MDI Mounting Bracket Fitting

[KBPhoto]

There doesn't seem to be a guide to fitting the MDI bracket in an Octavia, but there are plenty for actually fitting MDI (so I won't go over those).

Here's the MDI box I have and the bracket as well.

As the bracket costs just over £5 inc. VAT and the two plastic nuts only 22p each + VAT, it's not an excessively larger bill to pay to know that your MDI box won't be floating / rattling around behind the glovebox (if that is where you want to fit it).

As I was putting mine in I discovered a few things that I wish I had know prior to fitting the MDI itself some months ago - Mostly to do with the length of the flylead extension and where to locate the actual socket in the glovebox.

1. Push the passenger seat right back and remove the panel on the end of the glovebox. There is one T20 torx screw located under there.

The three T20's across the top of the glove box and two underneath.

2. With the glovebox undone, pull down to release the top edge and then outwards to remove the bottom edge. Don't pull too hard once it's loose as you need to disconnect some wires.

3. Disconnect the passenger airbag switch by pulling the green tab into the yellow part. Don't worry about the airbag warning light because as long as you do not out the key in the ignition you won't get one! Disconnect the light as well by pinching the black tabs together and pulling the plug out of the socket.

Don't worry about the air pipe, its long enough to be able to get the glovebox onto the floor easy enough.

4. This is where it is going to go: In the top right of the glovebox on the two threaded rods already fitted. (Ignore the wires above the rods, that's my reto fitted PDC and TPMS wires which tuck neatly behind the bracket and above the MDI box now).

Attaching the MDI controller to the bracket is relatively straightforward but it does require quite a push as it's pretty stiff. Once all the way in there is a faint 'click' into place.

Here it is loosely fitted.

The plastic nuts are 22p + VAT from the dealer. I was surprised to see that they were pre-threaded! The last lot I bought (from eBay) weren't but were not official Skoda ones.

The head on these is a 10 mm hex socket. You'll need a deep one, or a spanner, as the threaded rods stuck out an exceptionally long way for the job it has to do.

I ended up having to plug both cables in to the MDI box prior to fitting as there was not enough room to get the connectors in/out with it fitted. I also had to put the flylead infront of the bracket as it was not long enough to reach the location I had fitted it in a few months ago.

5. You may as well check the pollen filter while you are there. You don't need to take the glovebox off for this, but you'll find it just a little easier if you are doing it for the first time.

6. Reconnect the light and the airbag connector as you refit the glovebox. The airbag connector is really fiddly and the easiest way I have found is to undo the two screws that hold the actual switch in place, feed the connector through, plug it in and then rescrew the switch back in place.

Here's the connector and the two screws undone.

7. Refit the rest of the glovebox screws as you only need access to the left end (assuming that's where you made the hole for the connector to pass into the glovebox.

8. Connecting the flylead into the glovebox is a pain if you have the hole in the wrong place like I have. I'll come back to this. Using the flylead trim, insert the plastic piece on the left (picture below) into the hole in the glovebox and push the end of the flylead into the hole from the other side. Then with much fiddling, push the other piece of trim - the bit you'll see - into the first piece you fitted to secure the flylead in place.

There is a catch on one end of the flylead and a clip on the other. If you look, you will see which end is easiest to go in first. It all needs a very good push together after the fiddling, but should look like this:

HTH

[j0hn]

Brilliant Karl, I'll do this myself.

[KBPhoto]

Thanks John. Worth doing for a few pounds (if you can find a bracket going spare).

Back to the issues I found.

Essentially the flylead cable is barely long enough to reach to where I have fitted it. It does just though.

Had I tilted the flylead trim and mounting towards the front of the car or fitted it horizontally and higher, it wouldn't have been an issue. (See the last two pictures to get an idea as to what I mean).

I also had to run the flylead in front of the bracket and beneath the airbag wire to get it to fit.

If you are fitting it anywhere else in the glovebox or using the flylead to get it fitted in the dash top box, then you'll have no problems.

At some point I will probably trim down the massive amount of cable that goes between the back of the HU and the MDI controller as I hate having excess cable floating around.

So for the sake of much less than £20 for the bracket, flylead trim & delivery, I'd go all out to get it done properly.

I did toy with fitting the flylead into the armrest / Jumbo box but couldn't find anywhere to locate the controller within reach of the length of the flylead.

Also, if fitted, the height if the box is just enough for an iPhone 3 or 4 with the cable plugged in. An iPhone 5 will fit but bend the cable & squash the connectors.

A bigger phone has no hope of fitting.

[KBPhoto]

I've recently discovered that the pictures I was using as reference for my installation were actually a LHD car!

The correct location in the glovebox on a RHD is on the right: near the centre console and the MDI location behind the glovebox.

That would explain why the extension cable didn't reach properly...

You live and learn!