[nutcracker]

I own a 2014 orange Polo, with the sexy 1.5 Diesel engine. They don't make them like that anymore.

The car has served me beautifully for the past 7 years and has crossed 1.15 lakh kilometers on the Odo. Even chronicled how happy I was with VW here (An ode to Volkswagen India).

Loss of sales due to Covid means that I don't have the budget for a new Polo , so I have to make do with this one. Plus, selling this will only net me pennies so why not just keep it for 3 more years.

To be honest, I don't have any problems with this Polo, it is in great condition, drives like a dream.

The ICE has aged though, in the sense that it doesn't support Apple CarPlay.
What is a reasonable way I can upgrade it? I haven't modded my car's ICE for the past 7 years, so my knowledge is rusty.
A bonus would be an upgrade in Sound Quality too.

[agambhandari]

Install RCD340. supports BT, Apple carplay and Android auto. Keeps the OEM look.

Costs 26k from VW.

There are cheaper aftermarket options(around 15k) but none of them integrate as well.

[docsinghal]

Installing the RCD340 from the dealers outside VW network will be cheaper. Contact this guy, I had got the RCD 340 installed from him for around 14k a few years back, he also buys back the original head unit from you.

It’s a few minutes job.

[vishy76]

The RCD 340 is your best bet. It has a large screen, supports android auto and Apple Carplay and the rest of the lot including bluetooth, aux and USB (no CDs but I don't think it's needed at all in today's day and age).

VW is retailing these. These are the OE Visteon makes (same ones that come on the Polo and Vento that roll of the factory floors). Beware though, lots of fake units doing the rounds these days from China including ones which have a SCAN button. The OE RCD 340G does not have a scan button. It has a slot for the microphone there. If you see an HU with a scan button or lacking an aux port, it's an import from China. (Also called the RCD360 on AliExpress. Many resellers here selling them as MIB converted units for sky high prices after importing them dirt cheap) The part number of the OE Visteon ends with 187C.

You will also need to use a conversion harness. Your Polo has a RCD 320 IIRC. That unit uses an ISO harness. The RCD 340G uses a Quadlock connector. You will have to use the adapters and also tap CAN high and low signals in order to ensure the HU backlighting and switching on and off with ignition works seamlessly. Fellow moderator Gannu_1 has documented the same very well on his thread when he retrofitted the RCD 510 in his Polo.

What you will gain with the 340G over the 320:

- Larger touchscreen and much better aesthetics

- Support for a reverse camera and optical parking sensor display (only if you have the compatible OPS module. You will have to retrofit this)

- Android Auto and Apple Carplay

Originally Posted by docsinghal

Installing the RCD340 from the dealers outside VW network will be cheaper. Contact this guy, I had got the RCD 340 installed from him for around 14k a few years back, he also buys back the original head unit from you.

It’s a few minutes job.

He has stopped dealing in RCDs after the import restrictions. Customs has been cracking down on Chinese goods and imposing sky high duties eating into profits. Thus, these sellers have stopped retailing units.

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by docsinghal

Installing the RCD340 from the dealers outside VW network will be cheaper. Contact this guy, I had got the RCD 340 installed from him for around 14k a few years back, he also buys back the original head unit from you.

It’s a few minutes job.

Thanks for the lead! So I did call the guy. He quoted me a total of Rs. 26.5k including the adapter. I mentioned your price of 14k, his reaction was "How many years back was that?"

He's paying me Rs. 2000 for my current unit, so the total cost for me will be Rs. 24.5k.

Originally Posted by vishy76

What you will gain with the 340G over the 320:

- Larger touchscreen and much better aesthetics

- Support for a reverse camera and optical parking sensor display (only if you have the compatible OPS module. You will have to retrofit this)

- Android Auto and Apple Carplay

Will I get an upgrade in sound quality once I upgrade to the RCD340.

Also, since mine is a diesel vehicle, I cannot run it in Delhi for more than 10 years, means I'll have to sell it off by 2024. That's three more years from now. Is this upgrade worth it, if I wanna keep my car for 3 more years?

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

Originally Posted by docsinghal

Installing the RCD340 from the dealers outside VW network will be cheaper. Contact this guy, I had got the RCD 340 installed from him for around 14k a few years back, he also buys back the original head unit from you.

