2010 Jetta TDI Radio stopped working suddenly

sivi

New member
Joined
Oct 6, 2015
Location
Toronto
TDI
Jetta 2011
Same issue.. 2011 Jetta

Hello all,
Just posting to say I am currently having the same issue and it is incredibly frustrating. Radio used to turn on/off randomly, with increasingly long periods with no functioning. I can see how it could be a fire hazard, which was mentioned above. I didn't know what to do. I've contacted Barry to discuss radios he may have. I agree that this should be a recall! I'm not able to use my warranty.
 

C3156

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Location
CONUS
TDI
All sold
I tried all the usual tricks to get the radio working again to no avail. I finally quit and purchased an aftermarket stereo. The cost was a fraction of what VW wanted and came with more features. I could keep my steering wheel controls too. My 2010 was out of warranty so it was not even worth taking it to the dealer.
 

doug2012tdi

New member
Joined
Oct 13, 2015
Location
California
TDI
2012 jetta
Just found your forum today. My radio just quit on my 2012 jetta tdi. Tried your 3 minute reset and it worked. Thanks.
 

KARKS

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2005
Location
Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada
TDI
Golf Wagon TDI 2012
I am still trying to deal with VW Canada. If you are Canadian please report the issue to VW Canada - 800-822-8987. I opened my issue with VW Canada on September 15th and they still have not responded. They say they have been busy with all their other issue.

In the mean time I have replaced the Radio with a Kenwood DDX372BT from Crutchfield. It was an easy process to purchase and somewhat easy to install. I am very happy with the purchase and the upgraded system.

https://www.crutchfield.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=113DDX372B
 

Borgward

New member
Joined
Jul 3, 2010
Location
Minnetrista, Minnesota
TDI
2010 Jetta Sportwagen
Holding down power button for a while worked!!

Hi-
Thanks to whoever suggested holding down power button for a while should be blessed. I had no sound. Volume control would not work. Did as suggested and wow it all came back. Thank you, thank you. I know that our VW dealer would have wanted to sell me a new radio. Just like when I complained about 4 inches of water in spare tire compartment. "Fifty miles over warranty." But they did fix that for free after I complained mightily.
Ron
 

cctdi98

New member
Joined
Nov 1, 2003
Location
Bellingham
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI Cup Edition
The radio on my 2010 Jetta TDI Cup went out yesterday, totally dead, no display, no button illumination. 3 minute reset did not work. Add one more for the record.
 

imurrx

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2012
Location
People's Republic of Massachusetts
TDI
2010 TDI Cup Street Edition
The radio on my 2010 Jetta TDI Cup went out yesterday, totally dead, no display, no button illumination. 3 minute reset did not work. Add one more for the record.
There are five manufacturers that make the rc510 head. I bet one of them is to blame for these failures.

I refused to pay $600 for an OEM and the went with the cheapest HD dusk bin radio from Kenwood. Total cost $300 and self installed it. Only thing that does not work is the call button for the phone (it mutes it instead). Most after market radios will not use the microphone do you need to install that as well (not hard).
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
Delphi makes most of them. I know that Panasonic makes some of them too. There's a member on another forum who works for Panasonic. If your radio dies get a newer revision of it. The AF radios are best because AE typically needs a software update if you're upgrading your Bluetooth. You can also put an RNS-315 in the car and run a couple of wires to use the internal Bluetooth on the nav unit to get the added Bluetooth features. I have a few radios and navigations if anyone needs anything. Send me a message and I'll get an email.
 
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oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
The ones we see die a lot are Delphi. Pretty common failures, too. I have one in the shop now with a dead one (but it also has a dead turbo, so more pressing issues on that car). We had one die on a test drive, and the owner got all pissed off and never returned.
 

Greg MGM

New member
Joined
Oct 17, 2015
Location
Riverside County, CA
TDI
2010 Jetta Sportwagen TDI
Add us to the dead radio club. 2010 Jetta Sportwagen. Coachella Valley VW in CA wanted $1800 for a new replacement, and $780 for a refurbished. I called several electronic repair shops and they don't have a solution. We plan to buy from barryt82 next month (gotta pay the bills first!) He has radios on Ebay and has a 100% rating....can't beat that!
 

Hef

New member
Joined
Oct 20, 2015
Location
RI
TDI
2011 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen
Don't get your hopes up - your stereo won't resurrect itself

My 2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI radio crapped out the same day dieselgate hit. I was not happy. I tried to wait it out, pulled fuses, pressed power button, all suggestions from these forums, but still dead weeks later.

I will spare you the rant and give the facts. Dealer in RI wanted $115 to 'diagnose' it and tell me it's dead (I tested fuses etc I knew it was dead) I told them I didn't want to give VW another penny! So I went to small radio shop who diagnosed it for $20. Fault code was 01304 which means 'radio not communicating' and so, it was dead.

