Giblet

Hi all, I thought I would start a thread on my journey to get a 2010 RNS-E unit installed in my '07 S4 Cab. I know it has been done (and probably well documented) by others before but thought I would throw my experience into the knowledge pool as well.

My journey starts with a non-nav S4 so my retrofit was slightly more difficult by having to find an RNS-E B6/B7 faceplate as the B8 now has the MMI interface. I was fortunate enough to find a US version A3 2010 RNS-E and purchased a B6/B7 faceplate on eBay (Taiwan seller). There is a pretty good article that discusses this <a href="http://www.lamboweb.com/Repairs_Section/Gallardo_Repairs_Audi_Nav_System_Face_Plate.htm">h ere</a>. Everything was going smoothly until I reached the last screw of the LCD panel. As the aforementioned article suggests, once that screw is stripped you are screwed. I had no problems with the first 2 but when I turned the 3rd one and it didn't turn, the sinking feeling started. I looked into other ways to remove the faceplate without taking the LCD panel off and that turned out to be a no-go. I was either going to have to drill out the screw or enjoy my new expensive brick.

Now, the aforementioned Lambo faceplate swap article says that the LCD ribbon is held in by a retention bar. The 2010 DOES NOT use this but rather clips on each side. Sadly, with little visibility while I was investigating the faceplate removal without removing the panel, I assumed it was a rentention bar connector and put a dent in the LCD ribbon.

Another 30 minutes later, I had successfully drilled out the screw - phew. I spend another 30 minutes carefully removing the A3 faceplate and putting on the A4 and had everything back on the faceplate back together. Thank goodness the Germans overengineer as the screen panel works find with only 2 screws holding it to the bar.

The moment of truth. Did I irrepairably damage the LCD ribbon? I put the unit back together, took it to the car and held my breath. Voila, the screen came up as expected. Phew.

I anxiously awaited my GPS and finally lost patience and did the pin B5-B7 and C7-B5 swap in advance of its delivery. It was great to be able to use the SD cards to play music and see the Bluetooth integration. Somehow, the previous Symphony II+ wiring also supported the Sat Radio and Audi iPod integration without me having to do the funky wiring.

After a couple weeks of waiting, I finally received the GPS antenna. I decided to follow the great DIY located <a href="https://www.audiworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2535512&highlight=gps+cabriolet+a ntenna">here</a> and installed my magnetic antenna in the same place. I successfully removed the instrument cluster without removing the knee bolster but in the end had to take it off to locate the two screws holding the cluster in - I didn't have a magnetic hex screwdriver. In the end the hardest part was getting the hex screws back in without a magnetized screwdriver. They were slipping off before getting into position.

The resolution is really noteworthy on the 2010 RNS-E and having the SDHC compatibility is great as I can put most of my MP3 library on one 16GB SD card. (note that the device still does not play M4A tracks). I also do like the look of the brushed aluminum buttons; they fit in perfectly with my brushed aluminum trim in my car. The TMC (live traffic update) is free and comes in over the local radio station signals - a cool feature.

In summary, got a great deal from another forum's member on the 2010 RNS-E with accompanying 2010 DVD and highly recommend the upgrade if you don't already have an RNS-E. Only regret is that the software doesn't support the S4 slash screen as the new S4 uses the MMI system.

Giblet

Quick update after the GPS antenna arrived and I now have full functionality.