Hybrid TV module installation Audi A6/A4 B8/A5 (relevant for Q7/A8 too)9.10.2008 (updated 30.1.2010) - I've just completed a hybrid TV tuner installation on an Audi A6 Avant (4F/C6) model-year 2007 and together with LoCal we also researched (in theory at least) this issue somewhat for Audi A4 B8/A5, on which installation should be pretty much identical assuming the A4 B8/A5 has navigation with second-gen MMI High of course. So, there are notes for Audi A4 B8/A5 here as well. Also, I expect A8/Q7 to be similar too, but of course always do your own research before going forward with this. This is mostly for MMI 2G, see MMI 3G notes/links at the very end.Please see my other articles on the index page for more TV installation notes (https://a6retrofit.tripod.com/articles/a6tvmodule.html) as well as DVD navigation and Bluetooth retrofit installs to see general information on things like the component rack in the trunk etc. (There are also some great articles by LoCal on Audi A5 there, so go have a look.) I won't go into such detail in this article. These instructions should apply to both the OEM Audi analogue TV tuner as well as the newer OEM hybrid (analogue and digital DVB-T) Audi TV tuner, which are pretty much identical in appearance and they apparently have identical connections, go to the same slot, use the same antennas/antenna connections and seem to interchangeable in every way... (These instructions do not, however, cover the old Audi DVB-T tuner which goes under the analogue tuner and plugs into it as a sort of an external AV source. But that box is not needed at all when you go for the new hybrid tuner, far more elegant solution.) I installed the hybrid TV tuner with two external audio/video inputs (for e.g. connecting a DVD player) and antenna cabling, but not actual antennas. I may be looking at some antenna solution down the road, but these instructions only cover things up to the antenna cabling, actual antenna amplifiers and antenna connections are not covered here. What you do get in place, following these instructions, though are analogue/hybrid compatible antenna cables ready for either OEM or some other antenna solutions - just connect some amplified antennas! This installation involves playing around in the car in a way that may result in you breaking it, voiding warranty and hurting yourself. So don't try this unless you know what you are doing and are willing to assume these risks. PARTS Parts required for this retrofit: - Hybrid TV tuner (Audi part 4E0 910 148 D) - 4 x screws for the tuner (see notes below) - 2 x felt strips under the tuner (Audi part 533 867 910 A) - TV tuner cable set (e.g. Kufatec 34533 Kabelsatz TV Tuner A6 4F inkl. LWL) - Antenna cable set (car specific, see notes below) - 2 x RCA video-in adapters for external AV connections - Optionally a shorter FAKRA/FBAS composite video cable (see notes below) Notes on some of the parts: The Audi parts you can get from your spare parts desk (they may require your VIN number to order them) or you can buy used parts from Kufatec (www.kufatec.de) which may require removal of software component protection by dealer after the installation. Kufatec also sells the cable sets required (separately or with used modules if you so wish to order) - the cables are brand new (not used) and very good quality in my opinion. The TV module is attached with four screws, which may depend on the actual module and rack configuration in your car, I didn't go for the original screws (just used some from my own toolbox) but I've seen these part numbers floating around - not sure about them, though: A8? - N 106 922 01 (4 screws needed) A6? A4 B8/A5? - N 106 521 01 (4 screws needed) Consult your dealer/ETKA or test yourself. There are four screw holes in the hybrid TV tuner at least. Kufatec sells antenna cable sets for different Audi models: 33906 Kabelsatz TV Antennenmodule Audi A6 4F (select Limousine or Avant!) http://www.kufatec.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p272_Kabelsatz-TV-Antennenmodule-Audi-A6-4F.html 36419 Kabelsatz TV Antennenmodule Audi A4 8K Avant http://www.kufatec.de/shop/product_info.php/language/de/info/p1114_Kabelsatz-TV-Antennenmodule-Audi-A4-8K-Avant.html 35668 Kabelsatz TV Antennenmodule Audi A5 8T http://www.kufatec.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p967_Kabelsatz-TV-Antennenmodule-Audi-A5-8T.html You could skip these antenna cables totally of course, if you just want to use the external AV connections, but I put them in place for future use so that I don't have to play with the rack anymore if I ever want to install an antenna. Links to Kufatec TV tuner cable set (suitable for both analogue and hybrid) and video-in adapters: 34533 Kabelsatz TV Tuner A6 4F inkl. LWL http://www.kufatec.