HOW-TO: Retrofit a Symphony II+ including Sat Radio into a B6!

[pr0digy30]

Introduction
This project originated in the desire to upgrade my Symphony II system to equipment that could handle an OEM Sirius satellite radio module. As my B6 is MY 2002, the Symphony II nor the wiring were capable of simply plugging into the Sirius module.

While I heavily considered the upgrade to RNS-E, in the end I felt that my need for navigation features (almost none) would not justify the cost of a factory NAV retrofit. I had read about and viewed photos of the new Symphony II+ head unit, but I was unsure whether it could be retrofitted into the B6 with ease or even installed at all.

That is until I came across Diagnosticator1's post of a successful retrofit into his B6.

The first problem was locating any Symphony II+'s that were for sale. As at the Symphony II+ is a reasonably new head unit, there are not many spare units floating around on the market. Thankfully a few strategic posts to the AudiWorld forums eventually took care of that issue.


Acknowledgments
This project would have never been possible if it was not for the assistance of the following AW members:

<u>Diagnosticator1</u>
Provided great insight into his experience, both the good and the hurdles encountered in performing this upgrade.

<u>TeddyBGame</u>
Bar none, this man knows his stuff. His custom work is better than OEM and raises the bar for "plug and play" harnesses.


Disclaimer
The following information is provided without any expressed or implied warranties. The author assumes no responsibility for damages or claims of liability associated with the use of the following information. Readers are advised to take appropriate safety measures before performing any modifications to their vehicle.


The Symphony II+
Introduced in 2006/2007, the Symphony II+ is a vast improvement over the previous Symphony II head unit. Retaining much of the Symphony II features, the II+ adds these notable features:

- Updated styling
- Ability to read MP3 CDs
- Larger front display
- Elimination of cassette deck
- AUX-IN pins allowing easy implementation of external audio sources




Installation Vehicle
This retrofit was carried out on a 2002 A4 (B6) equipped with a Symphony II radio and factory "upgraded" Bose sound system. The particular model was produced prior to factory-installed SAT wiring.

If your vehicle has a standard sound system, there may be slight differences in the adapted wiring harness and/or radio coding.


Required Components
The primary components for this upgrade are a Symphony II+ and OEM satellite module, a Sirius module for this particular installation.

There are various versions of the OEM satellite radio modules, please ensure you have the correct module to work with the Symphony II+ and your specific vehicle configuration.

As the B6 uses mini-ISO connectors and the Symphony II+ uses a QuadLock connector, it was necessary to obtain an adapter in order to interface the new radio to the car. While an off-the-shelf RNS-E harness with a few pins moved (in my case the Bose and a K-Line) may have done the job, I wanted to retain the use of my IceLink as well as adding after-market Bluetooth and OEM Sirius capabilities.

The custom harness was built by TeddyBGame, incorporating all these features into a single harness. Additionally the lack of pre-wiring for SAT would require separate power leads, a satellite antenna and a signal splitter to split the Sirius signal into the terrestrial and satellite inputs required by the Audi Sirius module.
















Removal of Symphony II
Prior to beginning the upgrade, remove the negative terminal from your battery and ensure the cable is restrained enough so that it will not slip back onto the post.

Prepare the area around the radio to prevent any damage to the console and/or shifter area. This means covering the shifter and shifter surround with one or two micro-fibre towels and in some cases using painters tape on the inner edges of the center console.

Insert your radio removal keys into four slots until your hear them click. Then with a firm yet gentle pull, slide the radio out of the centre console. Disconnect all connectors and move the Symphony II to a safe location.






Installation of Custom Harness
At this point you will need to remove the glove compartment to route the OEM Sirius cable to the location in which the module will be ultimately mounted. Connect the Mini-ISO connectors of the custom harness to the existing connectors in the car's wiring harness.

The existing IceLink module was attached to the custom harness and tucked into the cavity below where the head unit will sit.



