Next you must find the wiring that travels down the steering column from the original steering wheel controls to under the dash. At this point, I must advise that if your car is equipped with airbags and you don't clearly understand the process described or your airbag deactivation procedure (that's in the Phase 1 course) don't take chances! There will likely be four wires, two for power and two for the commands. Select two of the wires and disconnect them from the control circuit, and from the matching underdash connector. Connect the two wires at the steering wheel end to the remote control circuit board where you removed the emitter. Extend the wires on the underdash end to somewhere near the stereo. Reconnect the emitter diode to the two wires (observe the polarity) and mount it so that it aims at the receiver window on the faceplate of the stereo.
In the event that there is no room inside the steering wheel for the remote control circuit board, you will need to make a small enclosure that will mold into the back of the steering wheel shroud.
The advantage to this method is that the modification is reversible which is especially important if the vehicle is leased. It is also very reliable and not really intrusive to the vehicle operating system.
In the case of your very new Audi A6, you should confirm that the steering wheel controls for the radio are not part of a data buss system. If you were to unplug the connectors from the back of the radio, you should not lose any other vehicle features and a "service" light should not appear in the instrument cluster. If there are more than radio or stereo controls in the steering wheel, then this is a strong possibility. The Audi A6 I looked at appears to have only stereo functions. As a disclaimer, I have not had a chance to thoroughly examine a new Audi, so I cannot make you aware of all of the possibilities that a trained professional installer would consider.
Competition CornerQ I have a hands free cellular kit for my car and I have been getting some interference similar to static and my antenna reception is sometimes poor. My friend told me that it is where I mounted my antenna in the windshield. I think he is playing with me. I have a '99 Honda Accord with tinted windows. It that's true, then where should I move it to?Luis,Texas
A Driving and talking on the cellular phone can be very distracting and can cause accidents, so I commend you on the good decision to make use of the kit. So you did not believe your friend. The placement of a cellular antenna is critical for it's reception. Normally you should mount an antenna at least three feet apart from each other. Something to watch out for in your vehicle are the defroster lines and rear window antennas; it is not good to mount an antenna in the same windshield. In that case move it to the front windshield. If you have TV antennas mounted in the same windshield keep them three feet apart. Some companies offer a bumper mount antenna which works quite well. So move the antenna if you want better reception.
Q I am building a multimedia system and I am going to make room for a center channel in my dash. What size center speaker should I use?Tony,Alabama
A When you are building a multimedia system then you should consider that 70% of the output of a DVD movie is coming from the center channel when a Dolby Digital processor is being used. You want your vocals to sound natural and open, not muffled and hollow. My suggestion is to place the largest speaker possible without making it look obvious. Sometimes when you double up smaller speakers you can get the same effect; and remember the mounting depth gets deeper with larger speakers. Good Luck!