Replacing the RNS-510 with an aftermarket head-unit

As I mentioned in another thread, I finally reached my breaking point with the RNS-510 and decided that it was time to replace it with something that didn't make me want to pull my hair out.

Well, as of today, my RNS-510 is sitting on my coffee table and something that doesn't feel like it was designed in 1984 is in its place.

I had originally decided on the Alpine INE-W957HD, but the installer told me that particular line was experiencing some lockup/crash problems, and though they were working on it, it might be better to go with something else. He recommended Pioneer.

I opted for the Pioneer AVIC-8000NEX. With that out of the way, I set about figuring out how to connect all the OEM stuff that I could. Thanks to JM Popaleetus and some research of my own, I managed to get it right.

Specifically, I wanted to use the factory GPS antenna, SiriusXM antenna, AM/FM antenna, and rear view camera.

The real bear was the rear view camera. The VW RVC is an RGB camera with a proprietary 26-pin connector. Most (all?) aftermarket head units take a simple composite connection. Solving this issue ended up being more fraught than I expected it to be.

I found this adapter at aliexpress.com. At only $36 (plus about $5 shipping), it was a bargain, and it was literally the only one I could find†.

The bad news is that adapter is not available right now. Hopefully, it's just out of stock and not discontinued.

At JM's suggestion, I turned to enfig.com for the other adapters. Christian at Enfig was very helpful. The specific adapters that I purchased were:

• SiriusXM Antenna Adapter
• GPS Antenna Adapter (this appears to be Pioneer-specific, but there are adapters for other brands on their site)
• AM/FM Antenna Adapter

I also needed a mounting solution. I opted for this one; it was kind of expensive, but I liked that it has a piano black finish like the rest of the bezel.

Finally, in order to retain steering wheel controls, I got the PAC RP4-VW11. The disappointing there here is that while steering wheel controls were retained, most of the MFD integration was not. It's not a huge deal, but it would've been nice to have.

Oh, if you want SiriusXM, you have to buy a tuner.

The installation went fine. The RVC works like a champ, as does everything else. Yay for modern technology!

†There was a similar product on navlinkz.de, but that site didn't want to cooperate

Great info! Subs'd.

How about OEM functions like voice command, bluetooth phone and music, Phonebook, music, caller display in the MFD?

Do you know of any HU that supports car-net and uses Garmin for nav?

Any pictures of the finished project?

plus 1. need pictures.

I'll get some today and post them.

Mr. Furious said:

The disappointing there here is that while steering wheel controls were retained, most of the MFD integration was not. It's not a huge deal, but it would've been nice to have.

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Would appreciate if you could clarify a few things.
1) Could you please elaborate on what exactly went missing?
2) Did you consider a new AM/FM antennae? The default one in my SE is cr*p.
3) I am guessing your SEL already had the GPS receiver. Where is it mounted?
4) Did you consider just buying another rearview camera with component output instead of getting the adapter? Looks like they are pretty cheap on Amazon these days.

Thanks for this write-up. I have been thinking of this upgrade and you have essentially provided the entire guide!

As always, pics are highly appreciated

sandydeb said:

Would appreciate if you could clarify a few things.
1) Could you please elaborate on what exactly went missing?

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There is no longer an MFD screen for navigation, and the audio one retains button functionality but doesn't display anything. Annoyingly, the Bluetooth screen is still there. I think I overestimated the power of the PAC, which is on me.

2) Did you consider a new AM/FM antennae? The default one in my SE is cr*p.

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Not really. I never listen to AM or FM, but my wife does occasionally. FWIW, in the rare times that AM/FM has been used in my car, it's been fine.

3) I am guessing your SEL already had the GPS receiver. Where is it mounted?

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The GPS receiver is built into the head unit. The antenna is, I believe, on the back of the roof with the SiriusXM antenna.

4) Did you consider just buying another rearview camera with component output instead of getting the adapter? Looks like they are pretty cheap on Amazon these days.

