Upgrade bolero radio

[Elzer0]

Hi, 

 

I have a 2014 skoda octavia 1.4se tsi. 

 

I currently have a boreno mib 1 (with CD in glove box). 

 

I'm mainly after android auto. 

 

What the simplest and cheapest way to do this? 

 

Have tried a few searches on Google, but seems to get confusing. 

 

Many thanks. 

 

Based in Kent UK, if anyone knows of anyone that does it? 

[SashaGrace]

There is no cheap way, you will need to budget about £500 to do this minimum with the 6.5 inch screen and add another £1-200 for an 8 inch screen. You will need a radio unit and a screen to match. The most cost effective solution is a 2016 model year MIB2 Amundsen (5Q0035874A) and a matching 6.5 inch screen (5E0919605J) and USB (5Q0035726E although this sometimes isn’t needed for AA, only CarPlay). You will need to have the Component Protection removed on the radio in the UK and then the best person to help is Pawel (Pab567 on here) and he’ll be able to get the features going but you will need a scan of your car and a coding tool handy to add the nav menu on the instrument cluster.

[Elzer0]

Sound even more complicated that I thought!!! 

 

And I thought the kenwood upgrade was expensive 😲

[SashaGrace]

Sorry to disappoint, that’s just the cost of things. VAG have locked the radios down to a level that it’s not worth stealing them as that was a big problem for the previous gen cars. Every option on the MQB platform cars is coded to the VIN number using a feature called Software as Product and these options are enabled using Feature enablement Codes and this is true for everything, cruise control, radio options etc etc. For a MIB2 swap to work you will need someone to hack the radio to get around the measures VAG put in place. It’s possible but it’s not cheap. Tbh I don’t think £500 is expensive to change a radio and screen for the benefits of built in nav and SmartLink for Android Auto/Apple CarPlay personally and it keeps it all factory and all the menus will still work correctly as the radio is plumbed into the cars CAN system.

[Neolithian]

I did it and personally I think it was well worth the money however 100 to 200 for an 8 inch screen maybe a bit optimistic

[Elzer0]

And what about 3rd party android ones? 

[SashaGrace]

36 minutes ago, Neolithian said:

I did it and personally I think it was well worth the money however 100 to 200 for an 8 inch screen maybe a bit optimistic

I mean £100-200 on top of the £100 for a 6.5 inch so £2-300 total. They around there for that  

 

11 minutes ago, Elzer0 said:

And what about 3rd party android ones? 

No personal experience with them but very few people have anything good to say about them and most people stay OEM as they aren’t even positive about the Pioneer and Alpine efforts. Some people love their Alpine units but I still think OEM is the way.

[Elzer0]

That sucks!! 

 

I was hoping I could upgrade for £200-300... There is no way I'd spend £1000 to upgrade the radio... That type of money is for chrome stuff for my bike 🤣

[Elzer0]

Just re read your message, must be tired... I thought you said 1000-1200.

 

So is this a skoda garage thing, or any decent 

Garage can do? 

[SashaGrace]

Yeah that’s not going to be the case unfortunately . The cost will never be that low. If you want it you will be looking minimum £500 on the best day for used parts prices. You can do it gradually, buy a screen when a cheap one comes up, then a radio later and then sit on those until you can budget CP removal and then you can budget rework cost so really you can break it down to 3-4 sets of outlay if that helps but I’ve yet to see someone go below £440 to fit one and that was me because I got free CP removal.

 

I did say £1000. My current MIB2.5 Columbus with screen was a £1150 upgrade.

 

[Elzer0]

I'd be happy with a mib2... Cheers for the info though. 

 

V much appreciated 

[SashaGrace]

No worries. I loved my MIB2 with 8 inch screen for nearly a year and only upgraded when I did the virtual cockpit as I needed a radio with an MOST connection. You should be able to do it for £500 with a 6.5 inch screen but I think you will struggle to go lower than that.

[Elzer0]

Just reading your super mod thread at the mo (v impressive BTW). 

 

I didn't realise you can upgrade bits separately, I just figured it was a complete unit... 

