surfacesmith

Hello Forum! I'm trying to retrofit a universal phone cradle/booster in my 07 A8L and hope someone here can help me out.

First a description of the project: I plan on mounting the Wilson Electronics "Sleek 4G" cradle booster left of the shifter and running the antenna and power wire through drilled holes in the finger area of the e-brake switch. I plan on removing the factory cradle adapter under the arm rests and using the antenna and power connections to hook up the new booster cradle. I already have the adapter cable to go from the factory antenna cable to the new booster cradle. The questions I need help with are as follows.

1: Is the factory cell antenna amplified or powered in anyway? (I believe it is mounted to the top of the rear window)

2oes anyone have a pin out chart for the factory cradle adapter connector? Not the gold buttons visible on the finish side of this adapter but the connector found when removing the adapter where it connects to the vehicle harness. (I would like to use the factory harness of the cradle adapter to splice power to the new booster.) Secondary to this question would be is this power fused and at what amperage?

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

MP4.2+6.0

Lot of work is what it sounds like to me for something that gets obsolete about every 18 months.

To answer questions, yes there is power to charge a phone there. Yes, I believe it does tie into the car antenna from prior documentation IIRC. What it doesn't do--at least for newer phones--is tie into the car's general electronics. Instead, that happens thru Bluetooth these days, at least for the mid-2005's and up.

So, how about way easier, at least for some phones, though still of dubious value? You can get a factory cradle for things like an iPhone 4, 5 or 5S from Euro dealers. Found on various of the Euro EBay sites. Since they did a 5/5S, I'm guessing they will do 6 and 6S ones too. Maybe other brands as well. There is also a "universal" one for USB type connectors. See: audi phone cradle | eBay

FWIW though having tried it, it's a novelty good for use about once every six months. It charges your phone, but you have to get it inserted in there. Since it is kind of out of reach, you have to use the MMI controls for simple stuff like answering, hanging up, etc. Phone itself is frankly easier. Also, easy to forget it when you exit vehicle--or when you enter for that matter and don't insert.

Net, there's a reason "phone booth" phones in cars kind of did a big huge fade. Bluetooth is the better focus area, if you don't already have it.

surfacesmith

Phone cradle installed, factory cell adapter in the rear tray removed. This makes for a much more usable bin. One project down, many more to go...

MP4.2+6.0, Thanks for your post! I agree, Bluetooth is the only way to go. In fact this is one of the main reasons for doing this project. My phone is the primary source for infotainment, so I wanted it easy to use and see. To make sure I maintain the best signal possible I used the Wilson Electronics, Sleek 4G booster. This is a powered booster that I have wired into the factory antenna. Now I get full 4G signal pretty much everywhere the 4-circles takes me.

mishar

You should start with Bluetooth. Phone would be integrated in MMI so you would use switches on the steering wheel, voice control, car microphone, music would go silent when you use your phone and you would be able to use your parking brake.

surfacesmith

I have full Bluetooth functions and use it primarily. The booster cradle does not interface with MMI system. It only uses the antenna and power from the useless factory phone interface under the armrests.

I can actually still use the parking brake when needed with this install. I live in Michigan which is mostly flat. I do still use the parking brake occasionally just to keep the system working.

Hope that clears things up.

mishar

What kind of Bluetooth module you have? Factory one would integrate your phone with MMI and it would be visible on the MMI screen plus many useful functions.