Columbus sat nav

[Mully57]

Hi all I switched on my sat nav in my superb estate 2011 today and it tells me I am in Prague when I put in an English postcodes it comes up with a map of Prague and directs me around there but with an english voice anybody got any idea,s

 

Mully57

[pab567]

Change GPS antenna  

[Mully57]

Where is it, is it hard to do,is it expensive  to buy. Or would it be a main dealer fix.

 

mully57

[Rustynuts]

On the back of the unit is a blue plug. This is the GPS antenna connection. The cable runs to the antenna on the rear of the car roof where the GPS antenna is housed. Either replace the roof antenna, or fit a secondary GPS antenna in the dash area and exchange the  blue connection on the rear of the unit for the new antenna. Cost for the rear roof antenna will be about £70 or so, and cost for a secondary GPS antenna will be about a fiver.

[Mully57]

Thanks for that I take it the roof liner will have to be dropped for the new antenna well at least at one end. Thanks again.

 

mully57

[Rustynuts]

Nope, it's possible to just ease it down a couple of inches and get a hand in to disconnect the plugs, then a socket onto the nut on the underside of the antenna base to remove it. Then reverse assemble.

[Mully57]

Do I just need to replace the antenna or will I have to change the wiring as well?

 

Thanks 

[Rustynuts]

If it's just the antenna then no wiring change will be required.

[pablomax]

Sorry, but it seems exceedingly unlikely to me that the GPS antenna would be "faulty".

You should check the hidden menu (hold settings for a really long time) and check the satellite signal strength. If you do not see any signals, then yes, it may well be the antenna cable (there is almost zero chance it's the actual antenna). You can check with a multi-meter. There should not be continuity between the center pin and the shielding on the FAKR connector. If you see very low resistance that most likely the cable was pinched and now the conductor it touching the shielding wire.

[Rustynuts]

I've changed many antennas, as have so many other people. Water ingress usually kills them.

As for pressing the setup button for a really long time... ???  Just press the "Navigation" button, and touch "Current Position" to show how many satelites are seen and locked onto.

 

 

26 minutes ago, pablomax said:

Sorry, but it seems exceedingly unlikely to me that the GPS antenna would be "faulty".

You should check the hidden menu (hold settings for a really long time) and check the satellite signal strength. If you do not see any signals, then yes, it may well be the antenna cable (there is almost zero chance it's the actual antenna). You can check with a multi-meter. There should not be continuity between the center pin and the shielding on the FAKR connector. If you see very low resistance that most likely the cable was pinched and now the conductor it touching the shielding wire.

 

Edited 20 February, 2017 by Rustynuts

[Mully57]

Rustynuts 

i have seen some antennas on eBay with 3 connectors and a live wire with no connector,would I have to connnect the live as well and are these the correct ones, I know they are generic would these be ok or would you use VW OE parts.

 

thanks 

Mully57

 

[Rustynuts]

The generic ones would possibly work, but I'd be more inclined to go OEM and be certain it's just going to be a straight swap. Depending what you have already it'll impact on what you need to buy. You could have any or all of AM/FM, DAB, GPS, GSM connections on your current antenna base so you'll really need to either look see what you have, or buy one which covers all the optuions and don't use what you don't need.

[Mully57]

Ok thanks for that. I will go down OEM line probably can't go wrong with that.

 

Thanks again

[Mully57]

Ok thanks for that. I will go down OEM line probably can't go wrong with that.

 

Thanks again

[psycholist]

I got a replacement antenna off ebay for about €10 after confirming my car wasn't finding any satellites. Usually it starts in Regensburg when it has no connection (Known as Regenburg Syndrome on some of the VW forums), but it uses the car speed and steering input data from the Canbus as dead reckoning when there's no reception, so an intermittent fault can go unnoticed for a while. The ebay option isn't compatible with the plug at the roof antenna, but plugs straight into the back of the radio. Conveniently there's plenty of room to mount it behind the centre vents above the radio. I put it there initially as a quick experiment, planning to run it up to the roof later, but it worked perfectly, so it's been working perfectly there for nearly 2 years at this stage. Make sure to tape everything down so you don't get any rattles though.

[175GDY]

On 17.2.2017 at 19:16, Mully57 said:

Hi all I switched on my sat nav in my superb estate 2011 today and it tells me I am in Prague when I put in an English postcodes it comes up with a map of Prague and directs me around there but with an english voice anybody got any idea,s

 

Mully57

 

Not really surprised.  Skoda named this SatNav unit after a guy who set out to find India and ended up in America.
And the other SatNav unit is named after a guy who set out to find his rival, and he got completely lost.
Well done, Skoda

[skippy41]

I questioned skoda on FB regarding speed cameras with warnings, they said they have to pay for them and they are not legal in some countries, i said put them on with a tick box , and let the owner decide 

[Mully57]

Just an update for all, got a gps antenna off eBay for a fiver works like a dream dead easy to fit coz there is a metal bulkhead right behind the sat nav and it being magnetic sticks to it perfectly. So thanks Rustynuts for the advice .

.