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I did, and I even bought one as a contingency plan in case the adapter didn't work. My preference was to go with the built-in one, though, because it works well and I didn't want to have anything aftermarket visible outside the car.
There are some composite cameras that are built into a VW trunk release so they replicate the OEM look, but I was concerned about picture quality.

Here are a couple of pictures:


There's not much else to see, since all the adapters and such are behind the radio. There are pictures of those on the pages I linked in my OP.

EDIT: That reminds me, I need to change the color to red to match the rest of the interior lighting...

Mr. Furious said:

There is no longer an MFD screen for navigation, and the audio one retains button functionality but doesn't display anything. Annoyingly, the Bluetooth screen is still there. I think I overestimated the power of the PAC, which is on me.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the detailed response. I could live with that. i don't use the MFD for much other than periodically looking at the avg consumption and phone bluetooth info.

Final questions - did you have any trouble at all finding the wires from microphone (which is up by the lights I believe?) I read of people on some other forums (non-Passat) having trouble finding those and ending up using the external microphone with the unit.

This unit looks great and the functionality is awesome. You have inspired me to do this, the minute I have a little time to spare!

Ah, I failed to mention that. I didn't bother with the factory microphone, and instead used the one that came with the head unit. The installer said that the factory mic was a pain in the butt to find and connect, but the Pioneer mic was very easily hidden, and the SQ would likely be better anyway. He installed it just above the rear view mirror, and I didn't even notice it until I looked around for it.

Checking consumption is the main thing (other than the speedometer) that I use the MFD for as well. The only other thing I'd use it for sometimes is to display music info when I wanted to keep the map on the big screen, but that's not a factor here because that's displayed at the bottom of the map screen.

I wonder if the BT MFD screen would disappear if I disconnected the fuse. Of course, I have no idea which fuse that is, or if it also powers something else.

Hypermile said:

How about OEM functions like voice command, bluetooth phone and music, Phonebook, music, caller display in the MFD?

Click to expand...

I think the voice command button works, but I have to play with it a little more. Unfortunately, the MFD doesn't display anything related to the head unit. I wonder if the Maestro RR provides that kind of functionality.

Do you know of any HU that supports car-net and uses Garmin for nav?

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Hmm. Well, I don't know if any support Car-Net, but I believe Alpine uses Garmin software. I know Pioneer doesn't. Not sure about Kenwood.

Mr. Furious said:

The installation went fine. The RVC works like a champ, as does everything else. Yay for modern technology!

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I'm so glad everything worked as expected. Especially in regards to the RVC adapter.

There is nothing better than when a plan comes together !

Hypermile said:

How about OEM functions like voice command, bluetooth phone and music, Phonebook, music, caller display in the MFD?

Do you know of any HU that supports car-net and uses Garmin for nav?

Click to expand...

The only way you will retain all of that functionality is with the Maestro RR unit and an Alpine or Kenwood headunit. Kenwood would be the one you want if you also want Garmin navigation.

Check out this link: http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79991

However, 2014's introduction of Car-Net does add an additional layer of complexity that I'm not sure about...especially in regards to how it's wired in. I'm sure the Maestro team will figure it out though since they've obviously decided to start supporting VW integration.

sandydeb said:

did you have any trouble at all finding the wires from microphone (which is up by the lights I believe?) I read of people on some other forums (non-Passat) having trouble finding those and ending up using the external microphone with the unit.

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The microphone shouldn't be an issue to tap whatsoever, and is my plan with the Jetta. You would tap it on the harness right before the pins for the Microphone-In of the RNS unit. This way it would retain the OEM wiring if you were to ever swap back or go with the RR unit that retains the 9W7 module under the seat.



That said, since the Passat's microphone is poorly insulated (unlike the Jetta/Golf), the aftermarket unit would likely be better. That's one of my next projects is to stuff all of the hollow space with sound deadener between the roof and microphone of the Passat.

Mr. Furious said:

I wonder if the BT MFD screen would disappear if I disconnected the fuse. Of course, I have no idea which fuse that is, or if it also powers something else.

