Armrest Phone Cradle to Dash Mount possible?

I know this is a reverse of the usual request, but bear with me & you'll maybe understand why...

I use my iPhone for navigation and music (via a GROM BT adaptor), as well as calls (via factory BT Prep), so the armrest cradle isn't really feasible for me! I've been considering relocating the kit to the dashboard & mounting it on a Brodit car mount to prevent the drilling of holes ..maybe I should have patented this idea before posting anyhooo... I could then take advantage of the antenna boost & charging provided by the factory cradle & the armrest could be used for it's intended purpose of storing my ciggies. I despise redundancy, but Audi do seem to have issues with planning & ergonomics sometimes, I mean if you're going to install BT, why not cater for BT Audio? ...numpties.

So does anyone know if the armrest cradle's wiring runs to the dash, what route it takes, & if it can be removed without obvious cosmetic damage?

Thanks.

BTW: Before anyone suggests an RNS-E or Aftermarket unit, I'm fairly happy with my current Concert III + BT adaptor & I've looked at the RNS-E option! I think that whilst the unit looks the dogs, it's severely handicapped in the BT Audio dept. & is apparently very theivable - unforgivable for the money! Aftermarket units have the opposite problem - functionally ideal, but not fitting with the look of the car ...so until things improve with either, they're not currently a consideration for me.

Ash187 said:

There are wires that go under the central console and to a connector in the base of the arm rest.
It won't be an easy job but basically you would want to get the wires and push them back behind the headunit and then get the appropriate connector and plug that on the end and then into the Brodit mount. Your biggest problem is that the Audi stuff doesn't have a clean wire to iPhone connector, unfortunately it just wires into the generic phone holder and then uses the extra iPhone cradle to connect to the phone, The wiring is messy!
I think you would be better off just getting a separate Nav unit (Tomtom XL) and use that for the Nav and leave the phone in the armrest

Click to expand...

Okay, sounds like a major operation, and if it goes wrong I'll have messed up a perfectly good factory install. I think I'll leave it until I get desperate.

Putting the phone in the armrest would mean I can't change the music track, so that's a no go... Guess I'll just have to wait until a worthy head unit comes along.

Thanks Ash

yacob: your link seems to be a wrong thread.

Your link on Tapatalk was taking me to a completely different thread entitled; you will all need to register, which I can't find on the laptop, but the link on the Laptop takes me to the correct thread ...weird.

anyhoo ...yea, I see your pictures now and the positioning could have been slightly better, I wouldn't have minded it if they didn't cut a hole in the dash. Also, your cradle base looks much shorter that the one in my armrest, which has obviously seen a redesign ...yours being much more suited to dash mounting



I already have a Tomtom XL, but haven't switched it on since I became an iPhone owner, over 3 years ago - so it probably won't work (must give it a try sometime). lol