# RCD 310 Radio Coding Questions -- "EU RadioLOW"



## Biff (Feb 17, 1999)

*RCD 310 Radio Coding Questions -- "Radio LOW EU"*

All-

I've received a UK-sourced RCD-310 (EU RadioLOW) from a reputable eBay seller for my US MY 2010 Golf 4dr 2.5. Great swapout for the incredibly bad Delphi big-button unit, but it's not without nontrivial issues.

Swap first entails getting moving the Aux-in L+/R+ pins, and the telephone Mute pin, to those noted in this technote:

http://vwforum.vwforum.ro/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=119585

Then, a fakra dual adapter is needed to get the antenna aerials attached. Another active antenna via an aftermarket powered internal AM/FM antenna supplies Aerial One, and the existing passive hatch antenna goes to Antenna-2.

That done, sounding great. Here are my remaining coding issues, after playing around with VCDS Beta 10.3.0 and not finding solutions:

1) Radio frequency spacing for AM is 9 kHz beginning at 539kHz per EU standards, and not 10kHz, starting at 540 kHz, in the US. Is this a coding change, or should I expect at best a jumper on one of the boards physically inside the unit to switch. Sure wouldn't hurt to get the FM spacing at 0.2 mHz, either.

2) A2DP streaming from 9W2 BluetoothLOW isn't. Since the OEM headunit didn't support A2DP music streaming, but the new RCD 310 and the 9W2 module do, is this a coding issue? I've used VCDS to reset all the existing pairings, and removed the pairings in my phones, etc., and re-paired, and still no joy. 

The harness at the back of the headunit from the bluetooth module includes both Left and Right positive and negative IN, as well as one black wire taped off (perhaps this is another radio mute, that's not being used?) Phone audio is otherwise functioning fine.

3) Radio is throwing a fault due to the rear hatch glass antenna being Passive (unpowered), and not Active. Can I recode to set the Antenna 2 to Passive?

Here's the scan printout for the phone, and for the radio. Thanks in advance!

Friday,21,May,2010,09:39:10:42594
VCDS Version: Beta 10.3.0
Data version: 20100324

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chassis Type: 1K0
Scan: 01 02 03 08 09 15 16 17 19 1C 25 42 44 46 52 56 62 65 72 77

VIN: WVWDB7AJ3AW34XXXX 
01-Engine -- Status: OK 0000
02-Auto Trans -- Status: OK 0000
03-ABS Brakes -- Status: OK 0000
04-Steering Angle -- Status: OK 0000
08-Auto HVAC -- Status: OK 0000
09-Cent. Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
15-Airbags -- Status: OK 0000
16-Steering wheel -- Status: OK 0000
17-Instruments -- Status: OK 0000
19-CAN Gateway -- Status: OK 0000
1C-Position Sensing -- Status: OK 0000
25-Immobilizer -- Status: OK 0000
42-Door Elect, Driver -- Status: OK 0000
44-Steering Assist -- Status: OK 0000
46-Central Conv. -- Status: OK 0000
52-Door Elect, Pass. -- Status: OK 0000
56-Radio -- Status: Malfunction 0010
62-Door, Rear Left -- Status: OK 0000
65-Tire Pressure -- Status: OK 0000
72-Door, Rear Right -- Status: OK 0000
77-Telephone -- Status: OK 0000

Address 56: Radio (J503) Labels: 5M0-035-1xx-56.clb
Part No SW: 1K0 035 186 AA HW: 1K0 035 186 AA
Component: Radio RCD310 013 0036 
Revision: 00000000 Serial number: VWZ1Z2I6718033
Coding: 0500040004
Shop #: WSC 00066 000 00000
2 Faults Found:
00821 - Antenna 2 for Radio (R93) 
011 - Open Circuit
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 01101011
Fault Priority: 5
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 42
Mileage: 479 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2002.14.07
Time: 05:16:19
03138 - Input AUX IN 
011 - Open Circuit
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 01101011
Fault Priority: 5
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 42
Mileage: 479 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2002.14.07
Time: 05:16:15

Address 77: Telephone (J738) Labels: None
Part No SW: 1K8 035 730 D HW: 1K8 035 730 D
Component: Telefon H08 6900 
Revision: 00008000 Serial number: 00000330660500
Coding: 401100
Shop #: WSC 01357 011 00200
No fault code found.

​


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## Dana @ Ross-Tech (Sep 15, 2009)

1) Radio frequency spacing for AM is 9 kHz beginning at 539kHz per EU standards, and not 10kHz, starting at 540 kHz, in the US. Is this a coding change, or should I expect at best a jumper on one of the boards physically inside the unit to switch. Sure wouldn't hurt to get the FM spacing at 0.2 mHz, either.

-This radio does not appear to have any coding modifications available for the frequency spacing. I believe you will need to make hardware modifications, as you mentioned.


