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Yeti Bolero to Columbus and MDI retrofit


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Having just swapped the Bolero stereo for a Columbus (which is reasonably well documented on her) and added MDI (which isn't) I thought I'd add a technical guide to share my experiences (so far) and add to them when I get a little more involved with additional elements.

 

Plan is to do three things:

  1. Swap Bolero for Columbus;
  2. Add MDI;
  3. Swap roof antenna for shark fin with GPS / GSM / FM / DAB.

First up was to swap the head units, investigate what goes where, how much space was available for access, etc. and add the MDI functionality. I'll add more information here when I get around to doing the rest of the jobs.

 

So this is how it looked yesterday morning - pretty standard for a 2010 Yeti:

 

post-59543-0-76622700-1416568179_thumb.jpg

 

Fascia arrived courtesy of Skodateile (p/n: 5L0 858 069 L 1QB) and that's where I noticed the first slight variation in colour to the original trim. This is what they look like from a distance (Bolero fascia at the top);

 

post-59543-0-00868500-1416568322_thumb.jpg

 

The eagle eyed amongst you may just notice a slight difference in surface finish. The Columbus fascia is a 'satin' finish. I need to check the Bolero surround part number to see what finish that was. this close up may just show the difference (again Bolero fascia at the top):

 

post-59543-0-30700500-1416568410_thumb.jpg

 

Now it's finished, it looks good finished until you look very closely at the rest of the dash trim (around the dash top box for example), then you notice the slightly shiner plastic there.

 

The fascia came off with a little gingerness on my behalf using a plastic trim tool starting on the right, then the bottom and the left. the top appears to be held in by two tabs that, if prised from the top, would probably snap off.

 

Next was the Bolero face which needs to be removed to get at the four Torx 20 screws that hold it in place. This has three small tabs on each side that are easily overcome with a gentle prise / twist of a trim tool on each side:

 

post-59543-0-57337400-1416568694_thumb.jpg  post-59543-0-25545900-1416568717_thumb.jpg

 

This left the following - a naked Bolero!:

 

post-59543-0-76313600-1416568597_thumb.jpg

 

The screws are where expected on the left and mirrored on the right. Unlike the earlier Stream head units, you do not need to be too worried about dropping the screws and them disappearing inside the headunit.

 

post-59543-0-33556700-1416568750_thumb.jpg  post-59543-0-75454500-1416568781_thumb.jpg

 

Undo these and slide out the Bolero. There was quite a bit of cable given o be able to get behind the stereo and remove them fairly easily. The shortest was probably the double radio connector (the white double FAKRA connector).

 

Just out of interest, this is the radio connector. Notice the blue marking on the one black cable? That's the FM only side. The other is FM / AM combined.

 

post-59543-0-84275200-1416568941_thumb.jpg

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Before putting the Columbus in, I wanted to find out where best to place the MDI controller and cables. I was hoping that, like the Octavia Mk2, there would be a nice mounting point for the controller bracket (p/n 1Z2 035 643):

 

post-59543-0-74167400-1416569048_thumb.jpg

 

But there isn't! Or if there is, I didn't find it.

 

Next step, remove the dash top box and the glovebox. Both of these have been documented on here already (so I won't duplicate, but will link). Thanks to their authors for the information.

 

Both of these are pretty straightforward with the exception of removing the glove box release button cover. It's a question of playing with it until it works free.

 

post-59543-0-94698300-1416570392_thumb.jpg

 

With these out, the most likely location appeared on the cross beam under the dash top box where there were two threaded holes. And I had some Skoda screws with fitted washers that fitted.

 

post-59543-0-03882200-1416569723_thumb.jpg

 

These weren't spaced the same as the holes on the bracket - but that could be remedied with a drill - and the bracket would need to be bent differently. Due to the size and shape of the MDI controller, I just could not get the bracket to fit and get the dash top box back on without pushing the controller around too much. There is the space for the controller, and I know someone on here has 'bubble wrapped' their controller and place in on top of the cross beam.

 

But that wasn't for me as I wanted to find an official location for it and secure it firmly in place. I also would have preferred to use the 'ashtray' as opposed to the dash top box partly because the ashtray is the official location (LHD only) and I use the top box for storage of items in the absence of a drop box by the driver's right knee as in the Octavia Mk2.

