mora than 1 try to do it, but nothing to worry about since it's done only when you start the movie and then when you finish it), it can also detect when you select reverse and switches to rearview cam and switches back as soon as you select "drive"

MOST is the new protocol to transfer audio through the same communication cable than the rest of the car modules, you need to find out if your car transfer audio through MOST or CAN.



You can use the exact same functionalities of the MMI by installing the xcarlink interface, it's only acts as a switch for video inputs.

thank you, I need to find it out all of this
did you use the MOSt or just used the AUX? how is the sound quality?

[bahram]

i wasnt able to get the mode button to work in my car so i've been using the toggle switch. the toggle switch actually broke off the wire acouple days ago and after contacting xcarlink, they're telling me they dont have any replacement part...

what car and version do you have?

[macuser]

i have the north american a4 premium with symphony

[bahram]

do you guys have any external monitors as well on this interface. If yes, can you play dvd on the external monitors and use the front monitor as navigation/radio?

[macuser]

you probably want something like this then

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Power+Ac...=1218011766440

[akaisuzu]

To eboosted: Do you know what is the resolution of the screen? I'm very interested in integrating this solution into my car, and hook it up with a CarPC, but would like to know about the screen resolution first before actually making this happen so I won't regret it.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Did some google search on a full MMI 2G, and specs says that its 800 x 480. Then based on xcarlink's website which said the screen only has 240 lines, I'm assuming that its 400 x 240 (Ratio 5:3)? Can you please help me confirm? Thanks again!

[Snuffy]

Thanks for posting all this. I'm an Audi newbee looking to put in a back-up camera into my B8, and found xcarlink after a lot of searching. (And then someone pointed me to this forum page.)

Will the kit work if I don't have MMI? I've got a "stock" premium plus 2010 A4 with the concert stereo system, the "semi-monochrome" screen (Orange, Grey, Green, Black graphics), plus the Audi Music Interface. (Is that the same as MMI low?) It was kind of hard to tell from the item description on their web page if it will work with my existing configuration or not. Is the black circuit board that it looks like eboosted attached onto the back of the monitor what reconfigures it to work with color? If so, is that included in the kit?

Pardon my lack of Audi experience so far. I just came over from the dark side (Ford). I've installed a few stereos before and other systems on other cars, but not on an Audi. How tough was the installation?

Thanks for your feedback.

[NPuter]

Thanks for posting all this. I'm an Audi newbee looking to put in a back-up camera into my B8, and found xcarlink after a lot of searching. (And then someone pointed me to this forum page.)

Will the kit work if I don't have MMI? I've got a "stock" premium plus 2010 A4 with the concert stereo system, the "semi-monochrome" screen (Orange, Grey, Green, Black graphics), plus the Audi Music Interface. (Is that the same as MMI low?) It was kind of hard to tell from the item description on their web page if it will work with my existing configuration or not. Is the black circuit board that it looks like eboosted attached onto the back of the monitor what reconfigures it to work with color? If so, is that included in the kit?

Pardon my lack of Audi experience so far. I just came over from the dark side (Ford). I've installed a few stereos before and other systems on other cars, but not on an Audi. How tough was the installation?

Thanks for your feedback.

You have the same radio as the OP - the screen is full color and not "semi-monochrome" as it may seem.

[Nght&Day-B8]

This is pretty cool, im interested in doing this but i have a couple questions.

1) do you still have sirius radio?

2) would the ipod connection still be used the same way as the factory AMI?

3) are you about to connect TV and have it play while driving for the passengers?

[Snuffy]

FYI for others also considering this. I got the following info from xcarlink tech support. Install manual looks better than most OEM install manuals!

Installation manual can be downloaded here:

http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/helpdesk/i...=viewent&id=13

We do ship to the USA, which is £11.07 and you can place your order online (please note prices will be less 15% UK sales tax)

If it does not work you can return it for a refund, however we are confident that it will.

[local3]

There seems to be some confusion what is MMI and not, radio Concert/Symphony is not "MMI low", it is not MMI at all. MMI and other are explained here:

Summary of current Audi multimedia systems and history
http://a6retrofit.tripod.com/article...iasystems.html

BTW, thanks for this great article, I've asked a friend to add a link to it here where we've been collecting info on video retrofits: http://a6retrofit.tripod.com/articles/a6tvmodule.html

[Jotsy]

can i ask how you got the screen trim off? did you just pull it off? and how about the A/C control unit? And what is it i'm looking at in the red circle in the pic of the AC vents?

oh also, once you have video playing via ipod or DVD or whatever, how do you control it? like the DVD control functions etc. do you still use the mmi knob?

[MYFASTA4]

just did it , thank you eboosted! everything works!! i do want to remove the glove box trying to figure out how to do it and install a permanent video source.
but even comes with set up options for the screen.

[eboosted]

can i ask how you got the screen trim off? did you just pull it off? and how about the A/C control unit? And what is it i'm looking at in the red circle in the pic of the AC vents?

oh also, once you have video playing via ipod or DVD or whatever, how do you control it? like the DVD control functions etc. do you still use the mmi knob?

Sorry for the late reply.

To get the screen trim off you just pull it from the lower instrument cluster and pry it off.

The red circle at the vents point at a small hole used to pull the AC vents, you will need the small hook showed on the pics

I have a DVD player on the top of my glovebox, I control it with it's own remote control, of course volume level can still be controlled from the driving wheel.

[macuser]

since i usemy ipod to watch music videos and stuff, i control everything with it. i wired the av cables to come out of the middle console. you can also get phonocar vm006 like the below person did. looks pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9LqBwb4ir4

http://translate.google.com/translat...83&sl=it&tl=en

[lphiewok]

since i usemy ipod to watch music videos and stuff, i control everything with it. i wired the av cables to come out of the middle console. you can also get phonocar vm006 like the below person did. looks pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9LqBwb4ir4

http://translate.google.com/translat...83&sl=it&tl=en

when you say you control everything with it, do you mean you can control with steering wheel/center control knob? or control it with Ipod and have the ipod outside instead of in the glove box?
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwSvBUxmDyo is this kinda like what you meant?)

I want to get this done ASAP but only thing holding me back is how I will be controlling my video source (dvd player in glove box? hdd? ipod?)
I believe most people are using remote control but I would love to find a way to control it with Audi stock control knob..

[NPuter]

when you say you control everything with it, do you mean you can control with steering wheel/center control knob? or control it with Ipod and have the ipod outside instead of in the glove box?
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwSvBUxmDyo is this kinda like what you meant?)

I want to get this done ASAP but only thing holding me back is how I will be controlling my video source (dvd player in glove box? hdd? ipod?)
I believe most people are using remote control but I would love to find a way to control it with Audi stock control knob..

xcarlink only provides video inputs for the MMI screen - there is not way for you to control it thorough the control knob/buttons..

[macuser]

yea, i control everything with the actual ipod. the only thing i use the oem controls for is the volume/mute botton. you might be able to use the cars controls is you buy an ipod head unit and a harness kit. try sending an email to your parts department and ask them if they have anything that would let you control your ipod with the car buttons.

[VRockzNY]

eboosted, nice job! That's sick.
I have the ipod data connection cable instead of the regular aux input, would that be a problem for the audio?