Upgrade from RCD210 to RCD310 for AUX input
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 9:39 pm
So a lot of people with the RCD210 probably really wish they had an Aux input so that they can play their own music and not have to upload 10 songs onto a CD to play their own music, so with this guide I'll show you how I upgraded from an RCD210 in my 2010 Polo S to an RCD310, this is as simple as I think I could make it so everyone should be able to follow it. The best part is, it's all plug and play which means you don't need to have anything coded or need to go to a dealership! It's relatively cheap to do, the RCD310 unit its self cost me £10 (Which was a bargain), I then had to buy a radio code for it from eBay which cost £15, you'll need a fakra aerial adapter which cost £5 and an aux adapter which also cost £5 so the total cost for me was £35 which is pretty good IMO. I'm not an in car entertainment specialist or an electrical engineer by any means and this was my first time pulling the plastic trim off a car so this is something I think anyone can do, it really isn't that hard it just looks intimidating but do this at your own risk, it's not guaranteed to work for everyone, but it worked flawlessly for me so here we go...
These are the thing's you'll need.
RCD310 radio with radio code
A screwdriver (flat head) to remove trim and pry things. A trim removal tool will prevent scratches but its up to you.
A torx screwdriver set
A small torch
Some wire/string (about 1 meter)
A drill (optional)
Fakra aerial adapter (You'll see why later on) [From eBay for £5]
And an RCD310 Aux cable (There are different types but I went for this one) [From eBay for £5]
I couldn't be bothered to take photos of removing the trim because it's dead simple so here's a link to a video that shows you how.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Ljy7rfF6A
Once you have removed the 4 Torx screws you'll be able to pull out the radio and see a big black connector plug which is called a quadlock and a small white connector which is for the ariel. The small white connector can just be pulled out.
I used a flat head screwdriver to pry the quadlock's locking mechanism, once it's prised off it will just unplug like normal.
You may find this weird black box thing connected to the quadlock (I'm not sure if it's only my car?)
It will be grounded to a screw in the back, just unscrew it and remove the wire then replace the screw.
The interesting thing about this weird black box is that it actually has an Aux! I tried plugging it into my RCD310 to see if it would work but it doesn't work
You'll want to remove the weird black box from the quadlock which is quite simple, it's just connected by a small white block which can be removed by pressing on a tab and then pulling it out.
I decided to break open the black box to see what was going on inside it, I'm no electrician or expert but it literally just looks like an Aux connector which is really odd because the RCD210 doesn't have Aux capabilities unless you code it in
. If anyone knows what it's for I'd be interested to know.
Now you can basically throw away your RCD210 and the black box thing as they won't be needed anymore.
You'll notice on the RCD310 it has a double aerial connector.
Your car will only have a single aerial connector, this is where the Fakra aerial adapter is used.
It literally just converts your single aerial adapter into a double aerial adapter, this is so that your RCD310 is able to receive radio stations AM/FM, just connect the single aerial adapter for now, no need to hook it up to the RCD310 just yet.
You'll want to connect your Aux adapter to the quadlock, you should have noticed that the weird black box and the Aux adapter have the same white connector on the end.
What you'll want to do is plug the aux adapter into the same place as the weird black box used to be on the quadlock, like this.
Now just connect it all up to the RCD310 and test it before we start putting it all back together, this is the stage where it will ask you for the radio code, just type in the 4 digit number and then it will work like normal, make sure the radio and Aux works, if they don't then there may be a loose connection somewhere.
Now that we know it's all working we can disconnect the RCD310 and route the Aux cable somewhere so that you can use it when you screw the RCD310 back in.
I chose to use one of the blank plates next to the cupholders on my Polo 6R, this is where the OEM aux goes too. I used my flathead screwdriver to get it off, it's stuck down really hard by a big clip but keep prying it and it will pop off.
I chose to drill a hole in mine so that the Aux cable can just slide through it, making it look a bit more OEM.
This is the really tricky bit, trying to get the Aux cable to get into this spot, it's a pain but its possible.
You'll want to have the cable feeding through toward the back, like this
This is also where you want to have the torch to shine a light, I pushed it up the drivers side trim near the pedals, it helped me find a hole to feed the aux cable to get it down there.
It's quite hard too see in the picture but it's a lot clearer in person, there will be a hole in which you can feed the Aux cable to get it by the drivers side trim. I know this looks intimidating but it's quite easy once you're doing it.
Once it's down there you'll need to put your hand up there and find the cable, it shouldn't be too hard as it'll be right next to your torch. then just pull it down.
Now you'll need to use your wire, I used some plastic wire we had lying around in the garage, just feed it down the hole next to the cup holder and it will go to the same side as the drivers side pedal trim, where the aux cable is, and again put your hand up there and grab the wire.
Once it's down there you'll be able to tie the wire around the Aux cable and just pull it up.
Now it will be coming through the hole next to the cup holder.
You can then push the wire through the hole of the blank plate and then snap the plate back into place, now it's starting to look good
Once that's done just plug everything back into the RCD310.