Note: In the above photo, the top trim piece of the centre console has been removed. This was removed due to another project I was completing at the time. For the purposes of this retrofit, removal of the trim piece is not necessary.


The Diversity Antenna Issue
Before progressing in the retrofit, the issue of the two different antenna systems used by the B6 and recent B7's must be addressed.

The B6 diversity antenna system brings two leads to the head unit, the main HF antenna (round connector) and the ZF diversity switching lead (FAKRA connector). The HF line carries the main signal (FM/AM) to the radio, while the ZF line acts as a communication bridge between the radio and the antenna module in the rear. The head unit instructs the module via the ZF which of the two antennas to switch to for the best signal.

In newer B7's, the antenna system has changed. Rather than having a ZF and HF connector, two HF connectors (one from each antenna) are brought to the head unit. This I believe allows antenna switching decisions to be made directly at the head unit. As I have not seen the new B7 system in person, I can't elaborate more on the components involved in this layout change.

As the Symphony II+ will only be able to use one antenna in the B6 there will be a slight degradation in FM reception. But if you live in an area with excellent FM propagation, the effects should be minimal for most stations.

The Symphony II+ has a dual FAKRA connector. The left connector (3) is the ANT 1 connection and handles both FM and AM signals. The right connector (2) is the the ANT 2 connection and only handles FM signals. For completeness, point 1 on the diagram is the QuadLock connector.



To attach the existing HF connector to the Sym II+, you will require an antenna adapter similar to the one pictured in the Required Components sub-section. Plug your HF "barrel" connector into it's respective mate on the antenna adapter. Tape-off the ZF connector in the center console as it will no longer be used.




Power Cable for OEM Sirius Module
As the MY 2002 A4 was not pre-wired for satellite radio, it was necessary to run the power cable produced by Teddy from the driver's side to the passenger's side. Ultimately the OEM Sirius module will be located behind the glove compartment.

The SAT module itself requires constant 12V power. At first glance, it may seem illogical to run constant power to the SAT module. However the power on/off handling in the module is taken care by the head unit through the CAN bus.

Remove the driver-side lower A-pillar trim, left footrest and driver's knee bolster to expose the various wiring under the dash. Unlike the B5 which had labeled indicators to key-switched (75X) and unswitched (30) power points under the dash, the B6 provided no such luxury. A quick consult with Diagnosticator1 and a multi-meter revealed that these triad of points under the dash provided the unswitched (constant power) required by the SAT module.



The ground (31) point was located on the driver's footwell wall.



For the most stealth install route the power cable underneath the steering column against the firewall, where there is existing cabling. The end of the cable with the ring terminals will then be routed up into the dash and down towards the grounding and power points.

Attach the power cable to one of the power points and the ground lead to one of the grounding locations.

As the power cable has an inline fuse, it is best to mount it somewhere easily accessible should it ever need to be replaced. Having it near the power point was unacceptable as it would necessitate removing the lower dash for replacement. Fortunately Teddy's cable provides a long lead to the fuse and allows it to be mounted adjacent to the main fuse box and fastened with a small square of 3M Scotchmate (velcro-like) material.



Route the other end of the cable was through the back of the center console and into the area behind the glove compartment.


Satellite Antenna Installation
As per Teddy's suggestion, I opted to mount the aftermarket Sirius antenna to the top of the rear deck in the trunk. There the magnetic antenna is held firmly in place and allows for good reception, while remaining ultra-stealth.

Start by fishing the connector end of the antenna through back of the rear deck, towards the passenger side child-seat tether point located near the rear seat.





Fold the rear seat down and using the tether point as access, fish the antenna wire out through one of the holes in the support beam that the backrest sits upon.

In order to effectively route and hide the antenna wire to it's destination behind the glove compartment, a few trim pieces now require removal. Starting at the front remove the passenger-side upper and lower A-pillar trim, lower B-pillar trim and finally the interior trim that sits over the wheel-well.

