RNS-e problems

[jonan]

posting here as well since the telematics forum seems dead...

from the research I've done online, it seems like the motherboard or eprom (not sure what that is) is going bad in my unit. sometimes it works fine and others I have a black screen and the unit is unresponsive...

every now and then a bunch of Japanese characters will pop up and it will say "insert original cd" or something along those lines under the Japanese.

I've tried resetting it by pressing the auto and setup button at the same time and holding power for an extended period of time...eventually after rebooting the unit multiple times it will work but after the 3rd or 4th on/off cycle between driving to home and work the unit is dead again...

is my unit f*cked or is it salvageable? I've read that a burnt cd for NAV can cause problems over using a stock nav disc...TIA!!!

[CyberPMG]

If it was just the screen blanking out, I would think the issue might be with the data cable to the display as that has been known to go bad on some units. If you're seeing foreign characters with added text to insert original disc, then the unit is having an issue reading the disc. Have you done any VCDS scans to check for codes on Navigation or Radio? If you have the headlights on, do the illuminated buttons black out when the screen does?

What's the model of the unit? Sounds like it was originally a Japanese unit that was then flashed over to a North American unit? Could be the flash was incomplete (again, could be a problem with the DVD). If you have a DVD cleaner, you might want to use that. The brush can clear off any dust that may have built up.

If you don't have an OEM DVD, you can find a used one on eBay for not a lot. Good idea to find the same year and version as what you have now. Make sure is the North America version and for the RNS-E, not MMI. You can try out that DVD and see if you're still getting the same problems.

[jonan]

thx...

same message as this morning...



the buttons are all unlit despite driving home with the lights on tonight...i don't think its the display cable as there is no music and the unit only plays music in the off chance that it gets past the error message...

i don't know which version i flashed over to when i bought the cd from a user on the forums...do burnt dvds cause problems with these units??? sucks cause i dropped money for the unit less than six months ago...

[CyberPMG]

If the music is cutting out when the screen goes blank, then your unit is loosing power or something is shorting out. Burned DVDs should be fine as long as it was done correctly (if the unit can read it, then it should be fine). If you made the DVD, make another one and try that one. I would try to do a scan to see what codes are being stored regarding Navigation or Radio using VCDS (VAG-COM). Should give you more insight if the issue is power related, software related, or something else.

Having the buttons not lit even when the headlights are on leads me to think you may have a power issue. Go and check the adapter harness and make sure all connections are tight and secure. Get the scan done.

[jonan]

hmmm, i'll check the wires, i had to jam the unit in pretty hard because it was such a tight fit...i probably kinked a wire or something knowing my luck...

[CyberPMG]

Jamming it in should not be needed. You run the risk of damaging the wires and connections. If the unit feels stuck or resisting while it's half way out, then you have wires/connectors that got in the way. If done right, the unit should slide in easy and only require pressing in at the end to get the faceplate portion to move in and align with the rest of the center console.