VW Phatbox hell - not seen by head unit

[middpanther]

I am trying to get a new Phatbox to work in a new 2005 Passat with the Double DIN Monsoon stereo.  I have yet to have the head unit recognize the Phatbox.

Based on the scanty instructions, this is my understanding of how the install should work.

Put DMS in phatbox, power up phatbox, let DMS program box, turn radio on, punch CD button to get box displayed as CD changer, punch 6 to configure.

When I install phatbox as above, first install results in lengthy flashing of green light, supposedly indicating firmware being transferred to box.

After first install disconnecting and reconnecting box results in short flash of red and green lights and then no activity.

Turning radio on does not result in any light coming on in the phatbox

I have formatted the DMS and tried 3 firmwares - 5.x 6.x and 7.02.  Nothing happens.  Firmware was installed by formatting and then extracting to phtsys.

I've also tried setting it up with the DMS removed - after the box had been flashed.

I have checked continuity between the blue connector on the back of the monsoon and the corresponding pins of the phatbox connector.  All is good.

Both hot leads to the phatbox are delivering power (acc is hot all the time, I dunno if that is right).

I have removed the head unit and left it unpowered overnight, this resulted in lost radio presets but the unit did not demand I enter the theft code when reinstalled.

I suspect that if firmware is the problem, the phatbox was originally flashed to 7.02 and may have stayed that way in the absence of any "hard" method to clear it.  Ditto for the headunit.

I should note that this is my second phatbox.  The first one I installed powered up, then got quite hot and emitted a burning smell.  It was dead after that and the dealer replaced it.  None of the fuses for head unit, in head unit or for cd changer blew.  It may have damaged my head unit, but I don't know how to tell.  Head unit works fine except for anti-theft as decribed above and refusal to recognize phatbox.

I should also note that I created bootlog and this has shown the following:

BOOT0-0: OK
BOOT0-1: OK
BOOT0: Successful
BOOT9: Successful
BOOTB: Successful
BOOTF: Successful
BOOT*: Successful

I assume this means my phatbox is booting and is functional.

Any help is appreciated.  If my head unit is bad, I would like to confirm it and be armed with some info  if and when I take the car to the dealer...

[judb]

I don't know if the head unit in your 05 will work with the phatbox or not.

You'll have to ask phatnoise for info about supported VW head units.  The reason that they are so cheap is the newer VW cars head units do not work with the phatbox if I recall correctly.

Good luck!

[judb]

Also, the boot log indicates that the phatbox is working at least mostly right. its getting power and can see the hard drive..

it might be a software problem (try reloading the firmware to the DMS) or it might be that the head unit doesn't like your phatbox due to compatibility issues

[Steveo369]

One other thing to note:
Did your Passat ever have a CD changer installed?

Occasionally, the VW/Audi Headunits are programmed from the factory with a "no cd changer" option set, and must be programmed via the dealer tool (or the VAG-com tool from http://www.ross-tech.com) to recognize a CD changer (or PB in your case).

You might check with the dealer to see if this needs to be done.  I'm not familiar with your new Passat, but have reprogrammed a few older VW's/Audis when installing CD changers.  Seems that about 25% of them aren't set to recognize a changer from the factory...

[dlai]

I have a new 2005 Passat and the oem double din headunit does recognize my Phatbox with no problems.  It sounds like you're doing everything right. I would suggest that since your car is under warranty, why not try bringing your car to the dealer and see if they can get it to work?

[middpanther]

Took the car to the stealership after many calls to VW and Phatbox indicated that the radio had to be reset via the diagnostic computer to recognize the phatbox.

Dealership calls.  They told me that my cable was bad and for $200.00 they would replace the cable.

I told the service manager that I had checked continuity between the Phatbox connecter and the back wiring harness plug that goes into the back of the head unit and found no opens or high resistance.  If that is so, how can the cable be bad?

His answer:  The diagnostic computer says the cable is bad.

My next question:  How much to install a new cable.  $100 for the part, $100 for labor.

My response:  No way.

My next question:  Can you set the head unit to recognize the phatbox without replacing the cable?

Answer:  No.  You must replace the cable, then have the unit hooked up to a diagnostic computer and then reset.

Obviously, they don't believe me when I say I tested the cable.  I also find it unbelievable that they cannot use the diagnostic computer to reset the head unit whether the cable works or not.  

At least they offered to sell me a new cable for what I paid for the whole unit.  Oh, and charge $100 for plugging two ends of a new cable in.

This has been the most ridiculous pain in the rear.  The VW install instructions are incomplete and unclear, there is no mention in any literature that the head unit must be reset by the diagnostic computer, and my dealer, instead of being helpful, appears to want to give me it to me good...

[judb]

Try taking it to another dealer, or contacting a regional person from VW who is not directly employed by the dealership to complain about it.

The "diagnostic computer reset" they are talking about, takes 5 minutes to do, using a USB cable connector and software from www.rosstech.com and is a bunch of bullcrap that it will cost that much.  Re running the cable shouldn't be that hard for them either.  thats rape AND pillage if you ask me.

[pootna]

agree with stevo's reply

with VAGcom select 56 (radio)
last digit of soft coding should be 3.
It's a 5 digit code and if it ends in 1 then the deck is setup for no cd changer.