Fish the FAKRA connector behind the passenger-side rear seat bolster and under the carpeting and exit it at the front-passenger foot-well.




Mounting of SAT Module
This step requires creativity and some trial and error. There are no factory mounting points for the SAT module behind the glove compartment so the best place I found was between the flap-motors for the HVAC. When placed correctly, the module will pretty much stay in place on it's own but will still require fastening to eliminate any vibration or possibility of the module falling down. The glove compartment lights have exposed metal leads that could be troublesome if the module ever fell onto them.

Using zip-ties securely fasten the module against the rubber-backed upper firewall, ensuring that they do not block or otherwise interfere with the HVAC's moving mechanisms. At this point you should also complete the final routing and securing of the SAT power cable, antenna lead and splitter. Attach the connector leads to their respective interfaces on the SAT module. Bring any slack in the antenna wire back to the trunk.

The completed job should look similar to this:




Installation of Symphony II+
Connect the antenna adapter into the back of the Sym II+, ensuring it clicks into place. Carefully insert the QuadLock connector into the head unit until it is in firm and press the locking bar down until it locks into place.

Slide the Sym II+ into the center console, but do not lock it into place until the end of the upgrade. In the photo below, the Bluetooth leads were left hanging out as I had not yet decided where I was going to put the (future) aftermarket Bluetooth module.




Initial Power-Up
Re-attach the negative battery cable to the negative post of your battery and/or replace any removed system fuses. Power the radio on by way of putting your key in the ignition or simply holding in the left control wheel. You should be greeted with the radio's SAFE mode, awaiting the entry of the unit's radio code.



Enter your radio code supplied by the original radio owner via the selector knobs and the soft-keys. After pressing ENTER you should be dropped into FM mode. Test your various sound sources, FM, AM, Satellite Radio and CD Changer to ensure they are functioning properly.

If you get power to the unit, but no sound your radio may require recoding.


Radio Coding and Fault Codes
As your particular sound system configuration and the one of the vehicle that your radio was previously in may vary, recoding of the radio may be necessary.

Log into VAG-COM, choosing controller 56 - Radio and the coding option. The coding scheme of the Symphony II+ is as follows:

0?x0xxx: Options 3
+1 = Analog Input (AUX)
+2 = Multifunction Steering Wheel
+4 = Telephone
0x?0xxx: Options 2
+1 = Digital Sound System
+2 = CD-Changer
+4 = Satellite Radio
0xx0?xx: Options 1
+1 = Leather Interior
+2 = Diesel Engine
0xx0x?x: Sound System Correction
0 = Sound System (No passive Speakers/No Correction)
1 = Sedan/Coupé with passive Speakers
2 = Wagon/Avant with passive Speakers
3 = Cabriolet/Roadster with passive Speakers
0xx0xx?: Country
1 = Europe
2 = North America
4 = Japan
5 = China

Source: http://wiki.ross-tech.com/index.php/...II_Plus#Coding

If your Symphony II+ was not outputting any sound, the second-last value (from the right) is the value that affects whether your sound system employs standard amplification or Bose/external amplification.

After successful coding, clear any fault codes that may be present in the radio. Because of the diversity antenna issue mentioned previously, you will encounter the following fault code that will refuse to clear:

00821 - Antenna 2 for Radio (R93)
011 - Open Circuit

Simply the Symphony II+ is telling us that there is no antenna attached to the ANT2 connector. Disregard the fault.


Final Installation and Re-Assembly
Once everything is working up to snuff, re-install the glove compartment, hide any exposed wiring and re-install removed trim pieces and the fuse box cover. Slide the Symphony II+ the rest of the way into the center console, ensuring it locks securely into place.


Before &amp; After
In the after shot, the Symphony II+ is not pushed in all the way/locked into position. At the time of the photo I was waiting on my aftermarket Bluetooth kit and did not want to fiddle with the radio removal keys again!






