distortion in one speaker with MDI

**dasrattles** · 27-04-2011, 06:00 PM

i noticed that my right speaker distorts when i used the MDI or the Aux jack. music is also left bias... like its panned to the left. quality is pretty bad too.

but the thing is, using bluetooth or the radio gives me perfect clarity! i reckon some wires are loose but the guys at the service center doubts it and ordered a new speaker for me.

see, it cant be the speaker as it works fine steaming audio through bluetooth/ playing cd/ playing radio. it isnt the volume being too high either, i can play cds loud without distortion.

anyone has had this issue before? any help would be good.
the number of times i've been to the dealership divided by the length of ownership of the car would give me an average of once a week. i have to head back again next week for them to install the new speaker and "see how it goes". kinda tired of visiting them since its a 45 min drive from my place one way.

**nhand42** · 30-04-2011, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by dasrattles

i noticed that my right speaker distorts when i used the MDI or the Aux jack. music is also left bias... like its panned to the left. quality is pretty bad too.

but the thing is, using bluetooth or the radio gives me perfect clarity! i reckon some wires are loose but the guys at the service center doubts it and ordered a new speaker for me.

see, it cant be the speaker as it works fine steaming audio through bluetooth/ playing cd/ playing radio. it isnt the volume being too high either, i can play cds loud without distortion.

anyone has had this issue before? any help would be good.
the number of times i've been to the dealership divided by the length of ownership of the car would give me an average of once a week. i have to head back again next week for them to install the new speaker and "see how it goes". kinda tired of visiting them since its a 45 min drive from my place one way.

I had a similar problem with my MDI. From the dealer it was fine, but in the process of installing my Bluetooth I stuffed the MDI. Crystal clear audio from CD and bluetooth streaming, but crackling and reduced quality from MDI iPod and MDI AUX.

Problem was the Canbus connector. The Canbus connector is a square (almost cube) black thing with a handle that locks everything tight together. There's a white plastic terminal block on the back of the Canbus connector for the audio wires. When I fiddled back there I had dislodged the white terminal block from the black connector. It was half-in / half-out so the pins were only just mating with the terminal block. The white terminal block is 2 pins high and a dozen pins wide, from memory.

I reseated the white terminal block (pushed it hard into the black connector) and everything came good. Might not be your problem, but easy enough to check.

**Ryan_R** · 23-02-2012, 01:02 PM

Also assume you've tried connecting different media players into the aux-in jack to confirm. You're probably right but good to double-check.

**buzuki** · 23-02-2012, 06:55 PM

Factory fitted MDI or dealer fit?

Ive seen 2 wires crossed over a few times. Think they are blue yellow green. 2 of them will be in the wrong pin and the music sounds crap.

Could be the issue?

**GrantK** · 24-03-2012, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by buzuki

Factory fitted MDI or dealer fit?

Ive seen 2 wires crossed over a few times. Think they are blue yellow green. 2 of them will be in the wrong pin and the music sounds crap.

Could be the issue?

I have a very similar issue, except that nearly all of the sound is coming out of the Right speakers, with only background accompaniment coming out of Left. Being an Audio Tech. from way back, I think that what I am hearing is L+R coming from R speakers, and L-R coming from L speakers. Looking at the wiring diagram for the MDI, I suspect that the dealer has reversed a couple of the audio connections.

My MDI was fitted behind the glove box by the dealer, and I have a RCD310 Head Unit.

My questions are:

1) How difficult is it to remove the RCD310, and do you need any special tools? I found this step-by-step guide for the Tiguan:

How to remove RCD500 headunit

but is there an equivalent one for the Golf?

2) The installation instructions for the MDI Kit mention a "Wiring Harness Repair Kit VAS 1978" being needed for the job. I guess this is some sort of extractor tool for the multi-pin wiring harness connectors? Do you really need this, or will a jeweller's screwdriver set do the job?

Cheers for any help.

**Ryan_R** · 24-03-2012, 08:07 PM

For the MK6 Golf, just use a trim remover tool or other means to pull of the plastic radio surround, then it's just 4 T20 screws you remove and it comes out.

**GrantK** · 24-03-2012, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Ryan_R

For the MK6 Golf, just use a trim remover tool or other means to pull of the plastic radio surround, then it's just 4 T20 screws you remove and it comes out.

Thanks for that Ryan, it sounds a lot easier than I expected.

Other how-to guides have mentioned using old credit cards or kitchen knives wrapped in cloth to pry off the plastic radio surround. What did you use?

**Ryan_R** · 25-03-2012, 09:09 AM

You could use those or buy a trim remover set (nylon) for about $20 on eBay like I did.

**GrantK** · 11-04-2012, 05:13 PM

Reporting back the outcome of this problem to the thread, in case anybody else encounters a similar issue:

- The audio output wires from the MDI had indeed been swapped over in the blue contact housing;
- There are Yellow, Grey and Green wires and ALL of them were in the wrong positions!

Having sorted that out, all 4 speakers in the car now work as expected via the RCD-310. The balance control now works as it should, whereas before, the "sound centre" was heavily biased towards the right-hand side of the car. The incompetent technician who installed my MDI needs to go back to school