That would be interesting to try though I'd be worried about the computer throwing fits upon detecting an "unapproved" drive and causing unexpected problems.

 

Subscribed.
How hard is it to get the HDD out?

 

I thought about doing this, but then I got thinking about the possible cost of a decent, ruggedized hard drive that can take the vibrations of driving down dirt roads... needed so the drive keeps spinning for the GPS and music files. In comparison, a 32gb SDHC card costs about $30 (with taxes if you don't just buy the first one you see). As a result, I decided that some SD cards were an easier, cheaper and more reliable solution for me. Then there is the warranty issue too I guess.

 

Better yet would be replacing the hard drive with an SSD solid state drive. No vibration sensitivity, might speed up the nav system etc.

 

All covered at this site......

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f78/rns-510-hdd-replacement-ssd-swap-diy-60984.html

Stuart.....

 

SSD's are still relatively expensive compared to SD cards, but yes, that gets rid of the vibration concern.

As for the RNS-510 write-up, it looks really well done. For Canadian Touaregs, they all come with the RNS-850. I'm not sure where the hard drive actually resides in the RNS-850 system. The radio is in the right rear. Also, you'll need to clone your existing drive so that the GPS map data gets copied over to what-ever you're using. That's pretty simple though assuming you can get the correct cables and use your PC with something like PartedMagic.

 

I would pursue this if I knew the location of the RNS-850's hard drive. Just having a cloned safety backup could save a big future repair expense.

That guy's write-up on the RNS-510 is very well done.

EDIT: Page 5 of this Kufatec FISCUBE manual suggests the hard drive is in the glovebox near the DVD/SD drive: http://www.ima-box.de/support/manuals/fiscube_rns_850_en.pdf

 

In fact I bet the hard drive is in the CD/DVD/SD drive case...

 

I expect to have something to report on this soon as far as location & type of hard drive in the RNS-850. I would really like to make a backup image of the factory drive, and maybe upgrade to a solid-state drive.

 

Isn't the RNS-850 basically the same as the MMI 3G from Audi?

Google MMI 3G HDD swap and there seems to be enough information to put you on your way.

I would think pulling the unit out of the glove box and disassembling it will yield what you need.

 

I'll have a 2nd-hand but almost new VW unit to dissect...

 

This is the factory hard drive from a 2012 Touareg (RNS-850). The drive is inside the MMI CD/DVD/SD enclosure in the glovebox. Note the IDE/PATA interface, not SATA.

 

Nice!

Here are the specs:
Toshiba Adds 60GB Model to Industry-Leading Automotive Hard Disk Drive Line -- re> IRVINE, Calif., May 13 /PRNewswire/ --


Interested to see your removal process and thoughts on replacement!
Now the question, do you try to put in
an expensive PATA SSD
an inexpensive PATA non-automotive drive
an expensive higher capacity PATA automotive drive...?

 

Operating temperature is only down to 32F, so it wouldn't work for northern folks, but since the HDD is stored in the glove box, maybe it would work, but just take a bit longer to start up. Hmmmm.

OWC OWCSSDMLP120 120GB Mercury Legacy Pro SSD 2.5" IDE/ATA... at OWC

 

I hadn't given much thought to operating temperature but clearly that's as big a deal as vibration & shock tolerence...

For that Toshiba 60GB automotive-grade drive:

• Temperature Operating: -30 - +85 C
• Non-operating: -40 - +95 C

That's impressive for a hard drive.

 

I need to research the capacity issue more, need to make sure there's not some inherent limitation in the MMI, either software or hardware, that would cause problems with, say, a 128GB drive.

There's basically no vibration-protection in the MMI case design, so I'm sure the use of an oem automotive-grade hard drive is well thought out. SSDs, having no mechanical components, are less susceptible to vibration problems but a ruggedized automotive-grade SSD is probably the best choice, if not the cheapest. There are 64GB IDE SSDs on ebay for around $75. That seems to be the price floor.

 

This may be the go-to rugged SSD solution for the RNS-850:

 

Based on the $266 price I just found for a 128GB version of that drive at Amazon.com, I think your better off buying a few SD cards. Even if the price were half, I'd still have to go with the SD cards. The only advantage of this upgrade is being able to make a backup of the original hard drive. Probably better to replace the OE unit if it ever went bad because you'd likely get updated map data too.

From a "can I do it?" perspective though, its super cool.

 

The Super Talent SSDs with the "I" suffix on the part number are far more expensive. The 64GB "I" drive retails for over $1000. Their data spec sheet is confusing to me, not clear which drives have the greatly expanded operating temperature range but it's probably the "I" version. Still researching...

The new OEM unit seems to go for like $1800. The good news is I now have a used OE unit to play around with without voiding the warranty on my Treg's original unit...

 

There really is no point in getting any drive in the 60GB range since that's the existing drive size. At the cost you noted, I'm thinking that sticking with a larger disk based hard drive as opposed to a SSD might be a better way to go. Is there a larger version of the OE drive that could be used? The speed of the SSD will be wasted anyway, though with no moving parts I imagine its less likely to break or have issues in the vehicle.

 

I wonder if installing a PATA to SATA adaptor, such as this one would help reduce the cost?

http://www.amazon.com/HDE-SATA-Drive-Interface-Adapter/dp/B002Y2NI4M

The problem though might be the space needed for the adaptor may not be available inside the 850RNS.

 

I don't think so. It's the automotive grade drive that's the issue.
You could put a non-automotive rated drive and lower the cost substantially.

 

That adapter wouldn't fit. The drive plugs into a 90-degree right-angle connector that plugs straight down into the motherboard. It's very tight. I doubt any stock adapter would work without modifying how the drive is mounted.

I'll see about posting some pics of the disassembly phase and show how the drive is mounted and how to get it out.

 

Dredging this thread up because I really want to try replacing the stock 60GB hard drive with a 120GB SSD. There's lots of discussion in audi forums about this but not a lot of solid data. One guy claims he wrote a tool that resizes the file system to take advantage of a larger drive, but he won't share the tool. Worst case is you clone a 60 onto a 120 but it can only use 60. The upside is it would be a new faster SSD.

Comments & suggestions welcome. Tell us about your experience trying this. I have a sacrificial 2011 VW MMI with 60GB drive to use for testing.

 

Two SD slots and and an available hook up for an external hdd isn't enough? Why would one need so much storage space? Do you really have 120,000 songs you'd like to carry in your car?

 

The main point (for me) would be to see if the system operation is faster with an SSD.

But if I'm going to try it I might as well see if usable storage space can be increased too.

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The main point (for me) would be to see if the system operation is faster with an SSD.

But if I'm going to try it I might as well see if usable storage space can be increased too.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App

I would be very interested to see some documentation of the SSD conversion and the results. Is the standard HDD 5400 or 7200rpm?

 

SSD is definitely faster but is it really worth it for for a extra two seconds?

 

Give it a try Eugene. But might as well save some $$ and use a 60-90gb SSD.

See what happens. Don't like the results...slap the old HDD back in there.