My V1 install notes (REALLY long)
03-12-2000, 07:26 PM
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My V1 install notes (REALLY long)
First let me say that my "install" consists only of a custom-made power cord. For the 6+ years I've had my Valentine, I've run it clipped to the driver's side visor. In every car I've owned since, I've installed a piece of phone cord wired to a "convenient" source of 12V. I don't run the remote display, or make a cool custom enclosure or any of that -- sorry! I just clip it on and clip it off.
My car is an '00 A6 2.7T with (among other things) the "Convenience package" which includes the HomeLink transmitter in the driver's side visor. I originally hoped to utilize the driver's side visor light (which I *NEVER* use) as I had done in my previous install ('93 Subaru Legacy Turbo) as that was about a 3-minute deinstall. (Un)fortunately, the Audi visor lights are "smart" enough to turn off when the visor is raised, so the easy "bulb replacement plan" had to be scrapped.
Instead I used a small screwdriver to pry off the cap covering the driver's visor retaining screw and removed the visor. This let me see two connectors going into the visor assy: a black two-conductor close to the visor, and a yellow/brown two-conductor a couple of inches further "upstream". Some careful voltmeter probing showed the two wires on the yellow connector provided 12V and ground, with the 12V switched on when the ignition is on. (HomeLink must use EEPROM for codes?) One could simply use tap-in connectors on those two wires, but a) I wanted zero-impact, b) I hate tap-ins, and c) it could have been tricky to fit the whole mess back into the headliner with two bulky tap-ins hanging there. Did I mention that I hate tap-ins?
Aside: I *ALWAYS* re-check the polarity my power cable against the power connector on the V1 side of the original V1 cigarette lighter plug/cable assy just because I'm paranoid about smoking $400 worth of the finest radar detector money can buy. I'd strongly advise you to do the same! The following is based on my recollection, which has been known to be wrong before!!!! In other words, following my instructions is at your own risk. etc, etc, etc...
Plugging the V1 power cable into the lighter plug, and the lighter plug into the lighter socket, put the common (ground) connector of your meter on some convenient ground point. Hold the plug so the cable is downward, the 4 pins are facing you, and the "business end" is upward. Use the hot probe on your meter to prove that the middle pair of wires are ground (left) and 12V (right):
If the pins are ABCD in this orientation, B is ground, C is power. Check this 3 or 4 times so you're sure, then write it down so you don't forget. (Don't try and put both meter probes on the connector at once: I blow more fuses that way...)
I picked a piece of phone cord such that the Red wire was on the right and the Green wire was on the left, so I'd have some semblance of a convention: RED=Hot (12V), GREEN=ground. Cut phone cord to a length you like: leave a couple of inches to go inside the headliner, then figure how you want the wire to run. I like the V1 just to the left of the HomeLink, but power is on the right side, so need extra inches for a nice smooth routing. CAREFULLY strip the relevant two wires (I *really* suggest Red and Green, leaving Black and Yellow on the outer pair.) If you've never stripped phone wire before, be twice as careful as you think, it's *VERY* easy to cut several strands without realizing it. Although the V1 doesn't draw much juice, there ain't very many strands in phone wire!
Meanwhile your visor has been dangling from the wires while you're sweating connector polarity and balky phone cable. In case you didn't have enough to worry about, check the polarity on the yellow connector. It's actually labelled pin 1 and 2. I think mine was Black wire in pin 1, Brown in pin 2, with Black being hot. Check THIS three or four times with El-Voltmeter, yada yada yada. Now disconnect the yellow connector: there's a tiny locking nub on one side which locks into a slot on the outer shell. I used my voltmeter probe to depress the nub and back the connector out. (Don't forget this is the connection to your HomeLink, I bet a replacement visor assy isn't more than a couple of hundred dollars.)
Being really **** and not wanting to use tap-ins, which I hate, I disassembled the visor-side connector and reassembled it with my wires stuffed inside with the wires going to the HomeLink. By this point, you've got the yellow connector separated with the visor-side yellow connector in your grubby little hand. Note that the connector in your hand looks split horizontally above the wire exits in the back. In fact, there's a cool sorta C-shaped bit on one side, and some rectangular notches on the opposite side. The little bugger actually slides apart!
I've never seen a connector like this one before. You slide the "top" connector half to the "right" (away from the C-shaped bit) and it comes off as nice as can be. Put this somewhere *SAFE*!!!! Now you're looking at pretty standard pin sockets. I carefully removed each pin socket (one at a time) and re-inserted it with the appropriate wire held against the metallic back. Use the continuity check on your voltmeter to ensure a good connection before sliding the connector back together. Plug re-assembled connector back in, and turn ignition to "on" ... you guessed it: check the polarity at your new plug.
I taped all 4 phone wires to the two HomeLink wires, and further taped the unused phone pair to the yellow connector assy for strain relief.
