OrganistSRA

Right...I've taken the plunge and upgraded the firmaware with the two table files swapped over. Limited success - the Maxidot no longer gets stuck in one mode, and the MFSW is talking to the Columbus now, but they only like to talk about volume, it would seem. The other buttons are still not functioning (apart from the utterly useless button which switches off the backlighting to the MFSW buttons!). Is the next step a newer CANbus here, or is it likely to be nothing more than a coding issue?

The maxidot should go into Nav display automatically when you have a route active on the Columbus unit. If you want radio or media displays, press and hold the up or down buttons on the end of the stalk, and select which display you want from the menu that appears. Only the nav display appears automatically, but if you wish to go into a different display mode whilst you have a route active, use the same method to bring up the menu.

My car has this utterly useless button also. It reminds me of a similar item found in the flight deck of our 747-400s: next to one of the observer seats, there is a small panel, roughly 4"x3", with two knobs on it. One controls the map light above that seat, the other controls the brightness of the backlighting for that panel...

Thanks for that. I know about the process for taking the Maxidot out of the Nav display mode - this used to work with the old head unit, but not with the Columbus, as I said, it takes over completely. It also does this in any other selected mode, i.e. if I select, for the sake of arguement, the 'Audio' display via the Maxidot menu, it is then latched into that mode and the only way to get back to the normal display is by switching the radio off. I haven't dared touch anything to do with the firmware on my Columbus yet for fear of bricking it. If there's anyone here reasonably close to Gatwick Airport who has experience in sorting this sort of thing out, I would be very happy to reward their time and experience with numerous pints of beer!

I had a Columbus fitted some time ago by OEM Retrofits, and although it sends the right display to the Maxidot in Nav mode, it takes over it completely, so when I'm in Nav mode I can't use the Maxidot's other features at all. Also, they told me at the time that the MFSW wouldn't work with the Columbus unit - I had an MFD2 before and it worked fine with that. Does anyone know any different and perhaps how to sort out these two issues? Thanks in advance, S.

I can see your post here was some time ago so you may not remember, but if you can it would be great. Where abouts was the bad earth you mention? I've got fault codes on all 4 glow plugs (temp too high) and the Engine Management light is on with an 'Emissions Workshop!' message.

I've just got round to having the air conditioning problem that seems to have plagued so many Octavia IIs sorted out by a firm in Worthing called Chilly Willy's (www.chillywillys.org). I can highly recommend them to anyone else in the area suffering from the same problem - the cost was 50% of what the Skoda dealership (even with my discount through working for Virgin!) wanted to sort it all out. The owner, Paul, is very pleasant and informative, and as I found out as I did some of the work with him, good fun to work with!

A scan of the fault codes at the last service a few weeks ago brought up a only a high voltage from the fuel temp sensor (another fun problem for another thread!), no mention of the DOOR mirrors :p I've always known them to be referred to as wingmirrors on every car the family has had...blame them! You're right though. I shall have to invite you to join me a member of the Pedants' Society...or is it the Society of Pedants?

Is that easily done without bricking the unit? Has anyone written up about this anywhere else here? I'm aware that I'm leading discussion away from the OP here!

They fitted one for me some months ago and I have been fairly pleased with it. They had VCDS with them for setting up a few codes necessary for the change of unit, so I had them enable a few extra options whilst it was plugged in The only disappointment I had with them was this: once installed, they tried to load the V.5 maps onto it, but it didn't want to know so they put the V.4 maps on instead, promising to send me a V.5 disc ASAP. I heard nothing thereafter, and a friendly reminder email yielded absolutely nothing. Also, it seems (according to them at least - I'd love to know if anyone here knows different) that the buttons on the steering wheel are now only there for show, they won't talk to the Columbus unit at all, and additionally, when the unit has control of the Maxidot in Nav mode, it's impossible to get the Maxidot out of the Nav display.

I'm suspecting that either the heater itself or the harness going to it is faulty; it just seems curious that my previous Skoda had exactly the same fault.

I've noticed on frostier mornings when selecting the heated mirrors 'on', that the left hand mirror clears in under 1 minute, whereas the right hand mirror takes at least 10 minutes to clear fully. The car in question is an 05 Octavia. I noticed a similar problem with my previous car, a 51 Fabia. Has anyone else experienced similar things, and does anyone have any ideas where the root of the problem might lie? Thanks in advance , SRA.

I used to have a Rover 75 with a Webasto FBH fitted as standard. It was set up, however, to operate automatically in cold weather to help warm the cabin more quickly. I got a 12v remote control switching unit from Maplins (an electrical spares store in the UK, for the benefit of the OP) and spliced it in to the controller so that I could pre-heat the car before setting off for early shift during the winter. You might be able to find someone who can help you in an MG-Rover forum, as there are quite a few 75s / ZTs with these units fitted in various states of configuration. I think higher-spec models had some form of timer or control to run the blowers as well as the FBH. The setup I had just ran the FBH, but I got hot air instantly when I got into my car! Hope this helps.

Right...I've just tried this, had it regassed, and it still doesn't work :-(

I think it's part of the re-circ system: when you put the car into reverse, or spray windshield washers, it puts the fan system into re-circ automatically to avoid gases &c. being drawn into the cabin. I suspect it also does the same when you turn off the engine, and then opens the flaps back up when you start up again.

Hi everyone, I seem to have a slightly irritating problem with my Nexus unit - every time I switch it on for the first time in any given journey, it automatically goes into 'Telephone' mode. The only way I can cancel this is by pressing the 'Info' key, and then selecting the required mode. Having done this, a CD will play or the radio will come on, but then after about 10 secs, this is interrupted briefly by a message on-screen about adjusting volume 'during the call'. There is a Nokia full hands-free kit wired up in the car - this was present when I bought it; perhaps this is part of the issue. ALSO...how does one control the volume of the navigation voice? I have tried reducing the 'Nav Min.' volume right down, but whenever I have the audio volume turned up a bit so that I can hear quieter movements of some classical pieces over the road noise, the voice is unbearably loud! Many thanks in advance, SRA