# RCD-310 Pinout Question



## Matti von Kessing (Jan 17, 2011)

Car is a 2006 Rabbit. Radio is an RCD-310 from a 2014 GTI.

http://www.my-gti.com/1319/volkswagen-rcd-310-pin-assignments

That pinout matches the pinout on my stock radio with the exception of 

11 - Display voltage supply, positive;
13 - Display HV CAN bus low; and
14 - Display HV CAN but high.

Are these necessary on the RCD-310? I've seen in other places (http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=10663.0;wap2) that these are marked optional "for radio module low version only, not for midline." What constitutes a "low version." I'm assuming that this is more relevant to the units with touchscreen nav? Any insight? I remember seeing a DIY post where somebody wire-tapped CAN wires, but I can't find it for the life of me. I'm beginning to think this is what they were tapping into?


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## Matti von Kessing (Jan 17, 2011)

Found the thread I was talking about: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6956396-Upgraded-to-VW-RCN-210-bluetooth-enabled-radio

My new hypothesis based on this thread is that the "display" is probably the button back-lighting. I shall use science and report back when I'm done.


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## Matti von Kessing (Jan 17, 2011)

Confirmed. Absolutely zero reference to any of those wires (T16b/11, T16b/13, or T16b/14) in the MKV or MKVI Bentley manuals. The MKVI even has a specific section for wiring up to the RCD-310.

PDF copy of MKVI Bentley wiring diagrams here: http://golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71530

I leave this as a gift for those that come after me, so they too can find salvation.


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## theGLIguy (Dec 2, 2011)

Matti von Kessing said:


> Car is a 2006 Rabbit. Radio is an RCD-310 from a 2014 GTI.
> 
> http://www.my-gti.com/1319/volkswagen-rcd-310-pin-assignments
> 
> ...


Looks like no one is perfect!

Radio is an RCD-310 - should be just and "a" not an. there is no vowel following it.


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## Matti von Kessing (Jan 17, 2011)

theGLIguy said:


> Looks like no one is perfect!
> 
> Radio is an RCD-310 - should be just and "a" not an. there is no vowel following it.


Say it with me:

Radio is *an* RCD-310

Radio is *a* RCD-310

Did you hear it? One sounds wrong. I'll give you a hint which it is.


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## theGLIguy (Dec 2, 2011)

Matti von Kessing said:


> Say it with me:
> 
> Radio is *an* RCD-310
> 
> ...


*Still Wrong* no matter how you slice it. This is a cut out from *AN* english language site!

As a brief recap of indefinite article use in English, you use “a” or “an” with a noun when referring to a member of a group or class. However, many people are slightly confused about when to use “a” and when to use “an.” An often repeated guideline is to use* “a” when the word that follows starts with a consonant and to use “an” when word that follows starts with a vowel*. Examples include “a book,” “an old book,” “an elephant,” and “a gray elephant.”

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/152/when-should-i-use-a-vs-an


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## Matti von Kessing (Jan 17, 2011)

theGLIguy said:


> *Still Wrong* no matter how you slice it. This is a cut out from *AN* english language site!
> 
> As a brief recap of indefinite article use in English, you use “a” or “an” with a noun when referring to a member of a group or class. However, many people are slightly confused about when to use “a” and when to use “an.” An often repeated guideline is to use* “a” when the word that follows starts with a consonant and to use “an” when word that follows starts with a vowel*. Examples include “a book,” “an old book,” “an elephant,” and “a gray elephant.”
> 
> http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/152/when-should-i-use-a-vs-an


I appreciate your diligence, and applaud the correct usage of the article when referring to your source, although I believe you are stuck on the rule that everybody learned in elementary school. When scouring the internet for evidence to use in an internet argument, always find the most specific case that illustrates your example, or else you risk quoting something that isn't actually applicable. 

For Instance



that website said:


> But when do you use “a” and when do you use “an” in front of an acronyms and initialisms?
> Most style guides say that if it is READ as though all the words were spelled out (NAACP, HIV), the acronym is treated as a series of let*ters, and the choice depends on the pro*nun*ci*a*tion of the FIRST LETTER (an HMO facil*ity; an M.B.A. degree; an R.S.V.P.; an LA-based company).


Because every letter in RCD is spelled out and the phonetic pronunciation of "R" begins with a vowel, the correct article is "an" in this case.

Luckily for you, nobody here was interested in this post, so the eternal record of your mistake is most likely going to be viewed by nobody.


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## prjetta96 (Jun 11, 2007)

*Pinout Question*

I am sorry to bother you with this question on the RCD 310 pins. I installed a RCD 310 with Sat. on my 2006 Value Edition Jetta. I love it!
But the display lights on my unit remains on at all times and is draining my battery slowly, and I want fix that.
I am a newbie but I am wondering if you could shed some light on the subject. 
When I look at the plug on my car that connects to the radio I see is that Pin 11 is blank, and so is 13/14. 
What can I do to fix this problem, Thanks
PR


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## Matti von Kessing (Jan 17, 2011)

Did you update your CAN Gateway to the newer version when you put in the radio? Early version Gateway caused battery drain problems with the new radios. I _think_ you're looking for the "K" version or later.

Basically, your existing CAN-BUS doesn't have the available logic to deal with turning the back-lighting on and off, so it stays on. By upgrading to the newer version, the car will control the back-lighting without changes to the car's wiring harness.

I got mine from a local pick-n-pull for $10. There are some good DIYs online for how to make the change.


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