 

The best I could come up with (as no one could answer my questions about the location or parts), was this:

 

post-59543-0-12501600-1416570094_thumb.jpg  post-59543-0-55216000-1416570074_thumb.jpg

 

Loads of room there for the controller (although I did have to fit the controller to the bracket before screwing the bracket in as there simply was not the space to slide it on afterwards. The screw was already there - it appears to hold two bits of metal framework for the dash panel together. Obviously had to take a hammer to the bracket to flatten it out, but there was plenty of scope for making it a slightly different shape (other than flat) as there is quite bit of room in that gap.

 

I was originally going to run the MDI extension cable to the top box, but decided against this as already mentioned. The cable will reach either location from where I have mounted it with reasonable ease.

 

post-59543-0-33585000-1416570253_thumb.jpg

 

But this is where it is going to end up:

 

post-59543-0-81605800-1416570295_thumb.jpg

 

The 'ashtray' does;t just slide out, there are two screws hidden by the gear stick surround. Prise up the rear of the surround (the back of the vehicle) and then the sides and front.

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Putting it back together took some doing due to the MDI pass through cable.

 

Originally I was going to use this cable set as it was much smaller, but I didn't know how much of the Quadlock cabling I would be abel to pull out to be abel o solder three wires into the loom. As it turned out, there was quite a bit of cable and enough room to have done so. I doubt this would have created more work as I spent almost an hour trying to get the cables in the right place to allow the Columbus back in.

 

post-59543-0-01018300-1416570635_thumb.jpg  post-59543-0-86864600-1416570655_thumb.jpg

 

Putting the new fascia on took a little fiddling to get all the tabs in the right place, but then it suddenly fell into place and went in quite easily leaving the end result:

 

post-59543-0-34751100-1416570677_thumb.jpg

 

Then on to the VCDS coding to get it all working correctly and integrated with the Maxidot.

 

VCDS CODING GRAPHICS TO COME LATER

 

This left an almost fully functional Columbus, Maxidot and MDI.

 

post-59543-0-25419900-1416570936_thumb.jpg  post-59543-0-64339900-1416570955_thumb.jpg  post-59543-0-45711900-1416571657_thumb.jpg

 

I say 'almost' because I could not get Apple Podcasts to work on the iPhone / MDI. No matter what podcast I tired it started playing the first song (alphabetically) on the iPhone.

 

The solution was simple: a recent update to iOS8 on the iPhone had added a 'Podcast' application which I had not used due to not having had MDI since before the software update. I started this, it imported all the podcasts and then MDI worked without issue. I like simple solutions....

 

Currently the iPod cable is hanging out the side trim of the footwells, but it is accessible, for now, and works well.

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The new Columbus fascia (5L0 858 069 L 1QB) is slightly different to the original Bolero fascia (5L0 858 069 H) in colouring and texture, but there was no colour code suffix to the part number.

 

As far as I can establish, there is only one Bolero fascia and one Columbus fascia available.

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That looks nice. Well done.

I had thought about doing that (and colour coding the dash trim above the glovebox to the exterior paint colour) but think I'll leave it 'as is' since its a very close match.

I put that I go in mainly for people who are really OCD about these things. Or if anyone knows what the different colour codes (if they exist) refer to.

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I am thinking of putting a Columbus in my Yeti, will any Columbus fit and is the only other part i need the new facia?

 

i have got a Bolero in it at the moment but after puting a Columbus in my Fabia i'm quite keen to update the yeti.

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That's pretty much all you need.

Any Columbus will fit.

Your Columbus should have an external GPS receiver with it though. If not they are a few quid on eBay.

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Czech Republic!

Or your local dealer....

eBay sellers tend to be twice the price of the dealer where it should be about £30.

I paid less than £20 from Skodateile but did have several other items in order at the same time.

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I'm having recurring issues with the iPhone and podcasts not being played initially and then, when they are, the title of the first alphabetic song on the device is displayed. After a few changes to radio and back, the display usually comes back correctly.

 

As the only differences are the car and the iOS (now 8.something as opposed to 7.sometthing) I do suspect that this is an issue with the iOS separating the podcasts into a separate application on the phone as opposed to MDI or the Columbus.

 

I'll update if I get any new developments. First stop will be to check the version of firmware I have on the MDI controller and see if there is a newer one available (although the newest applicable one is from 2011 so I doubt would make nay difference anyway).

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  • 3 months later...

