Bolero - what's the current firmware?

[Simon Cobb]

My Sep 2010 (MY2011) Scout has always suffered from the huge lag while reading in large capacity SD cards (it's got nothing to do with the cards being Class 4, 6 10 etc.). That delay is a minimum of 30-seconds and more typically, between 60 and 90 seconds. I've followed various threads on here in the past and used the workaround provided by DanishViking by structuring the content of my cards in a specific way. But really, that's not a fix, so tomorrow, my car is going in for the first time since I bought it almost 2 years ago, to have a diagnostic checkover and for them to specifically look at the slow SD card reading problem.

What would be really helpful, would be for me to be able to tell the dealer what the latest firmware is. Does anyone have that information?

Incidentally, I have VCDS, so is there any way I can use this tool to read the current firmware of my Bolero before I take it in?

[john999boy]

I can't remember what version it should be but the dealer will probably say it's not even relevant to the speed of the sd card reading either. Insist on it being done though as you will immediately notice the difference.

[snala]

Mine, just using an 8g card takes about 20 seconds but only the first time after the card has been taken out to add music and then put back in. After that it's works straight away every time you turn the car on. Car same as yours Simon so same firmware.

[Simon Cobb]

Hmmm...interesting responses. Would still love to find out 1) what my current firmware version is; and 2) what the latest firmware version is, so if anyone out there can shed any light on either question, that would be good.

I found this thread from last year, which is highly relevant to this discussion. Also, this thread. Having read through both, I'm thoroughly confused as to whether a fix is available and if applying a later firmware might actually do more harm than good, by speeding things up but with a side effect of limiting the number of files that can be read to 2,000. There seem to be a lot of conflicting statements across the posts I've linked to, from "everything is working perfectly", to "there's a limit of 2,000 tracks that can be read", to "it will read the entire contents of my 32GB card, but only very slowly".

It would be great to have a definitive answer for everyone who uses the SD card feature on the Bolero (there must be a few thousand of us out there).

I wish I had opted for an MDI when ordering the car. Retrofitting is a $600 (£300) exercise....sigh.

Edited 19 June, 2012 by Simon Cobb

[john999boy]

You're worrying too much Simon. The limit mentioned will only occur when you dump everything into the root dir and not if you put the albums in an ordered fashion.

[GaSelle]

Hmmm...interesting responses. Would still love to find out 1) what my current firmware version is; and 2) what the latest firmware version is, so if anyone out there can shed any light on either question, that would be good.

I found this thread from last year, which is highly relevant to this discussion. Also, this thread. Having read through both, I'm thoroughly confused as to whether a fix is available and if applying a later firmware might actually do more harm than good, by speeding things up but with a side effect of limiting the number of files that can be read to 2,000. There seem to be a lot of conflicting statements across the posts I've linked to, from "everything is working perfectly", to "there's a limit of 2,000 tracks that can be read", to "it will read the entire contents of my 32GB card, but only very slowly".

It would be great to have a definitive answer for everyone who uses the SD card feature on the Bolero (there must be a few thousand of us out there).

I wish I had opted for an MDI when ordering the car. Retrofitting is a $600 (£300) exercise....sigh.

Or, you could retrofit the original Bluetooth Premium for £200 and get bluetooth-audio streaming in stereo?

[Simon Cobb]

Nice thought, but my car came delivered with full Bluetooth integration factory fitted (it was introduced with the MY2011 cars), so I can stream from my iPhone to the stereo.

[GaSelle]

Nice thought, but my car came delivered with full Bluetooth integration factory fitted (it was introduced with the MY2011 cars), so I can stream from my iPhone to the stereo.

Oh, I see. It´s just, I have´nt thought of the MDI since I´ve started using the BT streaming

[skoda99]

I cannot say what the current firmware is but can offer this.. My 2010 car had the slow card reading/navigation and the dealer at first said there was nothing that could be done since the 'is there any update for this car?' check didn't show anything. They did then talk to Skoda UK Technical Department and an update was made available, which took about 35 minutes.

