new passat - RNS510 update experience for VIM, maps

[nyc863]

Ok in case anyone has a new passat and is hesitating. My RNS510 came with V5 map data, and it gets a lot of speeds wrong, the time to destination estimate is useless, etc etc.
The dealer, Barloworld, bless their tight fisted hearts gave me a V4 map DVD when i asked why one was not in the car. If I was better informed I'd have thrown it back and demanded the V5 DVD but eh what can you do.

Online elsewhere in vwwatercooled I found the Feb V6 australian map image hosted by google drive, which fits onto a burned CD. This update process took about 15 minutes if you do it in a quiet car you can hear the disk and the HDD alternately grinding away. If you get worried that the RNS510 will shut itself off to preserve battery you can start the car while it is still going. If you try to Eject the disk during the process - because maps etc still work while it is running, so it is confusing as to what is going on - it'll tell you it is still copying data and ask if you want to be notified when it is done. Obviously pick Notify, when it is done it ejects the disk.

Second, I wanted the "secret" menu enabled (which has audio "Loudness" on by default), and video in motion to amuse the kids when driving long distances on private property. I used the Berto89 recode video in motion ISO image. At first I failed because I didn't clearly notice the correct way of doing it, which is this:

1. keys out
2. turn on RNS510 eg to radio
3. three finger salute: Setup + Eject + the button next to Eject .. this isn't the three fingered reboot, it is "prep for possible firmware downgrade" option. The instant you do this the radio blacks out and will attempt to power up
4. Insert the VIM burned CD (the data on the CD is really tiny - just a script to set two flash location values, whose addresses do not seem to change with each new version of RNS510 firmware)
5. The unit will boot off this CD and then a screen will come up with some details and an OK button
6. Press OK and it runs, almost instantly, as nothing need be read or written to HDD or whatever, just flash
7. Eject the disk.
8. That's it..

You can tell it worked even without a DVD if you hold down SETUP for 20 seconds and the first "secret menu" switches to the second more extensive "secret menu" at the 20 second mark. That means VIM got enabled as well.

[Marakai]

Would have been helpful if you'd linked to the image, so I don't have to dive into the VWWC deep search! Or at least the forum post!

[nyc863]

this wiki has the link to the ISO.
In case it vanishes, the ultimate source is the site gpsunderground just google "RNS510 gpsunderground vim" where the RNS510 gurus hang out.

US RNS-510 Video In Motion - Rob86Wiki

Here is someones v6 map iso (as a rar)

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3v44jhkKI6wR2JRWDFfb1U5eVk/edit?usp=sharing

although you might have to look again at this topic, the tail end, if the link doesn't work in future:

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/f78/v6-australia-maps-82963-10.html

[Marakai]

Muchly thanks!

[Guest001]

Muchly thanks!

There are hundreds of posts about this here

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/f78/firmware-updates-rns510-units-australia-nz-69790.html

And here

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/f78/v6-australia-maps-82963.html

The map link provided in the post above is an RAR file and there are better ones in that thread which I put up and I can guarantee it works

Like this one https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3Cr...REU/edit?pli=1

[Guest001]

Ok in case anyone has a new passat and is hesitating. My RNS510 came with V5 map data, and it gets a lot of speeds wrong, the time to destination estimate is useless, etc etc.
The dealer, Barloworld, bless their tight fisted hearts gave me a V4 map DVD when i asked why one was not in the car. If I was better informed I'd have thrown it back and demanded the V5 DVD but eh what can you do.

Online elsewhere in vwwatercooled I found the Feb V6 australian map image hosted by google drive, which fits onto a burned CD. This update process took about 15 minutes if you do it in a quiet car you can hear the disk and the HDD alternately grinding away. If you get worried that the RNS510 will shut itself off to preserve battery you can start the car while it is still going. If you try to Eject the disk during the process - because maps etc still work while it is running, so it is confusing as to what is going on - it'll tell you it is still copying data and ask if you want to be notified when it is done. Obviously pick Notify, when it is done it ejects the disk.

