DIY - RNS510 Install

[Cam]

Hey all,

I can't take full credit for this as most of these pics are all Lima's from his RCD500 removal thread over at VWW but I wanted to add a little bit to it for anyone wanting to install an RNS510. Thanks for your guide Lima I read through it a few times when I pulled the dash apart the first time. It was a great help.


http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/f15/...unit-7058.html

Please note I'm not responsible for any damage you may or may not do to your car. If you take your time you won't have any issues.

The RNS510:






Tools

1 x T20 Torx driver
1 x old credit card or thick piece of plastic card
2 x rag or towel. One for the dash and the second to cover the gear knob when installing the unit.
1 x patience for removing plastic trims
1 x Vagcom/VCDS (this isn't strictly needed for the install, but the RNS510 will need to be coded to the car, fault codes cleared for unplugging the wiring harness/connectors and sound system coded to get the RNS510 operately optimally. More info on coding changes down the bottom of the page)
1 x RNS510 Map CD

Before starting....things you should be aware of

1) Canbus
The canbus is the gateway that connects everything throughout the car. If you have a pre 2008 model vehicle you will most likely have an earlier revision canbus that will not be able to handle the power requirements of the RNS510. This is often referred to as the "power drain issue". If you install an RNS510/RCD510 and don't upgrade your canbus the unit won't know when to turn off and it will drain your battery. More info on this can be found here:
http://www.my-gti.com/1101/upgrading...er-drain-issue

Newer canbus unit can be purchased from [email protected]
I picked mine up for roughly 91 euros shipped to the door from overseas. Shipping took roughly 2 weeks.

Installation of the canbus isn't overly difficult. It requires physically changing the unit and then recoding of the car. Derek at European Autotech in Mona Vale installed mine because I couldn't get to it easily. More information including installation with pictures can be found in this thread:
http://www.golfmk5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98828

2)Aerial Connectors

Its not absolutely necessary, but an additional aerial harness can be purchased to house the aerial connectors for a tidier fit and finish. More information on this can be found here:
http://www.my-gti.com/1088/upgrading...ntenna-adapter

I picked up this harness off ebay in Germany for a couple of euros.

3) Satnav Antenna

The RNS510 comes with a satnav antenna which plugs into the back of the unit. It plugs into the blue socket. If you have a shark fin antenna installed on your car, this antenna won't be necessary as the shark fin can be used as the satnav antenna. The satnav antenna feeds up through the vents and can sit near top middle vent. The antenna however is also magnetic and can be attached to a small piece of metal for easier fitment.

Check (if you live in usa): Publix Bogo, or Coles specials this week.

Installation

1) Begin by removing the plastic vent selector panel piece with the plastic card. Once this has been removed gently start prying from the back corners of the vent piece and lift out. Don't pull too hard and watch the sensor wire. Once accessible, unclip the sensor and remove the panel.





2) Unscrew the torx screw in the middle. To remove this piece you can hold the inside of the plastic and lever from the back and sides to loosen it a little. It just lifts out.



3) This is probably the trickiest part of the whole install, this is the part I found most difficult.
Unscrew the two torx screws and with the plastic card begin to level the plastic clips one at a time from the back. There are 2 clips that clip onto a rubber mould at the side and one very tricky one just above the head unit in the middle. The middle clip I've found tends to get stuck so please take caution because if it snaps it will rattle like buggery. Once its loosened a little the whole piece lifts up. You will need to use a fair amount of force but don't be rough. If it won't come out first go, leave it, go and grab a drink and then come back to it.







4) Once the centre piece is unclipped you can unclip the hazard switch or just place a towel on the dash and lay it down and move the cable to the side.



5) Next remove the two torx screws as shown in the photo. The fascia panel is rather thin so take care removing it. The plastic card once again comes in handy, gently pry from the sides and in the middle to remove it.








6) Once the fascia is removed remove the 4 torx screws holding the head unit and then gently lift out. This is where a rag or towel comes in handy to rest the unit.






7) Unclip the wiring harness. There is a small clip on the underside of the harness that lifts upwards then unplug the aerial connectors also. Now the unit is free to come out.



8) Place the RNS510 into the dash, plug the harness in and the aerial connectors (if you have the aerial harness adapter this will fit straight in...if not you can strip the plastic from around the aerial surrounds and use electrical tape or a cable tie to keep in place. This isn't the most extravagant method but it does the job. Refer to the aerial antenna link above for further information.



9) Test the unit before plugging it back in! When you turn it on it should prompt you for the security code which comes on a VW code card with the unit. Ensure you can hear the radio, use the touchscreen and all buttons etc. If you can...GREAT! Time to now follow the instructions above in reverse and put everything back together.

Post Installation

Now that the unit is installed there are a few more things to do before its all finished.


1) Loading Maps

Insert the RNS510 Map CD/DVD and it will prompt you to update the maps database. Maps are available from various forum members or via torrents. Dealers will want to charge you over $1000 for the map dvd. Go for a short drive and make sure the maps are working and the satnav antenna is picking up your location correctly. In some cases (this is what occurred in the GT sport when we installed it) we needed to go for a 20min drive before the satnav calibrated itself and worked out its positioning. I'm unsure why this is the case, it may have been due to the lack of satellites at the time but I've read reports of this happening before. So if it doesn't pick up your location straight away, don't be alarmed. Give it some time. However when I installed it in the GTI it picked it up nearly instantly.