Called dealer to ask if they had a fix, gave them the fault code, or did they have to charge me $115 to tell me the same story. After an earful of "I HATE VW' due to dieselgate, the dealer said they'd diagnose it for free. Same answer, dead, has to be replaced.

Here is what really makes me mad !! I get a 'used' (re-manufactured) stereo, for a mere $700 plus labor, ONLY if I give them my original stereo. Which they will fix and sell to some other poor soul who's car with 50k or less miles on it blew out the stereo (unheard of ... ) And if I don't give them my dead stereo (which if sticker price in my head is right, was over $1000 bucks, then it's $1700 for a new stereo??!?!?! really ?? is it made of gold an plutonium??

Lucky for me the dealer said they'd cover all but @ $200, which I suspect is labor. (well lucky would have been they put reliable stereos in these model years I guess??) So I paid over a grand for it when I bought it, and if they didn't cut me some slack, they'd charge me about another grand for a used one, and then sell mine and make back another $700 off my broken one. So they are up what... $2700 for 1 stereo ??? what a rip off.

WHAT A RACKET !!!

If I had unlimited money I would crush this car into a cube and dump it at the dealership, never to pollute again ! but sadly, I don't. And finding an aftermarket stereo that will work with the car, wiring, etc seemed difficult, and expensive. So I was forced to pony up more cash to VW ... riding around with a Bluetooth speaker was getting old. Time to start thinking about my next car and what it will be.

So good luck with your dead stereo, but don't get your hopes up.
 

imurrx

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2012
Location
People's Republic of Massachusetts
TDI
2010 TDI Cup Street Edition
Make sure you replace it soon. Your battery will keep on draining until its dead. In 4-6 weeks of cold weather, you will have a dead battery or unable to keep a charge strong enough to do a cold crank start.

I went to Crutchfield and a decent radio and all necessary parts for under $300. You will need to buy not only the radio but a converter kit and steering control adapter. You could spend more or less. It is not as nice as the full 100% integration of an OEM, but saving +50% or getting more features is a well worth the trade.

There are plenty of videos of how to take apart the dash on YouTube. You need a gentle hand and basic wire soldering skills, you will have no problem installing it.
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
My 2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI radio crapped out the same day dieselgate hit. I was not happy. I tried to wait it out, pulled fuses, pressed power button, all suggestions from these forums, but still dead weeks later.

I will spare you the rant and give the facts. Dealer in RI wanted $115 to 'diagnose' it and tell me it's dead (I tested fuses etc I knew it was dead) I told them I didn't want to give VW another penny! So I went to small radio shop who diagnosed it for $20. Fault code was 01304 which means 'radio not communicating' and so, it was dead.

Called dealer to ask if they had a fix, gave them the fault code, or did they have to charge me $115 to tell me the same story. After an earful of "I HATE VW' due to dieselgate, the dealer said they'd diagnose it for free. Same answer, dead, has to be replaced.

Here is what really makes me mad !! I get a 'used' (re-manufactured) stereo, for a mere $700 plus labor, ONLY if I give them my original stereo. Which they will fix and sell to some other poor soul who's car with 50k or less miles on it blew out the stereo (unheard of ... ) And if I don't give them my dead stereo (which if sticker price in my head is right, was over $1000 bucks, then it's $1700 for a new stereo??!?!?! really ?? is it made of gold an plutonium??

Lucky for me the dealer said they'd cover all but @ $200, which I suspect is labor. (well lucky would have been they put reliable stereos in these model years I guess??) So I paid over a grand for it when I bought it, and if they didn't cut me some slack, they'd charge me about another grand for a used one, and then sell mine and make back another $700 off my broken one. So they are up what... $2700 for 1 stereo ??? what a rip off.

WHAT A RACKET !!!

If I had unlimited money I would crush this car into a cube and dump it at the dealership, never to pollute again ! but sadly, I don't. And finding an aftermarket stereo that will work with the car, wiring, etc seemed difficult, and expensive. So I was forced to pony up more cash to VW ... riding around with a Bluetooth speaker was getting old. Time to start thinking about my next car and what it will be.

So good luck with your dead stereo, but don't get your hopes up.
I have a few.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

jwil10

New member
Joined
Feb 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI
Barry, I need a radio without nav. How do we hook up? What is involved with the install? Will steering wheel controls still work?
Same questions here for Barry.

The Radio in my 2010 Jetta bit the dust a couple of weeks ago at about 60k miles. It didn't have Nav or Bluetooth but it would be nice to get one that does...as well as having the steering wheel controls. I'm a novice at this but could probably do my own install with a few tips and instructions.

Jason
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
Same questions here for Barry.

The Radio in my 2010 Jetta bit the dust a couple of weeks ago at about 60k miles. It didn't have Nav or Bluetooth but it would be nice to get one that does...as well as having the steering wheel controls. I'm a novice at this but could probably do my own install with a few tips and instructions.