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Just unplug the 9W7 unit under your seat. You can leave everything there, but disconnecting it will unlink it from the MFD and prevent any potential communication issues (the lack of the RNS is probably throwing a bunch of VCDS codes as the 9W7 unit is probably looking for it).

Mr. Furious said:

I think the voice command button works, but I have to play with it a little more. Unfortunately, the MFD doesn't display anything related to the head unit. I wonder if the Maestro RR provides that kind of functionality.
Hmm. Well, I don't know if any support Car-Net, but I believe Alpine uses Garmin software. I know Pioneer doesn't. Not sure about Kenwood.

Click to expand...

The RR retains full integration including the 9W7 module and the MFD, and allows you to reprogram as you see fit. My plan is to make the microphone button one-press to activate Siri, and hold to mute.

If the rumors are true and Pioneer releases an update to include RR support, you (Mr. Furious) could easily add it yourself to regain the MFD functionality.

Alpine, Garmin, Pioneer, VW...pretty much everyone, all use Navteq for their mapping data. Literally, the maps are all the same. However, only Garmin and Kenwood use the same Garmin user interface to display those maps. The others all have their own implementation.

I hope that makes sense. Basically if you want the Garmin interface, you need to go with Garmin or Kenwood. Nevertheless, underneath that interface all the maps are provided by the same cartography company.

Thanks again, JM. I'll disconnect the 9W7 to get rid of that minor bit of annoyance. And I'll keep my eyes open for the Maestro RR, too. I may just end up punting on that one since it'll cost the price of the Maestro plus install; I'm not comfortable doing it myself, regardless of how simple it is. Hardwiring my radar detector and the kids' DVD players in the back seat (and unplugging the 9W7) is about as far as I'm willing to go.

What's the total you have in the project?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Mr. Furious said:

I think the voice command button works, but I have to play with it a little more. Unfortunately, the MFD doesn't display anything related to the head unit. I wonder if the Maestro RR provides that kind of functionality.
Hmm. Well, I don't know if any support Car-Net, but I believe Alpine uses Garmin software. I know Pioneer doesn't. Not sure about Kenwood.

Click to expand...

Apparently there was a firmware update on July 10th.

http://maestro.idatalink.com/product/product/product_id/102
ADS-RR(SR)-VWS01-AS (1.1)
Revision Date: Thursday, July 10, 2014
Description: Radio replacement and steering wheel control interface solution for Volkswagen and Audi vehicles and aftermarket radios without iDatalink compatibility.
Features: Steering Wheel Controls, Navigation Outputs, Factory Amplifier, Programmable Options

LokiWolf said:

What's the total you have in the project?

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Head Unit: $999.95 + $129.99 SquareTrade warranty (eBay)
RVC Adapter: $41.45 (AliExpress)
Antenna adapters & mounting bracket: $124.96 (Enfig)
PAC: $90.95 (eBay)
SiriusXM Tuner: $31.57 (Amazon)
Rear seat video cables: $12.13 (Amazon)
iPod and Android cables*: $47.95
Installation: $149.98 (Auto Acoustics, Durham NC)

For a total of $1628.93. Creative sourcing really helps... I was estimating around $1800.

I got the SquareTrade warranty because I've read that Pioneer is finicky about honoring the warranty if you don't purchase from an authorized reseller. I figure I'm ahead of the game anyway, since unit + warranty is still well under retail.

* Includes two USB extension cables, HDMI extension cable, 4-pole 3.5mm extension, Pioneer iPod cable, and MHL adapter

JM Popaleetus said:

Just unplug the 9W7 unit under your seat. You can leave everything there, but disconnecting it will unlink it from the MFD and prevent any potential communication issues (the lack of the RNS is probably throwing a bunch of VCDS codes as the 9W7 unit is probably looking for it).

Click to expand...

I decided to try doing this today, and when I did it, the Bluetooth screen was still there on the MFD, and there was no sound coming through the speakers. The sound came back when I reconnected it, but is the Fender amp under the seat rather than the Bluetooth module in the SEL, or something like that?