Night Illumination
These two photos were captured with different shutter speeds to capture more available light and therefore may be slightly blurry due to camera shake. The second shot more accurately reflects the brightness/intensity of the Symphony II+'s display.







Engineering Menu
The Symphony II+ has the ability to display an engineering menu for FM and satellite reception. It may also contain a separate menu for AM, but as of yet I have not attempted to see if it this does exist.

To bring up the menu, choose the respective band and hold down the MENU key. After a few seconds, the screen will return to it's original selection (ie. SAT or FM) but continue to hold down the MENU key. After a few more seconds the engineering menu will be displayed and the MENU key can be released. To exit, either hold down MENU again or in the case of SAT, use the EXIT soft-key.

Below is the FM engineering menu:




Caveats and Conclusions
There is very faint tonal mismatch between the colour of the Symphony II+ face and the existing buttons/climate control in my B6, despite both being of the "Soul" colour code. I only found it as I was looking for it, to the untrained eye the Symphony II+ will blend seamlessly into the B6 environment.

The major caveat I have with the Symphony II+ install is general audio levels put out by the unit and it's Volume-ON setting. The first "notch" of the volume scale results in a sound level much louder than the Symphony II put out at the same point. Personally I prefer softer listening levels and as a result the "comfortable listening range" in the volume setting is not very wide, getting somewhat loud just past 1/4 of the scale.

Unlike the Symphony II+ where you could specify a low "power-on" volume level, the Symphony II+ only lets you set the power-on volume down to about 1/5th of it's scale. Unless you mute the volume before powering the radio off (which results in a muted power on), the radio will always power up to this 1/5 setting even if you shut the radio off at a lower volume, such as 1/10th of the scale.

While I can not be certain the reason for this, I believe it may be due to the fact that I am using the original B6 Bose amp. Information seems to indicate that sometime in 2006/2007 that a redesigned Bose amp was put into the B7. The newer Bose amp may have different input levels and hence eliminate the aforementioned issues. There may be a way to correct this issue via a hidden adaptation setting or future firmware, but little is known about the inner workings of the II+ at this time.

Barring that, I may attempt to correct this using attenuation or aftermarket amplifiers with input gain controls.

Overall, I am quite satisfied with the aesthetic and sound quality improvements offered by the Symphony II+. Sound quality is vastly superior to that which was offered by the Symphony II. This is most noticeable on FM reception where sound is more rich, clear and has a greater dynamic range. The added features of the ability to read MP3 CDs and in my particular case, availability of Sirius satellite radio are most welcome.

The loss of the diversity antenna was not really an issue as the FM stations I listen to have good propagation and signal strength in my area. For those who are more adventurous, a transplant of the entire B7 antenna system, modules and amps may be possible to regain use of diversity functioning.

In closing, if you are looking to upgrade your factory head unit, maintain an OEM look and do not need the bells and whistles of RNS-E, the Symphony II+ may be the unit you are looking for.

-- END --

[afriedman6854]

i am looking to complete a similar "upgrade"
how can i contact TeddyBGame to purchase the wiring harness i need
thanks in advance

[rfung]

Hey prodigy -

I'm looking at a similar conversion (mine's a simple symphony II to symphony II+) and I'm trying to figure out what is this RNS-E harness I need to get to make the conversion(but with only a few wires changed?). Can you tell me more information about it? where do I get it?

I'd REALLY appreciate it this info, as it's been very hard for me to find any info regarding this conversion.

[StoneMan]

What are you using for a harness? If you don't have one, you'll need one from TeddyBGame. He made my RNS-E harness and it works perfectly in my 2000 S4.

The harness you need is the same harness with a couple of wires moved.

Keep me posted.

Joe

[StoneMan]

[rfung]

Ah yes I've been here - I got the harness from Europarts.us which should work just as well...

[JJCT]

will this work on a 02 A8? mine has the oem symphony and i'm looking for oem and/or aftermarket upgrade options for the audio.

[pr0digy30]

[TeddyBGame]

[pmartin]