Second, I wanted the "secret" menu enabled (which has audio "Loudness" on by default), and video in motion to amuse the kids when driving long distances on private property. I used the Berto89 recode video in motion ISO image. At first I failed because I didn't clearly notice the correct way of doing it, which is this:

1. keys out
2. turn on RNS510 eg to radio
3. three finger salute: Setup + Eject + the button next to Eject .. this isn't the three fingered reboot, it is "prep for possible firmware downgrade" option. The instant you do this the radio blacks out and will attempt to power up
4. Insert the VIM burned CD (the data on the CD is really tiny - just a script to set two flash location values, whose addresses do not seem to change with each new version of RNS510 firmware)
5. The unit will boot off this CD and then a screen will come up with some details and an OK button
6. Press OK and it runs, almost instantly, as nothing need be read or written to HDD or whatever, just flash
7. Eject the disk.
8. That's it..

You can tell it worked even without a DVD if you hold down SETUP for 20 seconds and the first "secret menu" switches to the second more extensive "secret menu" at the 20 second mark. That means VIM got enabled as well.

All you had to do was install the 4020 or 4120 firmware which would have been much easier as long as you have a "C" or later unit

Also better to use DVD's than Cd's and burn slow

[nyc863]

* My RNS510 came with 4120 firmware already

* I don't have vag-com stuff handy which I understand is necessary after any firmware flash -- to re-code to MFD ..

* both CDs went fine, I just burned at slowest speed, the VIM one is instant because its small, the map one didn't take long either. I don't see the diff TBH, in fact some people failing with DVD burns were told to use CDs instead.

* there is nothing wrong with a google hosted rar - at least it isn't down for bandwidth reasons or requires non-member waits etc. The VIM ISO is a direct copy of the one produced and distributed on gpsunderground, minus the original german instructions

* There are indeed 100s of posts, but I found them confusing and often self-contradictory as they cover huge time periods and a number of different vehicles, RNS510 releases, and so on and so forth.

[toto]

Thank you nyc863.

I too had tried to install the VIM but failed to read the instructions. So had not bothered to attempt reinstalling.

After finding your instructions I have reinstalled and all works great, so thanks for making it easier for me.

[Guest001]

* My RNS510 came with 4120 firmware already

* I don't have vag-com stuff handy which I understand is necessary after any firmware flash -- to re-code to MFD ..

* both CDs went fine, I just burned at slowest speed, the VIM one is instant because its small, the map one didn't take long either. I don't see the diff TBH, in fact some people failing with DVD burns were told to use CDs instead.

* there is nothing wrong with a google hosted rar - at least it isn't down for bandwidth reasons or requires non-member waits etc. The VIM ISO is a direct copy of the one produced and distributed on gpsunderground, minus the original german instructions

* There are indeed 100s of posts, but I found them confusing and often self-contradictory as they cover huge time periods and a number of different vehicles, RNS510 releases, and so on and so forth.

The 4120 I and most others used has VIM, a male text to speech voice and 90/5/5 partitioning in it and doesnt require any coding whatever after install.

I have gone from 2670 through several updates to 4120 and havent got any vagcom stuff and have never needed it to do the updates

[Marakai]

There are hundreds of posts about this here

My fault for not looking outside of the B7 forum enough. It's the main hang out. Guess I need to leave the comfy nest.

[nyc863]

well, for someone with a new Passat, which already is 4120, and they don't want to dive into the murky waters of full firmware upgrades just yet I think upgrading with the stock map disk then flipping the flash bytes to enable VIM is less sweaty a procedure.

But maybe that is just my reaction to 100 pages of q&a about head unit versions, beta firmware, reloading songs and personal POIs, etc etc.

Certainly I see loads of warnings to save your radio coding in case the procedure doesn't work and you need to vcds it again.

I'm not going to upgrade to 5128+ until it is shown to offer something good, like perhaps using the DAB hardware that is in my 510.