2) A2DP streaming from 9W2 BluetoothLOW isn't. Since the OEM headunit didn't support A2DP music streaming, but the new RCD 310 and the 9W2 module do, is this a coding issue? I've used VCDS to reset all the existing pairings, and removed the pairings in my phones, etc., and re-paired, and still no joy. 

The harness at the back of the headunit from the bluetooth module includes both Left and Right positive and negative IN, as well as one black wire taped off (perhaps this is another radio mute, that's not being used?) Phone audio is otherwise functioning fine.

-As per the US TSB 91-09-34 UHV Low (9W2) Overview, it appears as if the phone must be compatible and Only applies to Premium 8 & RNS-510 touch screen radios. I realize the RCD-310 wouldn't be covered in a US TSB even if this is supported. Do you have a Bluetooth Audio selection available from the radio?

Try changing the coding to enable the telephone:
0500040204



3) Radio is throwing a fault due to the rear hatch glass antenna being Passive (unpowered), and not Active. Can I recode to set the Antenna 2 to Passive?

-I don't see any antenna options in the coding.


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## Biff (Feb 17, 1999)

*Coding weirdness*

Dana-

I'd tried coding the radio as you suggested before (should have mentioned). The coding pops up a coding out of range error dialog in VCDS. It doesn't like an 02 at all in that byte for telephone.

The radio does indeed support some form of BT Audio A2DP, and it is enabled in the menus of the radio itself. I just can't get the module to pick up the A2DP from any phones.

Any thoughts? Thanks for your help... 

Tim


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## Biff (Feb 17, 1999)

*RCD 310 Update*

Just adding comments for anyone who may search for this later on: 

The RCD 310 headunit has a radio chipset marked as Blaupunkt and ST Micro with custom part numbers, but appears to be simply a custom version of the ST 3005 chipset: 

http://www.st.com/stonline/stappl/cms/press/news/year2006/p2038.htm 

This is pretty cool, since the chipset is pretty advanced, using DSP to do the IF filtering (well, OK, it's cool to _me_ . 

Hence the really great FM sound and reception. 

Now for the bad news so far: there's no way the tuning steps are a hardware switch on this thing. The mainboard in the radio is devoid of any traces or jumpers that are magically labeled to switch the tuning, and the datasheets for the above chips indicate the tuning is done via the chipset itself, so it's likely getting values from the onboard processor. 

So, it's likely a coding or firmware thing. If coding, maybe when we start seeing some new 2011 Golfs with the RCD 310 hitting the US, someone can post their coding, and I can see if there's any way to figure it out. If it's firmware or mainboard dependent (gotta love Bosch and VW!), well, I guess I'm out of luck. 

Thanks.


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## Theresias (Feb 11, 2004)

VW has used different radios in the US market like forever compared to European radios, this does apply for hardware and software. Specifically the change you are looking for is in the firmware but since I haven't seen a US spec RCD310 you are pretty much lost here. A coding of the radio unit itself will definitely not do the trick. 

FYI: The RCD310 and RCD510 are made by Blaupunkt (Bosch has nothing to do with that), a company well known for good FM reception in their radios. Earlier RCD300/500 (and similar) had different suppliers, some of them performing extremely poor on the FM side.


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## Biff (Feb 17, 1999)

Theresias- 

Many thanks for confirming my guesses. I can live without the AM/MW section, but now it's time for me to figure out why the Bluetooth module isn't sending a2dp info to my phone to select the car for output… 

Thanks again!


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## Biff (Feb 17, 1999)

*Fix for Bluetooth Audio*

Just following up on my solution for others. 

I got BT Audio A2DP working on my RCD-310 with my 9W2 Bluetooth module. 

In VCDS, go into 77 Telefon, and go to Adaptation channel 00. This is the "reset to factory defaults" channel, and saving it as 00 will indeed do this. CAUTION: This will reset everything in the Bluetooth module, including any pairings. Perform at your own risk. 

Then, I had to make sure that my coding for the module matched what I'd seen several others with the same "1K8 035 730 D" Bluetooth LOW module, but with the RCD-510 Premium 8 radio. Coding should be: 

412100. 

Delete the pairings for the car in your phone, and re-pair. Now working! 

--Tim


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## Dana @ Ross-Tech (Sep 15, 2009)

Nice update. 

Does your car have the overhead telephone console installed from the factory? I found this random picture online, if you don't know what I'm referring to: Example


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## Biff (Feb 17, 1999)

Yes, it has the overhead console, just as pictured. This is Bluetooth Low, so there are no phone book access or voice dialing (unless supported by your phone otherwise). I also have no steering wheel controls on my base Golf. 

Thanks, Dana. There was no label file for my Telefon module. You want me to map it for you? 

Tim


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## Dana @ Ross-Tech (Sep 15, 2009)

Yes, please make some maps and send a complete Auto-Scan. 

Please include a link to this thread if you aren't registered in our system under the email address you send them from. 

Thanks, 
Dana


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