Long time, but here is an update.

 

It still does not work properly and there is not a firmware update that I can find that will work with older MDI units.

 

Is anyone else experiencing issues with MDI and podcasts (on Apple phones)?

 

It all used to work in my Octavia (same hardware - MDI & Columbus - but different pass through loom and phone firmware) and doesn't in the Yeti.

 

It's a 'B' suffix MDI controller. Would a new 'G' suffix one work?

 

Any feedback or comments would be appreciated before I waste money on a newer controller to find that it is (other controllers in) the car that is at fault.

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  • 3 months later...

Hey all,

 

OP, great writeup.

 

I am also in the process of retrofitting a Columbus + Premium Phone (Bluetooth + Wifi). I want to do it as OEM as possible so I need some info.

 

I wanted to take the cables for GPS and GSM (each 6m in length) through the same path as the radio antena (left side of the car all the way to the front). The problem is that the car is left hand drive and I hit a bump on how the cables should go from the hood handle up.

 

For the moment I ended up pulling the cables through the support beam behind the tacho but I am not happy with that and, the GSM cable does not reach underneath the passenger seat (6m too short :( ).

 

Do any of you have the phone preparation factory made? I cannot find any info to how is the cable supposed to go from the rear antenna to the phone unit (pillars, carpet etc.). Can anybody provide the info, pics etc?

 

Thanks

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Another thing I noticed with the Columbus (as opposed to the Bolero) is that it completely mutes the audio when reversing (while the Bolero just turned the volume down) and there is no option to turn the music back on (on the Bolero you have a speaker icon on screen).

 

Anyone know if I can have Columbus act like the Bolero?

 

Thanks

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There are different settings on the Columbus for how much the volume dips on engaging reverse: high = silences music, medium = mutes quite a bit.

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The cables run down the D-pillar and along behind the interior boot trim and along under the interior sill trim.

Having put a GPS/GSM/FM/DAB antenna in mine, I ended up running the cables behind the headlining.

I should have removed the whole headlining and done it properly though...

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The cables run down the D-pillar and along behind the interior boot trim and along under the interior sill trim.

Having put a GPS/GSM/FM/DAB antenna in mine, I ended up running the cables behind the headlining.

I should have removed the whole headlining and done it properly though...

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

1. For the reverse, can you tell me where is this setting for the volume dipping ? Maybe it is related to the reverse control module?

 

2.For the cable direction. I actually removed about half the car to run the cables. Attached is how my car looked like. It is actually quite difficult to get to the cables. I had to remove all the interior of the back of the car, removed the headliner (needed some water leak fixing), removed the back seats, removed the back seats supports (special key needed), pillar trims for all pillars. I've undone all the wiring harnesses on the left side of the car and went down to the front.

 

I cannot run the cables through the headlined due to the panoramic sun roof and the courtin airbags.

 

At the moment I think this is not good, although according to some pics I've seen in ELSA this is the direction (left hand side). I need to figure out which way (left side or right side) do the cables run, mainly for the GSM so I need confirmation before loosing a day of work :).

post-118987-0-96693300-1435957481_thumb.jpg

post-118987-0-14286100-1435957788_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi there,

 

Ive just bought a yeti TSi 1.2 SE and want to upgrade my stereo from bolero to amundsen or possibly the columbus and I wanted to know if you buy a headunit with bluetooth capabiltities, is it just a case of wiring up the stereo correctly or is it more complicated than this? thanks in advance.

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If you go for an Amundsen+ (one with BT built in) then it's pretty much a straight swap with the addition of a GPS antenna.

This is the only Skoda OE headunit to have BT built in. Otherwise it's an additional £130-150.

MDI is always an extra with any headunit, but do think carefully as to whether you really need it.

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  • 11 months later...

I have a SWING radio in my yeti.  Is it worth to upgrade to a Skoda system having  GPS NAV + bluetooth or should I go in with a third party vendor.....

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I'm not familiar with the Swing unit, but would guess that it can be upgraded to a Columbus or Amundsen+ much as I have done.

Is it worth it? I think so. But you'll have to weigh up the cost against the gains and decide for yourself whether it is worth it for you.

The cheap 3rd party units should be avoided in my opinion. Heard too many stories of problems or failures for my liking. Plus the OE ones give full integration with no adopters or rewiri g generally needed.

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  • 1 year later...

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