Highlne display & control

[gtiantichav]

Hi fairly new here, I have searched the forums for a definitive answer but can not find the answers.
Ive just test driven two gti's back to back (one was the Edition 30), both had the highline display.
The Edition 30 had a multifunction steering wheel and the buttons on there gave full control of the various options and menu's, the other car had a normal steering wheel and on the right hand stalk had just one button. When I pressed it it just swapped the display between the two trip counters. The VW sales woman didnt have a clue how to work it and was not interested in finding out, she just wanted to know which one I was gonna buy.

I assumed if the car had the highline you get access to different menu's and can customise the settings?

My question is do you have to have the m/f steering wheel to be able to access the menu's. I am going to want to put the RNS 510 Sat Nav head unit in there so having the highline display is an important factor in choosing which car to buy and i like the idea of being able to change settings etc.

I have heard of different spec'd cars with 'Winter Pack' and some other ones, is there a way of indentifying these as a lot of the dealers dont know.
(The Edition 30 was amazing but they wanted nearly £18k for it and wouldnt budge - No Sale. Im still looking)

[taurus_tem]

Don't go for the other car with the stalk button, that is basically the MENU button on a stalk and is very gay! (those clusters are the older model clusters that work with the stalk) newer clusters have the same options but are controlled through the multifunction steering wheel that has the menu button on it.

You could change clusters from old midline to highline ones.... but this is difficult. I have no clue what you want to do and what year car you are looking for.

I have a golf 2004 year that had all the earliest parts such as 4 spoke steering wheel and a LOWLINE cluster, very standard car... I now have highline cluster, multifunction steering wheel, RNS-510 navigation, xenon lights, even put an alarm my self.

You can find great low mileage mk5's from 2004-2005 for great prices, if you do find any from these years, you can do all as i did, the only problem from 2006 and on would be cluster change as 2006 cars are harder to read the secret key code (needed for cluster swap)

If you want, you can buy the other car with the cluster that has the stalk menu button and still fit a multifunction steering wheel but this i am not fully sure on as i think you will need the OLDER style buttons on the wheel to allow full function with that cluster, this is something i read, someone was going through track changing issues with newer button steering wheel and older cluster, changed the wheel to older style buttons and everything worked for him.

The choice is yours.

[gtiantichav]

Don't go for the other car with the stalk button, that is basically the MENU button on a stalk and is very gay! (those clusters are the older model clusters that work with the stalk) newer clusters have the same options but are controlled through the multifunction steering wheel that has the menu button on it.

You could change clusters from old midline to highline ones.... but this is difficult. I have no clue what you want to do and what year car you are looking for.

I have a golf 2004 year that had all the earliest parts such as 4 spoke steering wheel and a LOWLINE cluster, very standard car... I now have highline cluster, multifunction steering wheel, RNS-510 navigation, xenon lights, even put an alarm my self.

You can find great low mileage mk5's from 2004-2005 for great prices, if you do find any from these years, you can do all as i did, the only problem from 2006 and on would be cluster change as 2006 cars are harder to read the secret key code (needed for cluster swap)

If you want, you can buy the other car with the cluster that has the stalk menu button and still fit a multifunction steering wheel but this i am not fully sure on as i think you will need the OLDER style buttons on the wheel to allow full function with that cluster, this is something i read, someone was going through track changing issues with newer button steering wheel and older cluster, changed the wheel to older style buttons and everything worked for him.

The choice is yours.

Thanks, I have also been looking at the RNS 510 SatNav DVD as a retrofit option. I have seen a demo on Youtube and it looks really good especially when you compare them to Clarion and Pioneer alternatives which are more expensive. The RNS 510 is on Ebay for £600 but think these are reconditioned units.
Can you tell me if you needed to fit the media device interface to get the full control of your ipod with track names etc? It is unclear if you need this or not? I saw a MDI for sale on ebay and it said it will only work with Mk5's with the correct wiring loom?

[taurus_tem]

To be honest, i have no clue! as i don't use ipod.

RNS 510 C version are the newest and go for around £600, they are not reconditioned, simply sold from another country (don't know if they are stolen) I bought RNS 510 B version but has the latest firmware installed and is now C version firmware so no difference really to the C version :) Bought mine for £400 delivery included.

C version has a better LCD type screen, my nav has a great screen anyway :\ how better can they get? You will need one more vital part to make the rns work well and that is a CAN GATEWAY, make note of this! if you do not have the right gateway, you will suffer with battery drain issues (come back and notice car wont start) Currently waiting for my new gateway so i can install the rns.

