Does my RNS-E really have SDS?

[P_G]

Will post this here as it may get more traffic than the Electrical section.

So I have finally started to have a play with the toys in the RS3 but I came unstuck. I thought I had SDS as I have the multifunction steering wheel and indeed when you press the speech button it makes the beep button but that's it. It will give me help when I ask for telephone help but when I look to store tags it states the phone book is empty. It also doresn't recognise navigation or radio commands but when I press 'mode' on the other side of the wheel I can scroll through numbers in the apparently empty phone book using the left click wheel and dial them that way by pressing the click wheel (which in itself is pretty nifty).

So does this mean I don't actually have full SDS? If this is the case is it a simple VCDS fix, firmware update or visit to dealer to have my arm ripped off for the proper version?

[PetrolDave]

So does this mean I don't actually have full SDS? If this is the case is it a simple VCDS fix, firmware update or visit to dealer to have my arm ripped off for the proper version?

The RNS-E comes in 2 versions - partial SDS (phone only) and full SDS.

Which version you have is most easily determined by checking the part number using VCDS and comparing it to the part number list on audiforum.us http://audiforum.us/threads/audi-a3-8p- ... bers.6850/

The vast majority of RNS-E's fitted only have the partial SDS, as full SDS is a cost option (when it's even offered).

[P_G]

I wonder if that was what was referred to as 'Bluetooth High' then on the options list?

[PetrolDave]

I wonder if that was what was referred to as 'Bluetooth High' then on the options list?

Full SDS is an RNS-E feature, so not related to the phone module - but it's always possible that some Marketing numpty at Audi has called full SDS "Bluetooth High"

[P_G]

So by the sounds of it it is a firmware update rather than just a VCDS fix?

[PetrolDave]

So by the sounds of it it is a firmware update rather than just a VCDS fix?

Neither. There's no way to enable it with VCDS, and AFAIK nobody has yet worked out how do to the full SDS hack on the 2010+ RNS-E.

[P_G]

But it looks like the equipment is all there, it just needs a dealer to configure it all? I may go and ask what the damage is for a laugh.

[drybeer]

There was a brochure option for:

GSM mobile telephone preparation with Bluetooth (low) - which adds a hardwired location in the FCA for you adding a (extra cost) cradelt to attach your phone to the amplified antenna on the roof for aboosted signal. With some phone models it would also give the phone an enhanced SDS feature - but I don't believe it was ever as capable as the system now available in C7 A6 / A7 and D4 A8 - i.e. it didn't give speech request of the hard drive media or "one-shot" address input to the Nav.

To the best of my knowledge I'm not sure it's possible to get the SDS upgrade to those levels on an RNS-E although CraigyB or similar would know more...

If you do get a positive result I'd be keen to know!

[P_G]

Thanks Andrew,

The irony is that in the RNS-E manual given with the car it has all the SDS functios explained and how to tag phone book names, tracks, navigation, and radio stations. It just doesn't work when yu follow the instructions.

Bit of a shame to give a manual that says it can when it can't but then I gather it's a generic book anyway. Will see if ther is a fix. I've seen people fit SDS to old RNS-E units and since all the gear is there there mush be a switch on solution otherwise why would it accept any verbal commands at all and presently it recognises "telephone help" "navigation help" etc. It just won't execute anything.

[PetrolDave]

But it looks like the equipment is all there, it just needs a dealer to configure it all?

All the equipment is there, but the dealers do not have the capability to re-flash the RNS-E firmware to add full SDS, and Audi have no plans whatsoever to give them the capability

People have been trying to add full SDS to the RNS-E ever since it came out in 2004 and it took around 3 years to develop a method that worked on the pre-2010 RNS-E. So far nobody has developed a version that works on the 2010+ RNS-E.

I've been working with retrofitting and modding the RNS-E for nearly 8 years, and believe me the only way to get full SDS on a 2010+ RNS-E is to swap the version you have for one that has full SDS.

[P_G]

So that begs the question, why put the button and some capability on a car and not the rest of it. You surely either do or don't. not a half arsed job?

[PetrolDave]

So that begs the question, why put the button and some capability on a car and not the rest of it. You surely either do or don't. not a half arsed job?

We're talking Audi here...

The phone kit provides partial SDS (operated by the button) which gives you voice activated dialling - whether you have an RNS-E or not. So the button always has a use.

If you specify the option of a full SDS RNS-E the partial SDS is disabled (by coding the phone module to disable it) and the button is now used to operate the full SDS (which the full SDS RNS-E now provides) that gives not only voice dialling but voice operation of SOME (by no means ALL) of the functions of the RNS-E.

That's how Audi have chosen to implement it, I'm not going to try and justify it but that's how it works.

[sakimano]

So that begs the question, why put the button and some capability on a car and not the rest of it. You surely either do or don't. not a half arsed job?

We're talking Audi here...

The phone kit provides partial SDS (operated by the button) which gives you voice activated dialling - whether you have an RNS-E or not. So the button always has a use.

If you specify the option of a full SDS RNS-E the partial SDS is disabled (by coding the phone module to disable it) and the button is now used to operate the full SDS (which the full SDS RNS-E now provides) that gives not only voice dialling but voice operation of SOME (by no means ALL) of the functions of the RNS-E.

That's how Audi have chosen to implement it, I'm not going to try and justify it but that's how it works.

Makes sense

Is there an easy way to tell in VagCom what one you've got?

[PetrolDave]

Is there an easy way to tell in VagCom what one you've got?

Yes, connect to the RNS-E using VCDS and it will show you the RNS-E part number, then compare that with the list I previously linked to.

[drybeer]

Is there an easy way to tell in VagCom what one you've got?

Yes, connect to the RNS-E using VCDS and it will show you the RNS-E part number, then compare that with the list I previously linked to.

It would be interesting to me to note whether a car with 9ZU (GSM (LOW)) has this on - as I truly don't know the answer!

Who out there's got one with 9ZU? Steven Bennie (RS3Bennie) I know yours definately does!