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Retrofit SatNav Antenna (& SD card query) Recommendations

Lth0ms0n

Go Kart Newbie
Location
United Kingdom
Car(s)
2013 Golf GTD
Hi all,

I tested my MIB2 unit out in the car last night and noted the satellite reception was non-existent.

I knew an antenna was going to be necessary but wondering what the best solution is - does anyone have any recommendations? Furthermore, where in the car is best to place it? I was considering running the cable through the dash and down the centre, ending up below the cubby for USB unit but not sure if the signal there would be strong enough - I really don’t want it on display, for obvious reasons.

A colleague once mentioned how you can have them fitted the roof later. Has anyone gone down this route and can they recommend it or is that WAY more hassle than it’s worth?

Stupid question…



Also, my unit didn’t come with an SD card. Although one of the 3 (yes, 3) I am currently in possession of did, I’m returning it to the sender - it wasn’t listed as a part on their invoice (plus the unit was really badly damaged) but my conscience isn’t allowing me to keep it… 😅😅

Were I to procure my own, will it work - as I presume? I know it needs to be 32GB but are there any other requirements for it?

Thanks!
 

IWMTom

Autocross Newbie
Hi all,

I tested my MIB2 unit out in the car last night and noted the satellite reception was non-existent.

I knew an antenna was going to be necessary but wondering what the best solution is - does anyone have any recommendations? Furthermore, where in the car is best to place it? I was considering running the cable through the dash and down the centre, ending up below the cubby for USB unit but not sure if the signal there would be strong enough - I really don’t want it on display, for obvious reasons.

A colleague once mentioned how you can have them fitted the roof later. Has anyone gone down this route and can they recommend it or is that WAY more hassle than it’s worth?

Stupid question…



Also, my unit didn’t come with an SD card. Although one of the 3 (yes, 3) I am currently in possession of did, I’m returning it to the sender - it wasn’t listed as a part on their invoice (plus the unit was really badly damaged) but my conscience isn’t allowing me to keep it… 😅😅

Were I to procure my own, will it work - as I presume? I know it needs to be 32GB but are there any other requirements for it?

Thanks!
Discover Media or Discover Pro?
 

Lth0ms0n

Go Kart Newbie
Location
United Kingdom
Car(s)
2013 Golf GTD
A standard GPS antenna with a Fakra connector will be fine. Couple of quid on eBay.

I have mine on the dashboard. On my MIB2 unit it worked fine inside the dashboard, but not on my MIB2.5
Hmmm, I really don’t want it on the dash if I can avoid it. Playing around with it last night, I noticed the interface for my new unit displays it like a Mark 7.5 which makes me think I’ve got a 2.5 unit?

Not sure. Either way, thanks for the tip! I’ll get one of them now.

Does it matter what SD card you get - so long as the capacity is enough?
 

IWMTom

Autocross Newbie
Hmmm, I really don’t want it on the dash if I can avoid it. Playing around with it last night, I noticed the interface for my new unit displays it like a Mark 7.5 which makes me think I’ve got a 2.5 unit?

Not sure. Either way, thanks for the tip! I’ll get one of them now.

Does it matter what SD card you get - so long as the capacity is enough?
If you've got Discover Media then it must be a VW SD card unless the unit is hacked to take any card.
 

Lth0ms0n

Go Kart Newbie
Location
United Kingdom
Car(s)
2013 Golf GTD
If you've got Discover Media then it must be a VW SD card unless the unit is hacked to take any card.
Fuck sake. The unit I’m fitting didn’t come with one, one of the units in returning did though - I’m debating keeping it because of all the grief they’ve given me (falsifying the listing and concealing how badly damaged it was).

Does that mean I need to buy a VW one then, or can I even buy a VW one? I’m not sure if Simaservis will do anything to assist me with that.
 

IWMTom

Autocross Newbie
Fuck sake. The unit I’m fitting didn’t come with one, one of the units in returning did though - I’m debating keeping it because of all the grief they’ve given me (falsifying the listing and concealing how badly damaged it was).

