Replace Skoda Fabia Swing radio with Amundsen Nav/infotainment system

[JGSkoda]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm new here, so excuse me if I get some things wrong. 

 

Anyway, a few months back I started looking for a new car, previously I had a 1997 Felicia LX 1.9 diesel, and that was the best car I have ever had by a long shot. But as it was getting older and older, it was becoming more expensive on tax and harder to repair!

        While I was looking at new Fabia ll s I saw a 2014 Fabia elegance hatch, and even though i was looking for an Estate/Combi, I took it for a test drive as it was a 1.6 diesel.  I had never driven this type of engine before. When I first got into the car, I noticed it had an Amundsen (I think) entertainment system, and I thought this was really good as the directions also showed up on the Maxi Dot screen. But unfortunately, as I have already said I was looking for an Estate/Combi, so I couldn’t buy that car.

        A few weeks later I took a journey to Southampton to see a petrol blue Fabia, and the previous owner had wrecked the rear bumper by pop-riveting a piece of sheet metal to it! Because I live quite far from where the car was, I looked on my phone if there were any more cars nearby. Soon I found a cappuccino Fabia 1.6 Estate so I went and saw that as it was only 2 miles down the road turns out the car was amazing, it was in such good condition, and it was only £6,600 including 12 months tax and a full tank of diesel.

        The only problem was... it had a swing radio, and don’t get me wrong it is a really good RADIO but not a satnav/infotainment system. So I was wondering, if I brought a second hand Amundsen system, could I swap it with the stream radio. I already know that I would need to connect it to a GPS receiver, but if I connected all the various wires would the rest of it work and would it connect to the maxi dot. Or will it not work at all as the car is configured for the stream?

        Also any advice would be greatly welcomed.

 

[MidlifecrisisT]

Hi yup it should work no problem. I did the same with mine. Same wires go into the back of the unit. The GPS is easy to fit. The surround is the same for the admundsen also.

You can get the gps atenna of eBay for about a tenna. I fit mine behind the glove box. My car is vrs so has two glove boxes. Not sure if you have two? I fit mine behind the top glove. Attached it to metal bar that runs across then fed the wire through to back of unit!

Mine shows in maxi dot. I'll be honest, I think this needs turning on with vcds. Easy to do if you know someone with the software. Or take to a spec skoda/vw garage. They should be able to do it.

You can get a bargain on eBay now and again. I got my unit for 200 quid! And Obviously best to get one with a code.

[fabiamk2SE]

 

Hi everyone!

 

 

I'm new here, so excuse me if I get some things wrong. 

 

 

Anyway, a few months back I started looking for a new car, previously I had a 1997 Felicia LX 1.9 diesel, and that was the best car I have ever had by a long shot. But as it was getting older and older, it was becoming more expensive on tax and harder to repair!

 

        While I was looking at new Fabia ll s I saw a 2014 Fabia elegance hatch, and even though i was looking for an Estate/Combi, I took it for a test drive as it was a 1.6 diesel.  I had never driven this type of engine before. When I first got into the car, I noticed it had an Amundsen (I think) entertainment system, and I thought this was really good as the directions also showed up on the Maxi Dot screen. But unfortunately, as I have already said I was looking for an Estate/Combi, so I couldn’t buy that car.

 

        A few weeks later I took a journey to Southampton to see a petrol blue Fabia, and the previous owner had wrecked the rear bumper by pop-riveting a piece of sheet metal to it! Because I live quite far from where the car was, I looked on my phone if there were any more cars nearby. Soon I found a cappuccino Fabia 1.6 Estate so I went and saw that as it was only 2 miles down the road turns out the car was amazing, it was in such good condition, and it was only £6,600 including 12 months tax and a full tank of diesel.

 

        The only problem was... it had a swing radio, and don’t get me wrong it is a really good RADIO but not a satnav/infotainment system. So I was wondering, if I brought a second hand Amundsen system, could I swap it with the stream radio. I already know that I would need to connect it to a GPS receiver, but if I connected all the various wires would the rest of it work and would it connect to the maxi dot. Or will it not work at all as the car is configured for the stream?

 

        Also any advice would be greatly welcomed.

 

 

 

 

Welcome  

 

Yeah you can basically unplug the Swing and Plug in an Amundsen, stash the GPS antenna in the dashboard and it should work from the word go. However, it will need coding in on VCDS (there should be someone fairly local to you to do it, off here, or elsewhere). 

 

Once its coded, youll get the nav instructions on the maxidot (if the cars got it? which id think it has?) , better sound (depending how it was set before) and it wont flag up any fault codes when the cars plugged into VCDS at a later date. 

 

Also, whilst you're at it.. dont forget to look at the Columbus. This will plug in just the same as the Amundsen, but has a much larger touch screen, 40GB hard drive built in (you can copy music off an SD card), its more pleasing to the eye imo, some later models have DAB and an LED lit screen and a DVD player built in.. which i cant comment on because ive never actually used it haha. 

 

The Columbus was never available from the factory in the Fabia, but still very retrofittable 

[fabiamk2SE]

Hi yup it should work no problem. I did the same with mine. Same wires go into the back of the unit. The GPS is easy to fit. The surround is the same for the admundsen also.

