# Placement of factory navigation GPS antenna



## raudikal (Mar 15, 2004)

Can anyone tell me where the factory navigation GPS antenna is located with the factory GPS system? I added a VW navigation unit after the initial purchase, and want to add a GPS antenna, but can't dig up any information as to where the factory places the GPS antenna. Any help is appreciated.


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: Placement of factory navigation GPS antenna (raudikal)*

Antenna is located under the front right fender. But I believe some people have just added it under the center speaker grill.


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## touareg007 (Jan 21, 2005)

I will get my nav unit soon also, all the research I done is to place it under the center grill on the dash go here to help you get to it using this instruction from tregcentral 
http://www.tregcentral.com/downloads/VW-DSBins.pdf
Again I am doing the same process so if you got any questions let me know...


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: (touareg007)*

I don't think you can get there using those directions. I think the path is blocked by some plastic pieces.


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## raudikal (Mar 15, 2004)

*Re: (touareg007)*

If you are talking about placing the antenna under the speaker grill, Spokcat is right, you can't get there using your directions. There's a small sealed hole where the cable goes through for the speaker, but no other openings that I can see. I was thinking about putting it under the dash storage bin, so I don't have to hassle with taking the grill out. From what I am reading, the grill tabs are delicate. I am not sure about GPS signal interference if I put it under the dash storage bin. I currently have my bluetooth interface for the phone there and it works great. Not so sure about the GPS antenna.


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## ken_treg (Feb 6, 2005)

*Re: Placement of factory navigation GPS antenna (raudikal)*

Even Bently admits that it is hard to install in the fender: "As such, the entire procedure to remove and install the antenna requires considerable effort." It then goes on to list removeing the passenger seat, seat base, center console, lower instrument panel, right fender wheel housing cover, windshield washer resevior, headlights, and passenger carpeting! Yikes!








Would the speaker grill interfere with the GPS reception? GPS by nature is a weak/low power signal and the "holes" in the grill could cause numerous refractions of the signal and degrade the timing calculation results used by the Nav unit. Is there room under the plastic dash ahead of the passenger airbag towards the hood?


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## touareg007 (Jan 21, 2005)

This is a post I found quoting Hammerdog at Toureg forrums
"You need to run the antenna to a spot where you can get a good sat connection. Spockcat suggested I place it under the plastic speaker grill on the dash in front of the storage bin. You can pop out the speaker grill using two flat screw drivers, take you time and it will pop out. 
I placed my antenna there, then put the plastic speaker grill back on and the antenna is not visible. I had to remove the storage bin in order to run the antenna wire back to the navigation unit. Plug the antenna connector into the blue connector above where the large blue plug goes. It only fits in one way. All the connectors are color coded. 
Take you time and plug the large blue plug and the two antenna connectors back in. There will be some excess antenna wire, tie it off with nylon tie and tuck it off to the left so you can slide your navigation unit back in. Slide the nav unit back in."
I believe he had a success install doing this but the storage bin has to be removed in order to pass the gps cable to the unit.


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## 12johnny (Oct 28, 2003)

*Re: Placement of factory navigation GPS antenna (raudikal)*

The other day I saw this:








Showing the position (1) of the factory navigation GPS antenna... as you have read, it must be very difficult to install in this place, so the best solution would be to place it on the dash, near the windshield, as it will have a "better view" of the sky.


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