XCarLink questions, tips, tricks, and issues!

[Liquid Smoke]

Anyone try this before? Called NavTool, looks pretty much like the same thing as the xcarlink, but more than twice as expensive it seems.

http://www.navtool.com/audia42.aspx

[B G 8er]

Anyone try this before? Called NavTool, looks pretty much like the same thing as the xcarlink, but more than twice as expensive it seems.

http://www.navtool.com/audia42.aspx

My electronics installer had inquired with one of his suppliers and I believe it may have been this one but the quote he got was ;like $700-$800.

To be honest, this one might be worth the price if the quality is twice as good?

I would be curious if someone was to pull the trigger on this and report back. Hopefully, I am NOT changing my XCar Link though anytime soon!

[Booya]

Anyone try this before? Called NavTool, looks pretty much like the same thing as the xcarlink, but more than twice as expensive it seems.

http://www.navtool.com/audia42.aspx

That probably another rebranded version. During my research I found the company that make these devices and they gave option of adding features like bluetooth, gps, ipod connection built in. Beside this one does not seem to have any extra feature from the XCL. Only difference is the cover. If you look at the XCL covers, they have connections for these options that are not in use.
But if you do decide to try it, let us know if theres a different in the quality.

[Liquid Smoke]

yeah im wondering if it's just more reliable, and none of the minor issues like with the xcarlink, but it seems pretty much the same? maybe just rebranded or something?

but yea so is xcarlink pretty much the best video interface option available then? i'm ready to pull the trigger on one and trying to finalize on which to go with. xcarlink vs chinese touchscreens vs ?

[kwbdc]

thus far after one week I haven't had any issues with my unit, switches fine once in reverse and no fading out or blacking out so far (knock on wood) I'm having them hook up the av portion this weekend (thanks to Booya's advice)

[kwbdc]

Got the video working finally! Thanks for the tips Booya!

[yma4]

^Looks great kw! Is the video from DVD or phone? If from an iphone, would you mind sharing the exact cables needed to get this working? I want to be sure I have everything ready for when I install my XCL. Thanks in advance!

[Booya]

^Looks great kw! Is the video from DVD or phone? If from an iphone, would you mind sharing the exact cables needed to get this working? I want to be sure I have everything ready for when I install my XCL. Thanks in advance!

These are what I use on mine.
DVD player (Tested and working great but haven't install yet, still waiting for my glove box bracket.)
http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLD27-Uni...car+dvd+player
Cables for DVD player video and audio:
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Audio-C...+5+a%2Fv+cable
http://www.amazon.com/RiteAV-Audio-V...%2Fv+rca+cable

For iPhone 4 or 4s:
http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Powerj...ne+car+charger
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-6...+5+a%2Fv+cable
This charge my iPhone while connected. Keep in mind that your iphone need to be jailbroken and running an app like tvout2 to display. Otherwise you will only be able to play youtube video and video from your phone camera.

Now just need to find a cable for my Galaxy note2 as I move away from the iPhone.

[Jon-A4]

Thanks for the links!

Question for a non experienced car audio guy. Is it easy to install the power supply and ground to the dvd player? Do i need to splice into existing wiring to 'tap' the cars power?

Thanks!

These are what I use on mine.
DVD player (Tested and working great but haven't install yet, still waiting for my glove box bracket.)
http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLD27-Uni...car+dvd+player
Cables for DVD player video and audio:
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Audio-C...+5+a%2Fv+cable
http://www.amazon.com/RiteAV-Audio-V...%2Fv+rca+cable

For iPhone 4 or 4s:
http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Powerj...ne+car+charger
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-6...+5+a%2Fv+cable
This charge my iPhone while connected. Keep in mind that your iphone need to be jailbroken and running an app like tvout2 to display. Otherwise you will only be able to play youtube video and video from your phone camera.

Now just need to find a cable for my Galaxy note2 as I move away from the iPhone.

[Booya]

Thanks for the links!

Question for a non experienced car audio guy. Is it easy to install the power supply and ground to the dvd player? Do i need to splice into existing wiring to 'tap' the cars power?

Thanks!

Quite easy. I tap into the XCL for power (the one with the fuse) and ground to chassis. Or you can tap into your cigarette lighter for power. I went the XCL route to not have to mess with the car original wires. I connect my camera and DVD to this power along with addition 5A fuses for each. This way the fuse will blow if too much current flow and not damage the XCL or anything connected after it. Also the DVD will turn off when you remove the key.

[yma4]

Thanks for the links Booya! Very much appreciated

Since I don't know anything about jailbreaking my phone I might just go the DVD player route....

