2006 Audi A4

geekinsc · 09-01-2006, 08:43 AM

So I have been working on this since about June as time has permitted, and figured it was time to finally post some info and pics.

I'm mostly done, need to finish some final fabrication on the lcd bezel (got excited and painted it and installed it before I finished all the bondo and sanding, so I need to take it back out and clean it up), and need to permenantly install the case in the trunk, right now its just held in by the cargo net as you can see in the pics. All the wiring is permenantly run and clean. The setup has been working really well, so its been easy to get lazy.

Specs:

Streetdeck Trunk Bundle:

Opus Case w/ 120w PS
MB986 motherboard with Celeron 1.5mhz CPU
512M RAM
60G 5400RPM HD

BT-958 USB GPS
XM Direct using Hybrid-Mobile Serial Cable
Linksys USB Wi-Fi adapter
Gyration USB Wireless Keyboard/Mouse

Software: Streetdeck 1.5.4 and Mappoint 2006

Cables from trunk to dash
10ft VGA extension cable (VGA to LCD)
10ft USB extension cable (touchscreen from LCD to PC)
cat5 cable (used to send things like RCA to oem amp, ignition, etc)
1 16g + power run (power from OPUS to LCD)

Issues:
- fabrication not complete on LCD bezel
- boot up time, need to experiment with stand-by, Im out of town a week at a time a lot and dont want to kill my battery though.
- full time internet. Want to get an EVDO or similar connection. Have a Treo with EVDO, but havent had time to try use bluetooth modem method.
- glare on LCD is horrible some days, want to replace with one of the new trans-reflective LCDs when time and money permit.
- bigger and/or faster HD. I have about 80gigs of music, and can only sync up about 20gig of it right now.
- XM sound quality. Im usuing the built in audio on the motherboard, and it appears the equalizer settings in the control panel have no effect on line-in audio so the audio has little to no bass and treble is too high. MP3 sounds great
- front speakers. Audis have an OEM amp for the rear speakers which I used, but they use the head-unit for front speakers. I need to install an amp for the front speakers, currently I have no sound in front, only rear speakers. Actually doesnt sound as bad as you would think, again easy to be lazy.
-Audi Skin for streetdeck. Ive been working on an audi branded skin, and just haven't had the time to finish it.

So there you have it, pics and diagrams to follow.

RedGTiVR6 · 09-01-2006, 10:12 AM

No pics?

geekinsc · 09-01-2006, 10:42 AM

Here are some pics of the fabrication of the lcd dash bezel

I used the Metra Audi Double Din Dash Kit and the front of the lilliput housing, I then filled in the gaps with bondo and used oem black dash paint from autozone.

RedGTiVR6 · 09-01-2006, 10:44 AM

I'm curious to know why the bezel for the screen has been cut in half?

Any pics of the finished product? or are you still getting those up?

geekinsc · 09-01-2006, 11:03 AM

the bezel would not fit inside the metra without modifying either the metra kit or the bezel. I decided I didnt want the buttons, so I modified the lilliput instead, since the metra was structural and modifying it seemed like a bad idea. I needed the bottom and top of the bezel to adhere to the metra, so removing from the middle was the only choice.

I am still uploading pictures a little at a time (you can only do 5 pictures at a time). You will see that I dremelled away the button section and rebuilt it with bondo, so the full screen size is still visible once its done.

Honestly the two places were I cut it in half have been the biggest challenge to fix with bondo so far, as you will see in the pictures.

RedGTiVR6 · 09-01-2006, 11:09 AM

I'm confused. How are you planning on securing the screen in there if you removed part of the bezel? Isn't the screen going to be taller than the bezel now?

Also, I've found that I've needed those buttons on many occasions, as have many others I've talked to. Curious as to why you decided to get rid of them?

I'd believe the two places being the biggest challenge. There's little to no support now at that gap. I'd see it being a prime place for cracks. Wondering what you've done to overcome this?!

geekinsc · 09-01-2006, 11:23 AM

I turned on the auto-on, auto-off feature of the lilliput, and couldn't think of a reason I would ever need to change sources, or any of the other buttons since I am only using the VGA input. May turn out to be a mistake, but so far I haven't missed the buttons.

For the places that have cracks, I honestly still haven't fixed it yet. I am thinking of gluing in a piece of styrene behind the bezel to provide support and keep it from moving and therefore breaking the bondo. Not sure if it will work or not. I may have to start over with a new enclosure from digitalww, if I cant solve that.

As for how to mount the lcd, the mounts for the screen area all intact, and the screen still fits because it now extends into the area where the buttons once were.

I'll get some more pictures up this afternoon, work is pulling me away again, have to make money to pay these car tuner bills, damn hobbies!

geekinsc · 09-01-2006, 01:00 PM

more pics. As you can see I sitll have plenty of resanding to do on the dash, I just got over excited. My first bondo fabrication, and its obvious. The flash makes it look worse than it is however. Work in progress what can I say.

geekinsc · 09-01-2006, 01:03 PM

My two babies. The A4 and my 1994 BMW 325is M-technic.

RedGTiVR6 · 09-01-2006, 01:16 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by geekinsc

I turned on the auto-on, auto-off feature of the lilliput, and couldn't think of a reason I would ever need to change sources, or any of the other buttons since I am only using the VGA input. May turn out to be a mistake, but so far I haven't missed the buttons.

The reason I mention is is that a few users have complained of images being skewed at random, the only way to fix it is by going through the buttons and recalibrate.

Quote:

For the places that have cracks, I honestly still haven't fixed it yet. I am thinking of gluing in a piece of styrene behind the bezel to provide support and keep it from moving and therefore breaking the bondo. Not sure if it will work or not. I may have to start over with a new enclosure from digitalww, if I cant solve that.

If I may, I'd recomend 'plastic weld'. The stuff bonds great and it provides a good amount of rigidity. Sand down the bezel a bit, put some plastic weld in there, let it kick, sand it down, refinish.

Quote:

I'll get some more pictures up this afternoon, work is pulling me away again, have to make money to pay these car tuner bills, damn hobbies!

bah - who needs work...hehe

btw - are the new ones not called S4s? It's an A4, S line, right? Weren't they calles S4s?

geekinsc · 09-01-2006, 01:24 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Red GTi VR6

btw - are the new ones not called S4s? It's an A4, S line, right? Weren't they calles S4s?

Mine isnt an S4, the S-Line just means it has the sports package (interior and external trim, bigger wheels). An S4 has a larger powerplant, and cost about 30k more

My BMW M-Technic is the same thing, its a special edition 325is. Looks just like a M3, just without the bigger engine.

I got too many tickets in my 20s, all a bigger engine does for me is get me in trouble. The each have about 200hp and that is more than enough for me these days.

RedGTiVR6 · 09-01-2006, 01:58 PM

Yeah - I know about the larger power plant and what not...just didn't know they had a sport package for the A line.

But then again, I've had to ween myself off of looking at the audis for while...

azanmi · 07-06-2007, 01:39 PM

Hi I have a 2003 A4 3.0 and I was wondering if what you knew if a similar config would work in my model year. is the radio housing the same size?

BartDP · 09-01-2007, 03:51 PM

Hello geekinsc,

No more updates since last year ?

I just received my A4 '2007 and looking for examples.

KR
Bart

mrossco · 01-03-2008, 07:41 PM

Sweet! I'm excited to find someone else doing the same thing. I too have a '06 A4. I'm pouring through these forums, and I'm STILL trying to figure out what to do with the steering controls and in-dash LCD (displays CD/FM info). I'd like to still use them...