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p266_Kabelsatz-TV-Tuner-A6-4F-inkl--LWL.html 33945 Video - In - Adapter Audi A6 4F http://www.kufatec.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p275_Video---In---Adapter-Audi-A6-4F.html The cable set for TV tuner from Kufatec should include a FAKRA connector FBAS composite video cable for routing from the TV tuner to the glove comportment MMI head unit (which needs to have the green FBAS connector, if not you need to change the head unit too). If your car already has a rear-view camera, you can just route a shorter cable from the TV tuner to the rear-view camera box. Kufatec sells shorter cables also individually (female-female FAKRA): 35894 FAKRA Leitung RG174 individuell http://www.kufatec.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p695_FAKRA-Leitung-RG174-individuell.html PREPARING THE CABLING Prior to installing the TV module and cable sets to the car, prepare Kufatec's TV module cabling by attaching the video-in adapter (one) or adapters (two) to the cable set. This is easiest done away from the car at a desk work area and involves connecting a number of loose cable ends to the red block connector that will eventually connect to the TV module. Kufatec provides instructions with the kit, but in short the pins, I believe, go as follows: Video In 1: black audio left/right 9, white audio left 10, red audio right 11, yellow video 12, black video 13 Video In 2: black audio left/right 15, white audio left 16, red audio right 17, yellow video 18, black video 19 Video Out (only hybrid tuner?): black audio left/right 6, white audio left 7, red audio right 8, yellow video 5, black video 4 Always check the Kufatec instructions and other sources to confirm there aren't any mistakes in my article. The block connector for the TV unit in the Kufatec cable set is quite tight if you try to fit all three video in/out cables to it. I installed only the video ins, as I have no need for video out, and those fit just right, but adding a video out cable too would have required modifying the connector. craigyb also posted a full pin listing here: http://www.navplus.us/forums/showthread.php?p=58437 ("MMI High Video OUT ??" thread at www.navplus.us) Drawing of the pin layout here: http://www.navplus.us/forums/showthread.php?t=9268 PREPARING THE CAR Once you have sourced the parts and prepared the adapters, actual installation can begin. You need to have either a rear-view parking camera module installed on the right side of the trunk with an existing FBAS composite video connection to the front of the car or run a FBAS cable to the area behind the glove-compartment and change your MMI head unit. That is a long story that I haven't covered here, but see the index page for more of my articles that discuss this, TV and rear-view camera notes especially - and the Bluetooth retrofit for notes on routing cabling to the front of the car. Kufatec can sell you a used MMI head unit with FBAS video-in. Routing the cable and changing the head unit is relatively easy, but your dealer will have to remove component protection for you and there might be additional coding and adaptation necessary - maybe better let a professional handle that for you. In this report I cover the activities that happen in the trunk, in fact the only piece of trim you need to remove following these instructions (and even that isn't mandatory if you choose to route cabling without lifting the trim) is the rear edge floor piece in the trunk. Cabling from the left side of the trunk goes to the right side of the trunk and this is easiest and most professionally accomplished by lifting up the rear edge floor piece before starting the installation. After that, all you need to do is disconnect the battery (under the trunk floor in both A6 and A4 B8/A5, under the spare tire in the latter) and open the left and right side compartments in the trunk. On Audi A6 Avant things are easier if you remove the entire left-side trim, but not necessary. See my other installation articles from the index page on more thoughts and notes on battery, trim removal etc. TUNER INSTALLATION I have separated this article into two installation steps, since there are two quite distinct tasks at hand. First I cover the installation of the TV tuner module and associated MOST fiber-optics and regular cabling around the left side of the trunk. In the second step I look at rest of the cabling, which goes from left side of the trunk to the right side of the trunk. The TV tuner goes on the component rack, to the shelf below the DVD navigation drive (bottom full sized shelf). Unscrew the rack so you can access its rear and tape two felt strips on the shelf (probably useful against resonation and keeps the rack and TV tuner in good condition too if you need to