I was told this update was to address another unspecified issue but the correction of the slow card reading was a side effect... whatever, it sorted out the problem with almost instant reading and navigation.

The firmware version can be seen with VCDS but there is another way which is to lever out the central air vents upwards to reveal the top of the Bolero. This is fairly easy but watch out for the wiring to the Hazard switch, although there is no need to disconnect it. There are all sorts of IDs and specifications on a sticker but one is labelled "SW" (presumably software). My factory version was 0053 and the updated version is 0054. I've tried to post a picture below. I believe there may now be different versions of the Bolero made by different manufacturers so things may have changed on newer units. HTH.

Edited 19 June, 2012 by skoda99

[M4rkos]

My Sd card is also dog slow, can take.. oh 3 minutes before it starts playing anything. I am also very interested in the fix, but the dealer I bought the car from (car was second hand 2010 VRS) is miles and miles away, and I dont want to pay a local Skoda dealer for just looking at this one issue, even though I think its dangerous trying to navigate to a different music folder and it taking 45 seconds to load it in...lots of glances at the sterio and not at the road.

Please let me know how you get on, and if you can tell me exactly what to ask for when I get mine serviced and this bloody annoying issue addressed.

[Simon Cobb]

So, I have good news . The car went to my dealer today. Firstly, I should say that they had never struck this issue before, but it's fair to say that Skodas are sold in small numbers and quite possibly only a handful of buyers really use the SD card seriously with big cards and large file numbers. Anyway, they checked the firware on my Bolero and it was apparently on firmware 40 (I find this number hard to believe, but I double-checked with them and that's what they tell me it was). There was an update available, which took me to firmware 54. Result? Instant reading of my fully populated 32GB cards, with playback commencing within 1 second of insertion of the card. The full content of the card is also accessible with no maximum file or folder limitation that I can see, e.g. all files and folders on a Class 10 SDHC 32GB card, containing 5,400 files in 363 folders, total 29.7GB, were accessible.

In addition to the huge improvement in SD card performance, the Bluetooth pairing to my iPhone seems quicker and the graphics for the front and rear parking sensors have also changed.

All in all, a highly successful outcome. If you are experiencing problems with your SD card performance, this post confirms that there is a fix and you should not be fobbed off by your dealer if they claim otherwise.

[M4rkos]

Fab glad its sorted for you and I will ask for firmware '54' cheers

[dubbers]

My Bolero + 32GB SD Card + 3000 tracks is not the most reliable, in fact drives me nuts (it has intermittent problems seeking when MP3's are DJ Mixes that are 1hr+). Many thanks for posting Simon - will be asking my local Skoda dealer to update the firmware the next time my car is due a service.

[mr_awol]

Phoned the dealer today who is supplying my (second hand) octy - they hadn't heard of it and couldn't initially find anything about it their system either. I must admit when they said they'd hook it up and see if any updates were available I had my doubts as to whether it would come back with anything done but they phoned back a couple of hours later and said it had been done and was now on v54. Overall very happy as I probably won't bother with an MDI cable now (not initially at least)

[lozparry]

I got fobbed off last time I went to the dealers, saying it was the SD card been cheap!! So cheap it works straight away when I tried it in my bro-in-laws Tiguan (bolero equivalent version)

[mr_awol]

I got fobbed off last time I went to the dealers, saying it was the SD card been cheap!! So cheap it works straight away when I tried it in my bro-in-laws Tiguan (bolero equivalent version)

TBH if I was a dealer and someone asked me for this, but it wasn't on the system, I'd probably not spend too much time looking. Try telling them the specific version number it's supposed to be on, etc and maybe even showing them this thread which proves if nothing else that other dealers have been able to find it.

