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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

2

Time Required

                          1 hour

Sections

1

  • Fixing broken TMC antenna cable
  • 2 steps

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  • BackTomTom 12V car adapter 4UUC23B incl. TMC Traffic Data Receiver

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Introduction

Unfortunately, the cable material gets stiff at lower temperatures and can easily break close to the USB plug. ’no TMC receiver detected’ is reported on the navi screen, no actual traffic data can be used for traffic warnings and alternative routes.

Fortunately, only the antenna cable is in the adapter, NOT a complete receiver!

So, open the USB plug, desolder carefully the cable, shorten the cable, resolder to the connector, close it with glue and you’re done and can spend your saved ~50€ for something better.

Remark: The new TomTom spare part is a bit different. The flat cable is not directly connected to the USB plug - I guess it is their answer to the problem :-)

What you need

Step 1

              Fixing broken TMC antenna cable
  • I dismantled everything here to be sure, there is really only the antenna mounted and not the real TMC receiver. To open the adapter just unscrew the plastic tap and open the housing. If you only need to fix the cable connection at USB plug, you can skip demounting the adapter itself.
  • The flat cable consists of a white and a red cable, each shielded separately. Red = +5V, red shield = GND (0V and antenna GND), white = unused, white shield = antenna
  • Use a knife to open carefulle the micro USB plug along the line of the melded housing.
  • Desolder the white extra cable from the metal strip and open the clamp fixing the cable
  • Remove the plastic shortcut cover a bit to reach the soldering points and desolder the shieldings, red and white cable.
  • Shorten the antenna cable for a few centimeters and prepare the cables and shieldings to be resoldered to the plug.
  • Move the break protection and the plastic shortcut cover over the cable and resolder the cables and shieldings to the plug.
  • Close the metal clamp (Zugentlastung) and resolder the white extra cable.

I dismantled everything here to be sure, there is really only the antenna mounted and not the real TMC receiver. To open the adapter just unscrew the plastic tap and open the housing. If you only need to fix the cable connection at USB plug, you can skip demounting the adapter itself.

The flat cable consists of a white and a red cable, each shielded separately. Red = +5V, red shield = GND (0V and antenna GND), white = unused, white shield = antenna

Use a knife to open carefulle the micro USB plug along the line of the melded housing.

Desolder the white extra cable from the metal strip and open the clamp fixing the cable

Remove the plastic shortcut cover a bit to reach the soldering points and desolder the shieldings, red and white cable.

Shorten the antenna cable for a few centimeters and prepare the cables and shieldings to be resoldered to the plug.

Move the break protection and the plastic shortcut cover over the cable and resolder the cables and shieldings to the plug.

Close the metal clamp (Zugentlastung) and resolder the white extra cable.

1024

Step 2

  • Frickle everything together and fix the housing parts of the plug with gel glue.
  • Add textile glue tape around the cable and the USB plug for better break protection.
  • If you dismounted the adapter also, you need to remount it again. Take care of Zugentlastung and the transparent plastic part for the LED are positioned correctly.
  • Press the 4 clamps (GND connectors) and mount the housing halfs.
  • Fill in the fuse, the metal 12V connector, mount the metal ring and screw the plastic ring over the housing parts to fix everything.
  • Done. Connect your adapter to car 12V plug and your navi. It must startup and will show a message ‘TMC receiver detected’.

Frickle everything together and fix the housing parts of the plug with gel glue.

Add textile glue tape around the cable and the USB plug for better break protection.

If you dismounted the adapter also, you need to remount it again. Take care of Zugentlastung and the transparent plastic part for the LED are positioned correctly.

Press the 4 clamps (GND connectors) and mount the housing halfs.

Fill in the fuse, the metal 12V connector, mount the metal ring and screw the plastic ring over the housing parts to fix everything.

Done. Connect your adapter to car 12V plug and your navi. It must startup and will show a message ‘TMC receiver detected’.

  1. remount the USB plug into its housing using gel glue (Sekundenkleber). Take care of positioning the break protection!

  2. Use textile glue tape to give better break protection for future

  3. If you opened also the adapter itself, close the housing, don’t forget the fuse and screw the plastic metal ring to fix the housing.

  4. connect the adapter to your car and the navi. The navi should report a message ‘TMC receiver detected’ on startup.

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