RNS510 - Audio DVD

[Stoney!]

Hi all,

I'm having troubles getting DVD's with Audio on them to work in my car, it just keeps spitting them out with an error message.

I've tried two burnt from media player, one with WPL playlist and sub folders, one with M3U playlist and no sub folders.

Another just burnt all selected songs with NTI, a burning program as a data disk. Any Ideas why its not working. I'm using Verbatim DVD+R 16x

Also My car is a August 09 build and it says in the users manual that it accepts SDHC up to 32gb, yet my 4gb SDHC when put in brings up an error saying check card???

Stoney!

[Stoney!]

Another question, the Media I was using was a re-writable DVD, does that matter?

Maybe the DVD has the be a DVD+R instead of DVD+R RW.

Thanks for your help.

Peter Stone.

[Grover]

The RNS510 really is a bit below par. I have had nothing but problems with mine for the entire time I have owned my new 118. Given how slow and unresponsive this over-priced crap is, I would not have thought to even try DVD audio.

[Maverick]

The RNS510 really is a bit below par. I have had nothing but problems with mine for the entire time I have owned my new 118. Given how slow and unresponsive this over-priced crap is, I would not have thought to even try DVD audio.

Don't confuse your problems (whatever they are) with the RNS 510 "being a bit below par". The RNS 510 is the best oem headunit available at the moment and they're constantly adding new features, improvement and fixes with each new version of firmware.

If you have problems post your firmware version and issues as most of them have probably been encountered before.

[suparockin]

Maybe because you're using ripped off material?

Have you tried a DVD you actually bought?

[Grover]

Don't confuse your problems (whatever they are) with the RNS 510 "being a bit below par". The RNS 510 is the best oem headunit available at the moment and they're constantly adding new features, improvement and fixes with each new version of firmware.

If you have problems post your firmware version and issues as most of them have probably been encountered before.

Struth!....

OK. My RNS510 is a genuine product fitted by the dealer. It may well be a good unit as far as OEM units go but let me describe the problems I have had since day one.

HARDWARE:

* The reponse time is far too slow (CPU below par).

* The screen in my unit is now flaring with red (warranty claim pending).

* The GPS antenna is buckling and distorting all by iteself (heat maybe?)

SOFTWARE/FIRMWARE:

* The firmeware supplied by VW is out of date (as you have mentioned... more on that later).

* The maps are out of date so the unit gives me no voice guidance for longer trips.

I suspect that the VW dealers and VW itself in this country are partly to blame for my experience. Let's not confuse things here. If you can help then I would be very appreciative. You need to remember that I don't yet have third party diag software like VAGCOM or whatever yet... so how to obtain the firmware number?

[Grover]

Maybe because you're using ripped off material?

Have you tried a DVD you actually bought?

That was a truly helpful and intelligent post... Mr suparockin.

[suparockin]

That was a truly helpful and intelligent post... Mr suparockin.

Um no problems, so regular DVD's worked?

[Maverick]

Struth!....

OK. My RNS510 is a genuine product fitted by the dealer. It may well be a good unit as far as OEM units go but let me describe the problems I have had since day one.

HARDWARE:

* The reponse time is far too slow (CPU below par).

Depends on where you're talking about, later firmware versions have made big speed improvements.

* The screen in my unit is now flaring with red (warranty claim pending).

That's a fault in the unit as you noted.

* The GPS antenna is buckling and distorting all by iteself (heat maybe?)

GPS antenna on factory fitted unit is on the roof, the fitment location as I think we discussed a while ago is normally under the dash and out of sight.

SOFTWARE/FIRMWARE:

* The firmeware supplied by VW is out of date (as you have mentioned... more on that later).

If factory fitted they come with the latest firmware. Dealer fitted depends on where it's sourced from. Versions prior to version 1100 could enter the test mode via rebooting the RNS 510 and holding down the setup button when the VW logo comes up until it enters the test menu. This is hit and miss and it can take five reboots to get in. If you can't get in either you're having problems getting the button pressing correct (on a few occasions I gave up trying and tried it again the next day) or you're running version 1100.

* The maps are out of date so the unit gives me no voice guidance for longer trips.

What version maps are you running? V1 or V2? V3 is due out end of this year.

Part of the problem with the maps is that they're sourced from Telstra/Sensis and the data they supply to VW is not all that crash hot. Hopefully V3 will be a big improvement.

