Arrrgh,

Just come in from two hours of skinned knuckles trying to fit this. I bought it in preference to the Skoda unit 'cos I thought the fitting was going to be easier.....how wrong I was.

What I expected to be the difficult bit - pulling the trims off and getting the radio out etc. turned out to be straightforward....the problem is that there isn't enough room to get the ISO connector extension in with the radio (Bolero) - it simply won't fit, there isn't enough room. Not even with the extra 5-6mm you get from heavy doses of swearing and cussing.

Now looks like it's a glovebox out and attack from the other side job, which I'm not looking forwards to...and I still don't see how it'll all fit together, quite frankly, but I've walked away from it for a while so I don't do something stupid in frustration.

Anyone got any secret tips for me on how this should be done??

Regards

DAVE

I have a fiscon unit fitted to my A4. The glove box out route is defo the easiest. I'm assuming the Octy II is similar to the A4 in glove box removal, if so it's only a few screws.

I've mounted the fiscon box on the back of the glovebox. Oh and the fiscon unit is only a parrot hands free kit (CK5200 if I remember correctly) with some interface software/chips to allow it to speak to the canbus net and the cluster. Take the cover of the control box... you'll see the parrot chip in it

Yup, back in after for my next temper break. The great and the good on here tell me it's only five screws to get the glovebox out...well, I've done the five and it's still not giving.

Sometimes I feel so bloody stupid....ah well, cup of tea and another try.

DAVE

I'm sure no-one is too bothered, but for future reference - it's IN!!!

There is plenty of room alongside the glovebox (which has 3 screws at the top, 2 at the bottom AND ONE AT THE RIGHT just in case anyone ever needs to know) and the whole thing can -just- be mackled in there. It's not an easy fit, but would only take 20 mins or so if you knew what you were doing (hence, 2 hours for me!).

Now need to speak nicely to shark_90 to get the dammed thing introduced to the car, and we should have action!!

Regards

DAVE

Should only take a min or two for the vagcom bit. Re: shark_90 on top of his recent thread... you may need to offer him some beers

Haha!

So, in closing and for future reference;

The Kufatec FISCON unit is too big to fit directly behind the radio. It does -just- fit in the recess just to the right of the glovebox. Here's the step-by-step guide in case someone wants to do this again sometime....

1) Remove the facia from around the radio and aircon. This is done by pulling it up from the bottom (just above the ashtray) and then working it loose around the edges. It's not difficult.

2) Remove the facia from the radio. This just pulls off and is worked loose in the same way as the facia.

3) Four screws to be removed, one from each corner of the radio, and then it pulls forwards and out..it's still connected at the rear.

4) Small plastic tab under the antenna plug needs pulling back (away from the body of the radio). You can then remove the antennas.

5) Arm under the ISO connector needs pulling up, that releases the ISO connector....Now can now remove the radio and put it somewhere where it won't get damaged.

6) Top box assembly including vents etc. can be removed by levering it from the lower edge (about 1" in)....it will pop free. Remove the hazard switch. Put the whole lot to one side. Removing this lot gives you access above the radio....you'll need it when you want to put the connectors back on.

7) Remove the glovebox; Sounds scary, but it's OK. Three screws inside the box, along the top edge. Two screws under the box, left and right, one screw under the cover at the side (which you will need to remove, it just levers up from the bottom). Note that the trim just above the glovebox does not need to be removed. Disconnect the glovebox light, remove the aircon pipe (straight pull off) and the Airbag inhibitor switch. DO NOT SWITCH ON THE IGNITION WHILE THE AIRBAG INHIBITOR SWITCH IS DISCONNECTED AS IT WILL GENERATE ERROR CODES.

8) Work the ISO connector out from the radio cage into the void to the right of the glovebox space (i.e. between the glovebox and the radio cage). Remove some of the cloth tape from the loom so that you can split out the antenna connectors from the loom a bit (to give you more play for re-installation), then put the cloth tape back on.

9) Connect the new KUFATEC ISO extender onto the ISO plug from the loom, then push the new KUFATEC plug and the antenna connectors back into the radio cage.

10) Re-insert the radio and connect the antennas and the ISO connector. Getting the ISO connector onto the back of the radio and connected properly is tricky and you will get sore and scratched...you might want to try it with the ISO connectors out of the vehicle first so you know what you're doing. You can access the back of the radio from the space where the airvents/hazard mechanism was. Make sure the ISO connector clicks shut, otherwise you'll be doing the whole thing again sometime soon!

11) Screw the radio back into place.

12) Connect the FISCON module to the other end of the loom and secure it into the void. Connect the microphone and run it to wherever you want it to go....that bit is quite straightforward.

