Bluetooth help needed for my10 118TSI

[RosscoMK3]

I recently purchased a MY10 118TSI and was under the impression that bluetooth was standard in these models.
Reading through all the info I could find it seems like a reasonable assumption.



You get inside the car and scroll through the setup menu and it seems to be part of the stereo.



There are all the right buttons on the steering wheel.



Now I've read a heap of threads involving Bluetooth issues and none of them really helped. My apologies if this has been done to death.
Does this car even have bluetooth?
I've tried pairing the phone numerous times with no success.

Thanks

[jameshero]

Bluetooth became standard in MY12

[RosscoMK3]

Thanks Jameshero. You can't get much more simple than that.
It's killing me not having bluetooth while driving.
Was it difficult to do the RNS510 and 9w7 install yourself?
At the moment I'm tossing up between an aftermarket unit with better GPS options, or installing the bluetooth on the existing stereo. The later will require me to buy another Garmin (which has been my favourite gps out of the several I've owned).

[Ryan_R]

If you look under the last of your pink highlights you'll see Bluetooth connectivity which doesn't come with the car.

Fairly easy to DIY install after purchasing from eBay. All the other bits of the car 'support' bluetooth (all integrates together) but you need the actual BT module for them all to work.

You might also consider purchasing the RNS510 (sat nav/dvd player/30GB HDD for music, shows phone book when BT is installed) from eBay (~$1000) so that you can install both at the same time. Otherwise as you said just get a Garmin or smart phone with Google Maps.

[RosscoMK3]

Thanks Ryan_R.
Are the ebay ones new or second hand? The prices vary so much.

[Ryan_R]

New or refurbished. Price depends on the version and revision and what whether or not the entire kit is included (you'll need the plug-n-play harness).

Installation guide is here: http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...13302206530971

[BottomScratcher]

.
Does this car even have bluetooth?
I've tried pairing the phone numerous times with no success.

Thanks

Ryan_R is on the right track. The last line you've marked is ambiguous, but the one under it is clear enough, i.e. no BT unit, which isn't shown as standard on your car, then no connectivity.

I wouldn't worry about "doing it to death". There's so much BT stuff to get one's head around, and being able to decipher the accessory list is just the beginning. Welcome to the joys of now ploughing through the combinations of headunit/BT unit options available from more sources than you can poke a stick at. And once you make a decision then all you have to do is install, and do the VCDS coding for the steering wheel functions to operate.

It might sound a bit daunting, but retrofitting is relatively easy, and while the options aren't cheap, if you plan to hang onto the car for a while IMO it just makes sense to do it. I simply don't get it when I see people driving cars with thousands of bucks worth of optional extras fitted with a phone in their hand.

[jameshero]

If you look under the last of your pink highlights you'll see Bluetooth connectivity which doesn't come with the car.

That refers to the dealer fitted genuine accessory, whereas the line highlighted in pink refers to the factory fitted 9W7 unit. As he has a 118TSI (highlighted in yellow), if he had a MY12, bluetooth would have been standard.

As for retrofitting, RNS510 was piss easy. 9W7 was slightly more difficult but still easy. More or less followed the guide posted by Ryan_R, however rather than removing the A Pillar trim, I just pushed the cable under the rubber seal. Also purchased this unit Bluetooth VW RNS 510 9W7 UHV AD2P / 7P6 035 730 F!!! 2012!!! newer than 5K0! | eBay which, unlike the unit in the guide, plays the streaming audio through both left and right channels. However to be compatible with RCD310, RCD510 and RNS510 the microphone in and out (on the head unit) are bridged on the wiring harness, which people have reported to cause interference. This can be easily changed as per this post... http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...tml#post727210.

[RosscoMK3]

Thanks for the advice Ryan_R.
I guess I've got a whole lot more reading to do. I'll make sure to check back for further tips before making any purchases.

Thanks also BottomScratcher.
The accesories list was clear enough. I was simply looking at the wrong year brochure.
The Yellow column is the 118TSI and the pink lines denote a difference between models. Had the dealer bothered to get back to me I'd be driving a 118TSI with the features included. Instead he decided I wasn't worth following up and it was easier to buy an 18 month old model for 10K less. My heart bleeds for all the dealers doing it tough.
Anyway, I'm a member on other forums and I know how annoying it is when newbies keep posting the same old questions, over and over, without ever doing a search. I've been searching and reading up on this for months now without any real insight.
Thanks for letting me know that this is "done to death" for good reason. Although I've read a fair few threads where people go on about " not having to pay for things you never use", I feel that BT is a pretty bog standard product that should be standard on every above average car.
I too hate seeing people driving around talking on there phones. It's so common with all the uber rich mob around my area.
$200k+ on a car and they still drive like idiots while on the phone.
Wait until the new camera setup gets rolling and people start getting fines accompanied by a long distance photo in the mail.

I've noticed there are a few different factory codes being used for different versions of the same component. Jameshero vs Ryan_R with the bluetooth kits. These are the bits that are daunting at this stage.

Edit:
Missed your post Jameshero. Thanks for the links.
All I need to decide on now is how much I want to install (including RCam etc.), whether or not to use the rns510, or go down the aftermarket path for a better gps experience.
I'm still yet to get into a car with OEM navigation that is any better than above average.

