VAG-Abound
06-02-2015, 10:17 PM
After getting ridiculously confused trying to figure out which VAG Bluetooth (aka BT) module would work with out 08 plate Touran, the red MFD and its RNS510 I decided to just get a pretty recent module and see if it worked. I selected a 7P6035730J, because that is supposed to handle A2DP (stream music from phone) and AVRCP (control phone songs from head unit).
But we also have an older 2003 Touran and although the Bluetooth is destined for the newer vehicle I thought I'd see just how much or little it worked in the older one, and in case it ever helps anyone here are the results...
Vehicle is a 53 plate Touran - so pretty early in the model range. It originally had an old style 'split face' black buttoned RCD300, but I switched this over to a more modern MP3 capable silver buttoned one recently. I tried the module with both versions and got broadly the same result.
Install consisted of:
Remove head unit;
Use piggy-back Quadlock loom to add BT to RCD300;
Plug other end of loom into BT unit;
Plug microphone into loom at BT unit end (the loom also has another connector for the 'loop through' voice control on suitable head units);
Turn ignition on, and pair phone with "VW Phone" device that becomes discoverable (no PIN - which surprised me).
And then testing:
Called mobile from house phone and answer on mobile - shows 'PHONE' on RCD300 and sound / mic work for call;
Use mobile to call house - shows 'PHONE' on RCD300 and sound / mic work for call;
Play music on phone - streams to RCD300 and it says 'PHONE'.
As expected I couldn't find any magic tweaks to pick up calls, make calls, or pick music tracks from the car since the RCD300 isn't phone / media aware, and as it isn't a multi-function steering wheel (MFSW) there aren't any buttons on there either. Although I was only playing with it on the drive I think it was still a useful set of functionality, although you do need to do the actual control via the phone itself.
One thing worth mentioning is that the old RCD300 only has a single channel audio input on the phone pins that the BT module uses so I must have been hearing a mono result, although it came from all 4 speakers. Whether the BT unit knew this and mixed L+R down before pushing down the channel or instead simply sent just the right-hand (I think they are the pins the RCD 300 has) so that I 'silently' lost one half of the sound I don't know - maybe I'll make a suitable test track up tomorrow to see.
So all in all a useful result :).
Finally I hooked VCDS up and added the 77 - Telephone module to the CAN Gateway. But VCDS refused to communicate with the module, and gave an error to that effect. I'm not sure if thus is because the CAN module is an early 'C' variant, or if it means that the BT module is actually damaged. I'll hopefully find it works when I put it in the newer car. Fingers crossed that I get the AVRCP working there as well :confused:.
But we also have an older 2003 Touran and although the Bluetooth is destined for the newer vehicle I thought I'd see just how much or little it worked in the older one, and in case it ever helps anyone here are the results...
Vehicle is a 53 plate Touran - so pretty early in the model range. It originally had an old style 'split face' black buttoned RCD300, but I switched this over to a more modern MP3 capable silver buttoned one recently. I tried the module with both versions and got broadly the same result.
Install consisted of:
Remove head unit;
Use piggy-back Quadlock loom to add BT to RCD300;
Plug other end of loom into BT unit;
Plug microphone into loom at BT unit end (the loom also has another connector for the 'loop through' voice control on suitable head units);
Turn ignition on, and pair phone with "VW Phone" device that becomes discoverable (no PIN - which surprised me).
And then testing:
Called mobile from house phone and answer on mobile - shows 'PHONE' on RCD300 and sound / mic work for call;
Use mobile to call house - shows 'PHONE' on RCD300 and sound / mic work for call;
Play music on phone - streams to RCD300 and it says 'PHONE'.
As expected I couldn't find any magic tweaks to pick up calls, make calls, or pick music tracks from the car since the RCD300 isn't phone / media aware, and as it isn't a multi-function steering wheel (MFSW) there aren't any buttons on there either. Although I was only playing with it on the drive I think it was still a useful set of functionality, although you do need to do the actual control via the phone itself.
One thing worth mentioning is that the old RCD300 only has a single channel audio input on the phone pins that the BT module uses so I must have been hearing a mono result, although it came from all 4 speakers. Whether the BT unit knew this and mixed L+R down before pushing down the channel or instead simply sent just the right-hand (I think they are the pins the RCD 300 has) so that I 'silently' lost one half of the sound I don't know - maybe I'll make a suitable test track up tomorrow to see.
So all in all a useful result :).
Finally I hooked VCDS up and added the 77 - Telephone module to the CAN Gateway. But VCDS refused to communicate with the module, and gave an error to that effect. I'm not sure if thus is because the CAN module is an early 'C' variant, or if it means that the BT module is actually damaged. I'll hopefully find it works when I put it in the newer car. Fingers crossed that I get the AVRCP working there as well :confused:.