[SashaGrace]

Thanks  for radio mods from MIB1 as you have now you will need to do both the radio and the screen at the same time. If you have the MIB2 Bolero or Amundsen and you want a bigger screen you can do that separately. 

[Elzer0]

Who do you have send the radio too? Does he do complete sets

[SashaGrace]

Pawel (Pab567 on this forum) and sometimes but there is a cost attached. As he is in Poland all prices are subject to 23% VAT etc etc. Your cheapest option is usually to self source and arrange CP removal in the UK and then send the radio unit to him for coding.

[Jsilva_2]

Hello Sasha, is it possible to get CP remove  on line?

[SashaGrace]

There are places that can do it remotely via team viewer. You will need a VAS5054A tool and this is usually hired to you by the person on the other end.

[Greg_B]

On 13/10/2019 at 18:42, SashaGrace said:

There are places that can do it remotely via team viewer. You will need a VAS5054A tool and this is usually hired to you by the person on the other end.

 

I will go for the "Pawel-way", since he gives services more than a simple decoding... However I wonder: than sites similar to below will work only for the "old head units"?

 

https://www.vwcodes.org/skodacodes

https://www.vwcodes.org/how-it-works

 

 

[SashaGrace]

Yeah there isn’t a code, it’s a lot more complex than that unfortunately.

[Elzer0]

Right, I've found a mib 2 radio and screen on ebay 

5Q0035974A

5E0919605J 

For £350.

 

Is that a decent price? 

I'm bit confused about the next bit

 

Sorry, have you got a break down of part numbers I need. 

Edited 22 October, 2019 by Elzer0
More info

[SashaGrace]

If it’s 5Q0035874A and 5E0919605J I would be looking for another £100 off. The radio units go for about £150 and the screen £100 or so. You will also need a 5Q0035726E USB. That’s all for parts. You’ll need CP removal on the radio and then you’ll need to contact Pawel to arrange feature reactivation.

[Elzer0]

13 minutes ago, SashaGrace said:

If it’s 5Q0035874A and 5E0919605J I would be looking for another £100 off. The radio units go for about £150 and the screen £100 or so. You will also need a 5Q0035726E USB. That’s all for parts. You’ll need CP removal on the radio and then you’ll need to contact Pawel to arrange feature reactivation.

Thanks again sasha. 

 

Just found one of your many helpful replies with prices 

Edited 22 October, 2019 by Elzer0
Baby touched screen

[Wangarai]

2 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

If it’s 5Q0035874A and 5E0919605J I would be looking for another £100 off. The radio units go for about £150 and the screen £100 or so. You will also need a 5Q0035726E USB. That’s all for parts. You’ll need CP removal on the radio and then you’ll need to contact Pawel to arrange feature reactivation.

 

To add to the (excellent) advice from @SashaGrace, if you are intending on upgrading your screen to a facelift Amundsen (5E0919605M), which really is worth it, then as previously noted on the forum, the App button on the 5Q0035874A unit does not work and you need to go through the Menu button to access Android Auto / Mirror Link / Apple Carplay.

If you opt for a 5Q0035874B or 5Q0035874C the App button works (and is quicker to get to AA, etc) but the rework by @pab567will require a software hack (as for the 5Q0035874A) and a hardware hack; this will significantly increase the cost of rework (assuming you want Android Auto etc). Pawel did my unit and he was excellent form start to finish.

A cheaper option may be to contact Pawel and enquire if he has any reworked units available. It would have been cheaper and easier for me to purchase the 5Q0035874C unit he offered but I had not asked this before purchasing my 5Q0035874B.

Note the 5Q0035874C also has colour menu icons (as well as the grey rotating icons that the 5Q0035874A & B have). My wife has a Golf Mk7.5 with the Discover navigation and colour icons – it looks good and is easier to operate than the rotating menu (but not necessarily a deal breaker). 

The 5Q0035874C units seem to go for a much (i.e. ridiculously) higher price on the well-known auction site that rhymes with Tebay (not that I am promoting any service stations in Cumbria or auction sites).

 

Apologies for my awful commuting humour 😁
 

[Elzer0]

Cheers to both of you for the input. 

All very eye opening!!