I sent the dealer a link to this thread by email. Don't know if they read it but when they called me back they mentioned that my park assist wouldn't have the updated pictures as it was a retrofit (I'd already been told this so it wasn't an issue - I just wanted the SD card to work properly) so I assume that either they did read the thread, or the new pictures were mentioned on a tech release somewhere......

[mr_awol]

Not checked speed yet as all my SD cards are quite small and all my music is in AAC format.

Have ordered a class 10 32GB card from play.com for £17.99 delivered though, so will get ripping in a day or two.....

[blackspaven]

This all sounds sweeeeeeeeet!! Just checked the top of my Bolero to see if i've V.54 on the one i've just bought aaaaaand....

Bingo!

[mr_awol]

This all sounds sweeeeeeeeet!! Just checked the top of my Bolero to see if i've V.54 on the one i've just bought aaaaaand....

Bingo!

Sorry mate but that's V054 - that was before the 100 series which is now in use and needs to be on V154 (technically).

Yours has been linked to complete engine failure.....

[blackspaven]

Sorry mate but that's V054 - that was before the 100 series which is now in use and needs to be on V154 (technically).

Yours has been linked to complete engine failure.....

:( I expect to go down in a ball of flames any day now then!!!

[gav611]

Good morning guys I've just been reading this thread ive got a customer with similar issues but having checked for updates I found all ok, Simon Cobb will you be able to pm the details of the dealer that fixed it for you I'd like to ask how they have done this weather it wa a cd update or and online update ?? Many thanks Gavin

[john999boy]

It's only available online.

[Simon Cobb]

Good morning guys I've just been reading this thread ive got a customer with similar issues but having checked for updates I found all ok, Simon Cobb will you be able to pm the details of the dealer that fixed it for you I'd like to ask how they have done this weather it wa a cd update or and online update ?? Many thanks Gavin

PM sent.

[dubbers]

Had my car serviced today and also had the Bolero firmware updated, looks like mine is a different version to Simons (OP).

VCDS before update

Address 56: Radio (J503)	 Labels: 5M0-035-1xx-56.clb
Part No SW: 1Z0 035 156 G HW: 1Z0 035 156 G
Component: BOLERO	 015 0029
Revision: -----29S Serial number: SKZ4Z3Kxxxxx
Coding: 0D0004000001
Shop #: WSC 73430 790 00066
VCID: 364DFA69815C5C9

VCDS after update

Address 56: Radio (J503)	 Labels: 5M0-035-1xx-56.clb
Part No SW: 1Z0 035 156 G HW: 1Z0 035 156 G
Component: BOLERO	 015 0030
Revision: -----29S Serial number: SKZ4Z3Kxxxxx
Coding: 0D0004000001
Shop #: WSC 28027 576 80225
VCID: 364DFA69815C5C9

In a nutshell went from firmware 29 to firmware 30. This hasnt fixed the long delay in reading 32GB SD Cards.

Looking at the photos posted by Blackspaven and Skoda99 - Both of them have a revision F Bolero and I have a revision G unit.... Also the yellow sticker seems to be an information note as well, Ive not taken the vents out but I would guess mine has a yellow sticker with 29S on it, whereas the other Bolero's pictured have 10S/13S.

Does the plot thicken?

[dubbers]

Just to update this thread - I VCDS scanned a colleagues vRS which has had the firmware upgrade, and does work well with 32GB SD Cards. Looking at the log, it would suggest that Hardware revision F Bolero's updated to firmware 54 solve SD card reading issues, however revision G Bolero's updated to firmware 30 continue to have issues in terms of lardy playback performance.

Output from Bolero Revision F, Firmware 54.

Address 56: Radio (J503)	   Labels: 5M0-035-1xx-56.clb
  Part No SW: 1Z0 035 156 F    HW: 1Z0 035 156 F
  Component: BOLERO	    010 0054 
  Revision: 0A001001    Serial number: SKZ1Z3Kxxxxxx
  Coding: 090004000001
  Shop #: WSC 29993 000 1048576
  VCID: 354FFD659C5A571