slide it in and out). Then you can just slide in the TV tuner and screw it in. I actually removed the entire rack from the car and took it to an inside work area for module installation. This required disconnecting all the cables going to modules and reconnecting them upon reinstallation (I just bundled the cabling of each module together temporarily with piece of string so I could remember what went where). On the up-side this did make work on the rack much easier when the new module could be connected and screwed in easily and rack rotated when necessary. Also, without the rack in the way, cabling work behind the rack was much easier than my previous experience with the rack half-way in place during retrofits. Highly recommended. Next comes the MOST and diagnostics connections. The Kufatec TV tuner cable set contains all the necessary cables and instructions, so read them for details. Basically it goes like this: First you disconnect the MOST and diagnostics connectors (I call them diagnostics connectors just to separate them from MOST, although it is a misleading simplification probably - maybe just a block connector would be a better word) from the radio box (aka the "K box" - second box from the top), if you haven't done it already when unattaching the rack. Then remove the MOST "out" cable (the one with the out-going arrow in the connector) from the radio MOST cable's connector and connect the removed cable to the vacant single connection MOST adapter in the TV tuner cable set. Then hook the loose fiber-optic cable in the TV tuner cable set to the now empty MOST "out" connector in the radio box MOST cable. This adds the TV tuner cabling to the fiber-optic MOST ring right after the radio and before the DVD navigation. Be careful with the MOST cables and do not bend or apply undue pressure on them. See my other retrofit articles on this site for some more notes on working with MOST connectors and their blue locks. Again, check the Kufatec instructions for the definite steps here. Finally connect the "diagnostics connector" that you disconnected from the radio module to the respective connector in the TV tuner cable set, which splits the connection into two separate diagnostics connectors, one goes to the radio box and the other (the one from which the video-in cables are dangling from) to the TV tuner. The TV tuner is now neatly connected to both the optical and regular cable-sets in the car and is also wired for ground and power (although power is not yet connected to the fuse box). Once the TV tuner is in place and the above-mentioned MOST/diagnostics cabling trickery is done, you can connect the rest of the conventional cabling to the TV tuner (FBAS video to the single FAKRA connector and the colour-coded antenna dual-FAKRAs in their respective slots), connect any other cabling you may have disconnected and then screw the component rack back in place. Now, all that is left is routing the cables and connecting power! CABLE ROUTING AND POWER You now have the TV tuner in place, connected to the MOST fiber-optics and the diagnostics line, as well as a host of antenna, power and video wires dangling out of the component rack. From the component rack the following cables need to be routed under the trunk to the right side: - Single FBAS composite video cable (going to the glove compartment MMI head unit or trunk rear-view camera module) - Power (going to the fuse box in the right side of the trunk) - One or two (depending on car type) antenna cables (going to the right side of the trunk for future installation) The following cables are left on the left side of the trunk: - Two antenna cables (tie them down for future installation if you are not going to use them yet, factory installation has antennas on each side of the car) - Three to nine (nine if you installed both video-in adapters and video-out too) RCA connectors (one to three stereo A/V connections) dangling out from behind the TV tuner (leave them there as a connection point for media devices unless you plan to route longer A/V cabling, say, to the back seat) For clean results, secure the new cabling (maybe not the video-in adapters though, do with them what you want) to existing cabling in the car using e.g. cable ties. This is why removing the rear floor trim in the trunk door area is useful, you can tie your new cables to the existing cabling there for that professional finish. Once the cabling is secured on the left side of the trunk and under the trunk, you can close the left-hand compartment door and put the rear-edge floor trim back in place (of course you may wish to delay that until everything is confirmed to work). Finally onto the right-hand side compartment of the trunk to finish off the hardware side. The antenna cables routed here you can just tie