Retrofitting Bluetooth, Cruise, Air-Con & Columbus

[Sequoia]

Hi there!

 

I have an absolute ton of questions, and I hope some of you can offer some advice and help!

 

I have been mulling over getting BT, CC, A/C and a full Sat-Nav system retro fitted to my Octavia II hatch. I have the most basic model, with no extras of any kind (really low mileage, thats why I bought it!).

 

I wonder if many of you have had any of the above retrofits carried out on your cars, and if so, what is entailed in the job? If I came across a Columbus system, is the bluetooth module built into the system, or is it a separate item? I assume that I'll need to change the car aerial in order to incorporate a sat-nav system into the car also - will I need a separate GPS module as well?

 

I'd be hoping to source the parts from breakers/dismantlers where possible, and have them fitted by someone capable, as there wouldn't be any point in paying the full whack for these items (€2,200 for Columbus, €100-€120 for CC stick, €600+ for A/C, unsure on cost of bluetooth), only to put them into a used car.

Have any of you source parts through breakers before, and if so am I bonkers to attempt why I am looking to attempt?

 

Would I have to replace my Speedo/Rev-counter dial section completely to have a Maxidot display added?

 

 

I hope someone can help! Thank you in advance.

[KBPhoto]

All the answers are on this forum if you search for them in the Octavia II section.

But basically you can retro fit all of that at home with limited tools. It'll cost you in the region of £800-£1000 for all of it though.

And yes the Maxidot upgrade needs the full dash pod and ideally the keys and immobiliser from the donor vehicle. Eddie_NL is the resident expert on retrofits, especially Maxidot clusters.

[nickguzzi]

I haven't fitted an air con, but when I have had to work on the heater, it has usually been a bit of a job. Usually its the first thing fitted in the dash area when the car is assembled, and that often means getting everything out of the way in order to put one in. Not to be undertaken lightly.

Any broken, leaking or missing bits can be costly

The rest is mostly modular. Presuming the wiring is there, plug, code and play. You will need VCDS to make more or less any of it work.

Blue tooth is not part of the Columbus system.

Neither is the gps transducer, on factory fit it is often part of the aerial. I had a gps system on my laptop years ago and had a hell of a job faffing about trying to get the right "mouse" to communicate with the software. Maybe an adult will put you right on that.

There were quite a few changes across different VAG models/marques, even pre/post FL, so you will need to make sure what it is you need and where it is located on the various VAG donor vehicles.

There was a thread recently showing how to change the splash screen. You can build your own custom one.

As you may know there are quite a few ebay resellers of columbus/rns510. They can be easy to destroy, don't get one of those.

MikeHolroyd on here has done a Maxidot refit, pretty sure there was a howto included.

Good luck

[Squible]

 

I wonder if many of you have had any of the above retrofits carried out on your cars, and if so, what is entailed in the job? If I came across a Columbus system, is the bluetooth module built into the system, or is it a separate item? I assume that I'll need to change the car aerial in order to incorporate a sat-nav system into the car also - will I need a separate GPS module as well?

 

 

Having done a columbus retrofit myself I can say that it is fairly easy to do especially if you have a facelift model. The columbus unit does not come with an internal bluetooth or gps module however most people bundle in the gps module when selling it. Also a car aerial change isn't required, you can fit the gps module under the dashboard, some people prefer the look of the sharkfin aerial though.

[VrsMule]

Your basically doing what I'm 1/2 ways through doing.

1.Nexus Sat-Nav £140 + £20 for surround - 10 min job to do yourself.

2.X-Car link Handsfree/Bluetooth music streaming £130 installed with Nexus

3.Cruise control £80 for stalk - still to fit

4.Maxidot £40 for clocks - still to fit

All bought from E-Bay I have also retrofitted rear parking sensors , centre arm rest , all badges and centre caps and roof aerial at a cost of £130