EDIT: The 9W7 was under my passenger seat. Disconnected it and everything's peachy. Thank you!

Mr. Furious said:

I decided to try doing this today, and when I did it, the Bluetooth screen was still there on the MFD, and there was no sound coming through the speakers. The sound came back when I reconnected it, but is the Fender amp under the seat rather than the Bluetooth module in the SEL, or something like that?

EDIT: The 9W7 was under my passenger seat. Disconnected it and everything's peachy. Thank you!

Click to expand...

Yeah, the 9W7 module is the one under the passenger seat .

Glad it's all working!

Cool setup. All of us RNS510 folks are envious.
Thinking about a Kenwood DNN991HD myself.

I may be heading this route soon

I've about had it with the stock unit as well.

I decided to slap together a replacement splash screen to try to retain a little bit more of the factory feel, but in color to take advantage of the quality of the display. Quick and dirty, but it'll work. I didn't include the Pioneer logo, because that pops up right after the startup screen, but I did make the Fender logo red. It's a little pixelated here, but the original looks very crisp.

Mr. Furious said:

I decided to slap together a replacement splash screen to try to retain a little bit more of the factory feel, but in color to take advantage of the quality of the display. Quick and dirty, but it'll work. I didn't include the Pioneer logo, because that pops up right after the startup screen, but I did make the Fender logo red. It's a little pixelated here, but the original looks very crisp.

Click to expand...

I tried that too, but my install failed. I tried many times, different options, different brand CDs, install failed every time, using the instruction on this website.

What process did you follow? Please share!

I have this image ready to go:

Oh, I created the splash screen for the AVIC-8000NEX, not the RNS-510. On that unit, it's right in the display options. Sorry, I never tried to modify it on the RNS-510.

That's a great image - I hope you can get it to work!

Mr. Furious said:

Oh, I created the splash screen for the AVIC-8000NEX, not the RNS-510. On that unit, it's right in the display options. Sorry, I never tried to modify it on the RNS-510.

That's a great image - I hope you can get it to work!

Click to expand...

Ah, yes, of course! My bad, I got excited that maybe someone figured that out for the RNS510. As far as I know currently it doesn't work and Superman has to rest a bit longer...

I did a quick video when I left work today to show how fast the RVC is available after the car starts:

http://youtu.be/kAwYjncRvoU

The voice is my radar detector, not the head unit.

^ that looks really good

as does the clarity compared to the stock unit

Just a heads up to anyone reading the thread, the Maestro RR with the new NEX firmwares DOES work with the MFD and factory bluetooth, and you can still use the head unit to make phone calls (forwards data to factory bluetooth). Makes for a super-clean install, and you retain voice commands.

So are you happy with that deck?

I installed that deck in my lincoln mkx about a month ago and I wish that I would have went with something else. The user interface is crowded and has way too much going on. I find the usb audio way slower than the rns510. I also find the fonts/lettering way too cartoonish and not clean. The things I like on it is how it shows the album artwork on sirius, date and playing video from usb.

The only way I could be happier is if the timing had worked out and I'd been able to go with the Maestro RR instead of the PAC. I find it difficult to believe that any feature is slower than on the RNS-510 (press a button, translate "War and Peace" from the original Russian, then maybe it will respond), but the only audio I use via USB is on my iPod so I'll have to take your word for it.

I like the UI. The RNS-510's - to me - looks dated in comparison, and I don't find it too busy at all. That's a matter of taste, of course.

i want to thank everyone for the work they have done on this that make it easier for the rest of us trying to decide to replace their head units. Great work!!

I took have been battling upgrading my Passat's head unit to a more modern setup. I have a RNS315 in mine and paid the $100 for the latest map upgrades on it but it still leaves me wanting.

The question that is still bothering me is, on the RNS315, the bluetooth is built it the head unit, there is no 9W7 under the passenger seat. Does this have any affect to the installation?