2) VAGCOM/VCDS Coding

It isn't strictly required that you code the unit with vcds as the RNS510 will still function ok however its recommended to do so, to ensure you get the best out of the unit. If you don't own a vagcom cable and required software put a feeler out on the forum, someone may be able to help you out. Otherwise your local dealer should be able to do the necessary coding for a fee. I recommend finding someone with a cable as the coding only takes about 5-10mins to do.

The main things that need to be done are:
Coding the unit to register it as a device in the car.

This involves entering a few numbers under the Navigation 37/Radio 56 channel for Importer, Workshop Code and Device Number values. These can be 123, 12345 and 123. If this isn't done fault code 01042 - Control Module - Not Coded will show up.
http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/01042



Improving sound quality

I found my sound quality was a little disappointing after installation. It didn't have that depth that the stock system had. A few adjustments need to be made to the coding of the unit. Follow these instructions to rectify the problem.
http://www.my-gti.com/1411/volkswage...tory-amplifier

In addition to this, there is a loudness setting that is available in the RNS510's secret menu under Audio. This is worth checking.
http://www.my-gti.com/1078/entering-...ecent-firmware

Fixing multifunction steering wheel (MFSW) buttons

In some cases the volume buttons, mute button and track up/down buttons may not work after installation. This requires a coding change.

- Open Controller 37 Navigation - Coding - Long Coding Helper
- Head to the second last byte and tick BIT 0 - Shortpress Steering wheel buttons installed (not sure if this was an earlier GTI thing associated with the half height MFD)
- Secondly tick Communication Instrument Cluster ... via BAP
- If BAP is already ticked untick it and close long coding helper.
- Restart the RNS by holding the < and > and i buttons down.



Where to purchase...

I purchased my RNS510 from an ebay seller called Navi555. It cost just over $1000 shipped
http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/navi555__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Credits to Lima for the pics and Maverick for his great site.
Lima - http://www.ausmotive.com/
Maverick - http://my-gti.com

[Rayjuice]

nice write up definately will come in handy!

[Ozram]

When I added voice control to my RNS510 I needed to access the back of the unit. I found these trim tools very handy.
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...T&SUBCATID=519

[Frenchie]

Nice work Cam and Co..Great info and will be compiled in a DIY thread.

[Cam]

Thanks guys. Hopefully it will be of use to someone


Ozram, thats very similar to what I was using. So handy!

Forgot to add, in addition I added an ipod cable and bluetooth parrot kit too. But I don't have any photos of the install. Its all plug and play though.

[stephen8512]

thanks to this writeup i found back on the vww forum, i can now take apart and put back together the headunit in like, 5 minutes? Ive done it that many times so i know where all the bolts etc are and where to pry apart and open up etc. thanks cam!


just a quick one though. I have a RNS 510 and i didnt have to vagcom anything? I bought my RNS off g-rig, who got it from tommmy from czechosolvakia and got it imported to australia. Can you explain the VAGCOM thing again? I just plugged mine in, it played, GPS worked so I was a happy chappy

[Cam]

Same with me Stephen! I've had the dash apart heaps of times. I can do it quite confidently now.
First time was a little daunting especially with that middle centre piece.

Regarding vagcom, as I mentioned it isn't strictly necessary. Everything will still function ok. I have a vagcom cable so I decided to run a scan just to make sure everything was showing up ok. There were a few fault codes thrown up saying the aerial connectors had been disconnected and I had the control module not coded message as well. I like everything to be neat and tidy, just a housekeeping thing more than anything else.


The one thing I can think of is that in some cases the Navigation module actually needs to be ticked in the CAN Gateway installation list if you have the full height MFD cluster. Otherwise if its not ticked the navigation menu with compass and directions etc won't show up on the MFD. I didn't have to worry about this with the GTI as I only have the half height cluster but from memory I had to do it with the GT sport when we installed it.

[Tux]

SNIP

The one thing I can think of is that in some cases the Navigation module actually needs to be ticked in the CAN Gateway installation list if you have the full height MFD cluster. Otherwise if its not ticked the navigation menu with compass and directions etc won't show up on the MFD. I didn't have to worry about this with the GTI as I only have the half height cluster but from memory I had to do it with the GT sport when we installed it.

So am I right to assume that if a dealer fits an RNS510 then the MFD should display the nav info??

Can anyone shed light on this please?

[Cam]

So am I right to assume that if a dealer fits an RNS510 then the MFD should display the nav info??

Can anyone shed light on this please?

Yes it most certainly should.
Its probably just one tick via vagcom (or the dealer tool). Under the Navigation module -> Long Coding CAN-BAP Protocol needs to be ticked. Its the second last byte on the coding.

The dealers should test this.

[Tux]

Thanks for that Cam. My car arrived without the sat nav even though I ordered it for a factory fit. The dealer is going to install an RNS510 and I want it to work as good as factory fitted.