[Ryan_R]

Yeah I assumed you had the correct year brochure but it was apparent you didn't when I had a closer look at the pictures (would've helped if we saw the headings)

Different codes isn't a problem - just means I bought mine when 9W3 was the latest and greatest. I wasn't expecting new versions to be released for the same car. If I wanted to I could buy a 9W7 and swap it over in 10 minutes (I don't really need the extra features though). The hardest part of installing the kit the first time was jut routing the microphone cable through the roof (I didn't have such a great guide to follow back then though).

As far as codes go your main two choices are 9W7 and 9WZ. The big difference is that 9WZ can support RSAP (Remote Sim) if your phone supports it and you like that feature. I wouldn't use it since it disables your phone's internet connection.

If you've got loads of time read through this thread: http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...510-31461.html (Just keep an eye on the date of posts though).

[RosscoMK3]

That refers to the dealer fitted genuine accessory, whereas the line highlighted in pink refers to the factory fitted 9W7 unit. As he has a 118TSI (highlighted in yellow), if he had a MY12, bluetooth would have been standard.

As for retrofitting, RNS510 was piss easy. 9W7 was slightly more difficult but still easy. More or less followed the guide posted by Ryan_R, however rather than removing the A Pillar trim, I just pushed the cable under the rubber seal. Also purchased this unit Bluetooth VW RNS 510 9W7 UHV AD2P / 7P6 035 730 F!!! 2012!!! newer than 5K0! | eBay which, unlike the unit in the guide, plays the streaming audio through both left and right channels. However to be compatible with RCD310, RCD510 and RNS510 the microphone in and out (on the head unit) are bridged on the wiring harness, which people have reported to cause interference. This can be easily changed as per this post... http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...tml#post727210.

I've been looking at the " newer than 5KO" ebay link you provided. That seems like a pretty good buy.
Do the mods solve the interference issues while retaining full compatability? Does the MFD work also?
Sorry if I'm missing obvious things but my head is starting to hurt with all the reading I've been doing today.

[jameshero]

I've been looking at the " newer than 5KO" ebay link you provided. That seems like a pretty good buy.
Do the mods solve the interference issues while retaining full compatability? Does the MFD work also?
Sorry if I'm missing obvious things but my head is starting to hurt with all the reading I've been doing today.

Yup, the modification to the harness allows for full compatibility, both stereo streaming and voice control of both RNS510 and 9W7. You can control bluetooth via either the MFD and the RNS510, however to get it to display in the MFD, coding is required.

All I need to decide on now is how much I want to install (including RCam etc.), whether or not to use the rns510, or go down the aftermarket path for a better gps experience.
I'm still yet to get into a car with OEM navigation that is any better than above average.

OK, so the navigation part of it is alright, if I just want to get somewhere with minimal effort then I use it, the instructions come up in the MFD as well which is nice. However some of the routes it chooses are very peculiar, the speed limits it displays is wrong, there is no warning for speed and traffic light cameras and the estimated arrival time is WAY out.

Also the latest maps disc that is easily obtainable has no traffic service, but while CD_7703 does, the TMC service in Australia is super, super bad. (Google search Suna Traffic). On the rare occasion it does work, messages only come up if the traffic is worse than usual (thats is if they come up at all). Eg: Rosanna Road through Heidelberg is a nightmare every morning, and therefore no message is broadcasted. However while a TomTom takes traffic history into account as well, the RNS510 does not, and therefore will drive you straight into traffic, if that traffic is there every day at that time.

During peak hour I always use TomTom on my iPhone with live traffic, as the routes are better, it avoids traffic, it tells me about traffic cameras and the estimated time is normally within 1 or 2 minutes of my actual arrival time.

However on the plus side the RNS510 does allow you to use the OEM Reversing Camera. Personally I wouldn't be able to deal with a third party reversing camera with a little screen attached to the dash. My plan to install the Reversing Camera was a large part of my decision to purchase the unit. The way the camera pops out under the boot latch is also very cool. =D The touch screen makes using your mobile much much easier as well, as using the MFD for telephone is really quite frustrating. While you could just buy RCD510, I decided the few $100 difference between the two was worth it.

EDIT: Also maps tend to be rather out of date, 2011Q1 Maps became available on the internet in 2012Q1.

[RosscoMK3]

Thanks so much for the insight guys. I'm really starting to get a feel for the system now and that makes my options a whole lot more clear cut.
The Kenwood system is really tweaking my interest as it does away with a lot of the hassles. Can I wait? Who knows.

Before saying any more I need to say that I love my, almost new, 118TSI. I'm not trying to hate on VW. I turned down a 1 year old, MPS luxury model with $2k more on the price tag for this car and couldn't be happier.

When people speak of coding, how hard is it? More importantly, how expensive is it and what is the best way to go about it?
For a pleb like me, that is.

[jameshero]

When people speak of coding, how hard is it? More importantly, how expensive is it and what is the best way to go about it?

Very easy. You need the cable found on this website Ross-Tech Store: VCDS License with Micro-CAN Interface which is $249 or many people are happy to code/let you use their cable for an hour for a slab of beer.

[Ryan_R]

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f112/official-vww-vcds-tweak-library-50749.html