# VW EOS ECU Malfunction From iPod Adapter



## yoicks (Mar 4, 2011)

Hello,

I've been having a problem with my 2008 VW EOS where the RPM is high at idle (fast idle) and after a few months of the dealer trying to fix the problem they have now came back saying that the third party iPod adapter is the cause of this problem as it has caused a malfunction with the ECU of the car. Furthermore, the problem didn't stop at just the ECU but it has spread in the car causing the hazard lights to go on and caused a malfunction in the electronic car seats. Moreover, the dealer is claiming that after replacing the ECU the only way they were able to have the ECU programmed again is by removing the iPod adapter! 

Now I need to know whether it is possible or not for this to be caused from the iPod adapter and if anyone got any similar reports?

I just need to understand the cause as if it is the case I don't want to have to deal with these problems again by installing other iPod adapters.

Thanks,


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## PaulZooms (Dec 16, 2006)

*Hmm*

Sounds a bit fishy to me, but I suppose it _could_ happen. I am considering an IPOD adapter because the Aux input does not do the job for me, so I will watch this thread with interest.

Not to hijack your thread (uh, isn't that _exactly_ what I'm doing?), but what brand/model of adapter is alleged to be causing your gremlins? What other specific brands/models do our esteemed members have experience with, and have they freaked your electronics out?

If you have not done so already, you might want to correspond with the manufacturer of your interface to see what they have to say about this.


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

I'd go with the VW ones....


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## owr084 (Nov 15, 2004)

It is totally possible for a 3rd party piece of equipment to screw up the VW electronics. The electronics in an EOS (and all newer VWs) are all connected together via Controller Area Network (CAN). If you introduce something into the electronics of the car that does not play by the rules, it will interfere with the operation of the various devices in the car.


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## soundsfast (Apr 17, 2008)

I own a car audio shop and we do tons of aftermarket iPod interfaces in all makes and models of cars and this is the first I have ever heard of something like this. Most iPod kits are plugging into the factory cd changer port or satt radio port unless the radio has a factory aux input for it to go into. The person that posted about the car being CAN based is correct but the iPod kit doesn't tie into that. It is being plugged into the back of the radio separate from where the CAN system plugs in. Now I'm not saying this can't happen as something could back feed through the CAN system(although I have never seen that unless something is tied right into the can system like a remote start) but I have never seen that and we do at least 150 kits a year. If you tell me what manufacture of kit it is I might be able to research this problem for you. While I haven't done an EOS(my wife's has the factory kit which sucks) we have done other models of VW.


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

Thinking about it

If the iPOD kit in quesiton can display information in the intstrument cluster that it is (at least indirectly) attached to the CANBUS. For instance with the RNS510, MDI retrofit I did, the MDI (VW's most advanced iPOD interface) there is a data and audio connection between the MDI and the RNS510, and the RNS510 then interfaces with the CAN, allowing track info to be displayed in the instrument cluster display, and tracks to be selected from the steering wheel. 

I suspect that any other IPod Adaptor (even the ones that replace the factory Sat) are not directly connected to CAN

So I agree that's it's very unlilkey that the iPOD adaptor would cause this kind of problem


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## soundsfast (Apr 17, 2008)

How do I tell if my wife's kit is the latest MDI system you are talking about? The reason I ask is her kit has an issue from time to time. She will change songs but the text will stay on the last song that was played. I asked my dealer if the kit was software upgradeable and they said no. I also installed the factory Bluetooth kit(which is a joke for what it cost) and we have a problem where everytime she plugs her iPhone into the iPod cable it asks if we want to use Bluetooth audio even though I have checked that feature to be turned off in the menu system. I want to replace the headunit but if I do she will lose the rear radar sensors. Definate advantage to aftermarket is that the companies I work with continually have software upgrades for problems like this.


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## mark_d_drake (Aug 17, 2006)

Which head unit does she have.. Is it the RNS-510 ?, if so I think she would have the MDI connector in the center console. 

I documented my retrofit here....

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4207134-RNS-510-MDI-and-Fiscon-retrofit

Note i opted for locating my iPOD in the glove box. There is a variant of the MDI unit where the MDI connector is in located in the Center Console. However it still uses a cable to attach the iPOD to the MDI interface, rather providing a dock, which was the standard with the 2007 /MFD2 models..

I has some problems with the Kufatec/Fiscon not releasing the radio mute immediately when a call finished but these were fixed with an upgrade to Kufatec, which appears to use a Parrot 505 Chipset for the bluetooth comms


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