It’s a few minutes job.

I got mine from him for 15K as well. Has been working fine for the last 2-3 years.

Originally Posted by nutcracker

That's three more years from now. Is this upgrade worth it, if I wanna keep my car for 3 more years?

I would say Yes. 3 years of convenience of being able to use Gmaps on a head unit screen, play apple music library on the head unit for 15K is totally worth it in my opinion.

To be honest, I did this upgrade when my car was 3 years away from its 10 year mark too.


Rachit

[RevItUp]

Hey, sorry to put in my query here, do we have such options for the first gen Polo as well?
I have a 2011 polo higline.

[lordvader]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Thanks for the lead! So I did call the guy. He quoted me a total of Rs. 26.5k including the adapter. I mentioned your price of 14k, his reaction was "How many years back was that?"

He's paying me Rs. 2000 for my current unit, so the total cost for me will be Rs. 24.5k.

So did you get the 340 installed ? If yes, then how much did it cost you?

I just got off the phone with a guy from his shop and he quoted 31k for RCD340 with apple carplay and android auto.

[AtheK]

Speaking of ICE upgrade, I have been running a Chinese unit that i sourced from AE around 5 years back, it was on Android 4.4. It was obviously not upgraded, and now google play apps have stopped working as OS is very old. I was checking in the market and found a Chinese Android system which supports both Carplay and Android Auto in wireless form. This will be a huge boost, price quoted was 23K, it is a 9" screen with Android 10 (4 + 64 GB).

I am thinking of going ahead with the fit as it seems to be adding few more years of life to my current Vento. Hopefully this gives you one more option along with the Stock VW unit upgrade.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

What is a reasonable way I can upgrade it? A bonus would be an upgrade in Sound Quality too.

Originally Posted by AtheK

I am thinking of going ahead with the fit as it seems to be adding few more years of life to my current Vento. Hopefully this gives you one more option along with the Stock VW unit upgrade.

Thought of sharing some of my ownership views on the upgrade to the wonderful RCD340, if you are planning it - link (My Vento's super RCD340G headunit : Perspectives of an owner).

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by lordvader

So did you get the 340 installed ? If yes, then how much did it cost you?

I just got off the phone with a guy from his shop and he quoted 31k for RCD340 with apple carplay and android auto.

Well, I didn't. I might do so in the future. Do share if you you decide to go for it.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by lordvader

So did you get the 340 installed ? If yes, then how much did it cost you?

I just got off the phone with a guy from his shop and he quoted 31k for RCD340 with apple carplay and android auto.

Ever since the import restrictions on Chinese websites happened and Aliexpress went down, the price of RCD340 units have shot up like crazy! I see second-hand prices for as high as 25k for the unit with Android Auto and CarPlay support. Making hay while the sun shines, as they say.

[prajnya]

Hi,
I just received this RCD360 pro from a friend. It has carplay and android auto.
Looks like this is for the MQB platform.
The adapter cable which is supplied is for PQ-MQB.
I have 2 issues once the unit is plugged
1. The unit does not get the signal that the ignition is turned on. So Bluetooth, steering controls and music system button lights are not working. However Apple CarPlay is working.
2. The auto AC is in a continuous ON/OFF cycle, which is the main worry.

Is there any decoder or something which is needed to be connected to the yellow wire which is hanging loose in the adapter?
The yellow wire is connected to the battery pin on the system.

Anyone has been successful in fixing these issues or it’s better to get hold on an RCD340 .
Need help form the gurus.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by prajnya

Hi,
I just received this RCD360 pro from a friend. It has carplay and android auto.
Looks like this is for the MQB platform.

Trust the cables from the quadlock connector are wired properly? I see that the CAN + and CAN - terminals in the unit have moved to the smaller 12 pin of the quadlock.



For the earlier RCD units, it was in the main connector. Plus, the quadlock connector itself is different.



Please post an image of the terminal side of the connector.

[prajnya]

Yes.
The positions of BAT, GND, CAN+ and CAN- have changed.
But the connections seem to be correctly configured.

First three pictures are from the adapter which connects to the stock quadlock.

Last two are where the adapter connects to the new head unit.