Does that mean I need to buy a VW one then, or can I even buy a VW one? I’m not sure if Simaservis will do anything to assist me with that.
I know many UK based retrofitters who can disable the CID check as part of the hacking, but that's not to say your fella online can do the same...

To do this properly, you should purchase the correct SD card for your unit.
 

Lth0ms0n

Go Kart Newbie
Location
United Kingdom
Car(s)
2013 Golf GTD
I know many UK based retrofitters who can disable the CID check as part of the hacking, but that's not to say your fella online can do the same...

To do this properly, you should purchase the correct SD card for your unit.
Any idea how I check that?

The one I have came from a Delphi 874C. The unit that’s actually going in is a Delphi 874B. I had ZERO navigation signal last night (obviously) but when I went in there, it displayed the map, so I assume that means it would work?

E7DCE3EE-1552-4D51-AE7F-98C563904AF5.jpeg


I’m assuming the CP being active also means that the nav functionality would be reduced?

This is the card that came with the other one:

8C82E552-2583-4EA2-9906-4AE4C1744D11.jpeg


I don’t want to hack the unit, if I can avoid it. But I also don’t want to have to pay VW stupid money for a computer chip with pre-loaded data on it. Particularly considering I then have to go through the process of updating it myself!
 

IWMTom

Autocross Newbie
Any idea how I check that?

The one I have came from a Delphi 874C. The unit that’s actually going in is a Delphi 874B. I had ZERO navigation signal last night (obviously) but when I went in there, it displayed the map, so I assume that means it would work?

View attachment 214756

I’m assuming the CP being active also means that the nav functionality would be reduced?

This is the card that came with the other one:

View attachment 214757

I don’t want to hack the unit, if I can avoid it. But I also don’t want to have to pay VW stupid money for a computer chip with pre-loaded data on it. Particularly considering I then have to go through the process of updating it myself!
If you're speaking with a random fella online to remotely "code" your unit, they are hacking it.

There isn't a legitimate way to retrofit a MIB2 unit and retain all of its features.
 

Lth0ms0n

Go Kart Newbie
Location
United Kingdom
Car(s)
2013 Golf GTD
If you're speaking with a random fella online to remotely "code" your unit, they are hacking it.

There isn't a legitimate way to retrofit a MIB2 unit and retain all of its features.
I guess I’m getting a hacked unit then 🤣🤣 I thought they just deactivated it against the FECs for the VIN the unit came from originally once the CP had been cleared?
 

Lth0ms0n

Go Kart Newbie
Location
United Kingdom
Car(s)
2013 Golf GTD
Which is completely illegitimate. Only way to do something like that is by illegitimate means.
I didn’t say that it was legitimate - hacking a computer is very different from copying and pasting stuff from one place to another.

Yes that’s simplistic but it doesn’t reach the same level as hacking, at least not in my opinion.
 

IWMTom

Autocross Newbie
I didn’t say that it was legitimate - hacking a computer is very different from copying and pasting stuff from one place to another.

Yes that’s simplistic but it doesn’t reach the same level as hacking, at least not in my opinion.
There's no "copying and pasting" going on here. To trick the unit into believing it has valid FeCs then it must be hacked.

Most retrofitters just flash a known good firmware that they've pre-hacked and dumped.
 

Lth0ms0n

Go Kart Newbie
Location
United Kingdom
Car(s)
2013 Golf GTD
There's no "copying and pasting" going on here. To trick the unit into believing it has valid FeCs then it must be hacked.

Most retrofitters just flash a known good firmware that they've pre-hacked and dumped.
Oh well. I’m not for software piracy either but this is what VW have created in being so militant.. People always upgrade the head units in their cars and as their software functionality continues to grow like this, it’s only going to become more mainstream. By closing the walls, as Apple do, they only create the vacuum that leads to things like this.

Synchronising the parts in their products so they don’t work elsewhere has landed Apple in trouble in the US. If your MIB1 unit failed, would you genuinely want to spend £1000+ on a bad performing unit or use it as a chance to bump it up a notch? We shouldn’t have the right to do what we see fit to our own property denied in this way..people would pay them if they opened it up, but they won’t. 🤷‍♂️

Anyway, off my soap box now.
 
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