[Booya]

Thanks for the links Booya! Very much appreciated

Since I don't know anything about jailbreaking my phone I might just go the DVD player route....

Good call on the DVD, iPhone connection not all that great IMHO. I only use it for GPS, streaming espn games, Crackle, NetFlix movies when I'm away. Now with my new Galaxy notes2 I'm not using it at all. Also a down side to it, beside wasting all my data plan, the new Navigon GPS can't be display, Garmin sometime give black screen since the map are graphic intense ant the screen not able to catch up.
Down side to DVD is and when they stop selling those movies disk. Good thing my DVD have an SD memory card to store the movies for the kids.

[Booya]

Got the video working finally! Thanks for the tips Booya!

Look great.

[B G 8er]

Got the video working finally! Thanks for the tips Booya!

Do you have noise on at the very top edge of your screen. It appears like you might from this pic you posted. I am sometimes getting a little with the reverse camera.

[kwbdc]

Do you have noise on at the very top edge of your screen. It appears like you might from this pic you posted. I am sometimes getting a little with the reverse camera.

Haven't noticed it from the backup camera. Still working on sound on the dvd. My dvd has a FM transmit out but doesn't seem to work.

[B G 8er]

Haven't noticed it from the backup camera. Still working on sound on the dvd. My dvd has a FM transmit out but doesn't seem to work.

My signal's been clean lately.

[Booya]

Haven't noticed it from the backup camera. Still working on sound on the dvd. My dvd has a FM transmit out but doesn't seem to work.

What frequency do your dvd use? The XCL also have FM out of 87.9FM.

[kwbdc]

It's from a portable dvd player.

[Liquid Smoke]

anyone find a good way to hook up HDMI? i want to hook up my Galaxy S2 but it doesnt support rca video out, only hdmi out. so what i was going to do was use the hdmi out and then use something like this to convert the HDMI down to composite (red yellow white): http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Univers.../dp/B0080KN18K

the only thing is that converter requires usb power to it, and i wanna find a solution with the least wires as possible. its not self powered unless youre using a device that supports it, and i doubt my phone does. just wondering if anyone has any other ideas for an HDMI solution.

[kwbdc]

I think that was what i was using.

[yma4]

Alright guys, I'm having my XCL installed this Friday at TAG Motorsports in Escondido - great group of guys over there. Needless to say, I am very excited! Any extras I should bring them besides friction tape to wrap the wires? Please let me know so I can make sure this gets done right......Thanks!

[TheHeiko]

Very cool, B! Glad you got it done. I just got mine completed this Monday. I'm still getting used to the rear view and learning to trust it when reversing. I have been meaning to see how accurate the lines are in lining up with the car's contact patches. They seem pretty close but I want to know if they line up with my tires.

Instead of a DVD player, consider a digital media player that has USB, SD, and some have an internal HDD. I got a Micca MPlay that does not have an HDD but supports USB and SD. It is powered by a 12V cable plugged in to a newly added 12V plug installed in the glove box. I just didn't want to deal with DVDs. The system works well. I am waiting for a functioning AMI-3.5mm cable to arrive so I can have sound with the MPlayer (and can play Pandora via iPhone if I want). I'll post a video when I get it done. (This is thanks to AZ member Jaysen for helping me copy his setup.)

[yma4]

Hey guys, how do you get sound from the XCL to the car using the 3.5mm AMI cable?.....

[kwbdc]

I don't have one since I have an ipod cable in mine. I tried to use the FM out from my dvd player but not dice. Haven't figured it out yet.

[yma4]

Hmm....I hooked up the DVD player and the video comes through but no sound. Any advice??

[TheHeiko]

Hmm....I hooked up the DVD player and the video comes through but no sound. Any advice??

I admit that I was acting as helper on this one but from what I remember, you need a RCA audio (red/white) to 3.5mm cable to connect your auxiliary source's audio to the car. Attach a female/female adapter to the 3.5mm plug. The AMI-3.5mm male plug goes into the female adapter. (This is assuming you have AMI in your car.)

For the AMI-3.5mm plug, you can get a genuine Audi cable for about $65 shipped. There are a few different part numbers. 4F0051510T is supposedly the newest but I tried a 4F0051510F that belonged to a friend so I sought that specific version out since I knew it worked. I had previously bought one from Amazon for $30 that was a dud so I returned it and got http://www.ebay.com/itm/221117466171...84.m1439.l2649 for $14. It specifically purports to be a replacement for 4F0051510F. I just got it today and it works fine. I was able to play Pandora from my iPhone.

[yma4]

I admit that I was acting as helper on this one but from what I remember, you need a RCA audio (red/white) to 3.5mm cable to connect your auxiliary source's audio to the car. Attach a female/female adapter to the 3.5mm plug. The AMI-3.5mm male plug goes into the female adapter. (This is assuming you have AMI in your car.)

