NeilA8
03-09-2009, 06:12 PM
I decided to install the AMI unit in my A8 having had a similar system in my previous car and finding it much better than a CD changer.
I ordered an AMI retrofit kit from Ipswitch Audi Parts, who understood what I was after and without fuss sent me an AMI MOST bus unit (4E0 035 785 D), wiring looms to produce an extra MOST bus connector and extra power connector from the CD changer's connectors (4F0 055 307 B), Radio/CD/DVD release tools (4D0 051 530), Installation instructions (WSK 014 720 A) and a USB interface lead (4F0 051 510 G) for the princely sum of £249 including delivery and VAT. It looks like the retrofit kit has the part number 4F0 051 592 A. My local Audi dealer wanted £407, but that did come with free contempt and condescension.
The AMI installs in the right hand media slot in the glove box with the CD changer remaining in the left slot. The AMI unit is a single DIN unit with bus and power connectors on the back, a connector on the front behind a flap for an AMI interface lead and a tray on the right for your media. The wiring looms are about half a metre long. The power loom has a power connector for the AMI unit on one end and two connectors for the CD changer's power supply and CD changer on the other end. The bus loom has a MOST bus connector for the AMI unit on one end and two free ends of the fibre optic cable on the other end.
My glove box right-hand DIN slot wasn't as deep as the left-hand slot, so neither AMI nor the CD changer would fit in it. There seems to be no reason for this as there is plenty of room behind the glove box. I took a hacksaw to the back of the right-hand DIN slot so that the AMI will fit. This takes longer than the rest of the installation and unplugging the glove box pops the airbag warning light on, which I cleared later with VCDS. The AMI will fit without doing this, but it will protrude by about 5mm and won't latch home. The glove box door will shut.
Process:
1. Upgrade the MMI software from 7.7.0 to 51.7.0 then to 55.7.0. I used upgrade discs 4L0 998 961. I had done this a few days ago and it took two boring hours.
2. Remove CD changer (4E0 035 111 A): insert removal tools and pull straight out. Unplug bus and power connectors from rear.
3. Remove blank (4E0 862 639) from media slot 2 on the right of the CD changer: hook thumbs inside the left and right and pull.
This is where I removed the glove box to remove a peice from the back of the right-hand DIN slot (several Torx bolts behind the trim, in the underside of the glovebox opening, behind the fusebox cover and in the top of the footwell. After removing there is one connector to unplug. Fitting is the reverse and then fiddling with bolts after you find the glovebox creaks while driving. The airbag warning light is dealt with by erasing the error codes from the airbag controller.
4. Feed the AMI end of the power and bus looms into the CD changer slot, out the back of the glove box and back into the back of the AMI slot. The instructions describe removing the glove box to do this, but I managed it by inserting a hand into each media slot and teasing the cable from on to the other. Elastic-banding or taping the power and bus plugs together helps. It is also important to note which of the two free ends of the fibre cable are the 'in' and 'out' fibres. The direction is noted in the bus connector at the AMI end of the loom.
5. Connect the bus and power connectors to the back of the AMI and insert it almost all the way into its slot.
6. Dismantle the CD changer's bus connector, remove the 'out' fibre and insert the AMI's 'in' fibre. Reassemble the bus connector. Connect the other free end of the AMI's bus to the CD changer's now free end using the supplied coupler. This is all described in the instruction manual.
7. Connect the CD changer's bus connector, and power connector via the two power connectors on the AMI power loom, to the CD changer.
8. Insert the CD changer. This is tricky as there's a lot of excess cable behind it and a small hole in the back of the media slot for it to go through. Pulling the AMI unit out as you do this help's pull the cables through. Be careful not to damage the MOST bus cables or you'll be paying an expensive trip to Audi.
9. The AMI unit needs to be coded before it can be used, but I found it was already coded so simply rebooted the MMI and it worked. The whole process took around 20 minutes.
10. Run the last step of the MMI upgrade process again to make sure the AMI unit is on the lastest version too.
11. Enjoy. The AMI is ok. It's got a wide range of device compatibility but limited file compatibility and quite a poor level of control over playback; in this respect Alfa Romeo/Fiat's Blue&Me is considerably better.
