Swing To Columbus Retrofit Guide

[DunDunFather]

After spending the last few weeks focused on this, I thought I'd write up my experiences in retrofitting a Columbus headunit with DAB to my Rapid. There's a lot of different posts scattered around so I've tried to collate as much as I can here. 

Note that I have focused on Swing to Columbus, but most of the information here can be used to go from Amundsen to Columbus too. 

 

I'm no good with terminology - what's a Swing headunit?

 

The Swing headunit was the standard option on the Rapid. It has FM/AM radio and a CD drive. It interfaces with the USB and AUX ports below the heater controls (known as MDI), an external Bluetooth (module to provide calls and music playback and displays information on the instrument cluster (known as Maxidot). If you have OEM parkig sensors they will also display on this unit too. If you have a multifunction steering wheel (MFSW) this also controls the unit. 

 

 

And what's a Columbus headunit?

 

The Skoda Columbus headunit was never offered an an OEM option for Rapids but is a popular retrofit option. This headunit is also known as the RNS 510 which is the VW variant of the same headunit and only differs in the backlight illumination (green for Skoda, red for VW) and the startup logo. 

 

This is a touchscreen navigation headunit with a DVD drive (you can watch movies on it while the vehicle is stationary) which also interaces with MDI, external Bluetooth and Maxidot like the Swing. It comes with its own SD card slot and a hard drive to store music on. It also displays parking sensor information if you have them fitted, MFSW compatible and has voice control. 

 

Additionally some come with DAB / DAB+ and the hard drive can either be a traditional HDD (spindle) or SSD (a big memory card) each with different storage capacities. On top of all that the screen can also either be LCD or LED (newer). 

 

 

Sounds complicated - how can I tell which one I am getting? 

 

Best thing is to ask the seller, you can also use the part number to help which is in the form 3TO 035 686 ?, where the ? is one of the following letters:

A - first version, SD card slot takes a 2GB card max
B - ?
C - ?
L - LED screen

 

And where do I get one from?

 

You're best bet is through eBay / Guntree. There are many sellers out there, some who are selling their units because they have a new car, some who are refurbishers / ICE sellers. There are VW retrofit specialists who also sell them through their websites. And of course, Briskoda classifieds! Expect to pay £300-600 for one, feature/condition dependant.  

 

Anything to look out for? 

 

Some units have upgraded firmware which allows "Video In Motion" i.e. you can watch DVDs while driving. Personally I'd prefer getting an unfettled unit as you don't know what the source of the firmware is. Check the stickers are intact on the outside in case the mainboards have been switched or the hard drive has been replaced / upgraded; again personal preference. Aside from that the usual checks for cracked screen, missing buttons, wear and tear etc.

Oh, and make sure the unit comes with the code! The code is a 4-digit number specific to the unit and you will need it once you connect it up to your vehicle. 

 

Do I need anything else? 

 

A GPS antenna for the navigation and if your unit supports it, a DAB aerial too. These are around £10-15 each for the simple stick-on types. The connector types are Fakra. You will also need a new surround which can be purchased from a Skoda dealer (I paid £7.50), part number 5JA858415 9B9.

 

 

That's quite an outlay for old tech ... 

 

It's true that there is no native Apple CarPlay / Android Auto or apps like Spotify and the UX looks dated compared to newer vehicles. However it will depend on your requirements. Some (like myself) prefer to go down an OEM route for the looks and playing nicely with the rest of the car. Some may not be fussed about that and want something with all the latest and greatest tech. Some aftermarket units will interface with Maxidot / MFSW but you would have to wire in a new mic for the Bluetooth as well as GPS / DAB etc. 

 

Note that there is a company called Ampire who have an interface which enables Apple CarPlay / Android Auto for the Columbus but it's very expensive (£800 at the time of writing). There is also a Skoda approved Kenwood interface which replaces the navigation with Garmin and adds Spotify (part number ZGB500051259, it's not sold anymore by Skoda but I have seem them pop up on eBay for around £200-250. 

 

Food for thought. Any other OEM units I could consider? 

 

There is another OEM headunit called the RCD 330 which was/is installed in Asian markets - this has a more modern interface with Android Auto / Apple CarPlay but no DAB and Bluetooth is built-in so you would need another mic. 

 

The Rapids could be spec'd with a unit called Amunsden (RNS 310 / 315) which is similar to the Columbus but with a smaller screen, no DVD, no voice control and no hard drive. These are a cheaper alternative but ensure you get one without Bluetooth built-in so that it can interface with your existing BT module (the MAC address on the label of the unit should read all zeros). These come in DAB variants too. 

 

There is another unit called Bolero, I don't know much about this but it looks similar to Amundsen but I believe it's older.  

 

Below is a table I've put together to compare the different options.

 

 

Understood. How do I get it installed? 

Swapping the head unit over is a super simple DIY job, with just a screwdriver required and it should take no longer than 20 minutes to do. You will also need to wire in the GPS and DAB antennas too if you have those, which will take a little longer and depending on where you put them. I spent 90 minutes on mine which is a DAB+ so two antennas to wire in plus the headunit itself.  

 

 

@deanobanks93has an excellent illustrated guide HERE on how to swap the head unit over; although it's a different unit he/she is putting in the same instructions apply. Remove the surround with your fingers / trim tool, remove the 4 T20 Torx screws holding the unit into place, remove the quadlock and radio antenna connectors, plug them into the new unit and screw it back into the housing. 

 

Simple enough. What about the DAB and GPS antennas? 