Carefully stuff all wiring back into the headliner, keeping your new cord away from the screw but still routing in the direction you like. Re-attach visor, quintuple check polarity, hold breath and plug in V1.... Success! Your HomeLink should still work too.
Again, your mileage may vary, no warranties express or implied, yada yada yada.
Richard
My car is an '00 A6 2.7T with (among other things) the "Convenience package" which includes the HomeLink transmitter in the driver's side visor. I originally hoped to utilize the driver's side visor light (which I *NEVER* use) as I had done in my previous install ('93 Subaru Legacy Turbo) as that was about a 3-minute deinstall. (Un)fortunately, the Audi visor lights are "smart" enough to turn off when the visor is raised, so the easy "bulb replacement plan" had to be scrapped.
Instead I used a small screwdriver to pry off the cap covering the driver's visor retaining screw and removed the visor. This let me see two connectors going into the visor assy: a black two-conductor close to the visor, and a yellow/brown two-conductor a couple of inches further "upstream". Some careful voltmeter probing showed the two wires on the yellow connector provided 12V and ground, with the 12V switched on when the ignition is on. (HomeLink must use EEPROM for codes?) One could simply use tap-in connectors on those two wires, but a) I wanted zero-impact, b) I hate tap-ins, and c) it could have been tricky to fit the whole mess back into the headliner with two bulky tap-ins hanging there. Did I mention that I hate tap-ins?
Aside: I *ALWAYS* re-check the polarity my power cable against the power connector on the V1 side of the original V1 cigarette lighter plug/cable assy just because I'm paranoid about smoking $400 worth of the finest radar detector money can buy. I'd strongly advise you to do the same! The following is based on my recollection, which has been known to be wrong before!!!! In other words, following my instructions is at your own risk. etc, etc, etc...
Plugging the V1 power cable into the lighter plug, and the lighter plug into the lighter socket, put the common (ground) connector of your meter on some convenient ground point. Hold the plug so the cable is downward, the 4 pins are facing you, and the "business end" is upward. Use the hot probe on your meter to prove that the middle pair of wires are ground (left) and 12V (right):
If the pins are ABCD in this orientation, B is ground, C is power. Check this 3 or 4 times so you're sure, then write it down so you don't forget. (Don't try and put both meter probes on the connector at once: I blow more fuses that way...)
I picked a piece of phone cord such that the Red wire was on the right and the Green wire was on the left, so I'd have some semblance of a convention: RED=Hot (12V), GREEN=ground. Cut phone cord to a length you like: leave a couple of inches to go inside the headliner, then figure how you want the wire to run. I like the V1 just to the left of the HomeLink, but power is on the right side, so need extra inches for a nice smooth routing. CAREFULLY strip the relevant two wires (I *really* suggest Red and Green, leaving Black and Yellow on the outer pair.) If you've never stripped phone wire before, be twice as careful as you think, it's *VERY* easy to cut several strands without realizing it. Although the V1 doesn't draw much juice, there ain't very many strands in phone wire!
Meanwhile your visor has been dangling from the wires while you're sweating connector polarity and balky phone cable. In case you didn't have enough to worry about, check the polarity on the yellow connector. It's actually labelled pin 1 and 2. I think mine was Black wire in pin 1, Brown in pin 2, with Black being hot. Check THIS three or four times with El-Voltmeter, yada yada yada. Now disconnect the yellow connector: there's a tiny locking nub on one side which locks into a slot on the outer shell. I used my voltmeter probe to depress the nub and back the connector out. (Don't forget this is the connection to your HomeLink, I bet a replacement visor assy isn't more than a couple of hundred dollars.)
Being really **** and not wanting to use tap-ins, which I hate, I disassembled the visor-side connector and reassembled it with my wires stuffed inside with the wires going to the HomeLink. By this point, you've got the yellow connector separated with the visor-side yellow connector in your grubby little hand. Note that the connector in your hand looks split horizontally above the wire exits in the back. In fact, there's a cool sorta C-shaped bit on one side, and some rectangular notches on the opposite side. The little bugger actually slides apart!
I've never seen a connector like this one before. You slide the "top" connector half to the "right" (away from the C-shaped bit) and it comes off as nice as can be. Put this somewhere *SAFE*!!!! Now you're looking at pretty standard pin sockets. I carefully removed each pin socket (one at a time) and re-inserted it with the appropriate wire held against the metallic back. Use the continuity check on your voltmeter to ensure a good connection before sliding the connector back together. Plug re-assembled connector back in, and turn ignition to "on" ... you guessed it: check the polarity at your new plug.
I taped all 4 phone wires to the two HomeLink wires, and further taped the unused phone pair to the yellow connector assy for strain relief.
Carefully stuff all wiring back into the headliner, keeping your new cord away from the screw but still routing in the direction you like. Re-attach visor, quintuple check polarity, hold breath and plug in V1.... Success! Your HomeLink should still work too.
Again, your mileage may vary, no warranties express or implied, yada yada yada.
Richard
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