My Skoda dealer recently upgraded the sound system in my 2012 Skoda Fabia to the Kenwood DNX521DAB which also has DAB Radio and a DVD Player: http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/products/car/vw/DNX521DAB/

As my car also had the Fabia's "multi-function steering wheel with telephone" I used to be able to initiate the Bluetooth facility or hang-up/pick-up the phone using just the steering wheel button, but now, with the DNX521DAB installed, this facility no longer works and, on the Kenwood's touchscreen, the "Hands Free" icon doesn't illuminate to allow its selection. The Skoda dealer fitted the Bluetooth microphone for this at the top right-hand corner of my windscreen, and the radio's volume and station up/down buttons all work fine from the steering wheel, but telephone functionality does not (I can make a phone call from the DNX521DAB's touchscreen but I'd like to use the Hands Free mode too). My rear parking sensors display the correct images on the touchscreen so I'm assuming that the dealer used all the right cables and interfaces when fitting this upgrade.

Has anyone else got this combination working successfully? I wonder what I, or my Skoda dealer, have to do to enable the Hands Free telephone use. Kenwood's webpage seems to indicate that it should all work fine: http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/tech/swa/skoda/ (what does "Only with Dynaudio without BAP" mean?).

Thanks in advance!

I have the DNX521DAB in my Octavia unfortunately I cannot help much as my steering wheel only has the steer and beep functions. You can set the phone to answer all calls automatically (p.64 of the audio manual) would that help at all?

I thought these things where fully VAG compatible so surprised the steering wheel connection that you obviously do have connected does not provide the full set of options.

Thanks Richard46. May I ask you a couple of things please? Does the MFD display on the dashboard show the general direction of travel whenever the unit is switched on? (i.e: NW, W, SE, etc - if so it should be on the top line to the left of the clock). Also, when you adjust the heater/aircon controls, does it show your settings on the Kenwood screen?

Many thanks, and have a good Christmas! :-)

Thanks Richard46. May I ask you a couple of things please? Does the MFD display on the dashboard show the general direction of travel whenever the unit is switched on? (i.e: NW, W, SE, etc - if so it should be on the top line to the left of the clock). Also, when you adjust the heater/aircon controls, does it show your settings on the Kenwood screen?

Many thanks, and have a good Christmas! :-)

Bear with me I am not sure what MFD stands for. If it refers to the maxidot display I don't have that either so cannot help there.

I can however confirm that the Kenwood automatically displays any use of the heater/aircon/heated seats/parking sensor funnctions and if yours is not it would not appear to have been fully connected or set up. You should also get a Skoda splash screen on boot up. Hope that helps.

And a great Christmas to yourself.

BTW are you using the Kenwood windscreen stick on aerial for DAB reception or have you found a more elegant method?

Thanks for the reply, and, yes, by 'MFD' I meant the maxidot display. There's a small square DAB aerial stuck on the windscreen which the Skoda dealer fitted. They also deinstalled the MDI interface and poked a connected iPod cable through the back of the MDI housing. There was no manual with the Kenwood though so I'll have to find one online.

Manual here

http://images.kenwoo...tion_Manual.pdf

edit there is a Sat Nav Manual as well they both come on a CD that came with my mine. Also a briefer printed thing with connection details etc that are not in the manuals.

edit 2 here is the Sat Nav manual

http://images.kenwood.eu/files/prod/2365/5/DNX7210BT_5210BT_4210BT_NAVI_%28EN%29.pdf

Edited 25 December, 201213 yr by Richard46

Thanks very much!

That looks an awesome bit of kit, so I googled it - wow, for that money and marketed as fully compatible I'd be more than annoyed if it didn't work with the wheel!

I can answer a call and terminate a call with the steering wheel button but to first MAKE a call I have to use the touchscreen of the unit as the unit has no voice control.

@Richard46 - can I ask you if, when making a call, you can hear confirmation tones with each number you press on the screen? Mine is silent when I enter a number...

Also, as I cannot access the rear USB socket because the dealer hardwired the iPod cable through the glove box, can I update the unit's firmware from an SD card?

Does anyone know why the DNX521DAB's iPod display screen doesn't display the "date" of a track that's being played (for example 2007, 2012, etc). Every song has a year entered into iTunes where I sync my iPod but on the Kenwood it says "No Text" for every song's year. The artist name, album name, etc, all display just fine. Just not the year(s).

Has anyone changed there splash screen?