After market head unit headache !!! Genius please help !!!

[A4donkey]

Anybody knows how or where to get the switch power supply (A4 B6/7 single din) for Aftermarket head unit, which will keep the same characteristic as Stock Concert II HU, like radio on without pulling the key out and not neccessary to keep the ignition at position one (on position) ?

I know after market unit does not support Can-bus , been searching thru the web weeks still don't find the solution.

Just wondering if there is any super expert or genius made it thru.

[Jer]

Anybody knows how or where to get the switch power supply (A4 B6/7 single din) for Aftermarket head unit, which will keep the same characteristic as Stock Concert II HU, like radio on without pulling the key out and not neccessary to keep the ignition at position one (on position) ?

I know after market unit does not support Can-bus , been searching thru the web weeks still don't find the solution.

Just wondering if there is any super expert or genius made it thru.

It's not that easy. Just wire constant and switched and call it a day.

[Hammer97e]

The only way you can get this is with an aftermarket can-bus interface. You can get a switched ignition from the ignition harness, but it won't do what you want. I use PAC's C2R-Audio and it does exactly what you describe. I also have a SWI-Jack hooked to the C2R-Audio and it gives me function of all 8 steering wheel buttons. If you are doing a Nav piece, I would definitely recommend a can-bus interface as it gives you all your other necessities like speed sense. If you aren't and don't care about steering wheel controls, just hard wire ignition and illumination and call it it a day.

[Jer]

The only way you can get this is with an aftermarket can-bus interface. You can get a switched ignition from the ignition harness, but it won't do what you want. I use PAC's C2R-Audio and it does exactly what you describe. I also have a SWI-Jack hooked to the C2R-Audio and it gives me function of all 8 steering wheel buttons. If you are doing a Nav piece, I would definitely recommend a can-bus interface as it gives you all your other necessities like speed sense. If you aren't and don't care about steering wheel controls, just hard wire ignition and illumination and call it it a day.

The PAC C2R-AUDI will allow your aftermarket deck to behave just like the factory deck? With this harness I can push the power button on a Kenwood or Pioneer w/o the key in the ignition and it will come on? It will stay powered on when I turn the key off until I pull the key from the ignition? I wasn't aware that the C2R-AUDI unit did that and wish I had known because if that's the case I would have gone that route. I hate how with the harness I have now I have to have the key not only in the ignition but turned ALL the way forward before the stereo will come on. I like to sit with the stereo on at times (especially if I'm on a phone call) when I arrive at my location but the way it's set up now I have to let the engine sit and idle because to shut it off means cutting power to the deck. Then, I can turn the key back forward but if it's dark out then that means my HIDs are blinding everyone in the restaurant or wherever I'm sitting. Quite annoying.

[Hammer97e]

I will have to check the ability to turn it on without the key in the ignition, never tried, but I know for a fact it stays on after you shut the car off until the key is taken out. I use this all the time, I listen to ESPN Radio and often will park and shut the car off, but leave the key in, until a segment is over.

If I had to guess, I would say that it probably wouldn't work, to just get in the car and press power on the radio to turn it on. I think that might be a different can-bus function that RAP (Retained Accessory Power) which keeps the switched power active until the key is taken out of the cylinder or like on a GM, when a door is opened. I can check though.

I was also really impressed with how the steering wheel controls turned out with the C2R-Audi and SWI-Jack (I have a Kenwood DDX-896). Scrolling isn't as fast as with the factory radio, but I can scroll the volume up and down, pressing the volume wheel attenuates (mutes) the sound. The factory bluetooth button, answers and ends calls on the Kenwood's built in bluetooth. I can scroll back and forth between tracks, or radio presets, pressing that scroll wheel pauses ipod or cd/dvd playback and the mode button switches between sources. Pretty slick and more function that I had with the factory Symphony II+ or RNS-E.

[Jer]

I will have to check the ability to turn it on without the key in the ignition, never tried, but I know for a fact it stays on after you shut the car off until the key is taken out. I use this all the time, I listen to ESPN Radio and often will park and shut the car off, but leave the key in, until a segment is over.

If I had to guess, I would say that it probably wouldn't work, to just get in the car and press power on the radio to turn it on. I think that might be a different can-bus function that RAP (Retained Accessory Power) which keeps the switched power active until the key is taken out of the cylinder or like on a GM, when a door is opened. I can check though.

I would say that if it retains the factory power profiles that you should be able to power the unit on as well. I know with the factory unit if you turned the car off and removed the key and then decided you wanted to sit and listen to the stereo you could tap the power button and it would come one for like an hour or something w/o the key needing to be put back in. This as well as leaving the power on until the key is removed is SUCH a useful function and now that it's gone I miss it. Check and see if that's how yours behaves.