13) Re-assemble as the reverse of disassembly. You may need to unscrew the airbag switch from the glovebox in order to get the connector back onto it.

14) Find a friendly local (thanks shark_90!) who will introduce the module to the rest of the car!

Phew. It's probably no more than 30 mins work if you know what you're doing.

DAVE

So, in closing and for future reference;

The Kufatec FISCON unit is too big to fit directly behind the radio. It does -just- fit in the recess just to the right of the glovebox. Here's the step-by-step guide in case someone wants to do this again sometime....

1) Remove the facia from around the radio and aircon. This is done by pulling it up from the bottom (just above the ashtray) and then working it loose around the edges. It's not difficult.

2) Remove the facia from the radio. This just pulls off and is worked loose in the same way as the facia.

3) Four screws to be removed, one from each corner of the radio, and then it pulls forwards and out..it's still connected at the rear.

4) Small plastic tab under the antenna plug needs pulling back (away from the body of the radio). You can then remove the antennas.

5) Arm under the ISO connector needs pulling up, that releases the ISO connector....Now can now remove the radio and put it somewhere where it won't get damaged.

6) Top box assembly including vents etc. can be removed by levering it from the lower edge (about 1" in)....it will pop free. Remove the hazard switch. Put the whole lot to one side. Removing this lot gives you access above the radio....you'll need it when you want to put the connectors back on.

7) Remove the glovebox; Sounds scary, but it's OK. Three screws inside the box, along the top edge. Two screws under the box, left and right, one screw under the cover at the side (which you will need to remove, it just levers up from the bottom). Note that the trim just above the glovebox does not need to be removed. Disconnect the glovebox light, remove the aircon pipe (straight pull off) and the Airbag inhibitor switch. DO NOT SWITCH ON THE IGNITION WHILE THE AIRBAG INHIBITOR SWITCH IS DISCONNECTED AS IT WILL GENERATE ERROR CODES.

8) Work the ISO connector out from the radio cage into the void to the right of the glovebox space (i.e. between the glovebox and the radio cage). Remove some of the cloth tape from the loom so that you can split out the antenna connectors from the loom a bit (to give you more play for re-installation), then put the cloth tape back on.

9) Connect the new KUFATEC ISO extender onto the ISO plug from the loom, then push the new KUFATEC plug and the antenna connectors back into the radio cage.

10) Re-insert the radio and connect the antennas and the ISO connector. Getting the ISO connector onto the back of the radio and connected properly is tricky and you will get sore and scratched...you might want to try it with the ISO connectors out of the vehicle first so you know what you're doing. You can access the back of the radio from the space where the airvents/hazard mechanism was. Make sure the ISO connector clicks shut, otherwise you'll be doing the whole thing again sometime soon!

11) Screw the radio back into place.

12) Connect the FISCON module to the other end of the loom and secure it into the void. Connect the microphone and run it to wherever you want it to go....that bit is quite straightforward.

13) Re-assemble as the reverse of disassembly. You may need to unscrew the airbag switch from the glovebox in order to get the connector back onto it.

14) Find a friendly local (thanks shark_90!) who will introduce the module to the rest of the car!

Phew. It's probably no more than 30 mins work if you know what you're doing.

DAVE

And how long did it take you?

About 3 ferkin hours....but like I said, the 30 mins if if you know what you're doing!!! I never claim to know what I'm doing.

DAVE

mubes, just to say thanks for these step by steps. I followed this fitting mine today and apart from fishing the microphone through the dashboard with an unbent wire coathanger, it was all pretty quick. In hindsight it'd probably have been faster just to remove the instrument cluster than to try pull the wire through blind.

VAG make significantly more user friendly dashboards than BMW!!! Everything just clips and unclips so easily. Plus with these fasteners, no need to worry about getting it all spot on to avoid rattles when putting it all back together -- it will all only go back on 1 way with no slop.

I've installed my mic in the overhead light. Not programmed in the bluetooth yet so will check out for speaker feedback and move it if needed.

I didn't have any foam wrap to wrap round my bluetooth unit to prevent any plastic clunking noises from behind the dash but i did have long reels of sticky-back velcro - a couple of bits of the soft loop side stuck onto the bluetooth unit == good cushioning so no chance of rattling. Since i was using loop velcro on the unit, it made sense to stick some hook velcro on the right hand side of the stereo cage and that velcros the unit to the outside of the right side of the cage. This leaves the left side of the cage for the MDI unit to sit in.

Thanks again!

Hmmm it took me all of 15 mins to fit the Fiscon Basic Plus kit in my Octy including fitting the mic into the OEM position in the interior light

I will go and take some pics of how i did it

Carl

Thanks for the guide mubes. And the help fitting it back into the vehicle it started life in.