Ok, so I've a 15 plate Octavia VRS, and the screen, I have (I'm sorry no idea which is which) for navigation is, just horrendous, I can't seem to navigate properly using it, my question is is there any relatively cheap units that have Android auto? Was looking at the xtrons, but 2gb ram would make it take ages to start up, I'm very picky, ANY advice would help! 

Why does everybody want Android auto for a head unit to be used for navigation?

 

As someone who has had several non Android replacement head units that start up pretty much instantly and the navigation works well I keep reading that people have to have android auto, is it a smartphone dependancy thing?

9 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Why does everybody want Android auto for a head unit to be used for navigation?

 

As someone who has had several non Android replacement head units that start up pretty much instantly and the navigation works well I keep reading that people have to have android auto, is it a smartphone dependancy thing?

I like android auto purely because it's ease of use, and linking with my phone, google maps is my friend, but hey if you've any suggestions I'm all ears! It's just the nav system in my car is, sub par, especially where I live 😂

I have only used cheap Wince head units and they can be a lottery so would not recommend them, i only have a smartphone for the business credit card reader or for wifi hotspot if in the UK, I carry and use (as little as possible) an old school Nokia so could not link it to the car if I wanted to.

 

I understand the desire to have a satnav integrated into the radio, my eye (single) could no longer use a tiny Tom Tom but dont understand the desire to integrate a phone with a vehicle, I can drive and be guided by the the satnav in the head unit, anything else would be a distraction for me.

8 hours ago, J.R. said:

I understand the desire to have a satnav integrated into the radio, my eye (single) could no longer use a tiny Tom Tom but dont understand the desire to integrate a phone with a vehicle, I can drive and be guided by the the satnav in the head unit, anything else would be a distraction for me.

 

Android Auto and CarPlay don't need to be distractions...?

 

If you're using either for navigation, then they function in a very similar way to an inbuilt satnav as they use the entire radio screen to show maps and directions. The biggest advantages they have over the inbuilt satnav is live traffic/incident reporting and more recent map data. They also tend to have better voice control for entering destinations. Obviously the downside is data usage but most smartphones have data plans these days.

 

9 hours ago, Kjb2910 said:

my question is is there any relatively cheap units that have Android auto?

 

Depends what you count as relatively cheap...?

 

 

To be honest, if you have a MIB1 headunit, I'd be most tempted to grab a MIB2 headunit with smartlink. It might cost a little more than an aftermarket headunit but it should just work after coding etc.

 

43 minutes ago, langers2k said:

Depends what you count as relatively cheap...?

 

 

To be honest, if you have a MIB1 headunit, I'd be most tempted to grab a MIB2 headunit with smartlink. It might cost a little more than an aftermarket headunit but it should just work after coding etc.

 

Like 300-400 euro, 

But I'm going to be brutally honest, and say I have no idea if the difference between MIB1 and MIB2

MIB1 are the earlier headunits, I'd be pretty sure yours like my 2015 Octavia, are MIB1, they didn't come with the ability to connect to Android Auto.

They were later replaced by the MIB2 units that could connect to Android Auto, later still came the MIB2.5 and I believe the new Octavia mk4 has MIB3.

 

You'd be looking at north of ~1,000 euro, to buy, and code a genuine Octavia MIB2 system for your car. There are aftermarket solutions from the likes of Alpine that look good as they keep the original car menus:

https://www.alpine.co.uk/p/Products/SingleView/i902D-OC3

 

I can't find a price for the Alpine unit on their site only a link to see if there are any suppliers nearby.

 

There are others on ebay or Aliexpress, just search "android octavia" but I believe you can lose some of the original car menus such as the TPMS display with these headunits as they don't integrate into the existing Skoda system. Annoying if you get a warning light about tyre pressure but cannot open a menu to reset the tyre pressure in memory (for example).

I think as a rough guide, if you have a CD slot in the glovebox, you have MIB1. If there is no CD slot, it's a MIB2. May 2015 was the changeover so depending when your car was built, it could have either but I'm guessing a MIB1. From Skoda:

Quote

SmartLink has only become available on selected models since 25 May 2015 (the new production year), so if you ordered your new ŠKODA before this date, it will not come with SmartLink. Please check with your local ŠKODA retailer if you’re unsure when you ordered your new ŠKODA.

 

If you connect your phone via USB (assuming Mirrorlink/Smartlink is activated):

- MIB1 only support Mirrorlink

- MIB2 support Smartlink which includes Android Auto, CarPlay and MirrorLink

 

It might be best if you include a picture of your headunit showing the system information tab and it's part number.

 

Once you've done that, I'm sure either @pab567 or @SashaGrace can walk you through you options.

 

4 minutes ago, lway said:

I can't find a price for the Alpine unit on their site only a link to see if there are any suppliers nearby.

 

A quick google suggests an RRP of ~£1600 and various sites offering it at ~£1000!

8 minutes ago, langers2k said:

 

A quick google suggests an RRP of ~£1600 and various sites offering it at ~£1000!

 

Ouch :).

 

Here it is in action on a 2014 VRS: 

 

1 hour ago, lway said:

 

Ouch :).

 

Here it is in action on a 2014 VRS: 

 

That is a lovely unit! 

I'm so confused tho 😂 if I want to replace the screen do I need to remove the unit inside the glovebox? Also if it helps, in my glovebox it has 2 SD card slots and a cd drive 

Well I watched the video and other than it leaving me completely cold I could not see a single feature that he was playing with and rejoicing about that should be operated on the move by a driver exercising "due care & attention" or any that would not be a distraction.

