Hello

Picked up my new Fabia VRS today, really happy with it apart from the new steering wheel.

I opted for bluetooth and the extra steering wheel buttons which were £165.

Before the new wheel design came in, that includes extra buttons on the right hand side of the wheel, now I seem to just have an extra phone button on the left hand set of the buttons.

Feel like I've had my pants pulled down as you can only answer calls with that button, all phone book scrolling has to be done with the stalk as if I'd not selected the buttons.

Or have they installed the wrong steering wheel?

Any thoughts?

Rob

My one is Nov 2012 so old wheel and I have the same arrangement. Two buttons for the stereo and the scroll wheel for voice control, volume and stalk for the phone

Any pictures

It's dark now, but I'll try and take some interior shots.

Any ideas how to add photos?

upload to photobucket or the like then link them

What other buttons would there be? I'm sure the left hand buttons are standard.

The money was probably for the Bluetooth phone prep, not buttons.

Edited 28 March, 201313 yr by grapo

To work through the phone book, paid £240 for bluetooth and £165 for the buttons.

Currently walking round the house with my pants down as a consequence of that £165.

Don't think I have seen any vrs wheel with right hand buttons. Sorry :(

Don't think I have seen any vrs wheel with right hand buttons. Sorry :(

Because there simply isn't any in UK

Think I've just been ripped off then?

Be the same as the earlier cars, all that money has done is had the volume rocker coded to answer hang up and do voice dialling from the factory, it probably doesnt mute the radio or turn the stereo on and off like it does on a car without the option.

Theres actually no additional hardware on the car as far as i know.

Disappointing, might see if I get anywhere with Skoda UK, maybe a discount on springs?

I have Fabia II 1.2 TSI dsg. Despite the fact - I have a dsg, I couldn`t order the car with shift paddles - as this option is only in RS. I was so upset, so I have mounted 3 spoke multifunction steering wheel with dsg paddles from Superb II - and it works.

Now I can easily make phone calls using steering wheel or change the settings on maxi dot with a scroll on the right side of the wheel like in octavia or superb.

I am wondering, why skoda is limiting the fabia users to the useless steering wheel with only half buttons on the left.

Welcome to the forums!

I'd be very useful if you could start a thread showing us how such a change over was done and what does it involve.

As for why? Simples, the car is already a great value for money and this would only make them less profit and discourage people from buying higher shelf, more expensive models if they could gt the same level of kit in a cheaper car.

I do not find it problematic at all the way vRS has its Bluetooth GSM II system integrated. Stalk operation is as easy as if I had buttons on the steering wheel.

Bobnaldo, firstly, thanks for posting this as I'm (possibly) about to order this option on a Fabia and would fully expect to get some buttons on the right-hand-side of the new-design wheel for scrolling through phone numbers, as seen in internet pics for the new Ocatavia III.

However, can you clarify what you actually ordered? I say that because the Tel. Prep/ Bluetooth option is £240 RRP on a vRS, but did you also ask for/ pay for the option '3-spoke MFSW for radio and telephone' at £165 RRP? If so, I think you are justified in being annoyed.

That said, perhaps someone could explain in more detail how the stalk functionality works if you spec that s/wheel option (i.e. adding extra functions to the stalk) compared to if you just went for the Tel Prep/ Bluetooth option on its own. I'm just wondering whether it's worth the extra cash now.

Confirmed, I paid £240 for Bluetooth and £165 for the steering wheel controls.

I really wouldn't waste your money on the extra £165, they just activate one of the existing buttons on the left hand side to answer calls.

I'm complaining on Tuesday as its a joke, when you look on the configerator it shows buttons on both sides.

Confused, can someone explain please.

On older vRS with Bluetooth i have not had buttons on the right hand side of the steering wheel.

Do other people?

george

The Configurator for the New cars does show a wheel with Switches Left & Right, but Skoda often Print and Publish pictures of stuff that you do not get.

"3-spoke multi-function leather steering wheel with control modual for radio and telephone, £165"

Different wheels that often appear.

Personally i like the simple ones.

(these pics are both Yeti Wheels, i think.)

Weird, I did. It have that option when I was ordering my car... I admit it looks good:?

http://www.briskoda....-steering-wheel

you can buy a set of mf/buttons and swop them

I've got Bluetooth on mine too and only have buttons on the left side of the wheel

sk4gw - but these steering wheels are not from fabia. You can get them in Yeti or Octavia or Superb.

The only multifunction steering wheel for fabia was the one with buttons on the left side only, with a scroll to mute/answer the phone.

Edited 31 March, 201313 yr by siekla

The replacement is very easy.

You should have

- one superb, octavia multifunc steering wheel

- spline M12 wrench

- flat short screwdriver

- 12 wrench key

- torque wrench

First of all - I have disconected the /-/ minus from the car battery. Then I have pressed brake pedal - just to make sure, that there is no electricity at all. I`ve put the key into the ignition - to make the steering wheel turn. I have adjusted the steering column - full down and full towards me. Then I`ve turned the wheel 90 degrees left - so you can feel the hole just above the steering column. With a flat screwdriver I have put it inside the hole and pressed down, unless I have heard a "click" - then I1ve turned the wheel 180 degrees right, and make the same inside another hole with a screw driver. Then I`ve turned the wheel back to straight position.

Once the airbag was off - I`ve gently removed the white lock from the yellow airbag plug - it is necessary to remove the plug. The last thing was to remove the black plug inside the wheel - you can use the flat screwdriver - to press the pin on top of it.

Then with M12 spline wrench I have removed the steering wheel bolt. I`ve put the new steering wheel - and made sure that the straight lines on the wheel and the bolt are in the same center position. I`ve tighten the bolt with 50 Nm force.Then I`ve put back the black plug form the buttons, and the yellow plug from the airbag. Then, I `ve just gently pressed the airbag back to the steering wheel until I`ve heard a "click". The last thing was to put back the /-/ minus battery cable back.

Finally, I`ve ckecked with VCDS if there are any faults.

Last thing is to run the engine, turn the wheel fully left and right, and keep it in the final position for at least 30 seconds. Turn the engine off and remove the ignition key. Turn the engine on and check if the steering wheel works.

Photos:

Old wheel

New wheel

My fabia has also GSM II module.

Sorry for the pics quality, but it is really dark in my car park.

I think that this is the best option. Now I can easily scroll the menu func, or search the phone contacts.

The last thing was to made the gauges into "opening ceremony" mode when starting the engine. Looks quite nice.

Edited 31 March, 201313 yr by siekla

seikla, Good guide, thanks,

I did say 'Yeti wheels i think'.

Still none the wiser what the wheel Skoda shows on the Official Skoka Fabia vRS Configurator with Buttons on the right.

Skoda does seem to just post any pictures on Skoda Websites & charge prices or list options and Standard Equipment in a random way.

george

PS

The System as actually fitted on the stalk with the vRS is already very easy to use. IMO

We have moto show expo this weekend in Poznan so I should see the new skoda spec for 2013