Hey everybody, im new to the forum,

 

Im picking up a Fabia VRS TSI 2011 this week after getting rid of my Focus ST, im new to the brand so just getting my head around everything!

 

After having the focus the fabias interior is a big let down to me, especially the radio!

 

I have been reading thread after thread about the Columbus/Bolero radio, but unable to find a step by step!

Have any of you guys attempted this?

 

Care to share a step by step/whats needed? I was hoping it would be plug in and play, doesn’t seem like it though?

 

NB: I will be picking up a used one from ebay.

 

All help appreciated, even if it is suggestions on a different route to go down.

Edited 24 March, 201412 yr by matthewl

I'm afraid that I will not be able to offer you any advice on fitting but am interested in comments from others who have fitted ANY Double Din head unit.

 

Incidentally, I believe that the Columbus and the Bolero are two completely different units.  As I understand it, the former offers DAB (maybe) and SatNav whilst the latter is a six CD changer unit.

 

As a matter of interest, have you looked at alternative (i.e. non-Skoda) head units?

Physical fitting should be near plug and play, however you may need someone with a vagcom cable to code the car to be able to take advantage of all features/integrate the unit properly.

 

Columbus or RNS510 is the full feature unit with Nav

The Bolero RCD510 comes as a six disc changer and some units have DAB some don't

 

Take care picking the unit from ebay, newest models are the wrong shape.

 

 

 

Hi i am aware that the columbus and bolero are different HU's, I should have made this clear 

 

what i am after is something which is DAB, Like i had in my ford as i love the DAB radio! im not particularly bothered by the SatNav tbh just an afterthought as i read if youre going to go to the trouble of fitting the bolero you may as well fit the columbus. yet i have been unable to find a step by step or any sufficient information online.

 

I havent yet picked the car up, it is being prepped/taxed just trying to gather some information for what parts/cables/things i need 

tbh im really looking forward to picking this car up! gutted the ford is going though  :(

I have not looked at Aftermarket HU's i dont know what is available or fits nicely like the standard unit?

Edited 24 March, 201412 yr by matthewl

Physical fitting should be near plug and play, however you may need someone with a vagcom cable to code the car to be able to take advantage of all features/integrate the unit properly.

 

Columbus or RNS510 is the full feature unit with Nav

The Bolero RCD510 comes as a six disc changer and some units have DAB some don't

 

Take care picking the unit from ebay, newest models are the wrong shape.

 

Hey when searching for RCD510 it is coming up with a VW radio, is this normal, are they interchangeable or is there a Skoda model of the RCD510?

God this is getting confusing.

never owned a car split across so many platforms 

Hey when searching for RCD510 it is coming up with a VW radio, is this normal, are they interchangeable or is there a Skoda model of the RCD510?

 

You can fit any RCD 510 as long as it isn't the brand new shape, but VW units have red LED lighting, but the Bolero (Skoda RCD510) has green.

 

This is the same on the RNS 510 or Columbus - but I think on the Columbus you can change the settings on VCDS, on the Bolero, you can't.

Welcome to Twincharger Ownership in Aberdeen.

Do not buy Sainsburys Super Unleaded, go to Tesco for Momentum 99.

 

If it is a MK2 vRS it is just one Model/platform from 2010 - now.

Some Interior and engine changes in 2012.

 

Different ICE in them is all a mystery to me,

i keep moving the Heater Controls by mistake.

Right im starting to get my head around this. Please correct me if im wrong, when i get around to doing this i will do a complete writeup so posts like this dont come up again.

 

So the Bolero is the skoda name for the RCD510 which is the VW unit.

 

The Bolero should have DAB, and i should be looking for an early Bolero (This is all i'm wanting a new radio for) What is the best giveaway that a Bolero has DAB? what is the cutoff date for new model? 

 

The Bolero should theoretically be plug in and play?

Would i be right in saying that an additional areal be required for the DAB input?

 

I would really love a list of whats required to make this easier :(

 

also i have never came accross this, but if the radio is used whats the deal with coding?! jesus why is it not easy like most cars :(

Edited 24 March, 201412 yr by matthewl

Like you, I am not greatly impressed with the standard "Swing" head unit.  I am not a particular fan of DAB (because it does really need a separate aerial) and am reluctant to splash out on either a Columbus or a Bolero.  My main interest is to take input from a USB memory Stick (I have three such memory sticks - Modern music, Classical Music and Spoken Word); I also use a Sandisk Sansa Fuze MP3 player.

 

To be honest, I would probably stick with my TomTom SatNav and the standard radio and the MDI interface unless I found the latter to be completely unacceptable.

 

To return to your query, Pioneer do some very nice DAB head units which can almost certainly be connected to your steering wheel controls using the CA-R-PI.221v3 wired remote interface for VAG cars equipped with the CAN-bus system.  The double DIN unit can even play DVDs! One incredibly neat feature some of them offer is the ability to time-shift DAB

I had an RCD 510 (VW version of Bolero) Fitted to my Fabia Scout, and this weekend fitted an LED RNS 510 Columbus "E" to it instead.

 

There's not really much to do by way of a guide, the physical fit is fine, straight in no fascia adapters needed. My GPS Antenna is under the top glovebox and I am hitting 7/9 sat's easily with it there.

 

Having access to VCDS is handy, as all I needed to do was go into my CAN Gateway and tell it I had NAV fitted, and then it appeared in my Maxidot display. I've done a bit of retrofitting of stuff myself on mine, and had Eddie NL retrofit maxidot and full MFSW on it. 

