VW Touran Radio Dies: Antenna Ground Issue Alert

I had a similar issue with my 2011 VW Golf TDI. Having some experience with vehicle electronics, I initially thought it was just poor signal reception, but it turned out to be more serious. The symptoms were identical, complete FM signal loss and error messages on the infotainment system. After trying basic troubleshooting like checking connections, I took it to my regular workshop. Their diagnostic showed the antenna booster was completely dead, and the main antenna itself had corroded connections. The complete repair included: Replacing the antenna booster unit, Installing new antenna wiring, Updating the infotainment system Total cost was 255€ and it completely resolved the signal strength issues. The radio now works perfectly again. To help diagnose your specific case, could you share: Does the problem occur with all audio sources or just radio? Are you getting any specific error codes? Have you noticed if the reception gradually got worse or failed suddenly? Did you have any recent work done near the antenna area? These details would help determine if your issue is similar to what I experienced with my Golf.

Last service done at 125409km. Thanks for sharing your experience. This does sound very similar to my issue. The problem is isolated to radio reception only, USB and Bluetooth audio work fine. The error message is RCD510-035 which appears immediately when starting the car. The reception dropped completely overnight, was working fine one evening, totally dead the next morning. No recent work has been done on the roof or antenna area. Based on your repair experience, I will have the antenna booster checked first since the symptoms match. Good to know about the potential for corroded connections too. The signal amplifier and connections seem like the logical starting point before considering a full car radio replacement. Will schedule a diagnostic check focusing on these components.

Thanks for those additional details. That error code RCD510-035 and the sudden failure pattern matches exactly what I experienced with my Golf. Since your Bluetooth and USB are working fine, this really points to the antenna circuit, just like in my case. After getting my antenna booster replaced, I learned that static noise and complete FM signal loss are classic symptoms of a failed signal amplifier. The overnight failure pattern is also typical, these units tend to fail completely rather than gradually degrading. A few things I noticed during my repair process: The workshop found moisture had gotten into the antenna booster housing, The antenna ground connection showed significant corrosion, The original wiring insulation had deteriorated If you check your service records, the antenna system is rarely part of regular maintenance, which explains why these issues often appear suddenly around the 8-10 year mark. Before booking the workshop, you might want to try disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes. In my case, this cleared the error message temporarily, but it came back because the underlying antenna booster issue remained. The full repair should cost similarly to what I paid, assuming the same components need replacement.

Thanks for all the input. I will get the car booked in this week and specifically ask them to inspect the antenna booster and wiring connections first. After hearing about the moisture damage you found, I suspect my car could have similar issues given its age. Just to confirm what I should look for on the invoice, they should be checking: Antenna booster unit, Ground connections, Wiring condition, Moisture ingress around antenna area, General signal strength tests after repairs I will try the battery disconnect trick first, but given the total signal loss and error code match your experience so closely, I am prepared for needing the antenna components replaced. Good to have a rough cost estimate of around 250€ to work with. Will update the thread once I know what they find. Hoping its just the booster unit like in your case and not anything more serious with the car radio system itself.