Over £200 mate unfortunately. Then fitting, security coding, firmware loading, maps, coding to the car etc.  Essentially it's a new unit.

You can try a repair shop (carsystems in Poland are good, but it's a chew on) and if it's possible then they can reload firmware etc. from their bench machine if the board isn't completely shot, but you won't know til you send it to them for testing. Usual cost for a mainboard repair is €150 plus shipping there and back.

Is my old Columbus worth anything, spares or repair. I know the GPS board is ok...... .?

Sorry to hear that news. Makes me think twice about doing mine now!

There's people selling parts on eBay and people on here may be interested in the working bits.

Have a word with Hazy Dayz (I think that's the right spelling) in the UK. Adamal used them and rates them.

They pop up on Ebay as faulty occasionally, and sometimes make silly money or virtually nothing. I picked up a non working one once for £50 delivered on a buy it now. It was completely shot. I saved a dvd drive (which was handy as I had a use for one) and the screen, and all the other bits were liquid damaged. Looked like coke had been poured into it. Then I've seen them go for over £200 with faults I know are unfixable. Just depends how people feel I guess. With it needing a mainboard repair, then it's probably only good for spares rather than a repair.

Sorry to hear that news. Makes me think twice about doing mine now!

There's people selling parts on eBay and people on here may be interested in the working bits.

Have a word with Hazy Dayz (I think that's the right spelling) in the UK. Adamal used them and rates them.

I do but that's not quite the behaviour I saw before HD flashed the firmware and resolved my issue. Worth describing the problem to them but in my experience Rustynuts knows his onions so what they both say trumps me...

I wasn't questionnig Rustynuts who has demonstrated time and again he knows what he's talking about; more suggesting someone in the UK to approach if jerbear decides to go for a professional repair.

Hazzydays are good, I've spoken with them a couple of times. I've not used them though as their price for the repair I needed was much more than Carsystems. Having said that, Carsystems repaired the unit for me but took a good 5-6 weeks of continuous chasing to get it done. Maybe they were particularly busy, I don't know. Hazzydays charge £300 plus VAT for an early LCD type mainboard change. That's keen considering Ebay will get you a working unit for about the same price.

Given the costs involved from comments on here, I really don't think it is worth repairing. I think I would be better selling it for spares and looking at something else, as Rustynuts says a second hand machine could be purchased for a bit more than repair.

Actually looking at Amundsen radios as really only bothered about sat nav. Not a fan of sticking something on the windscreen which is why I went for the Columbus originally. I can store enough music on the SD although not sure what capacity can be used. Hardly used DVD player anyway. L

Looking around I could pick up one of these for well under £300.

Any thoughts and views always welcome from such a knowledgeable an helpful forum.

I was just thinking the same if I was in your position.

Amundsen ticks all the boxes (although my kids like the DVD player) especially now I can get the Sat Nav directions on the Maxidot; and that helps negate the smaller screen.

Will you need a new fascia for the Amundsen?

Not sure about fascia , possibly.

Haven't given up totally on Columbus, will take some time over Xmas to research my best ( and cheapest ) options.

Annoying though either way.

Just a heads up. The clamp state, means the ignition switch position. Have you seen references to Kl15, Kl30 and so on? Klemme = Kl and sometimes get translated as clamp rather than terminal.  Hour mode, means ignition switch off and key out (Kl_15 off Kl_S off), then turn on the unit with its own on/off switch and it comes on for one hour, hence the 'hour mode'.

Just a heads up. The clamp state, means the ignition switch position. Have you seen references to Kl15, Kl30 and so on? Klemme = Kl and sometimes get translated as clamp rather than terminal. Hour mode, means ignition switch off and key out (Kl_15 off Kl_S off), then turn on the unit with its own on/off switch and it comes on for one hour, hence the 'hour mode'.

That's pretty interesting; how does it effect this situation?

That's pretty interesting; how does it effect this situation?

Earlier on in the thread, it was mentioned that the display said incorrect clamp state, switch to hour mode. So this explains that the error message means switch off the ignition and switch on the columbus via its power switch.

 

Not sure whether it resolves anything, only explains that message on the screen.

That's great. Thanks for clarifying it.