 

It's pretty simple, and I'm happy to help out with any questions as I have done a few columbus retrofit's. I was going to fit a DAB columbus, but the price was climbing, so I just use TuneIn radio via my bluetooth module to the columbus, job done.

Im really going to have to look into this more, my head is literally mashed from looking today, so many new words. im tempted to pick up a bolero DAB and get somebody to 'do the hard work for me'. Im a great believer of DIY but the crap I've found online today is useless, nothing ties in with what one guy says to the other. just mismatched information everywhere, and this coding sounds like a right Ball Ache :(

I had an RCD 510 (VW version of Bolero) Fitted to my Fabia Scout, and this weekend fitted an LED RNS 510 Columbus "E" to it instead.

 

There's not really much to do by way of a guide, the physical fit is fine, straight in no fascia adapters needed. My GPS Antenna is under the top glovebox and I am hitting 7/9 sat's easily with it there.

 

Having access to VCDS is handy, as all I needed to do was go into my CAN Gateway and tell it I had NAV fitted, and then it appeared in my Maxidot display. I've done a bit of retrofitting of stuff myself on mine, and had Eddie NL retrofit maxidot and full MFSW on it. 

 

It's pretty simple, and I'm happy to help out with any questions as I have done a few columbus retrofit's. I was going to fit a DAB columbus, but the price was climbing, so I just use TuneIn radio via my bluetooth module to the columbus, job done.

 

Lifesaver!

I will bookmark this and get in touch with you when i get around to doing this.

Could you explain exactly what VCDS is? new to Vag cars unfortunately :(

VCDS / Vag-Com essentially it's a 3rd party diagnostics software tool mate, it gives you access to the cars various ECU's so you can recode them for different settings or to enable new retrofitted equipment.

 

Classic example; My old MK2 Octavia vRS had one rear foglight that illuminated, this is how it's set from the factory. The car itself has 2 rear foglights, even the bulb is already fitted. 2 minutes with VCDS to tell it to illuminate the second foglight, and there we go, 2 rear foglights.

 

Fabia vRS's (And my Scout for that matter) are setup with very light steering, with VCDS you can quickly reprogram it to be more "weighty" using the settings from a Polo GTi for example. In essence, it's a diagnostics cable and software, but gives you access to all sorts of hidden gem's the dealers mostly don't want to know about.

 

I am up in Aberdeen a fair bit, and a working all summer in Inverness so if you want a hand, give me a shout.

Im really going to have to look into this more, my head is literally mashed from looking today, so many new words. im tempted to pick up a bolero DAB and get somebody to 'do the hard work for me'. Im a great believer of DIY but the crap I've found online today is useless, nothing ties in with what one guy says to the other. just mismatched information everywhere, and this coding sounds like a right Ball Ache :(

 

Careful with a Bolero DAB, if it's from an Octavia, they have a different shape (Nice one Skoda), you would need to find one from a Superb II.

Bolero doesn't have dab as far as I'm aware. The 2010 model i've got sat in the garage certainly doesn't.

A bolero from an octavia wouldn't fit as the shape of the unit is different.

Most Columbus units will fit your fabia though.

I've fitted about 6 of these to fabia, polo and octavia and can do it with coding in about 25min!

It's an easy diy job, you just need someone to code it.

VCDS / Vag-Com essentially it's a 3rd party diagnostics software tool mate, it gives you access to the cars various ECU's so you can recode them for different settings or to enable new retrofitted equipment.

 

Classic example; My old MK2 Octavia vRS had one rear foglight that illuminated, this is how it's set from the factory. The car itself has 2 rear foglights, even the bulb is already fitted. 2 minutes with VCDS to tell it to illuminate the second foglight, and there we go, 2 rear foglights.

 

Fabia vRS's (And my Scout for that matter) are setup with very light steering, with VCDS you can quickly reprogram it to be more "weighty" using the settings from a Polo GTi for example. In essence, it's a diagnostics cable and software, but gives you access to all sorts of hidden gem's the dealers mostly don't want to know about.

 

I am up in Aberdeen a fair bit, and a working all summer in Inverness so if you want a hand, give me a shout.

 

thats a great offer! thank you, i will give you a shout during summer, when im more than likely to have the parts, I'll sort us some cash/lunch/drinks or something etc for when youre up to say thanks

Fabia vRS's (And my Scout for that matter) are setup with very light steering, with VCDS you can quickly reprogram it to be more "weighty" using the settings from a Polo GTi for example. In essence, it's a diagnostics cable and software, but gives you access to all sorts of hidden gem's the dealers mostly don't want to know about.

 

 

Im very interested in this more weighted steering btw! how long does it take roughly to turn on/give access to all of these features?

out of interest is this equipment available online? 

Im very interested in this more weighted steering btw! how long does it take roughly to turn on/give access to all of these features?

out of interest is this equipment available online? 

 

It is, but not cheap! Software and the cable to connect to a laptop costs about £260.  Search for Gendan+VCDS.

 

Incidentally, Caveat emptor! I suspect that you could do all sorts of damage to your car if you don't know what you are doing - unofficial and not guaranteed help may be available here

It is, but not cheap! Software and the cable to connect to a laptop costs about £260.  Search for Gendan+VCDS.

 

Incidentally, Caveat emptor! I suspect that you could do all sorts of damage to your car if you don't know what you are doing - unofficial and not guaranteed help may be available here

 

Ahhh right, best left to the guys who know their ways around it then im guessing?

I'll start hoarding parts over the next few months and contact my new friend @fluffmeister  and sort him some beer tokens/steak haha. although this forum is quite quiet, its very friendly and helpful, i like it