VW Vento: My Custom ICE

[subodh]

So since it was long pending, here it goes.

I got the delivery of my white AT vento on the 5th of January. As soon as i got the delivery, the very first thing that disappointing me in the car was the ICE of the car for various reasons:

• Looks: very basic. Nothing Exciting about the looks.
• Features: What the heck is that?
• Compatibility: Only MP3 CD's
• Sound quality: very Poor

So basically there was no other option than to change the ICE of the car to something new, something different, Something radical. With all these things in mind, i decided to go ahead with the change. I went online and started doing some research on availability of different HU's for VW. I found a link on T-BHP where someone had put a winston system in the car (Sorry i am really bad at remembering names ) But me being me, i had a problem: I had to see the system in reality to get it fitted in the car.

In comes my regular accessories guy who i know quite well now and i find him very reliable. I keep in touch with him on a regular basis and happened to talk to him generally where i mentioned to him about my problem regarding the ICE. I guess it was god sent or just pure luck, but what he said in that conversation made me a very happy man. He mentioned to me immediately that he has music system for VW which are custom made to fit in all the VW cars and can be fitted in vento very well. Plus since those systems are plug and play, warranty should not be an issue. The next thing i know i was standing outside the shop getting the system fitted.
But as i always knew, there was no point in changing just the system, so i decided to first change the speakers (Being a music buff and also a musician and having a finer taste for high quality music; which sucks sometimes as it always results in spending more money)

Resultant:

[Swanand Inamdar]

Woooooohoooooo! Its finally here! After the long awaited wait, the report is finally here!
Noopster will be pleasently shocked!

EDIT: BTW, nice avatar! When was this taken?

[subodh]

Now came the question of actual HU upgrade. I was reluctant initially to change the HU in the car as i was getting quite a decent audio output in the OEM system with the change in speakers and addition of an Amp. The problem was still about compablity of only mp3 CD's. Unlucky ( or lucky i dont know) but rajesh bhandari (one of the owners of bhandari auto) was at the shop who knows me for atleast last 10 years now. He knew about my taste in music and also the kind of music i listen to and what i look for in a system. He insisted that i should go in for a change of HU as well as it will complete the whole setup. Knowing me, he knew that once i get out of that place, i would never manage to come back to change the HU and now i realize the importance of what he did. I am very glad that he made me change the HU as it works excellent and feature list on the system is unending. Finally i ended up changing the HU as well and resultant:

More pictures in day time and amp set up coming up soon.

[Tats07]

Originally Posted by subodh

Now came the question of actual HU upgrade. I was reluctant initially to change the HU in the car as i was getting quite a decent audio output in the OEM system with the change in speakers and addition of an Amp. The problem was still about compablity of only mp3 CD's. Unlucky ( or lucky i dont know) but rajesh bhandari (one of the owners of bhandari auto) was at the shop who knows me for atleast last 10 years now. He knew about my taste in music and also the kind of music i listen to and what i look for in a system. He insisted that i should go in for a change of HU as well as it will complete the whole setup. Knowing me, he knew that once i get out of that place, i would never manage to come back to change the HU and now i realize the importance of what he did. I am very glad that he made me change the HU as it works excellent and feature list on the system is unending. Finally i ended up changing the HU as well and resultant:

More pictures in day time and amp set up coming up soon.

Doesn't all this void the warranty in some form or the other? Or is it only HU specific warranty, which you have replaced anyway, and don't need VW's assistance anyway?

Always wondered about this, and hence the question.

[VW2010]

VW has some crazy rules that will void anything that we do from outside. Even changing horns outside may void all electrical/electronic warranty.

Hope you checked with VW dealers before playing with the system.

[moralfibre]

The stock ICE of the VW Vento was quite decent. This seems to be a one off music system you got. Can you share the prices you paid for:

- The components
- Amplifier
- Head Unit (Make and model too pls)

[subodh]

So the final list of COnversion:

1. Helix component speakers at front and back
2. VW system change
3. Reverse camera

Features:

1. Audio Cd
2. MP3 cd
3. VCD
4. DVD
5. Radio
6. USB
7. IPOD Support with charging and control from the HU
8. Bluetooth support for connecting phone : Answer calls, Dial Numbers
9. Bluetooth support for using phone for playing music: Play, Pause, Next Previous
10. Reverse Camera ( Sensors missed in this one)
11. GPS Navigation
12. SD card support for music playback
13. You can also view photos in this system

As of now these are the features I can think of, If any more, will add further
Photos as follows:

[subodh]

Originally Posted by Tats07

Doesn't all this void the warranty in some form or the other? Or is it only HU specific warranty, which you have replaced anyway, and don't need VW's assistance anyway?

Always wondered about this, and hence the question.

Originally Posted by VW2010

VW has some crazy rules that will void anything that we do from outside. Even changing horns outside may void all electrical/electronic warranty.