 

Let's start with the GPS antenna. This should be stuck on to a metal part of the vehicle. I decided to put mine on the metal on the side of the dashboard. It's easy to get to and gives good reception (more on this later). Some stick it behind the unit on a metal part of the frame too. 

 

I'd recommend investing in some trim removal tools which are only a couple of quid from eBay delivered. 

 

 

Remove the side trim using a trim removal tool or you can push it out from the back if you get your hands behind the trim by going under and behind the glovebox where the fuse box is. There's three clips which disengage once you apply some pressure.

 

 

Once this is removed, you can see the metal where the aerial can be stuck. I put mine on the outside, some have placed them on the inside too. Stick the antenna on then you need to thread the wire through to the headunit along the top of the glovebox. If you have another pair of hands or very thin arms you can just about get it through; however I ended up using a drain unblocker tool which is flexbile enough to poke through the gap while being rigid when pushed; tie the end of the antenna to it then push it along until you get to the headunit. There is a small opening to the left of the headunit where you can thread the wire into. Once through connect to the headunit (the blue connection at the top). 

 

 

I placed my DAB aerial on the top-left corner of the windscreen, it's a stick-on type. You will need to remove the pillar trim using a trim removal tool then feed the wire down the pillar and back through the top of the glovebox. I also tucked my wire at the antenna side into the headliner then down for a neater finish.

 

 

You can get other types of aerials - I'm considering an all-in-one sharkfin which has FM/AM, DAB and GPS but it would require routing the cables from the back of the vehicle. A neater solution if you can do it (I was quoted around £300 by a local car audio specialist for this). 

 

Once done, give it a test - there are settings in the unit which show the DAB and GPS signal strength. Mine were fine for my area. Put all your trim back and get the kettle on - you deserve it. 

 

 

The final optional step is to tell the car that you have Navigation so the Maxidot can display turn-by-turn instructions. This is a case of coding via VDCS, you can look HERE for members nearby who can do this for you if you so wish.  

 

Seems doable. How's the unit itself?

 

If you've come from Swing it's a huge improvement. The sound quality is noticeably improved and you now have navigation with traffic, in-built music storage, DVD playback, voice control, an SD card slot and DAB (if you chose it) with a touchscreen interface and you still have all your existing funtionality as it was before. 

 

The Maxidot displays DAB stations, and lets you control the music on the new sources (SD / hard drive). You can now also stop / forward / rewind tracks on your connected Bluetooth device and they will stop playing on your device when you switch sources on the Columbus which is another big win if you use your phone to play music; the BT audio mode on the Swing is very primitive and acts like an AUX source. Phone calls can also be initiated on the screen instead of using just Maxidot and you can setup speed dials rather than having to scroll through phonebooks or calling lists.  

 

If you have DAB, you probably won't need be listening to FM/AM, so now's the time to ditch the fugly long aerial and replace it. I went with a 3cm stubby variant, very low cost but looks so much better. I don't think a sharkfin would work as the roof is slightly sloped at the back which means it may not sit correctly - maybe one to try out in the future.

 

 

And any downsides? 

 

The main one is the screen - it's resistive so requires some firm presses on the screen, not like your modern capacitive smart phone screens. It takes a little getting used to in this day in age but unless you're constantly fiddling with the screen while driving it's not a huge deal. You always have the option of the voice control to perform those tasks too. 

 

The system can take some time to startup compared to the Swing, which I think is to do with loading music from your various sources. On the Swing it seemed to load files from USB once you selected a folder where as the Columbus it seems to do it all on startup. 

 

One thing that does annoy me is the right knob in DAB mode - I was hoping that turning it would scroll through my presets but it brings up the manual tuner which is completely pointless. You can use the arrows on the screen and the stalk so not something that keeps me up at night. 

 

Anything else I should know? 

 

The maps and firmware can be updated, I'm not planning on this as I bought a relatively new unit. You can also change the startup logo. 

 

If you want the Bluetooth audio to play from your Spotify app on your phone you may need to open the app on your phone first. I also have a Music app to play locally stored files and the unit picks up whatever app was last used. On my phone at least I have to turn on "Bluetooth autoplay" in the Columbus for Spotify to work, if you don't you have to manually play a track in Spotify first. 

 

Thanks, this has been helpful. 

 

You're welcome - if you have any questions feel free to contact me. There's also a few ICE experts here who can help. If there's any mistakes in the above please let me know and I will amend. 

Edited 17 November, 2021 by DunDunFather

[adamtyvm]

Honestly if you're spending £300+ you're better off buying MIB2 with carplay & AA, just one adapter for the quadlock and have component protection hacked off by someone local. Only downside is you may end up with a VW/Seat unit which won't have the green leds 😞

 

 

[camelspyyder]

19 hours ago, adamtyvm said:

Honestly if you're spending £300+ you're better off buying MIB2 with carplay & AA, just one adapter for the quadlock and have component protection hacked off by someone local. Only downside is you may end up with a VW/Seat unit which won't have the green leds 😞

 

 

I read often that MIB2 HU are not compatible with older (pre - mid 2015) Rapids 

[adamtyvm]

59 minutes ago, camelspyyder said:

I read often that MIB2 HU are not compatible with older (pre - mid 2015) Rapids 

 

After 2015 Skoda Rapids become PQ26 like the Fabia III, these will need other radio types since they're basically MQB. As long as you have Quadlock you can get an adapter to run MIB2 no problem, just needs Component Protection removing for a few quid. Mine is a 2015 PQ25 rapid which originally had the RNS 315 fitted.