RNS 510 constantly muted and showing phone symbol

[thesoundone]

Hello!

Just wondering if anyone can shed any light on this issue..

I have a Mk5 golf estate sportline with the RNS 510 nav head unit. Its been working fine but the other day it started to play up. Basically when the ignition is off and the unit is turned on everything works as expected. However, once the ignition is turned on the unit is muted and the volume control reverts over to the 'telephone' only. No audio can be heard from the media/CD/radio/NAV etc.. Also there is a small phone symbol in the top left of the screen. It seems as though the RNS510 thinks there is a call all the time. (I have no phone kit installed) When the units power button is pressed to turn off the system, instead of the normal clock screen with black background there is a screen that say's 'Telephone' on a grey background.

The only 'out of the ordinary' thing I have done is changed the fuse for the 12v socket. It does seem to be about this time that the problem started though.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Jim

[mjhamilton]

remove that fuse and see if the problem goes away - that could have blown due to a short on a wire that is also on the same line as the radio, now reconnected the radio is being messed up by a bad input/signal

[Teflon]

It sounds like with ignition on the unit thinks you have a phone kit connected witha live call. There's a phone mute pin on the back, I can't remember if setting it to 12V or earthing it tells the phone that you have a call. Was the radio an original factory fit, or has it been added afterwards?

Have you had the radio out or played with the wiring in any other way? If so, it might be worth a check. Google for "RNS510 Pinouts" and you will find some diagrams. I've got the wiring for the RCD510, which should be the same, but I'd hate to send it to you and it be wrong.

[thesoundone]

Thanks for the the quick replies, much appreciated.

I've just discovered that if I take out the fuse for the 12v socket in the front (the one I put it in) the RNS 510 behaves normally again. I do remember now that the dealer that sold me the car has removed a third party bluetooth device from the dash that wasn't working anymore. However I was under the impression this wasn't connected to the RNS.

I've just had the unit out of the dash and there is a connector in amongst the large quad connector on the bottom right and the only cable into this connector is going straight to pin 10 which is 'telephone mute'. Ive tried unplugging it but the RNS is still muting with the ignition on but now without the phone symbol on the display.

Any more thoughts guys?

Thanks again!

[thesoundone]

Just to add, there is a leftover wire that has been cut in the dash with bare ends. I'm guessing this is the wire to the old bluetooth unit.. I'm thinking that this is somehow connected to the 12v socket?

Btw, the Radio was fitted from new at the factory.

[mjhamilton]

Trace that wire and try to remove from both ends if you can


Looks like that fuse was hiding a bridged Bluetooth removal

[Teflon]

Sounds like you've bottomed it. You can play an aftermarket Bluetooth kit throught the RNS 510 to use the car speakers. The mute pin switches from internal sound to the external audio feed. When you drop the call, the mute pin is returned to ground and the radio goes back to doing its normal job.

Because there isn't a switched live behind the radio, folks sometimes take a supply from the 12V socket in front of the gear lever for bluetooth. Check for anything spliced into it and disconnect.

Also, remove the cable that goes into the radio mute pin plus anything else going into the radio that isn't on the QuadLock plug. That should sort it, but it's important to make sure you have no un-fused loose wires dangling about that could earth and cause a fire. Any loose ends need to be taped up and insulated.

You should then be able to put the 12V socket fuse back without a problem.

[thesoundone]

Thanks Teflon and everyone else too!. I'll 'attempt' all of that later I think. One more question though: Any ideas why when removing the tel mute cable from the RNS it is still muting when the ignition is on? Apologies if this is a stupid question!

Thanks again!

[Teflon]

If I understood your previous post correctly, you only get the problem when the fuse for the 12V socket has been reinstated. Right? If that's the case, then you almost certainly have some non-standard wiring still going into the back of the radio that needs to be sorted.

Here's a thought ......the easiest way to fit a Bluetooth kit is to use a "SOT" lead instead of breaking into the original wiring. This is basically a QuadLock socket, wired to a QuadLock plug, with all the relevant wiring for the accessory in the middle. Although they look the same, the lead for VW, BMW and old Vauxhalls are not the same pin configuration so if someone uses the wrong one it can get a bit problematic. Just Google "SOT Lead" for a photo of the sort of thing I mean.

Trace the wiring on the radio back to ensure you have it plugged directly into the original loom of the car. If there is a sort of extension cable, with a QuadLock socket and plug at each end just remove it and reinstate the original factory plug, straight into the radio. As per my previous post, there shouldn't be anything else going into the back of the radio either.

[thesoundone]

Thanks Teflon, I've sorted it with your help (I think). I traced the cable that had been cut, down to a parrot phone mute device under the ashtray which the live from the 12v socket was powering. I've cut that live to the parrot device out and re-insulated it. However, the wiring into the car loom from the parrot looks so complicated that I've opted to just tie it all up and put it back into the dash. There's no power going to it now so I don't think there will be a fire risk.. Also I've pulled out the tel mute connector going into the radio and wrapped it in insulating tape and put it all back together. It works fine now.

Unfortunately I caused a few issues along the way though :-( I've lost the clips to the ESP button in front of the gear lever and I also manged to pop off the air vent connecting rod thingy from the back of the climate control module. I managed to get that back on in the end but that was a bitch. The only thing I'm not sure about is the temp control.. At the back of that control, should anything be connected to it? It feels a bit loose when I turn it but that might just be my imagination.

Thanks again for all your help. I hope this post helps someone else!