You can get the gps atenna of eBay for about a tenna. I fit mine behind the glove box. My car is vrs so has two glove boxes. Not sure if you have two? I fit mine behind the top glove. Attached it to metal bar that runs across then fed the wire through to back of unit!

Mine shows in maxi dot. I'll be honest, I think this needs turning on with vcds. Easy to do if you know someone with the software. Or take to a spec skoda/vw garage. They should be able to do it.

You can get a bargain on eBay now and again. I got my unit for 200 quid! And Obviously best to get one with a code.

i think all models but the basic S gets the 2 glovebox's  

 

also, radio codes are available off ebay for £10. i never got mine from the new, but didnt realise until a few months back and for the tenner off ebay, it was cheaper than driving (20 miles each way)  to the local dealers and getting it for free, and its quick and easy . just send the serial number over. 

 

being able to do that, does make the idea of a radio code completely pointless though.  

[JGSkoda]

Thank you very much guys for the fast reply's!

 

so the Amundsen should fit in fine to the existing parts from the swing?

 

And you can get a free radio code from a Skoda dealer, is that right? Because there is a Skoda dealer 5 min away from me!

 

But with the GPS receiver, is there different types of connection to the Amundsen, or what should i search on Ebay to find one that will work?

 

And i know this sounds stupid, but what is a VCDS?

 

just so you know I am a car nut and a Skoda lover, but a newbie one ! so some stuff I may not know

[JGSkoda]

Just been looking on eBay at some Amundsen units and i have found one that looks quite good as it comes with the GPS receiver and the codes!

 

here's the link:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-SKODA-RNS-315-AMUNDSEN-3T0035192-OKTAVIA-SUPERB-FABIA-YETI-RAPID-RNS315-/141804252359?hash=item2104312cc7:g:W18AAOSw8-tWaI~g

 

Does it look any good?

[fabiamk2SE]

Thank you very much guys for the fast reply's!

so the Amundsen should fit in fine to the existing parts from the swing?

And you can get a free radio code from a Skoda dealer, is that right? Because there is a Skoda dealer 5 min away from me!

But with the GPS receiver, is there different types of connection to the Amundsen, or what should i search on Ebay to find one that will work?

And i know this sounds stupid, but what is a VCDS?

just so you know I am a car nut and a Skoda lover, but a newbie one ! so some stuff I may not know

Yeah the surround just unclips, theres 4 torx screws, then it just pulls out. Unplug it and thats it. Same in reverse for the new one. You just have to make sure the unit is off a similar year car. A fabia 3 unit wont fit for example.

The atenna needed is something like this..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/272049499455

Skoda should give you your radio code for your current one.. Some might try to charge you. One dealer wanted a small fortune off me for my code (and it is your code. Its your radio) but another said theyd do it for free if i took the car to them. But it was easier for me just to pay £10 and have it e-mailed to me.

VCDS is a program on a windows computer thats downloadable from Rosstech's website. You then purcase a cable (not cheap. I paid £270) and you canbthen plug it into the car and make alsorts of adjustments. Some little tweaks (like one click unlocking on the key, or a needle sweep on the dash when you turn the ignition on) and some serious stuff like coding thatll make your car never work again :D.

Edited 12 December, 2015 by fabiamk2SE

[JGSkoda]

Does the Amundsen have Bluetooth built in, or do you have you buy a receiver for that as well?

[R1chard]

I believe there is different version, some have Bluetooth and some don't? Not totally sure on that though?

Also of your budget stretches you could get a DAB version

[YorkaBara]

In my car not sure about others, I have Bluetooth with the bog standard radio it came with, I am looking to get it upgraded but I do not want to loose functionality that the car has. i.e. it has Rear Parking sensors that shows up on the radio if I am about to hit something and how close I am,not sure if the Columbus or Amundsen radios will just be a plug and it works aspect?

[fabiamk2SE]

Does the Amundsen have Bluetooth built in, or do you have you buy a receiver for that as well?

 

built into some

 

i think the + units have it. normal ones dont. 

[fabiamk2SE]

In my car not sure about others, I have Bluetooth with the bog standard radio it came with, I am looking to get it upgraded but I do not want to loose functionality that the car has. i.e. it has Rear Parking sensors that shows up on the radio if I am about to hit something and how close I am,not sure if the Columbus or Amundsen radios will just be a plug and it works aspect?

yeah it should still work. The Bluetooth you have with the Swing must be an additional module (i think its hidden under the drivers seat from the factory, but not sure?) so should still work if you put in another OEM unit. 

 

Columbus and Amundsen will also show parking sensors. it might need coding in though.. not just simply plugging in. 

 

Columbus is also available with DAB, but youll have to fit another antenna. Mines got it.. but i havent fitted an antenna yet. 

[snoopdowg]

Hı,  I'm hoping to fit an rns 310 amundsen into fabia mks. This is picture of rear of unit. I presume the 2 wires on right are for satellite antena but what is the left wire for ? As it's been cut off.

[hutchysrs50]

The two on the right are for the radio signal, one comes from the windscreen aerial and other is from the roof aerial.

 

the one on the left is the GPS aerial.