down for future installation, if you aren't going to do anything with them yet. These antenna cables now on the both sides of the car are supposed to connect to antenna connection/amplifier boxes you can buy used from Kufatec or new from Audi - and onwards from those boxes (with cables that may have been included in your Kufatec antenna kit) to the respective window antennas (to be soldered on to connection poins near the window frame, or in the A6 sedan apparently the antenna amplifiers click right on top of antenna connection points in the windows). It is unknown to me if all A6s and A4 B8/ A5s have the window antennas standard, I assume not (so I've heard), therefore full factory solution might also require replacing some windows... A6 Avant supposedly has all the antennas standard, though. --- UPDATE on antennas 13.10.2008: In the article linked below there are pictures of antenna installation in Audi A6 Avant. At least one of the antennas is in the rear window with a ready-to-solder connection for the antenna there. (There are, I believe, up to three other TV antennas in the rear window and trunk side windows not pictured in the article.) Audi A6 (mit MMI) - Car-PC Projekt http://www.stromgmbh.de/carpc/ At navplus.us, user SplendidAudi reported on the antenna situation in an A5 (reported as model-year 2009 with MMI and DVD navigation). Apparently according to repair manuals the antenna amplifiers in an A5 are located under the C pillar covers and the antennas in the rear window. However, on SplendidAudi's A5 both the TV antenna compatible antenna amplifier as well as the antenna lines and connections in the rear window were missing according the report, so they do not seem to be standard in A5 (well, the TV compatible antenna amplifiers are not standard in A6 Avant either, but the window antennas apparently are). Reportedly there is room under the C pillar covers, under the blackened part of the rear window, for suitable retrofit antennas though. See here for SplendidAudi's post: In thread Retrofit instructions for hybrid TV for A6, A4 B8 and A5 http://www.navplus.us/forums/showthread.php?p=61675#post61675 Retrofitting some kind of rear-bumper antennas might be another option too there. --- UPDATE on antennas 20.10.2008: In the following thread on the new navplus.us replacement site there is more information, including a schematic picture, on how the hybrid tuner works with the antennas and how the antennas should be wired: Audi OEM hybrid tuner with after-market antenna? How to wire? http://audiforum.us/mmi/9830-audi-oem-hybrid-tuner-after-market-antenna-how-wire.html Notably, and thanks to Q7US S-line user for information on this, the hybrid tuner includes three internal tuners and uses three to four antennas: first antenna (FAKRA closest to the edge) drives tuner one, second drives tuner two and third/fourth are used by the third tuner (it is automatically switching between the antennas). First two tuners tune into a channel being watched, the third tuner searches for new channels in the background and also at times tunes to the channel being watched. When more than one tuner is tuned to the same channel, their signals are internally mixed and analyzed to produce a stronger signal/image than would be possible with just a single tuner. Coding, VAG COMing the third last byte of tuner coding to 5 or 6, turns off the fourth antenna FAKRA so that the third internal tuner only uses antenna 3 - if you want to set it up like this, apparently this is they way it is done on the A5 which only uses three TV antennas in factory configuration. But the fourth antenna is apparently the only one you could ignore, the others are needed - see above and below on why. Additionally Q7US S-line noted that the hybrid tuner, when it starts, first scans for channels using tuner one, then with tuner two and finally (and continously on the background at certain intervals apparently) using tuner three. This is also why you need to connect at least three antennas to the first three antenna FAKRAs (counting first as the one closest to the edge of the tuner box of all the four antenna FAKRAs), otherwise the tuner will probably not function as it should. My initial testing also shows that the hybrid tuner does not seem to power, or fully power, an after-market antenna with 5V antenna-wire powered amplification. If you are planning on using after-market antennas, maybe try ones that have amplifiers which are separately powered by a 12V power cable? --- UPDATE on antennas 30.3.2009: Check the linked thread for more information: Audi OEM hybrid tuner with after-market antenna? How to wire? http://audiforum.us/mmi/9830-audi-oem-hybrid-tuner-after-market-antenna-how-wire.html Apparently the antenna connectors feed out 12V power, which many