For the AMI-3.5mm plug, you can get a genuine Audi cable for about $65 shipped. There are a few different part numbers. 4F0051510T is supposedly the newest but I tried a 4F0051510F that belonged to a friend so I sought that specific version out since I knew it worked. I had previously bought one from Amazon for $30 that was a dud so I returned it and got http://www.ebay.com/itm/221117466171...84.m1439.l2649 for $14. It specifically purports to be a replacement for 4F0051510F. I just got it today and it works fine. I was able to play Pandora from my iPhone.

Heiko, thanks so much for getting back to me but I'm still confused. For some reason my audio isn't working and I have the 3.5mm jack plugged into my AMI - am I supposed to plug something into the XCL unit from that 3.5mm? Check your PM....

[Liquid Smoke]

Hmm....I hooked up the DVD player and the video comes through but no sound. Any advice??

i believe the only way to get sound to the car is through the aux input of the car, what i plan on doing is using this, 3.5mm to rca audio converter. has an input for 3.5mm and another input for 2 composite/rca audios. so i plan on connecting the ami aux cable to one end, and then the audio cables from the dvd player or w/e to the other. so video from the dvd goes into the xcl, and then the audio ouputs straight to the aux


http://www.ebay.com/itm/280540359129...84.m1497.l2648

[yma4]

i believe the only way to get sound to the car is through the aux input of the car, what i plan on doing is using this, 3.5mm to rca audio converter. has an input for 3.5mm and another input for 2 composite/rca audios. so i plan on connecting the ami aux cable to one end, and then the audio cables from the dvd player or w/e to the other. so video from the dvd goes into the xcl, and then the audio ouputs straight to the aux


http://www.ebay.com/itm/280540359129...84.m1497.l2648

Liquid Smoke, thanks for the info! Sounds like I'll be doing it this way too

[jaysen]

yma4 -

On the XCarlink unit (silver box) there are 2 video inputs, and 1 video output. The best method to get audio output, saving bluetooth functionality if you have that option installed, is by using the method Heiko mentioned (RCA to 3.5mm to AMI).

Using the RCA (Red/White) cables labeled Audio Out on the XCL, connect a Y Cable (RCA to 3.5mm) paired with a 3.5mm female to female adapter. You'll route this cable to the AMI box and use an AMI 3.5mm cable like the one heiko linked. This method will give you a direct audio link to your "Media" input which will allow bluetooth takeover to still function how it was meant to (pause audio if a call is placed/received) .

Alternatively, you can use the same adapter liquid posted - both methods achieve the same results.

[yma4]

Ok so I plugged all the audio cables in that you recommended and still no sound :( ....what do I do!!?? Lol

[hanyoung]

Could you use a BT adapter on to the AMI and get sound?

[yma4]

Could you use a BT adapter on to the AMI and get sound?

That's a good question and I don't know....I got audio working though (kinda) :)

[kwbdc]

how did you kinda get them to work?

[yma4]

how did you kinda get them to work?

Lol its kind of hard to explain but I have my video cables and audio cables running seperatley in/out of XCL....idk why but not all devices I plug into my XCL send audio. Sorry if that makes no sense - I still don't understand the XCL fully

[TCHUN003]

I somehow never saw this thread and am planning to get the unit. I hear the camera sucks so I'm going to go with another unit.
I'm trying to get a few guys together so we can get another discount.

xcarlink:
http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...3&cat=4&page=1

camera:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Parking-...166e94&vxp=mtr

[jaysen]

I somehow never saw this thread and am planning to get the unit. I hear the camera sucks so I'm going to go with another unit.
I'm trying to get a few guys together so we can get another discount.

xcarlink:
http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...3&cat=4&page=1

camera:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Parking-...166e94&vxp=mtr

I'm in for the camera, and another 4 day install ! hahaha.

[TCHUN003]

Xcarlink:
1. TCHUN003
2. Mmartin09
3.
4.
5.
6.

Back up camera:
1. TCHUN003
2. Mmart09
3. Jaysen
4.
5.

[TCHUN003]

Xcarlink:
1. TCHUN003
2. Mmartin09
3.
4.
5.
6.

BUMP, lets get more ppl to sign up for the xcarlinks!!!

[TheHeiko]

Bump for a cool mod. I LOVE the added back up camera and it something that I use several times a day. Totally worthwhile! The trunk handle camera that Thomas is taking names on is excellent. A handful of us got the same one and it looks completely OEM and works very well. Good wide angle and excellent low light picture. See kwbc's earlier posts to see this camera.