[gtiantichav]

To be honest, i have no clue! as i don't use ipod.

RNS 510 C version are the newest and go for around £600, they are not reconditioned, simply sold from another country (don't know if they are stolen) I bought RNS 510 B version but has the latest firmware installed and is now C version firmware so no difference really to the C version :) Bought mine for £400 delivery included.

C version has a better LCD type screen, my nav has a great screen anyway :\ how better can they get? You will need one more vital part to make the rns work well and that is a CAN GATEWAY, make note of this! if you do not have the right gateway, you will suffer with battery drain issues (come back and notice car wont start) Currently waiting for my new gateway so i can install the rns.

VW really suprise me with the incompatibility of their products! Power drain?
Do you know where the CAN GATEWAY is located and how to check which one is on the car? Is this something you can get from a breakers or off ebay?
I am going to email the ebayer selling these units and see what they say regarding the Ipod.

[Issac Hunt]

The compatibility issue isnt VW's fault. People are now retro-fitting RNS510's into 2004/2005 cars - these never came from the factory with these unit's fitted so it's hardly the fault of VW is it?!

You can read your CAN gateway part number with VCDS. You dont always need to replace it, depends on the age of you car and/or the software revision level of the RNS510. They are on Ebay (UK and .DE) from time to time, you might find one in a breakers if your lucky, otherwise they are £110 ish from your local dealer for a new one.

You DO need the MDI kit if you want proper control of an Ipod. However the RNS510 does have an SD card as well as an internal hard-drive that you can use for MP3 tracks.

[taurus_tem]

There are lots of gateways i can find for you. As issac said, it isn't vw's fault but i still don't like vw as the rns unit comes without additional parts such as, bluetooth, reverse camera, that media thing you mentioned which i saw too on ebay but have no clue what it is..... These parts range from 200-400 pounds each!!!

You will most likely need the gateway as 2009+ cars have the latest... some 2008 cars have newest gateway also but would check there. You will also need vagcom to code the rns and make it compatible with your car.

QUOTE: Issac "You DO need the MDI kit if you want proper control of an Ipod. However the RNS510 does have an SD card as well as an internal hard-drive that you can use for MP3 tracks." Hell yeah, i'm going to have much fun with the harddrive and lots of mp3's :)

[gtiantichav]

The compatibility issue isnt VW's fault. People are now retro-fitting RNS510's into 2004/2005 cars - these never came from the factory with these unit's fitted so it's hardly the fault of VW is it?!

You can read your CAN gateway part number with VCDS. You dont always need to replace it, depends on the age of you car and/or the software revision level of the RNS510. They are on Ebay (UK and .DE) from time to time, you might find one in a breakers if your lucky, otherwise they are £110 ish from your local dealer for a new one.

You DO need the MDI kit if you want proper control of an Ipod. However the RNS510 does have an SD card as well as an internal hard-drive that you can use for MP3 tracks.

Thanks Issac, Can you tell me if the m/f steering wheel is the only way to access the menus on the highline display or is there a stalk that allows you to do the same thing? So far the models ive test driven have just one button on the underside of the RH stalk which only displays the trip? Would retro fitting a m/f steering wheel give access to the menu's or is it that the highline display on this car is a basic version without the menu options?

[taurus_tem]

All highlines have options, earlier highlines use stalk to control scrolling through options. Adding a mf steering wheel to a stalk controlled highline will make no difference and will not allow you to control menu through the wheel. As i said, there are 2 types of mf wheels, you will need the OLD style button wheel to use with the stalk controlled highline.

[gtiantichav]

All highlines have options, earlier highlines use stalk to control scrolling through options. Adding a mf steering wheel to a stalk controlled highline will make no difference and will not allow you to control menu through the wheel. As i said, there are 2 types of mf wheels, you will need the OLD style button wheel to use with the stalk controlled highline.

Ok just found out the answer: The highline display is accessed through two buttons on the right hand stalk. One on the underside of the stalk which I think is ok/cancel and the other button on the end of the stalk with has two positions up and down. This allows full control of coming home lights settings / puddle lights etc.

This is what I have just read, I have not been able to try it yet as I have not bought the car or been back for a test drive since firsts asking you guys. Can anyone confirm this is how you do it?

[Issac Hunt]

Yes, on earlier models, later models have the control buttons located on the actual steering wheel (as posted earlier in the thread)