 

It did however give me a feel for the sort of people who desire such an object, if you spend most of your life staring into a phone then to be able to do it with a large display whilst sitting in the comfort of your vehicle perhaps with a few potes Whatsapping those in the vehicle parked next to you at Macdos would make it a must have.

 

And it did not even have built in navigation, unless I misunderstood he said that it uses the system on your phone that has to be plugged in, so much for Bluetooth!!!

 

I will stick with my £80 unit that has built in Satnav & if I want to change it then it costs €10 delivered from Ali-Express on a memory card that costs more than that from the cheapest supplier around here. It also has most of the features shown on the video although I have no desire to use most of them, it certainly integrates with my vehicle systems & steering wheel controls etc but I dont have climatronic on this car, a similar unit on my last car did display all the Climatronic settings.

 

I know if I were in my teens or 20's I would have a very different view and perhaps had I grown up with these devices I would have the same view at a later age.

 

It was interesting that a publicity video for a car radio did not even speak of the sound quality or audio controls, it seemed to be simply a plug in large(r) screen monitor for a mobile phone.

I also query, would there be much cost In a change from MIB 1 to MiB2? 

This is the clearest image I have at the moment, due to it being back at garage for a bit of tlc 

16 hours ago, Kjb2910 said:

I also query, would there be much cost In a change from MIB 1 to MiB2? 

 

The screen is just a display and button unit for the main head unit in the glovebox.

The screen and glovebox unit for MIB1 are only used for those specific models (stereo models, not car models).  MIB2 units have ability to interchange screens to some extent.

Different model glovebox units have increasing specs generally at 3 levels:

 

1. no nav, small screen (Bolero)

2. nav, small screen (Amundsen)

3. nav, big screen (Columbus)

 

As MIB2 have the ability to use bigger screens, many people have retrofitted the lower spec head unit witha bigger screens then use Android Auto/Carplay.  I believe the better units have better sound too.

 

The cost involved is to

buy the head unit

buy the screen

remove Component Protection from the head unit

code the head unit to the car

 

Fitting is relativly straight forward.  If you can plug a PC in you'll be fine.  Just need the removal tools which cost less than £10.

Pretty sure that's a MIB1 Amundsen.

 

If you've not heard from Pab, it might be worth contacting these guys for advice: https://www.vw-retrofit.co.uk/product/skoda-amundsen-mib2-set-with-6-5-screen/

 

It's almost within budget but it'll depend if they actually need access for coding etc.

 

Hey guys! I've rang around a few breakers, and I found this one, does anybody know if it's mib 1 or 2? So that I know for future 

Looks like a mib1 unit. 

I thought that looked like a mib2 bolero.

I'm with MarkyG82 - my guess was a very dirty MIB2 Bolero

10 minutes ago, langers2k said:

I'm with MarkyG82 - my guess was a very dirty MIB2 Bolero

Like I said, I rang a few breakers and found this from a 17 plate  hence the dirt 😂

Edited 14 January, 20215 yr by Kjb2910
Spell checked and I sounded grumpy

If you do get it from a breakers, you'll still need to budget for CP removal and feature activation. No idea what it costs these days though :/

 

With that level of dirt, I be worried about water damage... :(

Just now, langers2k said:

If you do get it from a breakers, you'll still need to budget for CP removal and feature activation. No idea what it costs these days though :/

 

With that level of dirt, I be worried about water damage... :(

Wasn't gonna get that one, just wanted to know what to look for! You've all been a great help! 

Hello…
 

Didn't think I could/should start a fresh post when so many on here already so adding to this one. I have (will have next week when I fetch it) a Mk III Octavia Scout (to replace the 08 plate one I have – 187,000 miles and not wanting to spend more on it (looks like clutch hydraulics might need some love and cambelt not done (in the last 75,000 miles for sure) in case something 'even more expensive' comes along, and air con has a leak I can't afford to find and/or get to). Right, audio (will talk variable boot floor in another thread!). I know PAB567 and Sasha are very well regarded in these parts (and thank you for all your advice across Briskoda).

Current Scout has a Kenwood DMX7018 in. Makes the most sense to move that to the Mk III if I can ensure steering wheel controls will work and I can plug my iPhone in as I do at the moment (lightning cable connects to USB).
Be good too if I could get iPhone video to play on the Kenwood (can't currently but perhaps there's an extra socket on the back?). If it won't do the job then I'll have to get something. Budget really only about £500! <-- am I way off?

 

https://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/car/nav_mm/carplay-mm/DMX7018DABS/?view=details

 

I thought the Scout I'm buying is MIB1 (you can tell I've been reading this forum) …here (below) is a pic of it's existing system, but the discussion above confuses me! No idea about CP and activation – needed?

Chassis TMBM57NE9F0112412. FIRST REG Jan 2015

THANKS

 

 

More browsing and seems I have Admundsen unit – that change anything? Still MIB1? I was thinking Jan 2015 and MIB2 didn't exist? Thanks.

 

Yes looks like mib1 Amundsen. If going for aftermarket system then CP (component protection) shouldn't be an issue.

2 issues you'll come across that I can think of immediately:

1. Physical space for the Kenwood unit. There is limited space at the top of the hole as the channels for the vents slopes down. 

b) the Comms cables are currently routed to the glovebox as that is the where the main mib unit is. Possible to reroute but may need cable mods/extension.

iii- many of the car systems are controlled/adjusted by the infotainment system. An aftermarket one may not pick up all the relevant bits through the canbus.

 

The above contributes to why many on here go for mib2 upgrade. Parts aside, the relevant coding costs in the region of £300-350 for mib2 upgrade. Maybe a starting point would be to contact pab567 and ask what his cheapest solution would be. You may be surprised. Then recover some money back by selling the Kenwood?