Columbus rebooted itself and now CD / DVD and System Starting error messages

[tecton]

Today whilst out, my Columbus just turned off and rebooted itself. On returning to life, it displayed message "CD / DVD error check CD". Them a nice little voice message, "please insert navigation disk". Well I don't have a map DVD, so tried an ordinary music CD. Drive wouldn't take it, unable to insert. Also when pressing media, message "System Starting" displayed, and won't play an SD card.

 

What does work are the radio, and BT phone.

 

Have tried the three button reset, but not made any difference.  It did go into dealers last May for a "system starting" issue, they upgraded firmware and loaded V12 maps. Any ideas to nature of current fault?

 

Car is a 2013 Superb Combi II 170. It's 3 years old in two weeks, and I've done 80K, with a full dealer service history.

[Rustynuts]

Such reboots are usually mainboard failure, and repairs are consequently more expensive than a replacement unit unfortunately. Is it still under warranty, cos that's where I'd be looking first.

[Noddy90]

Get hold of a copy of the firmware (easy to find on the net) and reinstall it. Totally worked for me when I had the same problem a couple of years ago. Nothing to lose.

[Stupotpat]

Agree with Noddy90

I had an issue with my Columus a while ago when it gradually stopped working - kept rebooting intermittantly and came back in German, wouldn't hold Radio settings, stearing wheel controls stopped woking, Maxidot stopped working etc. etc.

Re-installed the firmware and all was fine. Started to stop holding radio satations again so upgraded firmware (and installed v 13 maps). All good now

[Jules Tohpipi]

I'll be following this thread with interest as my Columbus has exactly the same issue as tecton's.  It started about two months ago but I've recently been very short of time to start researching it to death and playing around.

 

It has, however, been to a main dealer for diagnosis during a routine service.  I paid £70 for the privilege of specifically investigating the Columbus fault and the report was next to useless.  Some vague, back-covering, statement saying that the cause couldn't be found and they gave me the phone number of a local independent who could do a deeper analysis and at a cheaper price than them.  Of course, the unit was around six months out of its three-year warranty.  No wonder the dealer was polite and careful when speaking to me given the cost of these things.  The impression I came away with is that the dealers are not interested in wasting time troubleshooting these expensive IT devices, so leaving loyal customers who had the car from new stranded with a hefty bill i.e. a new unit.

 

Anyhow, I took delivery of my car May 2012, and to the best of my knowledge the dealer has never upgraded the firmware of maps. Nor have I ever played with such things.

 

Just like tecton, one day my Columbus started displaying the "CD / DVD error check CD" message and "Please insert navigation disc."  It does this at start-up.  In fact, I can hear the DVD drive trying to spin immediately upon entering the car and before the key is inserted into the ignition. Similarly, pressing the Media button results in a never-ending display of "System Starting" meaning no listening to music via SD card, hard drive, Bluetooth or Aux.  As per the OP, the radio and phone calls over Bluetooth works. 

 

I read in another thread, where a guy had the similar issue, that inserting a disc resulted in it getting stuck inside the player.  Whereas tecton is saying it won't accept a disc, so I'm not sure if any firmware update will be possible.

 

At least tecton is still within warranty - so I hope the dealer does the right thing for him and replaces the Columbus.

[Rustynuts]

Well spotted Jules.  Not much chance of reinstalling firmware when the dvd drive is out of action.

[tecton]

Update

 

Car booked into dealers on Thursday, will let you know the outcome.

[tecton]

Update

 

Just had a phone call from dealer, to make me aware there maybe a £100.00 diagnostics charge (I think not). Told them the device was under three years old, and they have too look at it. Lets see what tomorrow brings!!

[Rustynuts]

I think they just spout nonsense in the hope they can make some extra cash out of someone (either you or Skoda). Undoubtedly they'll have to run a diagnostics on the car to see what Skoda say about the resultant scan, but you shouldn't have to stand that if there's a warranty claim, which clearly there is (unless they find a firmware update cd in the drive when they eject it...)

[tecton]

^{Maybe Amy Winehouse "Back to Black"!!!}

[Rustynuts]

Aye, that as well maybe.

[tecton]

Update

 

Dropped the car off this morning. Was expecting to voice my disappointment, but did not have too. There is a technical bulletin, about units rebooting and requesting the navigation DVD, the upshot is it looks like it will be replaced, Skoda giving a 90% goodwill gesture, the remaining 10% and labour covered by warranty. They still have to check it out, I'll have more information later today.

[Rustynuts]

That's a good result. Might get you an SSD unit maybe.