Hope you checked with VW dealers before playing with the system.

Warranty is very dealer specific. Normally they are casual about ICE and minor modification but you can never know. I know i can take my chances with the dealership and get around it "hopefully"

[ventolute]

Finally! The much awaited ICE from your car. It looks fantastic. The perfect flush fit, the giant touchscreen, the uncompromised OEM look, specially with the red back-lit buttons at night, the excellent UI(looks better than the Witson), its just a delight to look at .

This is not the Witson evidently. The buttons are different on the Witson. Though it looks exactly the same. The screen seems bigger here or is it just my perception?

1. Have you installed any GPS software and have you tested it?
2. Have you tested the IPOD and are you able to control album arts?
3. Does it pair seamlessly with the fone on bluetooth and does it read off the address book as well?
4. Could you please share the details
a) cost
b) brand name
c) most importantly the name of the dealer and the phone number/email id?
5. Do you think he would be able to procure it and send it across to another city?

Sorry I asked too many questions, but looking at the work of art in your car, I am hell bent on getting one for mine too and I cant contain the excitement.

[dot]

Originally Posted by ventolute

Finally! The much awaited ICE from your car. It looks fantastic. The perfect flush fit, the giant touchscreen, the uncompromised OEM look, specially with the red back-lit buttons at night, the excellent UI(looks better than the Witson), its just a delight to look at .

@Ventolute has said everything I wanted to say. So just copied his words. And add "congratulations"

Hey need to check this out in person sometime. Dont be too surprised if you see a familiar face waiting infront of your apartment soon!!

One thought struck me, installing components at the rear is very rare. How do you feel that it has helped in enhancing the audio quality.

[noopster]

Thanks @subodh- it looks fab. Is there anything you particularly like or dislike about the HU? Admittedly it looks the most OEM of all the ones we've seen so far in Ventos on TBHP.

@ventolute- not so fast, mate! To elicit all those details from subodh you need to meet him after work someday, spend some quality time, treat him to some chilled beverages etc. Then he may start sharing some details . Just getting him to post this thread was like pulling teeth

[varunsonu]

@subodh Hi!! congratulations for the new stereo. It looks really good and i am sure it sounds awesome as well.

I own a skoda laura ambiente and even though the sound quality of the stereo is very good but the display unit is very simple. So if you can share the details of your installer it would be awesome as volkswagen supplies most of the skoda parts..

[Swanand Inamdar]

Originally Posted by ventolute

1. Have you installed any GPS software and have you tested it?
2. Have you tested the IPOD and are you able to control album arts?
3. Does it pair seamlessly with the fone on bluetooth and does it read off the address book as well?
4. Could you please share the details
a) cost
b) brand name
c) most importantly the name of the dealer and the phone number/email id?
5. Do you think he would be able to procure it and send it across to another city?

1. As far as I know, he is yet to install GPS. On the lookout of one though.
2. Had tried my wife's iPhone in it once, albiet for a short time, works like a charm.
3. Fone connectivity is seamless and sound quality is superb. Since Subodh's work makes him travel quite a lot (and I mean QUITE A LOT), most of the times he talks to us through the Bluetooth connectivity. Being on the other side of the call, I can vouch that the quality is as good as speaking on the phone itself.
5. I do know the dealer as well, and can say that he would have no issues in sending it to another city as well.

Originally Posted by varunsonu

I own a skoda laura ambiente and even though the sound quality of the stereo is very good but the display unit is very simple. So if you can share the details of your installer it would be awesome as volkswagen supplies most of the skoda parts..

Varunsonu, even I have the same car (Skoda Laura Ambiente) and face the same issue that you do. The HU is something even I am on the lookout for. Basically i need something like the one in Laura L&K. I have checked with the dealer and he did mention, that he could do something on this. To be honest, havent really got time to go back to him and check on this. Shall update you as i get some details.

@Subodh: Sorry for taking over this thread and answering questions on your behalf. Its just that i log on more than you do (read as I have more spare time than you ), and I was present at the time of installation (Hence took the liberty).

[ventolute]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

@Subodh: Sorry for taking over this thread and answering questions on your behalf. Its just that i log on more than you do (read as I have more spare time than you ), and I was present at the time of installation (Hence took the liberty).

Hi Swanand. Thank you for replying to my questions. Subodh had mentioned earlier that work keeps him totally occupied and he hardly finds time. So , I am glad that you can take over as you were present right there.
Could you also share with us
1) Cost of the Hu install
2) Brand
3) Details of the installer(name/fone/email) .
It would be of immense help to a lot of us here .

[Frontosa]

Hey Subodh, Many congratulations!!!! But you have left us all high and dry. Please let us know what brand HU it is? And how much did it cost? Also the cost of all the other components. Did you do any damping? Please give me contact of the dealer for that HU? I'm going to ICE my Polo this weekend and want to finalize soon.