VW MFD Retro-Fit

[mb]

There is a big debate on exactly what signal & where the MFD should use. I believe pre-D was the ABS (hence need to set wheel size) G onwards was GALA & D could use either. I am not entirely sure as the 26pin pinout doesn't mention GALA so I think GALA fed into Pin5 is a workaround that works fine. Because my car didn't have GALA at the HU (Canbus car) I had to connect to the instruments but was still just one wire so I think a speed rather than ABS signal.

[Turrican]

Well finally got it installed, plug and play adapter made it easy. Most difficult part was trying to get the MFD pushed back in the slot. In the end had to remove the climate control and pull the cables down from underneath.

[mb]

Glad it was straightforward - I still haven't fitted the one I an meant to be doing ! Was going to say pull the clima - it is very important to get it all stashed away properly as if the MFD gests stuck you have to take the dash apart to take it out (I know from experience...)

[Turrican]

So finally managed to go for a little drive and found the nav was so slow updating, with directions coming up sometimes a few metres from the junction and the screen refreshing every 5-10 seconds. Argghh....

After some digging around realised that the override button to allow watching of video on the move (which I didnt bother hooking up) is actually the gala signal wire.

So after hooking it up, I can say the nav has improved. The screen still refreshes the same but now my position is actually moving on the map inbetween refreshes.

Also checked the pulse setting and wheel circumfrence on the nav. (the wheel circumfrence will update automatically but thought I'd give it a hand)

[mb]

Well fitted the MFD today into a single DIN car & it really was very straightforward. Despite being a fairly basic spec car (only front speakers) there was a GALA wire present at the HU. As said by Turrican the hardest part was gettiing the unit + extra wires back in again (car din't have AC so even trickier...) I removed the VIM button as no need for it. By undoing just the visible (6) GB screws I could fit the GPS antenna & fed the antenna wire through without actually having to drop the glovebox which sped things up a bit. Added a mute pin to the HU loom so carkit which I installed at the same time mutes now also fed speaker wires to Tel+/- so no additional speaker.

I then set the calibration to 8 (GALA feed) & circumferance per table following google search & within minutes was very accurate arriving at junctions etc. so if you have a non DD HU a very simple job. If doing again I think I would just buy a 26pin connector & wire it into GALA feed & S Contact as the rest is just a pass-through & would make it all fit easier.

Edited February 7, 2010 by mb

[mb]

BTW the later MFD models are GALA only so don't worry about changing speed pulses or anything like that as long as it is picking up a GALA signal which I am sure it will as must have GALA on the HU it should navigate OK.

The version I just installed was a G version & when I went into the calibration it had the choice of 43/44/45 for ABS & 8 for GALA pulses so I was wrong thinking that G could only use GALA pulses. Setting the calibration was well worth it as made it very accurate (although it was working OK before by all accounts set to 45 Passat in a Golf & using the GALA pulses feed so there must be some degree of self correction to the unit...