RCD330+ for 2015- cars?

[j66jbo]

Hi all,

 

I have a 2015 Yeti Monte Carlo and I am hoping to replace the headunit with one that has AppleCarPlay etc. All the listings online state that the RCD330+ is only compatible with Yeti's up to 2014. 

 

Can anyone shine any light on this? Is there an adaptor or will it just not work with a 2015 car?

Many thanks.

[langers2k]

What headunit do you currently have? A picture would be great

[j66jbo]

This is the one  A Bolero. I have noticed most of the Yeti's from 15' onwards have the newer Amundsen I think it is?

[Michael G]

I think it's still Bolero, but a newer version, in our 16 plate.

 

This is ours, running Waze via Android Auto.  CarPlay support, along with AA and Mirrorlink, comes with Skoda's Smartlink, I think included with 2015 cars on, and needed unlocking at the factory, or as a dealer job after.

 

I think you'd need a newer Bolero or above, or a CarPlay compatible third party unit.

 

 

[j66jbo]

41 minutes ago, Michael G said:

I think it's still Bolero, but a newer version, in our 16 plate.

 

This is ours, running Waze via Android Auto.  CarPlay support, along with AA and Mirrorlink, comes with Skoda's Smartlink, I think included with 2015 cars on, and needed unlocking at the factory, or as a dealer job after.

 

I think you'd need a newer Bolero or above, or a CarPlay compatible third party unit.

 

 

 

Thats interesting, I didn’t realise those units had CarPlay. Is there a way of telling if the unit has Smart Link?

[langers2k]

The newer MIB2 style headunits use component protection, you'll need a dashboard, gateway and possibly BCM that also support CP. You'd then need to find a dealer to code CP afterwards, this may not work as your VIN wasn't originally CP enabled.

 

At this point, you'd still need to purchase new activation codes for voice control and smartlink to get it working.

 

There are some people that have made a mod chip to circumvent CP but it's also not cheap.

 

The RCD330+ should be compatible with your car, you'd need a new facia though. Bare in mind that not all RCD330+ are equal so choose carefully

[j66jbo]

40 minutes ago, langers2k said:

The newer MIB2 style headunits use component protection, you'll need a dashboard, gateway and possibly BCM that also support CP. You'd then need to find a dealer to code CP afterwards, this may not work as your VIN wasn't originally CP enabled.

 

At this point, you'd still need to purchase new activation codes for voice control and smartlink to get it working.

 

There are some people that have made a mod chip to circumvent CP but it's also not cheap.

 

The RCD330+ should be compatible with your car, you'd need a new facia though. Bare in mind that not all RCD330+ are equal so choose carefully

3

Some great info there. So even if the car has the newest Bolero posted above my Michael, it may not be CarPlay compatible? Sounds like a minefield!

 

With regards to the RCD330+, I had thought it would be a straight swap as it looks the same shape?

Not all are equal - what should I look for? I am aware I would want the 'green' Skoda spec unit?

[Michael G]

I bow to the clearly greater knowledge of langers, but my understanding had been that all screened units had Skoda's Smartlink built in from around early summer 2015. The software needed unlocking ("licensing") either at the factory, or via a dealer after. Cost was £125 IIRC.

 

We specified it with our second Yeti order in early 2016, and it was done at the factory, ready to go on day 1.

 

Smartlink is what Skoda call the feature giving access to Android Auto, CarPlay, and the older third party tech Mirrorlink, which Apple don't support.

 

Again, my understanding is that Smartlink is coming through now as a standard feature. It certainly is with our Karoq on order.

 

I've no idea how you'd recognise a compatible head unit, or the factors involved in fitting it to a car without it originally, but good luck 

[langers2k]

31 minutes ago, j66jbo said:

Some great info there. So even if the car has the newest Bolero posted above my Michael, it may not be CarPlay compatible? Sounds like a minefield!

 

With regards to the RCD330+, I had thought it would be a straight swap as it looks the same shape?

Not all are equal - what should I look for? I am aware I would want the 'green' Skoda spec unit?

 

Your Bolero is a different shape to either the RCD330+ or MIB2 headunits that were fitted from mid 2015. It's only a facia change that's needed to fix this.

 

There are two manufacturers of the RCD330+ with identical part numbers:

- Desay versions run WinCE or linux but no firmware updates have made it online

- Noname versions run linux and there are 2-3 firmware updates around online

 

Depending which you get and exactly what firmware is installed, you'll probably experience different bugs. I have a Noname version on SW:5606 and it's not too bad but there are still issues that need to be sorted around bluetooth and volume levels. If you listen to FM radio, be warned that it doesn't seem to support AF (alternative frequency) to change frequency as you drive.

 

25 minutes ago, Michael G said:

I bow to the clearly greater knowledge of langers, but my understanding had been that all screened units had Skoda's Smartlink built in from around early summer 2015. The software needed unlocking ("licensing") either at the factory, or via a dealer after. Cost was £125 IIRC.

 

I think all the MIB2 units used in the Yeti are able to support smartlink (carplay/android auto) but as you say, needs activating if not done at build time.

 

The activation status is against by VIN, so if you had your headunit replaced, the dealer should be able to reactive any options you'd previously bought. The issue for @j66jbo is that their VIN won't have any activation's listed so even if the headunit comes from a car with both voice control and smartlink, they will deactivate once fitted.

 

I'm also not sure if the Skoda systems will even allow activation on a VIN that didn't originally have a MIB2 headunit.