[tecton]

Update

 

Just collected car. Columbus unit has been replaced, not a penny to pay. Was hoping for a DAB unit, but no such luck. Details of unit fitted.

 

P/N: 3T0035680S

 

H/W: H27

 

S/W: 6276

 

Map version: Not loaded, as they thought I had a DVD. Pointed out none came with car. Going back next week, but I'll make sure V13 8348 is loaded.

 

So a good result at the end of the day.

[Rustynuts]

Yep, that's an SSD version with a 32Gb hard drive. Good result.

[Jules Tohpipi]

^Update

 

^{Just collected car. Columbus unit has been replaced, not a penny to pay. Was hoping for a DAB unit, but no such luck. Details of unit fitted.}

 

^{P/N: 3T0035680S}

 

^{H/W: H27}

 

^{S/W: 6276}

 

^{Map version: Not loaded, as they thought I had a DVD. Pointed out none came with car. Going back next week, but I'll make sure V13 8348 is loaded.}

 

^{So a good result at the end of the day.}

 

^{I'm glad to hear the dealer did the right thing and you didn't have to pay a penny.} 

 

^{Also, thank you for posting the details about it i.e. the technical bulletin and the 90% goodwill gesture.}

 

^{I telephoned Skoda UK this morning and raised a ticket about my situation. It is automatically being escalated for a decision regarding goodwill and I will be informed of the decision early next week. I got the impression the chap had heard this fault before.  But anyway I'll keep my fingers crossed.}

 

^{Thanks again tecton for your posting about all this.  I'm sure it will help myself and others in the future.}

Edited 26 February, 2016 by Jules Tohpipi

[tecton]

Jules. Hope you get a good result.

 

I've also had to inform the dealer, that I now no longer have the "Audio, and Navigation" options in Maxidot. I suspect that it hasn't been coded properly.

 

I shall be speaking with the service manager when I take it in next week.

[Rustynuts]

Yet another example of the Columbus unit not being plug and play as many people seem to think. In your case it should've been simple for three reasons.

 

1. It's a Skoda main dealer who should know what to do.

 

2. Everything was there on the old unit, and all they had to do was copy the long coding from the old unit and apply it to the new unit, then perform a reset.

 

3. It's simple

 

In the hope they didn't finish the procedure correctly, just try a reset. Press and hold the left and right arrow buttons, and the microphone button all at the same time until the unit shuts down. Then when it reboots see if it's working correctly.

[tecton]

Thanks for the heads-up on the reset. Have tried both a "soft" and "hard" reset, didn't restore Audio and Navigation to the Maxidot.

[mannyo]

The missing audio and navigation options will be down to the BAP protocol setting, not sure if it needs to be on or off on the Superb MK2. Either way it needs to be the opposite of what it is now.

 

The dealership tool has guided diagnosis, if they follow it the coding should be the same as before but that assumes the coding between the swapped units is compatible. However the later units have different coding to earlier ones so a swap is not as straight forward as following guided diagnostics.

[Rustynuts]

On a 2013 unit the coding will be exactly the same as the new unit. Older units have a shorter long coding  which is 9 bytes as opposed to 10 bytes on the newer ones, but I thing the coding string length changed about 2010 or so.

[WaveyDavey]

Wouldn't the navigation option be missing from the maxidot because it hasn't had any maps installed as yet???

[Rustynuts]

No, it'd still show the Nav menu section but it wouldn't be able to show any directions obviously. If the nav option was selected on Maxidot without any maps on the Columbus, it would simply show a stock screen with something like "Skoda Navigation" or the compass.

[tecton]

Update

 

Dropped car off this morning. Phone call this afternoon, they have had to raise a ticket with Skoda UK, as they cannot get "Audio" and "Navigation" to appear in the Maxidot display. They still have "old" unit, so taking it back tomorrow for another attempt!!! Looks like they need to interrogate it.

 

They have loaded maps back on V8 7690, my old unit had V12 8195, so will be getting this rectified.

 

Oh the joys of modern technology !!!

[Rustynuts]

Feck, tell them to do as I said up above...

 

2. Everything was there on the old unit, and all they had to do was copy the long coding from the old unit and apply it to the new unit, then perform a reset. If there's a difference in the long coding length (20 characters on the new one and 18 on the old one) then add 00 to the end of the 18 digit coding string to make it 20, and save the new longer coding. Then reboot and check all the functions are correct. If not then tell them to send it to someone who knows what they're doing and who'll also put the correct maps on for you.