rob_d

Hey Guys,

Had a few questions about the ability to connect an iPod and have the text displayed on the RNS-E. I'm both new to this forum and new to Audi's in general, so please bear with me and my newbiness

I recently purchased a used 2006 Audi A4 with the integrated RNS-E Navigation System + 6-disc CD changer. My goal is to connect my iPod/iPhone and

1) Be able to control the iPod using the same buttons currently used to control tracks

2) Have the text from the iPod displayed either on the navigation screen or on the smaller LCD screen above the steering wheel.

I visited the Dension website and their compatibility chart claims that the Gateway 300 will support this, but I've read many conflicting posts that say that no text data will be displayed anywhere. These posts were dated back in early 2008 so I'm not sure if there has been any updates regarding this.

Thanks in advance for any advice. Lovin' the Audi - I think I'm a fan for life.

Scott Evil

Read the Dension description carefully, the text is actually displayed on the DIS, not on the RNS-E screen. I think the DIS has two lines with 8 characters of text on each one, so you will not have full text. The nice thing about the Gateway interface is that you can control the iPod with the steering wheel controls. The iPod interface uses the CD Changer interface, so you lose the changer, but with an iPod I doubt that matters and the NAV disc can always be ejected as needed.

I spent about seven months looking into this and did not find a solution that allowed iPod text to be displayed on the RNS-E screen.

rob_d

Thanks for the info Scott. I think having the text display in the DIS should be fine.

Since you seem to have put in the time researching this, do you happen to know all the parts that are needed in order to get this working?

Obviously the Gateway 300 is needed, but what about any other parts? Is the Dension Active Cradle a good choice for A4 owners?

Scott Evil

I think this is the interface you are looking for. Click on this link, there is a demo video...

http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_s...N_GW16AC1.html

If you have an iPhone, this setup may not allow you to take cals while you are listening to music. I do not know this for certain, but I chose a simpler interface.

Here is the dock setup. I may go ahead and get this...

http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_s...AUDIB7V2I.html

Finally, here is my install...

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho....php?t=2760704

rob_d

Nice - I'll order one of the Gateway 100's. As for 2point5 cradle/dock, it looks really nice but might be a little pricey for me. The other minor issue is that it seems to block buttons behind it.

Do you have any alternate suggestions for the cradle/dock? I was looking at the Dension Active Cradle but I can't find any pics of what it looks like installed.

Thanks for all your help Scott!

parkinman

Hey Scott, does this kit work with the RNS-E in a 2005 allroad? I can't find any info about it. Does your satellite radio still work?

Scott Evil

Sat radio still works. The cd changer is the only trade-off. If you allroad has a glovebox cd changer, it should work.

parkinman

The changer is in the back. I assume that it also should work just as long as the changer is not directly in the head unit.

Scott Evil

There are two different interfaces, one uses the CD changer plug. That is what I have and would probably work for you, but you would need to run a the cable back up front.

Or, you can use the interface that plugs into the back of the RNS-E (so you do not need to run a long cable). If you want to retain your SAT radio, there is an extra cable you will need. I think that is a $50 part.

Codestud

Hi there - just registered so I could respond to you. I am from England and recently bought an A4 B7 and the very first thing I want to do with my car is install an iPod as well.

After doing some research, it appears that the new "AMI" (Audi Music Interface) which supports the factory fit iPod connector is not available for the B7.

However - look at this, the Alpine KCE-425i (from the UK website). It's a clever plug-in that uses the TV input of the RNS-E.

http://www.alpine-electronics.co.uk/.../kce-425i.html

Here is a demo of it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6_3TdsZEEU

I'm not sure if it's available in America, but if not I'm sure you could import one.

Anyway - that's the solution I'm going for. Another option is just to buy an aftermarket head unit altogether but I ruled that out for various reasons, mainly because I didn't want to ruin the OEM look of the RNS-E.

Cheers