I suspect that the VW dealers and VW itself in this country are partly to blame for my experience. Let's not confuse things here. If you can help then I would be very appreciative. You need to remember that I don't yet have third party diag software like VAGCOM or whatever yet... so how to obtain the firmware number?

Try the steps I mentioned above to check the firmware. I'll post the differences between a few of the versions of the firmware if I can remember some easily identifiable screens.

When they replace the unit you can ask them then what version is fitted. Version 2660 is a reasonably easy upgrade but does have a few bugs (fairly minor) that can affect some units.

[Grover]

Hi and thanks for the quick response.

I have read various forums which make reference to the newer firmware and some of the screen shots leave the impression that there have been significant improvements (as you say). If this includes the responsiveness of the unit then that is great.

Pretty much all of what you have said in your post is information that I am already aware of and I have tried several times to obtain the firmware details via the hidden display which I have not yet been successful obtaining... I will keep trying.

As you say the GPS antenna is far better mounted under the dash but the dealer fitted it to the top of the dash and I will have to re-install as discussed. The thing is that as a customer I would expect that they (the dealer) would know this (what was I thinking?). BTW: I am using v2 maps.

I think my point here is that the whole satnav package and the way it is generally handled in this country (factory installation now is quite rare) VW have lost the focus on the customer experience. The result of which is quite poor in my case. As a new VW owner I have not had much to be excited about yet but I will give it time. I think that VW Australia themselves are spoiling an otherwise very good brand by way of a poor business model and dealer politics.

I can only make comment based on my limited experience with this satnav system. Maybe I am just very unlucky however nothing you have said so far has changed my mind because at this moment I am in the thick of it... trying to sort it out. Right now I think it is a piece of crap but in a few months time (if things go well) maybe I will be able to better separate the unit itself from the 3rd party factors which seem to have influenced the overall experience.

[borbor1313]

Hi and thanks for the quick response.


As you say the GPS antenna is far better mounted under the dash but the dealer fitted it to the top of the dash and I will have to re-install as discussed. The thing is that as a customer I would expect that they (the dealer) would know this (what was I thinking?). BTW: I am using v2 maps.

I think my point here is that the whole satnav package and the way it is generally handled in this country (factory installation now is quite rare) VW have lost the focus on the customer experience. The result of which is quite poor in my case. As a new VW owner I have not had much to be excited about yet but I will give it time. I think that VW Australia themselves are spoiling an otherwise very good brand by way of a poor business model and dealer politics.

I can only make comment based on my limited experience with this satnav system. Maybe I am just very unlucky however nothing you have said so far has changed my mind because at this moment I am in the thick of it... trying to sort it out. Right now I think it is a piece of crap but in a few months time (if things go well) maybe I will be able to better separate the unit itself from the 3rd party factors which seem to have influenced the overall experience.

How about some pictures of where your antenna is mounted???
If it is indeed mounted ontop of your dash it suggest a very very poor install by anyones standards.Alot of your issues may be installation related rather than rns510 itself per se.If they can do this it is also possible that they may have damaged the antenna plug during installation and maybe even your screen if it is flaring red.

I only have 0900 FW and have no issues what so ever so I dont think you can blame not up to date FW. Satellites acquired almost instaneously after turn on,routes calculated and rerouting after missed turns recalculated in approx 3 seconds.Maps sure do leave alot to be desired and hopefully v3 will fix alot of missing areas but this also does not impact on how the RNS510 functions when in mapped areas.

[Maverick]

As you say the GPS antenna is far better mounted under the dash but the dealer fitted it to the top of the dash and I will have to re-install as discussed. The thing is that as a customer I would expect that they (the dealer) would know this (what was I thinking?). BTW: I am using v2 maps.

I think my point here is that the whole satnav package and the way it is generally handled in this country (factory installation now is quite rare) VW have lost the focus on the customer experience. The result of which is quite poor in my case. As a new VW owner I have not had much to be excited about yet but I will give it time. I think that VW Australia themselves are spoiling an otherwise very good brand by way of a poor business model and dealer politics.

One key point to take note of is that VW do not support the retrofitting of the RNS 510. The RNS 510 is still not available as a spare part over the counter in Australia IIRC.

The RNS 510's that are sold by the dealers are imported from Europe by local companies and resold to the dealers. Hence why the warranty is only 12 months.

Customer service is a problem at the VW level in Australia because they outsource it. And some dealers just plain suck and should lose their VW dealerships IMO.