after-market antennas can not handle and might surge back to the hybrid TV module. Thus this power must be somehow stripped before it reaches the antennas, if one wishes to use after-market antennas and after-market antenna amplifiers, unless those antennas can handle 12V. See here for more: Help with TV Tuner Bits & How to install!! http://vwnavi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2110 --- UPDATE on antennas 10.6.2009: SplendidAudi corrects information about Audi A5 antenna configuration (here with permission): "okey... some news... apparently back window of A5 contains all the antennas standard. there are only one kind in etka, so I judged too soon earlier. amplifiers needed are... these are without DAB: 8T0 035 225 A (left/with tv) 8T0 035 225 D (right/with tv) also velcro strip for the amplifiers 4D0 863 437 A." Clearly the question of TV antennas depends heavily on the Audi model, sometimes the antenna is standard and you need just the amplifiers, sometimes you need to retrofit antenna windows too. Retrofit instructions for hybrid TV for A6, A4 B8 and A5 http://audiforum.us/mmi/9758-retrofit-instructions-hybrid-tv-a6-a4-b8-a5.html#post72591 Back to the original article... --- But since I wasn't going to do anything with the antennas now, I just tied down the cabling for potential future use (rationale being since I was going to tear down trim and component rack anyway, I might as well install this cable so I won't have to tear down the same things again). The next part is connecting the FBAS composite video cable. If you don't have rear-view camera, route the FBAS cable to the front of the car, behind the glove compartment, and connect it to the green FAKRA on the MMI head unit (you need to retrofit head-unit with video-in if your car didn't come with one). I won't go into those details here, but see my other reports for more notes on routing things to the front. If you have the rear-view camera module installed, just look for the rear-view camera box in a black plastic holder on the right side of the trunk. There should be a vacant brown FAKRA connector there (in addition to a connected grey connector that goes to the camera and a connected green connector that goes to the MMI head unit in the front). Just plug your FBAS composite cable there, thus connecting the TV tuner video output with the video input in the rear-view camera module, and the video installation is done. All you need then, is power. You should now have that single, thin red power cable remaining unconnected and unused on the right side of the trunk. This one goes to the fuse box that is on the compartment floor. Check you cars fuse table (e.g. from the manual) for a spare slot for the TV tuner and connect the wire there. Finally, you also need to provide and connect the correct-sized fuse unless you got one from Kufatec. Voila! Make sure everything is secured in place and all the cables tied down, FBAS connection to the front is in place, close the compartment doors and reconnect the battery. SOFTWARE CODING Once the hardware is in place and battery power back on, the car needs to be made aware of the new box. Connect VAG COM/VCDS (see www.ross-tech.com), open controller 19 CAN Gateway, then coding or installation list depending on version and flip TV-Tuner checkbox on and save. This makes the car aware the box is there, although it might show and operate without this setting too. You also need to check and adjust coding for box 57 TV Tuner, see the label help in VAG COM. (If you model or car is different than mine some differences might exist in coding, verify the correct changes you need to make in your particular car before doing any software coding.) Then check for any error codes in VAG COM. The car will probably report missing or open antenna connections in the VAG COM error report, that is to be expected since we didn't connect the antennas. (I left it as is for the time being.) If the TV tuner goes "Component Protection" error, then a protection removal is needed to use the TV tuner and can only be completed by an authorized maintenance shop. It involves connecting the car via Internet to a factory database, checking that the component isn't stolen and then recoding the box with the cars identificators. But the TV Tuner is not known for going into component protection, so it won't probably do it. Mine didn't. (Interestingly, if you have the TV tuner selected when fiddling with the 57 TV Tuner box via VAG COM, the TV Tuner video will show all kinds of diagnostics information, like antenna reception values and temperature.) Finally, restart the car. TESTING THE RESULTS Once all this is done, one can enjoy the fruits of their labour. Clicking the CD/TV MMI button (or MEDIA button in later models) and the Source soft-button we