Once connected just push the RCD310 in carefullty, it's a squeeze but it will fit, screw in the 4 torx screws, snap the trim back on and then that's it job done
I'm really happy with how this turned out, for £35 I got a whole new radio and an Aux cable, I also think the speakers sound a bit better with the RCD310 but that might just me imagining things. This worked perfectly for me in my 2010 Polo 6R however I would have no idea about another car so do this at your own risk. If anyone has some tips/advice it'd be great to hear
These are the thing's you'll need.
RCD310 radio with radio code
A screwdriver (flat head) to remove trim and pry things. A trim removal tool will prevent scratches but its up to you.
A torx screwdriver set
A small torch
Some wire/string (about 1 meter)
A drill (optional)
Fakra aerial adapter (You'll see why later on) [From eBay for £5]
And an RCD310 Aux cable (There are different types but I went for this one) [From eBay for £5]
I couldn't be bothered to take photos of removing the trim because it's dead simple so here's a link to a video that shows you how.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Ljy7rfF6A
Once you have removed the 4 Torx screws you'll be able to pull out the radio and see a big black connector plug which is called a quadlock and a small white connector which is for the ariel. The small white connector can just be pulled out.
I used a flat head screwdriver to pry the quadlock's locking mechanism, once it's prised off it will just unplug like normal.
You may find this weird black box thing connected to the quadlock (I'm not sure if it's only my car?)
It will be grounded to a screw in the back, just unscrew it and remove the wire then replace the screw.
The interesting thing about this weird black box is that it actually has an Aux! I tried plugging it into my RCD310 to see if it would work but it doesn't work
You'll want to remove the weird black box from the quadlock which is quite simple, it's just connected by a small white block which can be removed by pressing on a tab and then pulling it out.
I decided to break open the black box to see what was going on inside it, I'm no electrician or expert but it literally just looks like an Aux connector which is really odd because the RCD210 doesn't have Aux capabilities unless you code it in
. If anyone knows what it's for I'd be interested to know.Now you can basically throw away your RCD210 and the black box thing as they won't be needed anymore.
You'll notice on the RCD310 it has a double aerial connector.
Your car will only have a single aerial connector, this is where the Fakra aerial adapter is used.
It literally just converts your single aerial adapter into a double aerial adapter, this is so that your RCD310 is able to receive radio stations AM/FM, just connect the single aerial adapter for now, no need to hook it up to the RCD310 just yet.
You'll want to connect your Aux adapter to the quadlock, you should have noticed that the weird black box and the Aux adapter have the same white connector on the end.
What you'll want to do is plug the aux adapter into the same place as the weird black box used to be on the quadlock, like this.
Now just connect it all up to the RCD310 and test it before we start putting it all back together, this is the stage where it will ask you for the radio code, just type in the 4 digit number and then it will work like normal, make sure the radio and Aux works, if they don't then there may be a loose connection somewhere.
Now that we know it's all working we can disconnect the RCD310 and route the Aux cable somewhere so that you can use it when you screw the RCD310 back in.
I chose to use one of the blank plates next to the cupholders on my Polo 6R, this is where the OEM aux goes too. I used my flathead screwdriver to get it off, it's stuck down really hard by a big clip but keep prying it and it will pop off.
I chose to drill a hole in mine so that the Aux cable can just slide through it, making it look a bit more OEM.
This is the really tricky bit, trying to get the Aux cable to get into this spot, it's a pain but its possible.
You'll want to have the cable feeding through toward the back, like this
This is also where you want to have the torch to shine a light, I pushed it up the drivers side trim near the pedals, it helped me find a hole to feed the aux cable to get it down there.
It's quite hard too see in the picture but it's a lot clearer in person, there will be a hole in which you can feed the Aux cable to get it by the drivers side trim. I know this looks intimidating but it's quite easy once you're doing it.
Once it's down there you'll need to put your hand up there and find the cable, it shouldn't be too hard as it'll be right next to your torch. then just pull it down.
Now you'll need to use your wire, I used some plastic wire we had lying around in the garage, just feed it down the hole next to the cup holder and it will go to the same side as the drivers side pedal trim, where the aux cable is, and again put your hand up there and grab the wire.
Once it's down there you'll be able to tie the wire around the Aux cable and just pull it up.
Now it will be coming through the hole next to the cup holder.
You can then push the wire through the hole of the blank plate and then snap the plate back into place, now it's starting to look good
Once that's done just plug everything back into the RCD310.
Once connected just push the RCD310 in carefullty, it's a squeeze but it will fit, screw in the 4 torx screws, snap the trim back on and then that's it job done
I'm really happy with how this turned out, for £35 I got a whole new radio and an Aux cable, I also think the speakers sound a bit better with the RCD310 but that might just me imagining things. This worked perfectly for me in my 2010 Polo 6R however I would have no idea about another car so do this at your own risk. If anyone has some tips/advice it'd be great to hear
