Just got my first Skoda - a 2005 Octavia Tdi Elegance. Fantastic car, but I can't live with the standard stereo.

I've got a Kenwood double DIN DVD head unit and sat nav and sub and amp pulled out of my old car.

Thing is, I've quite gotten used to the parking sensors on this Octavia. Obviously when I change the head unit I'll lose the graphical display showing distances, but will I also lose the audible beep telling me how far away I am from things? Is there any way to retain it?

Where is the best cable run on the Octavia 2? I'll need to run a couple of cables back to the sat nav, a power cable and a couple of decent guage RCA (phono) cables.

Is there a recomended place for the power cable to go through the bulkhead?

Any advice would be very much appreciated!

There is now a double din panel available for the Octavia 2 and it should suit the Kenwood 'DDX' units quite well. Bear in mind that you'll need a 'MOST' connector instead of the normal 'ISO' style, plus a 'FAKRA' antenna adaptor. Also bear in mind that the new Mk2 Octavia/Mk5 Golf etc will not have an ignition wire at the headunit any more as its all controlled by CANBUS.

As for the power cable, its sort of the same as doing a Mk4 Golf, if you look half way down the bulk head passenger side you should see a grommet that will come out sort of behind the glovebox.

As for running RCA cables etc, just have a quick look to see which side the factory looms runs down and use the opposite side!

If you are very lucky there may still be an analogue speed pulse at the radio but don't be supprised if you have to buy a CANBUS adaptor. Kenwood Nav systems need very good speed pulse and GPS signal.

Hope this helps,

Andy

Cheers Andy. That's bang on. The CANBUS adapter thing is annoying. I reckon the installer didn't remove it from my old car when they stripped the system out. I'd originally had an Alpine speed pulse but it was crap and I'm fairly sure they stuck a CANBUS adapter on instead but I don't have it in my box of bits.

All I need now is to know about the parking sensors thing. Anyone??

Could you not run the parking sensors like the Fabia ones? They take their positive feed from the reverse light and give you a bleep speaker that goes in the B pillar. Would that not work? I'm sure someone would say yes or no soon.

I think the beep does actually come from the nearside B pillar! I assumed it came through the radio because of the display integration. Well that's good, one less thing to worry about. Cheers!

Have a read Here

may be of some use