Jason
I sent you a message
 

perplex

New member
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Location
San Francisco
TDI
Jetta 2010 TDI
Just signed up so I could add my +1. 2010 Jetta TDI, radio just went kapoot. Found this wonderful forum and read the entire thread. 3 minute button trick didn't work. Spent $200 to get the dealer to confirm what we already knew. Will be PMing Barry shortly.
 

ajbowman

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Location
Peoria, IL
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI sedan
my radio died today... looking at possible replacements. Has anyone ever tried one of the "Android 4.4" units from China that are all over ebay? I like that they are a direct fit and it looks like the have a ton of features.
 

MonsterTDI09

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2009
Location
NoVa/NJ
TDI
2010 Jetta DSG/ up keep on 2009 Jetta DSG 2006 Jetta Pag 2 in North SEA Green
Asking for trouble on those China E bay junk. Make sure radio is for the USA market.

I just replace mine with a used one I found here. It also shorted out the shark fin antenna. That was fun to replace
 

Ignitious

New member
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Location
Texas
TDI
2010 Jetta
Add another one, my radio went out on me a few months back and I ended up throwing an aftermarket head unit in it. The only problem I am having is my reception to FM/AM is absolutely horrible now. I came across a schematic of how the antenna works on the original radio, and there is some sort of booster in it... But I can figure this out. Sometimes it works good sometimes it doesn't. Is it my antenna or wiring somewhere I need to modify?? It's a 2010 Jetta that had the Premium 8 radio without the amp. I'm to the point where I'm about to disconnect the factory antenna and put an aftermarket in it, because I guess I'm old school and like FM:cool:.
 

MonsterTDI09

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2009
Location
NoVa/NJ
TDI
2010 Jetta DSG/ up keep on 2009 Jetta DSG 2006 Jetta Pag 2 in North SEA Green
Add another one, my radio went out on me a few months back and I ended up throwing an aftermarket head unit in it. The only problem I am having is my reception to FM/AM is absolutely horrible now. I came across a schematic of how the antenna works on the original radio, and there is some sort of booster in it... But I can figure this out. Sometimes it works good sometimes it doesn't. Is it my antenna or wiring somewhere I need to modify?? It's a 2010 Jetta that had the Premium 8 radio without the amp. I'm to the point where I'm about to disconnect the factory antenna and put an aftermarket in it, because I guess I'm old school and like FM:cool:.
The system has two antennas in the rear window. The stock radio automatically selects the one with stronger single. I hope this helps.

The new radio could have a problem.
 

Ignitious

New member
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Location
Texas
TDI
2010 Jetta
The system has two antennas in the rear window. The stock radio automatically selects the one with stronger single. I hope this helps.

The new radio could have a problem.
I don't believe it's the radio having an issue, but rather just the antenna not working properly with the aftermarket radio. If it helps, the radio is a Pioneer AVH270BT. I'm wondering... How could I just set it to one or maybe split between both? I just want good signal as stock as possible. Would an amplifier fix my problems? Also... Which antenna wire in the dash is the AM/FM. I can't say the colors for sure, but on my car there is a 2 plug antenna (I think green) and then a 1 plug (I think this one was white). I left the 1 plug dangling because I was under the impression it was the satellite radio which I don't use. But if it's due to something I have hooked up wrong, that's an easy fix.
 

CDubber

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
Location
Utah
TDI
Jetta SportWagen TDI
Fired up my Sportwagen tonight to take the boys to music lessons and was greeted by an unfamiliar expanse of darkness in my center stack. Which of course led me here. 3-minute reset did nothing. Haven't checked the fuses yet, but this thread does not make me optimistic.

I should have known 92k miles and zero problems was too good to last. So much for that $500 gift card from VW (if I ever actually receive it). I guess it will now go toward a new head unit. Oh well, at least I can get something decent this time, with CarPlay. The stock head unit was a complete turd anyway. :(
 

Troubled73

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2011
Location
Ontario Canada
TDI
2011 Golf/Jetta TDI Sportwagon
Well. One more. I have a 2011 Sportwagon TDI and started it, my speakers made a bump noise and screen is black. I believe it is the 510 model. 106,000 km. Checked F8 fuse with a DMM, ok, took the head unit out, 15 on the back is ok. 14V power on the harness and it still charges my iPhone on the MDI connector.

Barry, got any Navi units ? Do they have North America mapping ? I am in Ontario Canada.
 

Adkhunter1590

Active member
Joined
Mar 16, 2014
Location
Albany, NY
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI
I've been driving without a radio since June. I was driving home from work one afternoon and the radio just cut out and went black. Did everything I could find online to try and get it working again to no avail. I've just been too cheap lately to put a new one in. That and I kinda enjoy the quiet on my drives to and from work. But I will be putting a new one in soon as it's beginning to get a little boring without FM radio at least.

Where can I get a stock radio for the cheapest price? Anyone on here have someplace to direct me to?

And if not a stock radio. What aftermarket ones have been easy to install in these cars.
 
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