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A quick thank you


Ennine

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Would just like to say thank you to those members who offered me advice on the Superb when I first started to consider it as my next vehicle. I completed a very long and arduous round trip to Sheffield yesterday and my Elegance is sitting outside looking rather nice. I'm still recovering from only three hours sleep in almost three days (getting a bit old for that) but then I need to start familiarising myself with all the functions as did little more than drive it home and listen to the satnav constantly telling me it was recalculating the route due to traffic although there wasn't a problem. As the dealer managed to reset the head unit to factory settings whilst trying to pair my phone to the hands free I have managed to get the TPMS light to go out. Just a button press but unless you know that and where it is, can be a little annoying , particularly when you can see the tyres are fine. The Stop/Start was a heart stopping moment in the filling station until I saw it on the display ! First job for me is to get my dashcam fitted, as after ten years of using one I feel vulnerable without it so that's first job in the coming week. Once again, thanks to all those that helped me make the choice.

 

Nige

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Congratulations on the new car Nige - hopefully all will be good!  If there are some issues to solve , this is a great forum to ask advice on.  When I was considering a Superb Elegance Estate, one of the main things that helped me decide (apart from the car!) was lurking here and reading this forum. Most of the searches I did when researching the car had Briskoda posts at the top of the results. 

 

It sounded like you did a lot of your work on the Rover 75 - I suspect we may be learning from you soon enough (after many miles of maintenance free motoring first, I trust).

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37 minutes ago, lawe said:

Indeed many great posts here.

Hopefully my new battery should arrive today and now considering a dashcam with the hardwire option. More to research!

It will be hardwired for mine once I have worked out the best way to do it. I cannot abide plug-ins and dangling cables.

 

Nige

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49 minutes ago, Ennine said:

It will be hardwired for mine once I have worked out the best way to do it. I cannot abide plug-ins and dangling cables.

 

Nige

Snap.

Seen a few YT videos and already had a general plod around the car to see if this will be an easy fit but did read somewhere on here on the best place to put the dashcam, which seems to be to the left of the mirror.

 

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5 hours ago, lawe said:

Snap.

Seen a few YT videos and already had a general plod around the car to see if this will be an easy fit but did read somewhere on here on the best place to put the dashcam, which seems to be to the left of the mirror.

 

Yes, just to the left of the rear-view is usually the best place in most vehicles. My previous experience of such installations has resulted in a large amount of dismantling of trim, dash etc. Finding a suitable ignition only feed can also be problematic as most modern cars do not respond favorably to extra loads being tagged on the existing systems. Sometimes it can be more straightforward than it seems at first, particularly if there are redundant loom connectors. For example my car does not have a sunroof but if the loom is up there (wishful thinking I know) that may be a good candidate.  I agree that youtube can be a good source of information and guides but not always the best and I have seen some real howlers on there and my heart goes out to anyone who tries to use them. For the most part, the tools they are (or are not) using is a good indicator of the degree of knowledge and professionalism.  A slightly bent, lighted rusted screwdriver and pair of workshop pliers is not a good start. I shall commence my investigations next week but will  have a good look around this forum first for any hints on trim removal and any guides from those who have already done the job.

 

Nige

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I recently did a fixed wiring install for my dashcam using the Vicovation battery manager. On the back of the fuse panel there are a few spade connectors available with permanent +12 V (they're there for addition of features like towing, etc.). For the switched power, I piggybacked off one of the smaller fuses. I can't recall offhand which one, but it's not something safety related. I used one of the retaining screws for the fuse panel to secure the earth wire. This install leaves all of the vehicle wiring intact and is easily reversed if needs be.

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Previously I have always modified the supplied 5v unit but this time decided to try out a Drive Smart unit. I'll see how it behaves itself. If it turns out to be noisy I'll fir the nextbase unit. Must admit that running up the A pillar and across the roof to the courtesy light unit was the easiest I have ever had. Next I need to work out how to remove the cowls on the rear view. Always difficult moving from a car you  know every nut and bolt on, to a car that you know nothing about.

 

Nige

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I ran the cable up the a-pillar and across under the headljning. Be careful when removing the a-pillar trim as there's an airbag behind it. Make sure to route the wire so that it won't interfere with airbag deployment. There are no clips on the leading edge of the headlining so it's easy enough to peel back the edge and tuck the wire in behind it.

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Yes exactly how I did it. and then draw wire from the edge of the door seal to the courtesy unit. Plenty of clearance, no pinching and clear of the air bag. Easiest I have had in a long time..

 

Nige

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Job done. Took longer to get the cable from the courtesy light unit to the screen than the rest of the job. Drive Smart power supply seems ok (at the moment) and a stealth mount on the 402g has a pretty solid hold and keeps the DVR well clear of the mirror and does not obstruct driving view at all.

 

Nige

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Congrats on getting your new car Nige, sounds like you are already enjoying the Skoda experience...!!  What dash cam did you go for out of interest, something I would like to sort out as well..

Cheers Dave

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7 minutes ago, TasMan said:

Congrats on getting your new car Nige, sounds like you are already enjoying the Skoda experience...!!  What dash cam did you go for out of interest, something I would like to sort out as well..

Cheers Dave

Thanks Dave. Yes, gradually finding my way around her. Finding the ride just a little harsh on the low profiles, slipped up a little there but overall happy with the car. May look at a wheel/tyre change but not for a while. I can live with it. I had not long updated my old dashcam to a Nextbase 402g so put the old one back in the Rover when she went and kept the nextbase. I know there are a lot of very good (and cheap) dashcams about but I like to stick to a good make with a good track record. The 402g has plenty of functions and is a solid reliable bit of kit. It will record position data and speed (if you want it to). I tend to have the speed recorded as it does a help a little to retard the right foot, but not always. Good high quality recording. I have discarded the suction mount this time in favour for a stealth mount. The only downside of the Nextbase is they use their own mount connector on the device which can limit trying other mounts but the stealth mount is a 3rd party mount that is very small and uses a high adhesion pad which sticks very well to the shaded section on the Superb, keeping the camera well clear of the rearview mirror and the lens just below the shade. I could take a shot of it in place if you're that interested. The stealth mount is designed to fit the nextbase and they are turned  out by a 3d printer !!

 

Nige

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Would love to see the set up Nige just to get some idea.

Agree with the wheels, great smooth ride but find a dip or small hole and feels like the whole world smashing in!

 

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18 minutes ago, lawe said:

Would love to see the set up Nige just to get some idea.

Agree with the wheels, great smooth ride but find a dip or small hole and feels like the whole world smashing in!

 

Yep, like everywhere else, no shortage of potholes up here in the Highlands. Not the best shots this time of night and obviously could not use flash in front of the mirror. The nextbase is hidden fully behind the mirror but with enough room to use the menu and settings if needed and enough room to unplug the mini isb to download to laptop if and when required. Need to just tidy up the free cable a little and I always tie the usb cable to the mount with a small cable tie to prevent it crashing about or damaging the socket should it ever break free of the screen. The DVR is completely out of view from the driver side.

 

Nige

402g01.jpg

402g02.jpg

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