I can only make comment based on my limited experience with this satnav system. Maybe I am just very unlucky however nothing you have said so far has changed my mind because at this moment I am in the thick of it... trying to sort it out. Right now I think it is a piece of crap but in a few months time (if things go well) maybe I will be able to better separate the unit itself from the 3rd party factors which seem to have influenced the overall experience.

Hopefully you'll get it all sorted out!

[Grover]

One key point to take note of is that VW do not support the retrofitting of the RNS 510. The RNS 510 is still not available as a spare part over the counter in Australia IIRC.

The RNS 510's that are sold by the dealers are imported from Europe by local companies and resold to the dealers. Hence why the warranty is only 12 months.

Hmmmm... I went back to the dealer on Monday (after a 5 week wait) and went berserk (put on a real show), let them know that I am a reasonable person (up to a point) after which I will be simply unreasonable. They told me that the problem was that VW Australia are worried about dealers buying the units in directly from 3rd parties (at a much cheaper rate) and increasing their profit margin.

You can order the RNS510 directly from VW as a part because that is exactly where mine is coming from but they would not send the replacment unit until the one that was in my car was ripped out and was sighted as having the genuine VW warranty sticker on the back of it. So they pulled it out and I saw the warranty sticker they were referring to. A new RNS510 is now ordered from the VW parts centre in Sydney and will be here any day now.

The dealer had my car for a total of about 10 minutes (to pull out the rns510 and put it back in again) and in that time they have dented the dash (irrepairable) and scratched the facia around the AC controls. They have now ordered a new facia plate (comes from Singapore)... another 5 day wait.

So the dealer I purchased the car from (Gold Coast) f#^ked up the install (everything including the number plate mounting) and the dealer that I am trying to get the satnav fixed with (Bundaberg) is even less competant.

Has anyone here ever found a dealer that they are happy with (for any make of vehicle)?

[Maverick]

Hmmmm... I went back to the dealer on Monday (after a 5 week wait) and went berserk (put on a real show), let them know that I am a reasonable person (up to a point) after which I will be simply unreasonable. They told me that the problem was that VW Australia are worried about dealers buying the units in directly from 3rd parties (at a much cheaper rate) and increasing their profit margin.

Of course VWA could fix this problem by lowering their price. VWA weren't selling units until recently (wasn't sure if they had started yet) and dealers were forced to go via other channels. The stupid thing is that VWA missed out on a lot of profit for the 18 months they didn't sell the RNS 510 via the parts channel.

You can order the RNS510 directly from VW as a part because that is exactly where mine is coming from but they would not send the replacment unit until the one that was in my car was ripped out and was sighted as having the genuine VW warranty sticker on the back of it. So they pulled it out and I saw the warranty sticker they were referring to. A new RNS510 is now ordered from the VW parts centre in Sydney and will be here any day now.

That still sounds like BS to me, all they have to do is give VW the serial number of the unit. Having to view the sticker sounds very much like hick logic. Pulling the dash apart to verify that leads of course to the problem that you had next.

The dealer had my car for a total of about 10 minutes (to pull out the rns510 and put it back in again) and in that time they have dented the dash (irrepairable) and scratched the facia around the AC controls. They have now ordered a new facia plate (comes from Singapore)... another 5 day wait.

To do that sort of damage is pretty inexcusable, it's not that hard to remove the head unit and using trim tools there is limited risk of damage. The main part that you have problems with is the fascia around the AC/Headunit as the clips on there can pull away (they can be glued back on and it's better than spending $95 on a new fasica if you're doing it yourself.)

So the dealer I purchased the car from (Gold Coast) f#^ked up the install (everything including the number plate mounting) and the dealer that I am trying to get the satnav fixed with (Bundaberg) is even less competant.

Has anyone here ever found a dealer that they are happy with (for any make of vehicle)?

I'm happy with Highway Auto, they've made a few mistakes but they fix them up. The dealer at Bundaberg sounds pretty rough but it _may_ have been a one off?

[coastie]

Grover may be no consolation for you but Garry Crick at Sunshine Coast have been good for all my warranty work on the multivan, door trim, window tint, door seal, several plastic clips that break during servicing all replaced when I asked.

The Golf only has the squeal and we know that is still not resolved. The did supply MDI ipod interface FOC when asked and also fitted bonnet/headlight protectors as this was supposed to be delivered with the vehicle but wasn't manufactured when we bought it. So they do try to help it may be your closest alternative.