Neil
I ordered an AMI retrofit kit from Ipswitch Audi Parts, who understood what I was after and without fuss sent me an AMI MOST bus unit (4E0 035 785 D), wiring looms to produce an extra MOST bus connector and extra power connector from the CD changer's connectors (4F0 055 307 B), Radio/CD/DVD release tools (4D0 051 530), Installation instructions (WSK 014 720 A) and a USB interface lead (4F0 051 510 G) for the princely sum of £249 including delivery and VAT. It looks like the retrofit kit has the part number 4F0 051 592 A. My local Audi dealer wanted £407, but that did come with free contempt and condescension.
The AMI installs in the right hand media slot in the glove box with the CD changer remaining in the left slot. The AMI unit is a single DIN unit with bus and power connectors on the back, a connector on the front behind a flap for an AMI interface lead and a tray on the right for your media. The wiring looms are about half a metre long. The power loom has a power connector for the AMI unit on one end and two connectors for the CD changer's power supply and CD changer on the other end. The bus loom has a MOST bus connector for the AMI unit on one end and two free ends of the fibre optic cable on the other end.
My glove box right-hand DIN slot wasn't as deep as the left-hand slot, so neither AMI nor the CD changer would fit in it. There seems to be no reason for this as there is plenty of room behind the glove box. I took a hacksaw to the back of the right-hand DIN slot so that the AMI will fit. This takes longer than the rest of the installation and unplugging the glove box pops the airbag warning light on, which I cleared later with VCDS. The AMI will fit without doing this, but it will protrude by about 5mm and won't latch home. The glove box door will shut.
Process:
1. Upgrade the MMI software from 7.7.0 to 51.7.0 then to 55.7.0. I used upgrade discs 4L0 998 961. I had done this a few days ago and it took two boring hours.
2. Remove CD changer (4E0 035 111 A): insert removal tools and pull straight out. Unplug bus and power connectors from rear.
3. Remove blank (4E0 862 639) from media slot 2 on the right of the CD changer: hook thumbs inside the left and right and pull.
This is where I removed the glove box to remove a peice from the back of the right-hand DIN slot (several Torx bolts behind the trim, in the underside of the glovebox opening, behind the fusebox cover and in the top of the footwell. After removing there is one connector to unplug. Fitting is the reverse and then fiddling with bolts after you find the glovebox creaks while driving. The airbag warning light is dealt with by erasing the error codes from the airbag controller.
4. Feed the AMI end of the power and bus looms into the CD changer slot, out the back of the glove box and back into the back of the AMI slot. The instructions describe removing the glove box to do this, but I managed it by inserting a hand into each media slot and teasing the cable from on to the other. Elastic-banding or taping the power and bus plugs together helps. It is also important to note which of the two free ends of the fibre cable are the 'in' and 'out' fibres. The direction is noted in the bus connector at the AMI end of the loom.
5. Connect the bus and power connectors to the back of the AMI and insert it almost all the way into its slot.
6. Dismantle the CD changer's bus connector, remove the 'out' fibre and insert the AMI's 'in' fibre. Reassemble the bus connector. Connect the other free end of the AMI's bus to the CD changer's now free end using the supplied coupler. This is all described in the instruction manual.
7. Connect the CD changer's bus connector, and power connector via the two power connectors on the AMI power loom, to the CD changer.
8. Insert the CD changer. This is tricky as there's a lot of excess cable behind it and a small hole in the back of the media slot for it to go through. Pulling the AMI unit out as you do this help's pull the cables through. Be careful not to damage the MOST bus cables or you'll be paying an expensive trip to Audi.
9. The AMI unit needs to be coded before it can be used, but I found it was already coded so simply rebooted the MMI and it worked. The whole process took around 20 minutes.
10. Run the last step of the MMI upgrade process again to make sure the AMI unit is on the lastest version too.
11. Enjoy. The AMI is ok. It's got a wide range of device compatibility but limited file compatibility and quite a poor level of control over playback; in this respect Alfa Romeo/Fiat's Blue&Me is considerably better.
Neil