I was also really impressed with how the steering wheel controls turned out with the C2R-Audi and SWI-Jack (I have a Kenwood DDX-896). Scrolling isn't as fast as with the factory radio, but I can scroll the volume up and down, pressing the volume wheel attenuates (mutes) the sound. The factory bluetooth button, answers and ends calls on the Kenwood's built in bluetooth. I can scroll back and forth between tracks, or radio presets, pressing that scroll wheel pauses ipod or cd/dvd playback and the mode button switches between sources. Pretty slick and more function that I had with the factory Symphony II+ or RNS-E.

So if your mobile phone is paired with your Kenwood and a call is incoming you can press in on the left scroll wheel to answer and then another press in will end the call, right? Man, I'm really leaning towards redoing my wiring with this harness now and wish I had known this before I started. Would have saved me some effort. I even researched (so I thought) the different harnesses and thought I had decided on the best option. I have a SWI-JACK just sitting here too that I could use.

[Hammer97e]

Correct, except it's the button to the left of the volume scroll wheel, on the right side of the air bag.

Starting left to right on the steering wheel:

Left scroll wheel - scroll up = next track, scroll down = restart track or previous track. Pressing the scroll wheel pauses playback.
Mode - Changes Sources
(Airbag)
Button w/ Picture - Answers and ends incoming calls when call comes through Kenwood bluetooth
right scroll wheel - scroll up = volume up and scroll down = volume down. Pressing the scroll wheel attenuates the sound.

[Jer]

Correct, except it's the button to the left of the volume scroll wheel, on the right side of the air bag.

Starting left to right on the steering wheel:

Left scroll wheel - scroll up = next track, scroll down = restart track or previous track. Pressing the scroll wheel pauses playback.
Mode - Changes Sources
(Airbag)
Button w/ Picture - Answers and ends incoming calls when call comes through Kenwood bluetooth
right scroll wheel - scroll up = volume up and scroll down = volume down. Pressing the scroll wheel attenuates the sound.

Pausing playback from the steering wheel is a nice feature. How well does the mode toggle button (right of the left scroll wheel) work for you?

[Hammer97e]

Jer - to report back to you.

I haven't able to turn the headunit on after the key is taken out of the ignition as the factory did, but it definitely stays on after the car and everything else is shut down, until the key is removed.

Switching between sources from the steering wheel can be cumbersome, I wish their was a way on the Kenwood to disable unused sources, you have to toggle between all sources, ipod, tuner, cd, video 1, video 2, usb, bluetooth, etc, etc. in their order, so it can be a pain. I have notice some lag as well with the mode button.

Other than the mode button, which I am certain has more to do with internal Kenwood issues, I am pretty happy with the C2R-Audi and SWI-Jack combination.

[Jer]

Jer - to report back to you.

I haven't able to turn the headunit on after the key is taken out of the ignition as the factory did, but it definitely stays on after the car and everything else is shut down, until the key is removed.

Switching between sources from the steering wheel can be cumbersome, I wish their was a way on the Kenwood to disable unused sources, you have to toggle between all sources, ipod, tuner, cd, video 1, video 2, usb, bluetooth, etc, etc. in their order, so it can be a pain. I have notice some lag as well with the mode button.

Other than the mode button, which I am certain has more to do with internal Kenwood issues, I am pretty happy with the C2R-Audi and SWI-Jack combination.

Good info. I don't think it's the Kenwood's fault as I had a Pioneer X920BT installed for a few weeks and it behaved about the same way as the Kenwood does now in regards to the mode button. It's pretty clear that something just gets lost in translation between the steering wheel and the adapters on the way to the head unit. I agree that being able to somehow set which inputs it toggles through would make a HUGE difference in how usable that feature is. As it is I just don't use the mode button because it's too frustrating.

[Trigger200]

Hey Guys -
I'm having trouble installing a Kenwood DDX616 in my a4 - non nav, non-bose. I used the C2R-Audi kit but I do not have rear door speakers or subs. Any suggestions?

[ignus99]

Hey Guys -
I'm having trouble installing a Kenwood DDX616 in my a4 - non nav, non-bose. I used the C2R-Audi kit but I do not have rear door speakers or subs. Any suggestions?

1. Crazy necro bump.... Threads over a year and a half old.
2. That is seriously the most non descript problem I have ever seen...

This is the audio equivalent of:
"Hey guys... My engine is making a noise, what's wrong with it? Here is absolutely no information for you to work with."