can now see three new A/V sources listed: TV, External AV 1 and External AV 2. Selecting the TV works, but without an antenna obviously the only thing we can receive is static. But may I say, static has never looked as beautiful as it did after completing the retrofit! The useful options (until antenna installation at least) are External AV 1 and External AV 2. Now those numerous RCA connectors you added to the left side of the trunk become useful. Plug in an audio/video source into either of those RCAs (one composite video and single mono or dual stereo audio connections) and select it from the Source menu. The picture will now appear on the MMI screen (in a small window first, full-screen later) and audio starts playing from the cars speakers. The system will automatically hide the picture while driving (audio still plays). I hear this safety feature can be disabled from the MMI hidden menu (details of which reported e.g. here for A5: https://a6retrofit.tripod.com/articles/a5vagcodes.html), but I have so far decided not to play with my luck and I will let the safety feature remain active. Kufatec also sells a kit that you can use to turn off this feature if you car doesn't have the hidden menu option or if the hidden menu option won't do the trick. --- UPDATE 25.1.2009: How is the TV tuner installed in U.S. vehicles? LoCal sent in the following reply to an A5/S5 question on how to install TV tuner in an U.S. Spec A5/S5: I don't know if U.S. and Euro part numbers differ, but if you car has the regular MMI with satnav (you must have satnav, although not the new MMI 3G - that is different!) then the following process should apply, just make sure you check if the U.S. tuner box is a special part number or requires any changes (I don't know about that): Hybrid TV module installation Audi A6/A4 B8/A5 (relevant for Q7/A8 too) https://a6retrofit.tripod.com/articles/a6a4a5hybridtv.html Notes on retrofitting TV module Audi A6/Q7/A8 https://a6retrofit.tripod.com/articles/a6tvmodule.html Also check the links in both articles, there is an article of someone installing Euro tuner to an U.S. A6 in the links if I remember correctly, so that is known to work. (This is the link: http://forums.audiworld.com/c6a6/msgs/22067.phtml) Things are easier in A5/S5 because most U.S. cars have the rear-view camera and with that camera the MMI front control box already should have the video-in connector (and rear trunk has the rear-view camera module where the TV tuner can be connected for video in). Note that at least in Europe there are three (or four depending on how you count them) kinds of tuners that look pretty much the same and connect the same (they are interchangeable) but differ in what kind of signals they can receive: - Original analog tuner (can only receive analog signals, should work fine anywhere in the world where anolog is still broadcasted), there is also a digital (euro) DVB-T add-on-module for this analog tuner that connects to its ext port - Hybrid analog / DVB-T (euro) tuner that can receive both analogue and DVB-T digital TV signals - Also I believe there is a fully digital only DVB-T version of the tuner Plus there may be U.S. versions that are tailored more specifically for the market? For example, Japan has completely different components than listed above that are completely incompatible, but the U.S. MMI is closer to Euro MMI (even software seems interchangeable) so differences aren't likely as big. MAKE SURE you get the kind of tuner that can receive the TV signal in your area. I'm not aware A5/S5 is shipped with TV tuners to the U.S. at all, but since A5 with MMI High uses same tech and components as A6/A8/Q7, a TV tuner from one of those cars would likely work. In Europe Audi does offer A5/S5 with TV tuners that are the same parts as A6/A8/Q7. Link: Tv Tuner http://www.a5oc.com/forums/showthread.php/tv-tuner-6179/index.html --- UPDATE 16.12.2009/30.1.2010: Retrofitting hybrid TV in an MMI 3G car is a bit different, but Kufatec.de should also be able to provide a kit for that. Read this link for an installation story in an Audi A4 B8, it mentions e.g. coding for the MMI 3G TV module which for Europe is "0E020000": help with wiring from hybrid tv http://audiforum.us/b8-platform/12936-help-wiring-hybrid-tv.html Also, see the end of this article for notes about MMI 3G FBAS connection: Notes on retrofitting Audi Parking System Advanced rear-view camera Audi A6 (4F/C6) (also relevant for A4/A5/Q7/A8) https://a6retrofit.tripod.com/articles/a6rearcamera.html And: Tv tuner on Audi A5 2009 (8T) http://audiforum.us/mmi/13334-tv-tuner-audi-a5-2009-8t.html --- That's all folks! Thanks to LoCal for digging up/confirming relevance of this information on the A4 B8/A5 as well. |
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