[middpanther]

Well, I got a new cable for 30 bucks, hooked it up and it works almost all of the time.  However, it still goes dead about 2x a week and the only solution is to reconnect the cable to the back of the unit.  I think my unit either has a bad solder joint or a very finnicky connector that doesn't make contact.

Is this a hardware or a software problem?

[Firefox]

Do you have those mini hex-shape threaded bolts on back of phatbox where the cable connector screws into?

I remember Phatnoise once advised me to make sure that they are both screwed in tight to the box first because in some cases if they are raised too far they can prevent a good contact from cable to connector.

You might want to remove them altogether as a temporary test to see if problem is eased.

[xciton]

Well, I got a new cable for 30 bucks, hooked it up and it works almost all of the time.  However, it still goes dead about 2x a week and the only solution is to reconnect the cable to the back of the unit.  I think my unit either has a bad solder joint or a very finnicky connector that doesn't make contact.

Is this a hardware or a software problem?

I have the same problem.  My unit becomes un-responsive mostly overnight, but sometimes 3-4 hours later after I turn off the car.  I'm on my second cable.  My friend has the same phatnoise unit and his works fine, so it must be the phatnoise that's at fault.

I'm in the process of getting the unit RMA'd, but I'm getting the run-around (I have a Audi, but I bought a VW phatnoise out of the USA (I live in Canada)).  Each dealer (audi/vw) is pointing figuers at each other to return/test the unit.  Phatnoise is of no help.  I will have to start esclating this shortly to VW of Canada if I don't get some headway.


# Xciton

[middpanther]

As an update, my unit was working dependably until cold weather arrived.  Leave the car out overnight when the temp is below 32F and the phatbox disappears and will only reappear if I reconnect the cable.  Doesn't seem to matter which end I reconnect either....  

Screwed the little hex bolts down as far as they could go and have made the phatbox end of the connection as tight as I can...

Getting very frustrated with this thing...

[sbingner]

move somewhere warmer.... :b

[bobzed57]

I just installed a Phatbox in my 2005 Toureg.  It has a Delta radio, not the Monsoon, but I suspect that they aren't that different when it comes to the stacker.

As the Phatbox isn't available in Australia, so I had to import it from the US.  My Touareg wasn't fitted with a stacker so I imported the cable from Germany.  I was fortunate that on the club touareg froums there was plenty of advice on how to get the Phatbox going.

In my case, it necessitated swapping of a couple of wires around on the stacker cable at the radio end (it's easier to split the plug at that end).  My cable was different from others in Oz who had tried to setup Phatboxes, and some of them had to swap up to four wires around.

I also updated to the latest firmware before proving the system for the first time, which in retrospect was probably not all that clever and may have caused problems as my head unit wouldn't recognise my Phatbox on initial bootup.  I was lucky that mate of mine also with a Touareg, but nav radio, was with me and we plugged my Phatbox into his cable and it booted up within 30 seconds.  I then plugged it into my cable and away it went.  I didn't have to do any of the set-up actions as mentioned in the Phatbox doco.

I have some instructions on which pin goes with where, but I don't know how different your head unit is from the Delta radio in the Touareg.  Let me know if you want me to post the pin connections (pending my ability to make a meaningful drawing of them.

Cheers

Bob Z

[judb]

bobzed57.. if you can take some pictures of your radio, the harness and post some instructions that would be great.  maybe make a wiki page about how you did it?  Any information is better than no information!

[bobzed57]

Give me a couple of days to gather the info together.

Bob Z

[Lams]

finally I have found somebody with the same problem!

my car is a 2001 Australian Golf, with a MFD-G nav unit from Germany. Recently I bought a US Phatnoise, it was working fine for a week before it went and pooed itself. There have been known skipping issues with the MFD-G and the Phatnoise, but not the power up issue.

I did the skipping issue "Eddie Fiola" wiring mod anyway, http://4130-products.com/step/Phatbox/ and it worked for another 2 days. It is very strange, the phatnoises usually skips before dropping off and disappearing completely. For the past week it has been hiding and I cannot select 'CD' on my nav at all.

I used the VAG-COM and cleared the 'no CD Changer' fault code, the first time I did this the phatnoise came back to work for 2 min. but now I've tried that again, I've tried replugging the unit, I've tried almost everything! no go!

I'm starting to think that it's an issue in my CD harness (I had to retro fit one in). Bob those wiring swapping info would be a great help!  

I've had to sell my beloved 1960 Beetle to buy this nav & phatnoise, so it's a little frustrating that it's not working

Thanks!
Alex

[bobzed57]

Alex

I'm trying to build a wiki page, but I'm happy to email you the info seperately so you can have it sooner.  PM me if you want me to send you the stuff.

Bob

[Lams]

Hi Bob thanks for all your help today! I think I've found my problem.

The problem for me is in the CD changer cable. However it wasn't wrong pin assignments, it was just the poor quality of the actual cable.

I took my MFD-G and phatnoise out of my car, put it in an Audi A4, and the system worked flawlessly! Switched the MFD-G to the Audi Symphony II headunit, and it still worked.

I took these units to my own car, and the phatnoise didn't work with either headunit.

I took the cable out, cut off the heatshrink and found some rather dodgey soldering. Hopefully I can get another changer cable soon, if not I'll have to order an OEM one which is damn pricey!

THanks for your help Bob it is good to know it's not the phatnoise or the MFD that's causing the problem