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Hi Guys, hope you can help. I've got a C5 RS6 Avant 2003 with the OE "Sat Nav Plus " system that's packed up. It tells me I'm 'outside the digital road network', and shows no satellites. Tells me to clean disk & re insert. I've done that & tried another disk to no avail. Local garage have tried fitting after market areal to back of unit & mounted on top of glove locker as suggested by many on net who claim success. This did not work & gave me a poor radio reception so averted back to OE. My local Audi Dealer wants £125 + VAT to diagnose. I'm guessing it's GPS areal, Areal Amplifier, Laser reader U.S. in unit or coincidence that both disks no good. Factory GPS Areal is best part of £200 alone, so would appreciate anyone's experienced most likely cause before I start throwing money at it.

I picked up a compatible GPS Antenna off Ebay for under £20, routed the cable under the dash and positioned on the dash at windscreen near where tax disk USED TO BE (rant, rant...) on my Allroad and this fixed the exact same problem. I also used a DVD cleaner kit again from Ebay for a few quid, it's a disk with brushes and fluid. All sorted...

Sounds like the dealer hasn't got a clue what he is doing!

The GPS aerial is a common fail and should simply be replaced with a £10 aftermarket one from ebay. It doesn't affect the radio aerial which should be left plugged in as usual. Easy DIY job as long as you have four radio keys for removal. GPS puck can be left under the dash or routed to outside if you wish.

Dave

What Dave said. Shocking stealer incompetence strikes again.

Thanks for your advise with aftermarket areal guys. Thats exactly what was fitted and it came from Ebay at £15...Didn't work. I trust my local garage chap, he has carried out this solution on several BMWs including his own M5. He did change the plug fitting as well which may have affected radio reception. He has now returned car areal & plug to original spec FOC & is happy to fix prob FOC if I can identify it. Maybe the Ebay areal was duff ?

I'm sure he's a jolly nice chap and all that....

But - there is no need to even unplug the radio antenna let alone start changing the plug on it! Sounds to me like he didn't plug the GPS aerial into the right place on the back of the unit. There are two connector points (different) and he needs to ensure he's got a puck with the right connector (I'm too lazy to go check what type it is - but search and you'll find) and plug it in there!

Believe me - this is a common fault now on the RNS-D equipped cars - and everyone else has done what I outlined in my earlier post and it has worked fine - what ever your friendly mechanic says!

Dave

For me, I'm in the minority and a new gps aerial didn't fix it. I wasn't up for spending lots fixing the rns-d given how old the tech is (although the retro styling is cool). So I now have a pioneer sph-da120 With Apple CarPlay installed and it really is most excellent. Red button colours match the audi and an rs6 splash screen, I think it suits the car pretty well.
Only criticism - I wish the adaptor plate was completely flush.
If anyone's interested I'll post a pic later.

Taken note of your further comments Daveperc thank you. Ordered another aftermarket areal puck which claims to be suitable for RNS-D unit + a DVD cleaner kit (thanks davidwills). Delivery is 6th Jan, the day I leave UK for 3 weeks so will have to wait for trial at end of month. If this doesn't work, (in the right hole), will have to assume unit is duff & consider MattYorks suggestion.. Thanks again to all.

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Oops wrong thread!